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| name = Robin Wilson
| name = Robin Wilson
| image = Robin Wilson.jpg
| image = Robin Wilson.jpg
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| alt = Portrait photo of Wilson.
| image_size =
| alt = Portrait photo of Robin Wilson.
| caption = Portrait photo of Wilson
| caption = Robin Wilson
| birth_name =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1969|09|26}}
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1969|09|26}}
| birth_place = [[Austin]], [[Texas]], [[United States]]
| birth_place = [[Austin, Texas|Austin]], [[Texas]], [[United States]]
| death_date =
| death_date =
| death_place =
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| resting_place =
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| nationality = American
| residence = New York, NY
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| nationality = USA
| other_names =
| other_names =
| known_for = Wellness and Clean Design
| known_for = Entrepreneur, Author, Clean Design
| education = [[BA, University of Texas at Austin]]<br>[[MS, New York University]]
| education = [[University of Texas at Austin]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])<br>[[New York University]] ([[Master of Science|MS]])
| employer =
| employer = Clean Design Home
| occupation = Interior Designer with retail items sold at Bed Bath & Beyond
| occupation = Designer, Lifestyle Brand, Author, Interior Designer
| title = CEO, Robin Wilson Home
| title = Chairman, CEO, Founder
| predecessor =
| successor =
| successor =
| religion =
| spouse = divorced
| spouse =
| partner =
| partner =
| children = daughter
| children = daughter
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| relatives =
| relatives =
| signature =
| signature =
| website = [http://www.robinwilsonhome.com/ Robin Wilson Home]
| website = [http://www.cleandesignhome.com/ Clean Design Home]
| footnotes =
| footnotes =
}}
}}
'''Robin Wilson''' (born September 26, 1969) is an American entrepreneur, author, interior designer, and thought leader on Clean Design, as a wellness and sustainability advocate. '''Inc magazine selected Robin Wilson for the Female Founders 100'''<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.inc.com/profile/robin-wilson| title=INC magazine Female Founders 100 |publisher=Inc. magazine}}</ref> (October 2020), its 3rd annual global list of leading women entrepreneurs. She is the founder of a lifestyle brand that relaunched as CLEAN DESIGN HOME at Macy's <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.macys.com/shop/featured/clean-design-home /profile/Macys brandpage|title=CLEAN DESIGN HOME x Martex brand page|publisher=Macys}}</ref> in 2021, and later BELK, Wayfair and every branch of the military. As the creative director of the licensing division, she has partnered with retailers and generated over $85 million in branded wholesale revenue from textiles, furniture and cabinetry since 2010.
'''Robin Wilson''' (born September 26, 1969) is founder and CEO of the lifestyle brand Robin Wilson Home, with bedding products sold at Bed Bath & Beyond,<ref name=BBB>{{cite web| url=http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/search/search.jsp?Keyword=Robin+Wilson&view=grid&_dyncharset=UTF-8&frmBrandPage=true |title=Robin Wilson Home |accessdate=2014-11-14}}</ref> among other retailers. She is an interior designer and expert on healthy homes with a focus on creating a wellness lifestyle for her clients. She is author of 'Clean Design: Wellness for Your Lifestyle'<ref name=Amazon> {{cite web| url=http://www.amazon.com/Clean-Design-Wellness-your-Lifestyle/dp/1626341893/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1423758100&sr=1-1&keywords=clean+design |title=Clean Design: Wellness for Your Lifestyle |publisher=Amazon.com |accessdate=2015-02-13}}</ref> (Greenleaf, 2015). Her first book was 'Kennedy Green House: Designing an Eco-Friendly Home from the Foundation to the Furniture'<ref name=Amazon>{{cite web| url=http://www.amazon.com/dp/1608320308 | title=Kennedy Green House: Designing an Eco-Healthy Home from the Foundation to the Furniture |publisher=Amazon.com |accessdate=2014-11-14}}</ref> (Greenleaf, 2010), with the foreword written by [[Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.]] She is an ambassador to the [[Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America]] and has partnered with Panasonic as a spokesperson in 2014,<ref name=Panasonic>{{cite press release| url=http://online.wsj.com/article/PR-CO-20140618-907083.html |title=Panasonic announces new partnership with celebrity interior designer Robin Wilson |publisher=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |date=6 June 2014 |accessdate=2014-11-14}}</ref> for the Home Products division. She is on the Board of the Sustainable Furnishings Council.

