Healing Veterans Through Beekeeping feat. Steve Jimenez ’22
Manage episode 435363513 series 2818412
The transition from military to civilian life can be tumultuous for any veteran. And this was the case for our guest today Steve Jimenez. And he found peace in an unexpected place when a friend invited him to try beekeeping.
In 2018, Steve founded Hives for Heroes, a nonprofit teaching veterans, active-duty military members, and first responders beekeeping skills to help them adapt to civilian life and deal with post-traumatic stress. Hives for Heroes has veterans and volunteers in every U.S. state, serving over 31,000 hives.
Host Maya Pomroy ’22 catches up with Steve in this episode to hear about his journey from studying sociology as an undergrad at A&M, to serving in the Marine Corps, overcoming personal struggles and finding solace in beekeeping. We’ll hear how Hives For Heroes aids military veterans in honeybee conservation, fostering connections and healing through nature and community service.
Tune in to learn more about the organization's growth, it’s core values, and ambitious plans for the future, including cutting-edge technology and how you can help them build a new headquarters right here in Houston.
Episode Guide:
01:17 Steve's Educational Background and Joining the Marine Corps
03:16 Marine Corps Training and Deployment Experiences
05:54 Transitioning to Civilian Life and Career Challenges
09:40 Discovering Beekeeping and Founding Hives for Heroes
15:08 Impact and Growth of Hives for Heroes
20:57 The Hive Mentality
21:10 A Life-Saving Connection: Derek's Story
22:17 Joining Hives for Heroes: The Process
22:42 Mentorship and Community Building
25:13 Awards and Recognition: A Humble Perspective
27:47 Scaling Up: The Need for Support
32:14 Heroes Honey: The Sweet Taste of Freedom
34:46 Future Vision: Connecting People, Nature, and Technology
38:46 A Call for Support
Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.
Episode Quotes:
On redefining his identity
23:50: I used to call myself Steve the Marine. Now I'm Steve. That was in the Marines. There's a very different shift there that I love, like, I am now more so a father than a Marine. That's who I am, right? I care about my kids more than the Marine Corps at this point in my life. Doesn't mean I don't honor that service. It just means that I've moved forward. And that's a lot of growth for me personally. And I know we tend to put our identities into things. You get to choose that, so I choose to put that into my fatherhood or being a public servant that we're able to serve the general public in really amazing ways, leading what I consider one of the best organizations on the planet. Those are the types of things that when you take your identity and allow yourself to create your identity, your path, and your journey. It's a super-powerful experience.On Hives for Heroes’ impact
We never thought that the organization would have the reach and impact that it does today. I think our most important number has always been one. One meaning to serve one person in a capacity that changes their life. And we can do that whether that's a beekeeping experience or even a conversation. When you are around people that genuinely care about you and your successes but want nothing from you, it's a pretty powerful position to be in, especially when you feel alone. So, what our organization has been able to do is connect individuals to individuals in their local areas. So, we call it hyperlocal global impact because that's what we do.From chaos to calmness
13:31: When I started focusing into the beehive, this experience caused me to really remove every external thing that I was thinking about, anything that was going on at the house, anything with my kids, anything that was going on externally was gone. [13:58] You have this, what we now call chaos to calmness. So, this was the first time in almost 10 years that I actually felt peace. I felt calm in my spirit, in my soul, in my brain, however you want to describe it.
Show Links:
- United States Marines
- Ark Hive Apiary
- Texas Business Hall of Fame
- Heroes Honey
- Texas For Heroes
- Lilie Lab | Rice University
- Kyle Judah | Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University
- Napier Rice Launch Challenge - Liu Idea Lab for Innovation & Entrepreneurship
- Al Danto | Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University
- Rice Alumni
- Houston Customer Innovation Center | HPE
- Transcript
Guest Profiles:
96 episodes