Inside the hive
Ever feel like the modern world of work is just… not it? You're not alone. In Copenhagen, a collective called Bybi is lowkey revolutionizing how we think about productivity. They operate out of a cool complex of Victorian buildings—which, fun fact, used to be a prison and a workhouse—and they’re spending their time making honey and rethinking capitalism.
Founder Oliver Maxwell, who set this whole vibe up back in 2010, started with the idea of employing marginalized people. But real talk? He found that the traditional market economy just isn't built for people to thrive. "The bottom half of the jobs market has fallen out and everyone else has to run faster and faster," Maxwell says. So, they pivoted. Now, Bybi is less about the corporate grind and more about a "constellation of time, work, money, community and connection."
The honey method
They have 80 to 100 colonies scattered all over the city, from schools to corporate offices like L’Oréal. They produce about four to six tonnes of honey a year, but how they sell it is a total mood. Sometimes they give it away at weddings; other times they use a "reverse haggle" where they start the price low and let the buyers decide what the work is actually worth. It’s giving anti-consumerism energy in the best way.
They have a core team of 15, but about 40 to 50 volunteers join in throughout the year. Among them is principal beekeeper Aref Haboo, a Syrian Kurd who brought 18 years of expertise to the team. And yes, the bees are actually kind of iconic—apparently, they can count, recognize faces, and maybe even dream.
Why it matters
Bybi isn't just a place to jar honey; it’s an experiment in what happens when you step outside the "logic of work." By focusing on community and nature rather than just profit, they’re proving that we can find purpose in ways that don't involve burning ourselves out. It’s a total W for the bees, the volunteers, and anyone who thinks our current economic system is looking a little sus.