Wilson’s design work emphasizes the Clean Design protocol discussed in her second book, 'Clean Design: Wellness for Your Lifestyle' <ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.cleandesignbook.com| title=Clean Design: Wellness for Your Lifestyle | publisher=Greenleaf.com |accessdate=2016-01-20}}</ref> (Greenleaf, 2015). Her first book was 'Kennedy Green House: Designing an Eco-Friendly Home from the Foundation to the Furniture' <ref>{{cite book| title=Kennedy Green House: Designing an Eco-Healthy Home from the Foundation to the Furniture | year=2010 |publisher=Greenleaf.com | isbn=978-1608320301 }}</ref> (Greenleaf, 2010), with the foreword written by [[Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.]]

She has partnered with Joe Torre "<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/joe-torre-safe-at-home-domestic-violence-intervention/|title=Safe at Home: Joe Torre partners with designer|date=18 March 2022 |publisher=CBS News}}</ref> to help domestic violence survivors. Her firm created Project Lilac which provides lilac sheet sets to safe houses identified by the Safe at Home Foundation led by [[Joe Torre]]. In 2023, this Project Lilac initiative won a Silver Anthem Award in the category Humanitarian Action & Services-Corporate Social Responsibility-Community Engagement (For Profit). <ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.anthemawards.com/winners/list/entry/#humanitarian-action-services/community-engagement-categories/project-lilac/386698| title=Project Lilac wins Silver Anthem Award|publisher=Anthem Awards}}</ref>

She has built a brand that guides consumers 'from the foundation to the furniture' and has allowed her to partner with leading brands to reach consumers by integrating eco-friendly design, hypoallergenic products and sustainability. Clients in design and spokesperson projects have included Panasonic USA, the White House Fellows office, and the Lake Nona Laureate Park development. In addition, she has worked on showhouses, and for both residential, developer and commercial clients. She is an unpaid ambassador to the [[Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America]] and she has served the community through leadership on the Board of Directors for the Sustainable Furnishings Council (2012-2015); Do Something Board of Directors (2003-2005); Boston Symphony Orchestra Board of Overseers (1995-2004); and YWCA Board of Directors in New York/Austin/Boston (1988-1999).


== Early life and career ==
== Early life and career ==
Robin Wilson's parents were middle-class workers. Her father drove for Kerrville Bus Company (acquired by Coach USA) on long-distance routes. Her mother worked for state government in multiple agencies. Her family focused on education. Robin was diagnosed as pan-allergic at a young age, and was sickly. Her parents found a holistic pediatrician who focused on 'raising strong children, not children on strong medicine' and he guided her parents to organic food cooperatives in Austin (Wheatsville, Whole Foods) and was an advocate of exercise, healthy diet and indoor air quality management. As her health improved, she took notes and ultimately developed her ethos based on these practices.
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Wilson was born in [[Austin, Texas|Austin]], [[Texas]], and attended public schools in Austin. After graduating from [[Austin High School (Austin, Texas)|S. F. Austin High School]], she entered the [[University of Texas at Austin]] in 1987 and obtained a [[Bachelor of Arts]] degree. While in college, she worked at the [[Lower Colorado River Authority]] and became immersed in environmental issues from [[Efficient energy use|energy efficiency]] to [[water conservation]]. She joined [[Mercer Management Consulting]] in [[Boston]]. In 1997, she moved to [[New York]] while working for Heidrick & Struggles, a company that went public in 1999 which gave her a windfall to matriculate with a Master's degree at [[New York University]], where she studied Real Estate Finance. Combining her love for real estate and her recurring health problems – she is a lifelong sufferer of [[asthma]] & [[allergies]] – she believes there is a tie to indoor air quality and asthma & allergies. She founded her firm in 2000 and rebranded it to the eponymous Robin Wilson Home in 2006. She became an early advocate for clean construction methods and insisted that work teams use [[low-VOC]] paints in both residential and commercial spaces so that she and her clients would not start wheezing and sneezing.<ref name=Semple>{{cite web| last=Semple |first=Erin |url=http://robinwilsonhome.com/media/2009_4_Readers_Digest.pdf| title=How Suffering from Allergies Inspired a Successful Eco-Friendly Business| work=[[Reader's Digest]] |publisher=Rd.com |date=April 2009 |accessdate=2014-11-14}}</ref>

