Carolyn Charlie Robinson was born to Charles B. Robinson and Marylene Robinson in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She grew up with a Great Grandfather on her dad’s side, who had a 200-acre farm during the Abolition and Reconstruction of America after slavery. On her mother’s side of the family they were medicine men, or people who used the Earth’s resources to heal people. As a result, she has had a life-long love affair and association with the Earth, plants and people. She learned gardening skills in various community gardens and worked closely with gardeners during that time. She completed her undergraduate degree from Michigan State University in Fashion Arts /Business Management. Owning her own boutique Fashion Showroom for 38years. Passional She taught entrepreneurial skills at Romulus High School for three years before moving south.
Upon moving to Georgia, Charlie owned a fashion boutique in North Atlanta for 38 years before she began gardening with the Metro Atlanta Urban Farm in College Park. She gardened at her boutique as well for customers who wanted various herbs like mint for teas and other medicinal herbs. In 2017, she began teaching gardening at the Carrie Steele Pitts Home, where she assisted children’s knowledge and fundamentals of gardening in their After School Tutorial Program and the Summer Camp. She expanded her program to Imhotep Academy, and began the Champion Gardeners Entrepreneurs Club. During the Pandemic, she began a home school gardening program called S.E.E.D. @ THE VAULT where she taught youth art, entrepreneurship, and gardening/wellness from seed to harvest.
Currently, Champion Youth Entrepreneurs for Agriculture is a nonprofit organization headquartered at the ArtsXchange in East Point, Georgia. Charlie and her team are growing with a strong, purpose-driven, and visionary mission to develop our leaders of tomorrow—our youth! With over 50 young people globally as gardeners and entrepreneurs, they are working on gardening for sustainable living, managing garden plots, and a greenhouse in the city of Jonesboro, as well as establishing their international headquarters in Liberia, Africa. This initiative bridges our future leaders, our young people, to build relationships for their future. This is a legacy in the making! They focus on sustainable living through gardening, entrepreneurial skills through marketing, and classes related to sustainable living. They have sponsorships and partners who make this effort possible. This year, they will be collaborating with the ArtsXchange to meet the needs of the food desert community.
Charlie wants to see the legacy of the Champion Gardeners grow globally, teaching both the old and young to be healthy through organic growing.
