The Founders Story

Born from a vision of food as medicine, Gather By is redefining Australian Manuka honey by creating new diversification for farmers, building healthy bee populations, restoring biodiversity, healing ecosystems, and building a circular, triple-bottom-line future.

From Information Security to Food Security

When I returned to Australia from New York in 2011, I knew it was time to connect the threads of my life’s work. Moving from information security to food security may sound like a leap, but to me it was a natural evolution. Both are about protecting what truly matters. My deeper calling has always been holistic health and wellness, guided by the belief that food is medicine and that how we grow and share it shapes the future of our communities and our planet.

I could see that Australia was standing at a fork in the road. One path leads to biodiversity and smaller family farms using organic and regenerative principles, producing nutrient-dense food within local regions. The other is dominated by corporatised monocultures dependent on synthetic fertilisers, pesticides, herbicides, and antibiotics, producing food stripped of vitality. I knew which path I chose.

A Wake-Up Call

My attention soon turned to beekeepers and farmers, because without them there is no food security. What I found was sobering. Australia was the only beekeeping country on earth free of the deadly mite, Varroa destructor. I set out to meet the community and our beekeepers, and it was clear the next generation wasn’t coming through, it was tough out there, and the economics made it easy to see why. However, there were a few gems - trusted beekeepers with positive, sustainable practices in Manuka honey earning quite a bit more - a small cottage industry was forming.

Honey prices in Australia were below a beekeeper to survive. Meanwhile, New Zealand’s Manuka industry was flourishing - a ~NZ$600m industry - commanding far higher prices, with global demand. And yet their success was built on a single species Manuka bush, Leptospermum scoparium, a plant that is said to have originated here in Australia.

That realisation was a turning point. For the past 200 years, Australia has been slashing and burning native Leptospermum to make way for cotton, corn, sugarcane, and now almonds – limiting Australia’s supply. In doing so, we’ve stripped away biodiversity and weakened ecosystems. The idea of replanting these bushes, not as monocultures but as diverse, thriving forests, became a way to restore balance. We had everything we needed to create our own future.

Designing a New Model

We began researching Australian Leptospermum and testing nectar samples. The results were extraordinary: multiple native varieties contained high levels of dihydroxyacetone (DHA), the compound that converts into methylglyoxal (MGO) the source of therapeutic Manuka honey’s unique medicinal power.

At the same time, I knew it was only a matter of time before Australia faced the threat of the Varroa destructor mite. That led me to design what would become the Medicinal Honey Forest™ (MHF): diverse plantings of high-active Leptospermum supported by companion bee fodder crops to keep bees strong and resilient.

These forests were deliberately different from monocultures. Commercially, they would be planted on 10–100 hectare parcels across multiple bioregions, spreading risk from pests, disease, and climate volatility while creating resilient, regenerative ecosystems. Between 2011 and 2014, this vision took shape in my mind: a new agricultural model and diversification option for farmers that could restore landscapes, empower farmers, protect bees, and build a billion-dollar Australian Manuka industry.

And from the outset, our commitment to R&D never stopped. From nectar testing we expanded into trial plots, scaling from small acreages to larger plantings, always with the goal of producing regular, high-MGO honey. Each step was about proving consistency, building sustainability, and ensuring that fodder plants remain part of every Medicinal Honey Forest™ to preserve bee health for the long term.

Turning Vision Into Reality (2014 onwards)

In November 2014, I incorporated Gather By. I also realised something else: this bold plan was bigger than me. It would take the belief and support of others. That’s when I welcomed our first investors and shareholders.

Since then, we’ve gone through multiple rounds of funding. Every shareholder has contributed in their own way - with capital, expertise, networks, or encouragement. Together we have carried this vision forward, each step building the foundations of what Gather By has become.

Research and Discovery (2016 – 2017)

Collaborating on a number of fronts with the University of the Sunshine Coast and the University of Western Australia, we tested thousands of Leptospermum nectar samples from Sydney to Gympie. Out of 80 species, 15 active varieties were identified and geocoded, some with DHA levels up to 10 times higher than New Zealand’s Manuka.

This was a breakthrough. It proved Australia could lead the world in high-MGO honey using its native plants. We developed propagation techniques, cloned plants for consistency, and prepared to scale. We set a bold 10-year vision: plant 6.25 million trees on 5,000 hectares, producing over 1,000 tonnes of Manuka honey annually.

Research and Scaling Up (2018 – 2019)

With science on our side, we moved to scale. Licensed nurseries began producing plants at volume. Trial plots of 3–5 hectares tested yields and validated the planting model.

We also established our honey packing and production facility in Ballina, NSW. Gather By was no longer just an idea — it was a living, breathing enterprise.

Going to Market (2020 – 2021)

Then came Covid. Despite the challenges, we achieved our first honey production and grower transactions. Our early honey was modest in activity, but it proved the Medicinal Honey Forest™ model worked.

We began exporting into Middle Eastern countries, confirming global demand. The Ballina facility expanded, we secured HACCP/BQUAL certification, and our ability to deliver premium Australian Manuka to the world took shape.

Resilience Through Adversity (2021 – 2022)

Floods and fires tested us again, wiping out more than 90% of plantings and infrastructure across sites along the East Coast of NSW. For many, it would have been the end. For us, it was another reason to push harder, continuing our critical research and development.

We doubled honey production and sales, sourced high-MGO batches, and invested in educating global markets about the unique power of Australian Manuka. We upgraded our facility with advanced filtration and packing and introduced irrigation systems to secure nectar flow. Medicinal Clonal Selection nurseries delivered their first commercial outputs, helping us rebuild as we continued our research.

Stabilising and Growing (2023 – 2025)

In 2023, the Varroa mite finally reached Australian shores. It was the moment we dreaded yet long prepared for. We responded with new biosecurity systems, varroa management strategies, and research continued into high-pollen plants to strengthen bee health.

These steps reinforced what the Medicinal Honey Forest™ was always designed to be: a resilient, regenerative ecosystem where bees thrive, farmers earn, and communities are part of a healthier future.

Expansion and Innovation (2025 – 2026)

Today, Gather By is entering its most ambitious phase. We are working with beekeepers producing honeys from MGO100 to MGO2200+, launching innovative products in food, sport, wellness, and veterinary care, and expanding into more than 10 global markets.

At the same time, we are scaling Medicinal Honey Forest™ plantings with growers, Indigenous landowners, and regional communities. This regenerative model restores land, improves biodiversity, and provides free pollination services to farmers.

By 2026, our goal is to confirm the bioregion model for Medicinal Honey Forests, proving that premium honey, food security, and ecosystem restoration can thrive side by side.

Why It Matters

Gather By has always been about more than honey. It is about creating systems that heal.

• For consumers, it means access to pure, potent Australian Manuka honey backed by science.
• For farmers, it means new income through regenerative planting.
• For bees, it means healthier ecosystems and resilience against threats.
• For communities, it means jobs, resilience, and connection to land.

Looking Ahead

From my reflections in New York, to founding Gather By in 2014, to building a global Manuka business today, one thing has stayed constant: the preservation of our circular agricultural and triple bottom line business model.

I also know that our shareholders, who believed in this vision from the beginning, deserve to see it flourish. Together, we have carried risk and built value. And one day, we, the board hope to offer part of this company to the Australian people, because Gather By has always been about community, and it feels right that Australians share in its success.

Every jar of Gather By honey sold plants more trees, restores more land, and builds a healthier future for people, bees, and the planet.

Pure Australian Manuka. Rare. Powerful. Proven