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Wilson was born in [[Austin, Texas|Austin]], [[Texas]], and attended public schools in Austin. After graduating from [[Austin High School (Austin, Texas)|S. F. Austin High School]], she entered the [[University of Texas at Austin]] in 1987 and obtained a [[Bachelor of Arts]] degree. While in college, she worked at the [[Lower Colorado River Authority]] and became immersed in environmental issues from [[Efficient energy use|energy efficiency]] to [[water conservation]]. She joined [[Mercer Management Consulting]] in [[Boston]]. In 1997, she moved to [[New York City]] while working for Heidrick & Struggles, a company that went public in 1999 which gave her a windfall to matriculate with a master's degree at [[New York University]], with a degree in Real Estate Finance.

She was deeply affected by the death of her only sibling, her brother, a US Army soldier who died in 1993 in a motorcycle accident and to manage her grief, she created a bucket list, which has resulted in many adventures.


== Career achievements ==
== Career achievements ==
In 2024, she was named a Distinguished Alumnus by the New York University-SPS School and delivered the convocation to the graduate students at Radio City Music Hall.<ref name=NYUDistinguished>{{cite web| url=https://www.sps.nyu.edu/homepage/student-experience/highlights/2024/lifestyle-brand-trailblazer-robin-wilson-speak-receive-alumni-award-2024-nyu-sps-convocation.html |title=Lifestyle Brand Trailblazer: Robin Wilson selected for NYU Distinguished Alumnus | date=24 April 2024 |accessdate=1 June 2024}}</ref> A few months later, she was named to the Tisch Center Hospitality Innovation Hub list.<ref name=NYUTisch>{{cite web| url=https://www.sps.nyu.edu/homepage/academics/divisions-and-departments/jonathan-m--tisch-center-of-hospitality/hospitality-innovation-hub/incubator.html#MentorsInvestors2 |title=Mentors: NYU Tisch Center of Hospitality Innovation Incubator Hub |date=1 September 2024 |accessdate=2024-09-13}}</ref>
Wilson has done work for [[President of the United States|President]] [[Bill Clinton|Clinton]]'s Harlem office, the [[Good Housekeeping]] Showhouse,<ref name=Allen>{{cite web| last=Allen| first=Jennifer| url=http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/green-living/tour-good-housekeepings-newest-3 |title=Tour 'Good Housekeeping''s Newest Green House |work=[[Good Housekeeping]] |date=August 2008 |accessdate=2014-11-14}}</ref> the private residence of [[Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.]], [[White House Fellows]] organization, and in 2014, she completed the EcoBungalow-LA <ref name=Preiser>{{cite web |last=Preiser |first=Amy |url=http://www.elledecor.com/home-remodeling/design-solution/robin-wilson-ambers-family-fire |title=Rebuilding after a Fire - EcoBungalow |publisher=ElleDecor |date=2014-02-01 |accessdate=2014-10-28}}</ref> project to rebuild a home for a family who lost everything in a fire. Her firm was a recipient of the 2008 Make Mine a Million $ Business Award,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cSK5r0hDAg |title=Robin Wilson talks about her Make Mine a Million $ Business award |publisher=ny1.com |date=11 February 2009 |accessdate=2014-11-14}}</ref> awarded by Count Me In, sponsored by [[American Express]] OPEN.


She founded her firm in 2000 and rebranded it to the eponymous Robin Wilson Home in 2006. As an early advocate for clean construction method, she insists that work teams use [[low-VOC]] paints in both residential and commercial spaces to limit the wheezes and sneezes.<ref name=Semple>{{cite web| last=Semple |first=Erin |url=http://robinwilsonhome.com/media/2009_4_Readers_Digest.pdf| title=How Suffering from Allergies Inspired a Successful Eco-Friendly Business| work=[[Reader's Digest]] |publisher=Rd.com |date=April 2009 |accessdate=2014-11-14}}</ref>
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Wilson is the first woman to license her name to eco-friendly kitchen cabinetry through Holiday Kitchens,<ref name=Holiday>{{cite web| url=http://holidaykitchens.com/index.php/resources/newsroom |title=Newsroom: Holiday Kitchens Announces the Launch of New Website |publisher=Holiday Kitchens |date=12 July 2013 |accessdate=2014-11-14}}</ref> that is made in the USA in [[Rice Lake, Wisconsin|Rice Lake]], [[Wisconsin]], and sold at over 400 independent dealers nationwide. These cabinets are made from sustainable forests, non-formaldehyde adhesives and waste wood is recycled. She has authored many articles, appeared on television, is a speaker on eco-friendly design,<ref name=Go>{{cite web |url=http://www.gogreenexpo.com/events/speaker_detail.php?evid=19&id=293 |title=green - environmentally - eco-friendly friendly products and services |publisher=go green expo |date=2010-03-19 |accessdate=2010-08-22}}</ref> and is considered an expert <ref name=Tips>{{cite web| url=http://www.allergystandards.com/about-asl/members-of-the-board/104.html?task=view |title=Interior Designer Robin Wilson gives asthma friendly tips for the home |date=30 October 2009 |publisher=Allergy Standards Limited |accessdate=2014-11-14}}</ref> on healthy homes/indoor air quality. In June 2011, the [[Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America]] announced that she would serve as an ambassador.<ref name=AAFA>{{cite press release| title=Design Expert Robin Wilson Named an AAFA "Ambassador"| url=http://aafa.org/display.cfm?id=7&sub=100&cont=744| date=17 June 2011| publisher=Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America| accessdate=2014-11-14}}</ref>


