Betsy O’Brien-Bee Ventures: Entrepreneur Profile

An entrepreneur story, written by Betsy O’Brien:

When the world came to a screeching halt in March 2020 it created a lot of space for many of us to reflect on the things in life that really matter. For me that was relationships, experiences, and self-love. Having been furloughed from my job, I jumped at the opportunity to spend a summer in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont and help my good friends reopen a rustic lodge on Caspian Lake. Over months exploring the Green Mountains an idea became a dream and that dream became a reality. Bee Ventures was born with the purchase of a 2019 Ram ProMaster van. I began building a home on wheels with a sustainable business plan. 

The concept for the van stemmed from a decade of experience in the craft beverage industry where I worked with startups on sales, event management, and marketing. Budgets were always tight, competition always high, and the struggle was real. I spent many years hauling my weight in product and equipment, hustling to aesthetically design a 10×10 space, scrambling for signage, fighting for bags of ice, running through checklists, and inevitably forgetting the damn stickers. While sweating and cursing whoever didn’t wash the tablecloth, I dreamed about what an ideal event setup could look like. Then I built it. 

Bee Ventures is a mobile event and marketing solutions company servicing craft beverage brands in the Mid Atlantic region. My name’s Betsy and I’m a solo female entrepreneur building out my dream lifestyle with a campervan and a 3-tap draft system. The Waggle Wagon is a brandable, customizable campervan equipped with a 3-tap draft system to pour the region’s finest craft beverages through a park-and-play concept. Imagine rolling up to an event and being ready to go. A large footprint, brandable space, a reliable draft system, a social photo booth, yard games, a television running promos, bumping music to create a scene and association with lifestyle of outdoor adventure. This changes the dynamic of customer interactions from begging for attention to attracting through awe and intrigue.

The campervan component enables memorable activations with a direct connection to #vanlife, passion for outdoor activities, and economic travel for multi-week tours.  The van is completely brandable and makes a unique impression with a large footprint and engaging park-and-play setup. 

After 8 months of building out my dream, the Waggle Wagon is nearing completion and aiming to be on the road providing top of the line brand activations for craft beverage brands throughout the Mid-Atlantic Summer 2021. It’s been a helluva ride so far and the adventures are just beginning. Follow the story on Instagram @bee_ventures_llc or drop me a line at betsy.beeventures@gmail.com. 

Cheers,

Betsy