About Us

Mind Our Beeswax was founded in 1983 by Joann Bennett. In 1998, Theresa Kramer took over the business and worked alongside her husband and family for over twenty years before selling it to her niece, Valerie Kramer, in January 2025.

Valerie lives in Green, Ohio with her family, where she tends to her hobby farm, raises her children, and runs her business. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Organismal Biology and is married to Matt Lehnert, an entomologist and professor at Kent State University. Her passions center around creating art and protecting the planet.

Today, Mind Our Beeswax is dedicated to honoring beeswax as one of nature’s most remarkable, time-tested materials. For centuries, beeswax has served as light, preservative, sealant, medicine, and art across cultures and traditions. Valerie continues this legacy by creating sustainable goods and offering hands-on workshops that celebrate beeswax as both an artistic medium and a functional ingredient - deeply rooted in tradition and thoughtfully woven into everyday life.

With the support of her family and community, she remains committed to carrying this work forward: preserving timeless beeswax traditions while inviting this enduring material into modern homes.

Mind Our Beeswax is committed to environmental sustainability, conservation, and diversity. We believe in more than just great products—we believe in equity, inclusion, and community. We proudly support LGBTQIA+ individuals, stand with marginalized communities, and advocate for women’s rights.

Jim and Theresa Kramer