Her branded line of linens are sold at Bed Bath & Beyond since Spring 2012.<ref name=Fox>{{cite web |url=http://www.foxbusiness.com/business-leaders/2013/02/08/how-got-my-product-in-bed-bath-beyond/ |title=How I got my product in Bed Bath Beyond |work=[[Fox Business Network]] |date=8 February 2013 |accessdate=2014-11-14 |last=Rogers |first=Kate }}</ref> Her furniture line, Nest Home by Robin Wilson, premiered at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) in May 2013 in New York City.<ref name=Conscious>{{cite web |title=Healthy Space Design with Robin Wilson |url=http://www.consciousconnectionmagazine.com/2013/05/healthy-space-design-with-robin-wilson/ |publisher=Conscious Connection |date=24 May 2013 |accessdate=2014-11-14}}</ref>
Wilson has done work for [[President of the United States|President]] [[Bill Clinton|Clinton]]'s Harlem office, the [[Good Housekeeping]] Showhouse,<ref name=Allen>{{cite web| last=Allen| first=Jennifer| url=http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/green-living/tour-good-housekeepings-newest-3 |title=Tour 'Good Housekeeping''s Newest Green House |work=[[Good Housekeeping]] |date=August 2008 |accessdate=2014-11-14}}</ref> the private residence of [[Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.]], [[White House Fellows]] organization, and in 2014, she completed the EcoBungalow-LA <ref name=Preiser>{{cite web |last=Preiser |first=Amy |url=http://www.elledecor.com/home-remodeling/design-solution/robin-wilson-ambers-family-fire |title=Rebuilding after a Fire - EcoBungalow |publisher=ElleDecor |date=2014-02-01 |accessdate=2014-10-28}}</ref> project to rebuild a home for a family who lost everything in a fire.


Wilson is a blogger on [[the Huffington Post]],<ref name=Huff>{{cite web |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robin-wilson |title=Robin Wilson |publisher=Huffingtonpost.com |accessdate=2014-11-14}}</ref> where she writes about eco-healthy issues.
Wilson was the first woman to license her name to eco-friendly kitchen cabinetry through Holiday Kitchens (licensed from 2008-2017),<ref name=Holiday>{{cite web| url=http://holidaykitchens.com/index.php/resources/newsroom |title=Newsroom: Holiday Kitchens Announces the Launch of New Website |publisher=Holiday Kitchens |date=12 July 2013 |accessdate=2014-11-14}}</ref> made in the USA in [[Rice Lake, Wisconsin|Rice Lake]], [[Wisconsin]], and sold at over 400 independent dealers nationwide.


⚫
She is considered an expert <ref name=Tips>{{cite web| url=http://www.allergystandards.com/about-asl/members-of-the-board/104.html?task=view |title=Interior Designer Robin Wilson gives asthma friendly tips for the home |date=30 October 2009 |publisher=Allergy Standards Limited |accessdate=2014-11-14}}</ref> on Clean Design, healthy homes and asthma/allergy friendly information. In June 2011, the [[Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America]] announced that she would serve as an ambassador.<ref name=AAFA>{{cite press release| title=Design Expert Robin Wilson Named an AAFA "Ambassador"| url=http://aafa.org/display.cfm?id=7&sub=100&cont=744| date=17 June 2011| publisher=Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America| accessdate=2014-11-14}}</ref>
Robin Wilson has been recognized by the Library of Congress/History Makers project and her oral history has been catalogued.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thehistorymakers.com/biography/robin-wilson-41 |title=BusinessMakers: Robin Wilson |publisher=The HistoryMakers |date=26 April 2010 |accessdate=2014-11-14}}</ref>


