 | Dr. Krispn Given is an internationally recognized authority in the field of instrumental insemination and honey bee breeding. For three decades, he has conducted advanced research to improve honey bee health, directing Purdue University's honey bee breeding program and managing up to 300 colonies. He spearheaded the development of the 'Indiana Mite-biter' strain, demonstrating that selective breeding can successfully enhance behavioral resistance to the Varroa mite. An educator and author, he teaches advanced courses in queen rearing and instrumental insemination that attract students and researchers worldwide. His research has yielded numerous scientific publications and led to the co-founding of Apis Engineering, where he co-designs innovative, American-made instrumental insemination devices used in laboratories globally. He is the recipient of the prestigious 2023 international Roger A. Morse Outstanding Teaching/Extension/Regulatory Award and is a past president of the Heartland Honey Bee Breeders Cooperative. Apis Enginnering Beehive - Purdue University |
 | Herman Van Reekum is a lifelong Calgarian, entrepreneur, and commercial beekeeper. He is the Founder and CEO of Beekeeping Innovations Ltd., a Calgary agtech company behind the Bee Cube®, an insulated hive system, and the Be the Bee™ software platform. He has spoken on behalf of Alberta's beekeepers at federal and provincial agricultural policy roundtables. Before turning to agriculture, Herman built and led businesses in global immigration, visa services, and land development. He founded VRV Global and grew it into Canada's largest corporate immigration firm before its acquisition by CIBT Visas in 2014. Earlier in his career he served as an immigration officer and supervisor with the Government of Canada and taught political science for ten years at the University of Calgary and Mount Royal University. He holds a BA and MA in Political Science from the University of Calgary and served as Chair of the Board of the Calgary Catholic Immigration Society. Herman learned beekeeping from his mother and has kept bees since 2015, operating apiaries southwest of Calgary. He writes Bee Spaced, a Substack newsletter on the science, history, and craft of beekeeping, and lives in the Millarville area. Bee Spaced: The Global Beekeeping Digest Bee Cube® |
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