Meet Ken Ken MacNeil has been in love with bugs as long as he can remember. Although his mother forbade spiders in the house, that didn't stop young Ken from collecting every other kind of insect he could get his hands on. In fact, his first pet was a grasshopper — and he disobeyed his mom by keeping a collection of spiders on the front porch. Although his initial career path led him to the world of computers, Ken never gave up his love for bugs. His eyes were opened to the career possibilities when he discovered the underground world of serious bug hobbyist/collectors. Taking a big risk - and a huge loan - Ken began his new life as "Ken the Bug Guy" four years ago, when he bought out one of the largest insect dealers in the US. Since then, Ken has worked tirelessly at his new business, and in the process, he's become one of the largest exotic invertebrate dealers in the world. "Ken the Bug Guy" is now well recognized as the source for exotic bugs, insects and arachnids in the U.S. Along with his wife, Georgi, and a colony of close friends, including "scorpion king" Mike Dame, Ken's insect-dealing empire is really buzzing. Georgi's love of insects rivals, if not surpasses Ken's — in fact, it was Georgi who took Ken on his first tarantula-collecting expedition, finally putting an end to the spider embargo his mom had enacted years before. It was love at first arachnid for Georgi and Ken, and now they are raising their own two-year-old bug lover, who's skittering and creeping along in Mom and Dad's footsteps. Ken remains as much a fan of bugs as he is a businessman, and still takes every opportunity to get out in the world and collect bugs. Although he's now a grown man, married, and a dad, at heart Ken is still the little kid who, at four years old, was out digging for bugs in the dirt. Recognizing the importance of giving back to the community that helped turn his passion into a successful career, Ken is active in the insect hobbyist world. He was one of the founders of the San Francisco Bay Area Tarantula Society, where he currently holds the position of Vice President. He was also the first Silver Sponsor, and has been a two-time Gold Sponsor, of the American Tarantula Society. |
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