Her furniture line, Nest Home by Robin Wilson, premiered at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) in May 2013 in New York City.<ref name=Conscious>{{cite web |title=Healthy Space Design with Robin Wilson |url=http://www.consciousconnectionmagazine.com/2013/05/healthy-space-design-with-robin-wilson/ |publisher=Conscious Connection |date=24 May 2013 |accessdate=2014-11-14}}</ref>
== Honors and awards ==


In 2020, she rebranded her product line to CLEAN DESIGN HOME which is trademarked and is sold online and at stores including Macy's,<ref name=Macys>{{cite web|title=CLEAN DESIGN HOME |url=https://www.macys.com/shop/featured/clean-design-home|publisher=Macys|accessdate=2023-02-12}}</ref> BELK, and sold globally to all branches of the military through their online commissary system. Products sold include bed textiles, bath towels, candles, cleaners and other categories.
*2014: Library of Congress acquires Oral History of Robin Wilson as part of HistoryMakers project <ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.blackcollegian.com/library-congress-acquires-largest-african-american-oral-history-video-collection/ |title=Library of Congress Acquires Largest African American Oral History Video Collection |publisher=The Black Collegian |date=9 July 2014 |accessdate=2014-11-14}}</ref>

*2013: Honored as Distinguished Alumna of S.F. Austin High School <ref name=Austin>{{cite web |url=http://www.loyalforever.com/events/congratualtions-hall-honor-recipients |title=Congratulations to Hall of Honor recipients |publisher=S.F. Austin High School |date=3 May 2013 |accessdate=2014-11-14}}</ref>
Wilson is a paid speaker on the topics of entrepreneurship, brand building and Clean Design and is represented by All American Speakers.<ref name="All American Speakers">{{cite web| url=https://www.allamericanspeakers.com/celebritytalentbios/Robin+Wilson |title=Biography of Robin Wilson |publisher=All American Speakers |date=10 August 2017 |accessdate=2017-08-10}}</ref> Plus, she is a blogger on [[the Huffington Post]],<ref name=Huff>{{cite web |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robin-wilson |title=Robin Wilson |publisher=Huffingtonpost.com |accessdate=2014-11-14}}</ref> where she has written about eco-healthy issues.
*2012: Top 20 African American Designers <ref name=Eggshell>{{cite web |url=http://kimberlyandcameron.blogspot.com/2012/05/2012-top-20-african-american-interior.html/ |title=2012 Top 20 African American Designers |publisher=Pink Eggshell |date=8 February 2014 |accessdate=2014-11-14}}</ref>

*2011: Named "Eco-Hero for Sustainable Design"<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ecostiletto.com/index.php?/GoodLife/Comments/ecoheroes_of_sustainable_design_robin_wilson/ |title=EcoHeroes of Sustainable Design Robin Wilson |publisher=Eco Stiletto |date= |accessdate=2011-03-23}}{{dead link|date=November 2011}}</ref>
She had a well-read byline in the Washington Post regarding healthy living in an article about wellness living with allergies.<ref name=HealthScience>{{cite news| url=http://wapo.st/1b0NunW?tid=ss_tw |title=To Prevent Allergic Reactions, you might try washing bed pillows and microwaving fruit |date=4 Nov 2013 |newspaper=Washington Post |accessdate=2014-11-14}}</ref>
*2011: Keynote address, Conservation International "Eco-Home" luncheon; Washington, DC

