Teen entrepreneur overcomes painful challenge to launch 'fulfilling' business: 'I always wanted to grow something big'
While many teens scroll through social media or focus on college plans, 19-year-old Zack Sporte has built a buzzworthy business — quite literally.
As the founder of Zack's Bees, the West Michigan entrepreneur has transformed a backyard hobby into a thriving, sustainability-focused company that produces raw honey and other bee-based products, according to Rapid Growth.
Sporte's path to beekeeping started with a sweet idea — maple syrup. "I tapped about 300 maple trees and thought I'd turn that into a business," he told Rapid Growth. But everything changed after he got his first hive. The bees quickly became more than just a curiosity. They became a calling.
It hasn't been all smooth flying. Sporte said the steepest challenge was learning how to keep his colonies alive through the harsh Michigan winters. And there's the matter of getting stung — a lot. "I get stung at least once a day, sometimes more than 50 or 60 times," he told Rapid Growth.
Still, the payoff has been worth the pain. Sporte's work supports local pollinator health and strengthens biodiversity, both of which are critical to the food systems people rely on every day. Through outreach and education, he's also helping others understand just how vital bees are — and how anyone can support them.
By producing raw, local honey and supporting pollinator health, Sporte gives consumers a cleaner, more sustainable alternative to heavily processed sweeteners. At the same time, his efforts help restore bee populations that support nearly 75% of global crops.
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Sporte hopes to continue expanding Zack's Bees, reaching more customers while deepening his impact. His journey shows that you don't need decades of experience or a big budget to make a difference — just passion, persistence, and a willingness to start small.
"I always wanted to grow something big. That's what motivates me: seeing the scale of what we can build," he said, per Rapid Growth. "If you're passionate about something, don't give up, even when it gets hard."
Sporte's mission reflects the kind of local, solutions-driven thinking encouraged by the Wege Prize High School Collaborative Studio at Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University. The program, led in part by sustainability officer and design professor Gayle DeBruyn, challenges students to tackle real-world environmental problems through the lens of people, planet, and prosperity.
"Young people bring energy, passion, and bold ideas," said DeBruyn, per Rapid Growth Media. "They have the vision and the potential to create a better future for all of us."
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For anyone inspired by Sporte's story, a great place to begin is by taking local action in your own community — because sometimes, the biggest change starts with the smallest creatures.
"Extracting honey in August is the best part, seeing all your hard work in one place, and then watching it go out to stores or get shipped across the country," Sporte said. "It's really fulfilling."
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Teen entrepreneur overcomes painful challenge to launch 'fulfilling' business: 'I always wanted to grow something big' first appeared on The Cool Down.
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