Robin Wallis Atkinson

About Robin Wallis Atkinson

Robin Wallis Atkinson is a curator-turned-entrepreneur and the founder & CEO of Upkept, Inc. — a direct-to-consumer apparel-repair platform making high-quality garment care seamless, affordable, and accessible. Since launching in 2025, Upkept has become revenue positive, completed its first 100 customer repairs, piloted two in-store alteration programs, and secured angel funding to further validate its proof of concept.Upkept runs on digital intake, routing, and production systems that put efficiency and quality at the core of operations—so customers can “love their clothes longer.” The platform gives sustainability an easy, practical entry into everyday consumer habits by making repair straightforward, trackable, and worth repeating.Before founding Upkept, Atkinson created and led INTERFORM (formerly NWA Fashion Week / Arkansas Arts & Fashion Forum). From 2016 to 2025, she amplified under-represented designers, rebooted Northwest Arkansas Fashion Week, and launched sewn-trades training that produced donated face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic—work that secured a three-year Walton Family Foundation grant and earned her a place on the NWA Business Journal “40 Under 40” list.Her professional journey began in the early as a founding member of Art Amiss Inc. and includes two decades shaping the Northwest Arkansas arts ecosystem while contributing nationally and abroad. She holds a B.A. in Art History from the University of Arkansas and an M.A. in Curatorial Studies from Bard College. Curatorial highlights include serving on the team for Prospect.1 New Orleans, a fellowship at the Van Abbemuseum (Netherlands), teaching at Bard Early College Manhattan, and assisting touring exhibitions across Asia and Europe.Across her career, Atkinson has focused on expanding access, cultivating opportunity, and building systems that value creative labor—work that now extends into the world of garment care and sustainable consumption through Upkept.

Experience

1. Founder & CEO

   Upkept Inc

   Apr 2025 — Present · US

   Upkept is a direct-to-consumer apparel repair company redefining how Americans care for their clothes. I launched Upkept to make high-quality garment repair seamless, affordable, and accessible—offering a practical, climate-positive alternative to throwaway fashion.As Founder & CEO, I lead strategic vision, brand development, and operational growth across technology, logistics, and workforce infrastructure. We’re building an intuitive, AI-powered repair platform that connects customers to skilled technicians across the U.S, while advancing the future of circular fashion and the skilled trades.Core focus areas include:Building and scaling a digital repair service from concept to launch, including early tech, fulfillment, and customer experience systemsDriving consumer behavior change through repair culture and circular economy storytellingPartnering with garment technicians and sustainability leaders to professionalize the U.S. repair workforceDeveloping fintech-enabled extensions expand offerings and popularize repair as a service.Fundraising, investor relations, and board governance for long-term growthUpkept’s mission is simple but urgent: help people keep what they love—and build an economy around care, not consumption.

Education

• Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College

  MA, Curatorial Studies

  2011 — 2013

• Independent Curators International

  Inaugural Class Curatorial Intensive, Curatorial Studies

• University of Arkansas

  BA, Art History

  2002 — 2008