*2010: Listed as one of the University of Texas "125 Extraordinary Texas Exes"<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.texasexes.org/125/extraordinaryexes2.asp?cat=Tra |title=125 Extraordinary Exes |publisher=Texas Exes |date= |accessdate=2010-08-22}}{{dead link|date=November 2014}}</ref>
*2010: ''Kennedy Green House'' book wins 2010 IPPY Award bronze in Home & Garden <ref name=IPPY>{{cite journal |title=Announcing the Results of the 2010 Independent Publisher Book Awards |url=http://www.independentpublisher.com/article.php?page=1362 |journal=Independent Publisher |date=20 May 2010 |accessdate=2014-11-14}}</ref>
Robin Wilson has been recognized by the Library of Congress/History Makers project and her oral history has been catalogued.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thehistorymakers.com/biography/robin-wilson-41 |title=BusinessMakers: Robin Wilson |publisher=The HistoryMakers |date=26 April 2010 |accessdate=2014-11-14}}</ref>
*2009: First woman to license name to eco-friendly custom cabinetry by Holiday Kitchens<ref name=kitchens>{{cite press release| title=Holiday Kitchens Licenses Robin Wilson Home for Custom Eco-Friendly Cabinetry| url=http://beta.asoundstrategy.com/sitemaster/userUploads/site335/2009%20Press%20Release%20-%20LAUNCH%20of%20RWH%20Collection.pdf| date=30 January 2009| publisher=Holiday Kitchens| accessdate=2014-11-14}}</ref>
*2008: Robin Wilson named 2008 ''Black Enterprise'' Innovator of the Year <ref name=Talbert>{{cite web |url=http://www.blackenterprise.com/lifestyle/robin-wilson-touts-benefits-of-eco-healthy-lifestyle/ |title=Robin Wilson Touts Benefits of Eco-Healthy Lifestyle| quote=Wilson, the 2008 Black Enterprise Innovator of the Year, is also excited about two new endeavors... |work=[[Black Enterprise]] |date=5 April 2010 |accessdate=2014-11-14 |first=Marcia Wade |last=Talbert}}</ref>
*2008: Profiled on [[PBS]] ''Nightly Business Report'' "American Dreamers" profile <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pbs.org/nbr/info/local-player.html?s=nbre07s1af8q627 |title=Video Player &#124; Nightly Business Report |publisher=PBS |date= |accessdate=2010-08-22}}{{dead link|date=November 2014}}</ref>
*2007: Profiled in ''[[O, The Oprah Magazine|O magazine]]'' "Women Who Started Over"/Career Changers <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oprah.com/money/Meet-Women-Who-Started-Over/5 |title=Meet Women Who Started Over |work=O, The Oprah Magazine |date=1 January 2006 |accessdate=2014-11-14}}</ref>
*2007: ''New York Post'' "#46 on "50 Most Powerful Women" list<ref name=Stadtmiller>{{cite web |last=Stadtmiller |first=Mandy |url=http://www.nypost.com/p/news/regional/item_mBgzcQDBoCjn9shVIXaF9K |title=New York's 50 Most Powerful Women |work=[[New York Post]] |publisher=NYPOST.com |date=13 May 2007 |accessdate=2014-11-14}}</ref>


== References ==
== References ==
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{{Reflist}}
<!--- See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Footnotes on how to create references using <ref></ref> tags which will then appear here automatically -->
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{{Reflist|2}}


== External links ==
== External links ==
* [http://shop.panasonic.com/landing/robinwilson Panasonic USA-Robin's Picks]
* [http://www.aspenenvironment.org/speakers/bio/12/303/robin-wilson Aspen Institute.com]
* [http://www.kennedygreenhouse.com Kennedy Green House]
* [http://www.robinwilsonhome.com Robin Wilson Home]
* [http://www.robinwilsonhome.com Robin Wilson Home]
* [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robin-wilson Huffington Post]
* [http://www.pbs.org/nbr/info/local-player.html?s=nbre07s1af8q627 PBS Nightly Business Report "American Dreamers" profile]
* [http://www.oprah.com/money/Meet-Women-Who-Started-Over/5 O magazine, "Women Who Started Over", Sept. 2007]


{{Authority control|VIAF=122260739}}
{{Authority control}}


{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. -->
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| NAME = Wilson, Robin
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES = RobinWilsonHome.com
| SHORT DESCRIPTION = interior designer for wellness and healthy homes; brand sold at retail
| DATE OF BIRTH = 1969-09-26
| PLACE OF BIRTH = Austin, Texas
| DATE OF DEATH =
| PLACE OF DEATH =
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Robin}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Robin}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Living people]]
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[[Category:Artists from Austin, Texas]]
[[Category:Artists from Austin, Texas]]
[[Category:University of Texas at Austin alumni]]
[[Category:University of Texas at Austin alumni]]
[[Category:New York University alumni]]
[[Category:New York University School of Professional Studies alumni]]
[[Category:American businesspeople]]
[[Category:African-American writers]]
[[Category:American interior designers]]
[[Category:American interior designers]]
[[Category:American non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:American non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:The Huffington Post writers and columnists]]
[[Category:HuffPost writers and columnists]]
[[Category:American women interior designers]]
[[Category:American women columnists]]
[[Category:21st-century American women]]

