Madvee Muthu

“I came to Ramapo from a tiny island in the Indian Ocean—Mauritius—after having been awarded the four-year Presidential Scholarship. At the time, I felt like I was given a blank canvas to fill in over four years. The relatively small and intimate Ramapo community allowed me to do just that. College was my first time experiencing life on my terms, with all the liberties and responsibilities that came with such freedom. I built lifelong friendships with people from vastly different upbringings, explored subjects that I never would have attempted had I not been at a liberal arts college, and grew immensely, both personally and academically. I graduated 13 years ago, yet some memories are still fresh, like they happened yesterday. From experiencing frostbite for sliding down the slope by the Berrie Center toward the gym on a cafeteria tray (not to be repeated!) to 2 a.m. impromptu trips to the Stateline Diner to the endless arguments in my economics classes. Ramapo changed my life!

I studied economics at Ramapo and, subsequently, specialized with a master’s in Social Policy and Development from the London School of Economics. I have been working as an international development practitioner for a decade. I set up my own consultancy–Impact Consulting–three years ago, through which I developed a project called “Bees with Stories.” We are now in our second year of implementation. “Bees with Stories” is a brand of bee products exclusively sourced from Africa. We assist farmers in meeting the export standards for honey and help them sell honey varietals in premium markets through one common brand and distribution network. We currently work with about 1,300 farmers from three countries, Ethiopia, Madagascar and Tanzania. The farmers earn less than one dollar a day; the sales of “Bees with Stories” products directly benefit them through additional income.” – Madvee Muthu ‘2006 graduated with a double-major in Economics and International Business, and a minor in Marketing. She graduated from the London School of Economics in 2009. While at Ramapo, Madvee received the Presidential Scholarship, the A. Tarallo Scholarship, Outstanding Economics Student 2006 award, the Student Service Award, and the Who’s Who Award. She also made Dean’s List. Madvee is the founder and director of TiA Bee Products Ltd.