Burt's Bees founder wants to help students launch sustainable businesses

The founder of Burt's Bees is setting up an educational course to help budding entrepreneurs build sustainable businesses.

The natural beauty brand's former CEO Roxanne Quimby has announced the launch of ‘Creating a Healthy Hive: Starting Your Own Sustainable Business,' an online course set up in partnership with the Maine environmental establishment Unity College. It has been designed for students or adult learners seeking degrees or otherwise.

"In my years of developing Burt's Bees into one of the fastest growing brands in its sector -- and even before that, studying and working as an artist -- I learned so much even beyond building a successful business, and I'm excited to pass down that information and those stories to entrepreneurs," said Quimby in a statement. "I hope it inspires those students who are looking to start their own business with sustainability and the environment at its core."

"This is an incredible opportunity for our students to gain first-hand knowledge of how to run a business from someone who created one of the best-known brands in the country," added Unity College Chief Distance Education Officer Dr. Amy Arnett.

Burt's Bees was founded in Maine about 30 years ago, when Quimby began making candles with unused wax from Burt Shavitz's beehives. This led to the invention of the label's signature ‘Beeswax Lip Balm,' which in turn led to the development of more than 180 beauty and wellness products derived from natural ingredients, spanning lip care, lip color, skincare and bodycare.