Latest revision as of 10:17, 13 October 2024

Robin Wilson
Portrait photo of Wilson.
Portrait photo of Wilson
Born (1969-09-26) September 26, 1969 (age 55)
Austin, Texas, United States
NationalityAmerican
EducationUniversity of Texas at Austin (BA)
New York University (MS)
Occupation(s)Designer, Lifestyle Brand, Author, Interior Designer
EmployerClean Design Home
Known forEntrepreneur, Author, Clean Design
TitleChairman, CEO, Founder
Spousedivorced
Childrendaughter
WebsiteClean Design Home

Robin Wilson (born September 26, 1969) is an American entrepreneur, author, interior designer, and thought leader on Clean Design, as a wellness and sustainability advocate. Inc magazine selected Robin Wilson for the Female Founders 100[1] (October 2020), its 3rd annual global list of leading women entrepreneurs. She is the founder of a lifestyle brand that relaunched as CLEAN DESIGN HOME at Macy's [2] in 2021, and later BELK, Wayfair and every branch of the military. As the creative director of the licensing division, she has partnered with retailers and generated over $85 million in branded wholesale revenue from textiles, furniture and cabinetry since 2010.

Wilson’s design work emphasizes the Clean Design protocol discussed in her second book, 'Clean Design: Wellness for Your Lifestyle' [3] (Greenleaf, 2015). Her first book was 'Kennedy Green House: Designing an Eco-Friendly Home from the Foundation to the Furniture' [4] (Greenleaf, 2010), with the foreword written by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

She has partnered with Joe Torre "[5] to help domestic violence survivors. Her firm created Project Lilac which provides lilac sheet sets to safe houses identified by the Safe at Home Foundation led by Joe Torre. In 2023, this Project Lilac initiative won a Silver Anthem Award in the category Humanitarian Action & Services-Corporate Social Responsibility-Community Engagement (For Profit). [6]

She has built a brand that guides consumers 'from the foundation to the furniture' and has allowed her to partner with leading brands to reach consumers by integrating eco-friendly design, hypoallergenic products and sustainability. Clients in design and spokesperson projects have included Panasonic USA, the White House Fellows office, and the Lake Nona Laureate Park development. In addition, she has worked on showhouses, and for both residential, developer and commercial clients. She is an unpaid ambassador to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America and she has served the community through leadership on the Board of Directors for the Sustainable Furnishings Council (2012-2015); Do Something Board of Directors (2003-2005); Boston Symphony Orchestra Board of Overseers (1995-2004); and YWCA Board of Directors in New York/Austin/Boston (1988-1999).

Early life and career

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Robin Wilson's parents were middle-class workers. Her father drove for Kerrville Bus Company (acquired by Coach USA) on long-distance routes. Her mother worked for state government in multiple agencies. Her family focused on education. Robin was diagnosed as pan-allergic at a young age, and was sickly. Her parents found a holistic pediatrician who focused on 'raising strong children, not children on strong medicine' and he guided her parents to organic food cooperatives in Austin (Wheatsville, Whole Foods) and was an advocate of exercise, healthy diet and indoor air quality management. As her health improved, she took notes and ultimately developed her ethos based on these practices.

Wilson was born in Austin, Texas, and attended public schools in Austin. After graduating from S. F. Austin High School, she entered the University of Texas at Austin in 1987 and obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree. While in college, she worked at the Lower Colorado River Authority and became immersed in environmental issues from energy efficiency to water conservation. She joined Mercer Management Consulting in Boston. In 1997, she moved to New York City while working for Heidrick & Struggles, a company that went public in 1999 which gave her a windfall to matriculate with a master's degree at New York University, with a degree in Real Estate Finance.

She was deeply affected by the death of her only sibling, her brother, a US Army soldier who died in 1993 in a motorcycle accident and to manage her grief, she created a bucket list, which has resulted in many adventures.

