Meet the Team

Herman Van Reekum began his journey as a beekeeper in 2015, and over the past decade, his passion has grown alongside a deepening concern for honeybee survival and the sustainability of the beekeeping industry. He has come to fully appreciate the crucial role these remarkable creatures play in pollinating the crops that feed our world.

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This concern led him to found Beekeeping Innovations Ltd. where the company is dedicated to developing new beekeeping technologies and innovations such as Bee Cube® and Be the Bee™ Hive Management System app. Herman believes the industry stands to benefit greatly from advancements in several key areas:

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Beekeeping Innovations Ltd.  is developing improved hive monitoring systems that allow beekeepers to better track bee health. Beekeeping Innovations Ltd. is also exploring new, sustainable methods to control pests and diseases that threaten colonies. Another focus area includes developing technologies for more efficient queen rearing and breeding programs.

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Central to the company's mission is the design of hives optimized for bee health and productivity. Herman is convinced that by creating environments that truly cater to the needs of honeybees, the industry can make significant strides in both colony wellbeing and apiary productivity.

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Through Beekeeping Innovations Ltd.,  Herman aims to contribute meaningful solutions to the challenges facing the beekeeping industry, ensuring a thriving future for both honeybees and beekeepers.

Lisa Kubik is a graduate of the Alberta University of the Arts with a degree in Visual Communications, where she cultivated a blend of technical skill and creative vision. She is also a visionary artist, creating multidimensional paintings that transcend traditional boundaries into new realms of perception.

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Throughout her career, Lisa has balanced graphic design with the freedom of fine arts, embracing the role of a versatile entrepreneur. This adaptability has enabled her to fulfill multiple roles across creative and strategic domains.

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Her current focus involves pioneering a revolutionary bee-inspired 5D business model. This innovative approach emphasizes interconnectedness, adaptability, and long-term sustainability—qualities that mirror the remarkable social structure of honeybees. Just as these industrious creatures build thriving communities, Lisa aims to inspire others to view business through this multidimensional lens, where creativity, community, and conscious business practices coexist in harmony.

Ostap Pukshyn graduated from Lviv Polytechnic University with an M.Sc. in Computer Science and has spent over a decade building robust software solutions. He began his career in an R&D division, tackling cutting-edge challenges that laid the foundation for his full-stack expertise.

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Since then, Pukshyn has broadened his focus to large-scale systems and cloud-native architectures, mastering Java, Spring Boot, Flutter/Dart, and container orchestration to deliver reliable, high-performance applications.

 

At Bee Cube®, he leads the architecture and development of the Be the Bee™ Hive Management System—integrating real-time sensor data, back-end microservices, and cross-platform mobile apps to empower beekeepers with actionable insights.

Wendy Watson has worked primarily in the public sector throughout her career, notably at the University of the Fraser Valley, where she served as a faculty member and then as a departmental director. Her focus centered on access to literacy and post-secondary credentials for marginalized individuals and groups.
 

Like many others, Wendy has been concerned by the acceleration of global bee decline and felt that individuals had limited ability to reverse a trend that will significantly impact the global food supply. In Alberta, Beekeeping Innovations is countering this trend with the development of the Bee Cube® and Be the Bee™ Hive Management System.

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Wendy is committed to working with the Beekeeping Innovations team to develop community, post-secondary, and government projects, helping to save the bees and improve beekeeping profitability through innovation, partnership, and research.

Mauricio Borda serves as Chief Financial Officer at Beekeeping Innovations Ltd., bringing over 20 years of executive operations and financial leadership across international markets. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering and an MBA with a 4.0 GPA, along with executive education from Harvard Business School in Sustainable Business Strategy.

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Throughout his career, Mauricio has orchestrated complex operations across land development, infrastructure, and manufacturing sectors in Canada, Bolivia, and Argentina. His expertise lies in transforming business models to capture significant profitability improvements—having delivered revenue increases of 15-30% through strategic repositioning and process optimization.

 

At Beekeeping Innovations, Mauricio applies his proven capability in financial modelling, performance management systems, and scalable growth strategies to ensure the company's innovative solutions translate into sustainable commercial success. His experience navigating complex regulatory landscapes and building consensus among diverse stakeholders positions him to drive the company's expansion across agricultural innovation, environmental sustainability, and wellness markets.

Rob Wanjoe earned his degree in Marketing and Business at Mount Royal University.

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In his career, Rob has driven results for leading companies including Waiward Construction Management Inc., ONEC Group, Green Energy Services Ltd., and Layfield Group. Each role has sharpened his ability to connect innovative solutions with client needs.

 

His approach centers on building lasting relationships and delivering tangible results.

Rob is committed to finding the best solutions for clients. He brings his experience and drive to the team, helping achieve new levels of success.

Nazar and Natalia Pukshyn bring extensive beekeeping knowledge to Bee Cube® operations. Nazar Pukshyn (a veterinarian and third-generation beekeeper) and wife Natalia Pukshyn (a former pastry chef and beekeeper) have brought their European experience in queen-rearing to the cubes after leaving Ukraine when war broke out.

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Nazar took a two-year college beekeeping program in Poland before the war and has been artificially inseminating queen bees with the hope of creating a hardier bee strain to withstand Calgary-area weather and to start a queen bank of extra bees to replenish wintering losses.

Bill Rayment has spent the last 18 years nurturing bees and honing his craft as a beekeeper. Alongside that, he has dedicated an equal amount of time to his career in IT, with a particular expertise in sensors and data logging.

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Bill is a builder and maker who enjoys creating solutions with both hands and mind. Currently, he is applying his skills to an innovative project: 3D printing queen cages for bulk queen overwintering in the Bee Cube®.

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His work represents a rewarding blend of beekeeping passion and technological expertise, with continuous opportunities to learn and build across both fields.