Atlanta Journal Constitution

THE NEWSSTAND

Bee mixes lifestyles, news for professional women

By DON O'BRIANT
Published on: 06/28/05

Yet another magazine for women is in the works, but don't rush to the newsstand yet. Bee , a publication for young female professionals, will not be launched until September. The brainchild of Celine Gumbiner, a 24-year-old entrepreneur, Bee is touted as a blend of SmartMoney, Newsweek and Marie Claire that will cover personal finance, politics, lifestyle and beauty.

"Newsstands are devoid of magazines addressing topics necessary for women in a modern world," Gumbiner says. "Today women have very different interests encompassing all areas of life."

Publisher Erik Velez insists that Bee will go beyond makeup and dating. "Most readers will be educated career women living on their own and, while, yes, they want great shoes, they also want to be able to actively engage in conversations about world affairs and learn fiscal responsibility -- all without having to interrupt their hectic schedules."

One of the ways Bee's editors plan to do this is with World at-a-Glance, a feature that sums up pressing news stories such as Iran's nuclear weapons threat and the European Union's constitution struggles in concise paragraphs.

The quarterly magazine will debut with an initial circulation of 100,000. One of its competitors will be Pink , a newly launched Atlanta-based publication designed for professional business women.