Career achievements

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In 2024, she was named a Distinguished Alumnus by the New York University-SPS School and delivered the convocation to the graduate students at Radio City Music Hall.[7] A few months later, she was named to the Tisch Center Hospitality Innovation Hub list.[8]

She founded her firm in 2000 and rebranded it to the eponymous Robin Wilson Home in 2006. As an early advocate for clean construction method, she insists that work teams use low-VOC paints in both residential and commercial spaces to limit the wheezes and sneezes.[9]

Wilson has done work for President Clinton's Harlem office, the Good Housekeeping Showhouse,[10] the private residence of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., White House Fellows organization, and in 2014, she completed the EcoBungalow-LA [11] project to rebuild a home for a family who lost everything in a fire.

Wilson was the first woman to license her name to eco-friendly kitchen cabinetry through Holiday Kitchens (licensed from 2008-2017),[12] made in the USA in Rice Lake, Wisconsin, and sold at over 400 independent dealers nationwide.

She is considered an expert [13] on Clean Design, healthy homes and asthma/allergy friendly information. In June 2011, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America announced that she would serve as an ambassador.[14]

Her furniture line, Nest Home by Robin Wilson, premiered at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) in May 2013 in New York City.[15]

In 2020, she rebranded her product line to CLEAN DESIGN HOME which is trademarked and is sold online and at stores including Macy's,[16] BELK, and sold globally to all branches of the military through their online commissary system. Products sold include bed textiles, bath towels, candles, cleaners and other categories.

Wilson is a paid speaker on the topics of entrepreneurship, brand building and Clean Design and is represented by All American Speakers.[17] Plus, she is a blogger on the Huffington Post,[18] where she has written about eco-healthy issues.

She had a well-read byline in the Washington Post regarding healthy living in an article about wellness living with allergies.[19]

Robin Wilson has been recognized by the Library of Congress/History Makers project and her oral history has been catalogued.[20]

References

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  1. ^ "INC magazine Female Founders 100". Inc. magazine.
  2. ^ /profile/Macys brandpage "CLEAN DESIGN HOME x Martex brand page". Macys. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  3. ^ "Clean Design: Wellness for Your Lifestyle". Greenleaf.com. Retrieved 2016-01-20.
  4. ^ Kennedy Green House: Designing an Eco-Healthy Home from the Foundation to the Furniture. Greenleaf.com. 2010. ISBN 978-1608320301.
  5. ^ "Safe at Home: Joe Torre partners with designer". CBS News. 18 March 2022.
  6. ^ "Project Lilac wins Silver Anthem Award". Anthem Awards.
  7. ^ "Lifestyle Brand Trailblazer: Robin Wilson selected for NYU Distinguished Alumnus". 24 April 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  8. ^ "Mentors: NYU Tisch Center of Hospitality Innovation Incubator Hub". 1 September 2024. Retrieved 2024-09-13.
  9. ^ Semple, Erin (April 2009). "How Suffering from Allergies Inspired a Successful Eco-Friendly Business" (PDF). Reader's Digest. Rd.com. Retrieved 2014-11-14.
  10. ^ Allen, Jennifer (August 2008). "Tour 'Good Housekeepings Newest Green House". Good Housekeeping. Retrieved 2014-11-14.
  11. ^ Preiser, Amy (2014-02-01). "Rebuilding after a Fire - EcoBungalow". ElleDecor. Retrieved 2014-10-28.
  12. ^ "Newsroom: Holiday Kitchens Announces the Launch of New Website". Holiday Kitchens. 12 July 2013. Retrieved 2014-11-14.
  13. ^ "Interior Designer Robin Wilson gives asthma friendly tips for the home". Allergy Standards Limited. 30 October 2009. Retrieved 2014-11-14.
  14. ^ "Design Expert Robin Wilson Named an AAFA "Ambassador"" (Press release). Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. 17 June 2011. Retrieved 2014-11-14.
  15. ^ "Healthy Space Design with Robin Wilson". Conscious Connection. 24 May 2013. Retrieved 2014-11-14.
  16. ^ "CLEAN DESIGN HOME". Macys. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
  17. ^ "Biography of Robin Wilson". All American Speakers. 10 August 2017. Retrieved 2017-08-10.
  18. ^ "Robin Wilson". Huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2014-11-14.
  19. ^ "To Prevent Allergic Reactions, you might try washing bed pillows and microwaving fruit". Washington Post. 4 Nov 2013. Retrieved 2014-11-14.
  20. ^ "BusinessMakers: Robin Wilson". The HistoryMakers. 26 April 2010. Retrieved 2014-11-14.
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