# Mike Bell

> Mike Bell, also known professionally as Michael Bell, is the New Zealand founder and CEO of Manukora. A former KPMG accountant, he began selling honey on Amazon in 2015 after learning from beekeeper Bryce Hooton. His work combines international consumer branding, product traceability and partnerships with independent New Zealand beekeepers.

- **Role:** Founder and CEO at Manukora
- **Organizations:** Manukora, KPMG, Ora Foods
- **Nationality:** New Zealander
- **Education:** University of Auckland
- **Known for:** Founded Manukora in 2015., Introduced serialized product traceability at Manukora in 2016., Led Manukora through its first B Corp certification in 2022.

## Career timeline

- **2011-2014** — Studied at the University of Auckland, according to his LinkedIn profile.
- **Before 2015** — Worked in accounting at KPMG and learned honey packing from Bryce Hooton outside his day job.
- **2015** — Launched Manukora; Amazon became its first sales channel beyond local farmers markets.
- **2016** — Introduced Trust Code traceability technology, according to his 2020 interview.
- **2017** — Appeared as Ora Foods CEO at Vitafoods Asia; Manukora was reported to be shipping to 13 countries.
- **2020** — Described a California retail launch and a customer-location mapping exercise in a public pitch to Nugget Markets buyer Saj Khan.
- **2022** — Manukora became B Corp certified on January 5; B Lab published an interview with Bell in May.
- **2023** — Discussed the original Matamata packing shed, his beekeeping mentors and outdoor interests in a Manukora interview.

## Achievements

- Founded Manukora in 2015.
- Introduced serialized product traceability at Manukora in 2016.
- Led Manukora through its first B Corp certification in 2022.
- Built international distribution; Manukora was shipping to 13 countries by September 2017.

## Latest updates

- **2026-02** — Manukora’s founder interview was marked updated February 25, 2026; the original interview dates to September 2023. This is an editorial timestamp, not a new biographical event.

## Links

- Website: https://manukora.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-bell-15331853

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/mike-bell
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-21