Jelly Loves: Kids Worldwide

Words by Anamaria Glavan

Robbie Kingsmill-Stuart didn’t start Kids Worldwide to launch another fashion label—she started it to spark real change. While volunteering with the RIVER FUND NY, she saw firsthand how access could directly transform a child’s future. And with 15+ years in the fashion industry, she knew how to build something that lasted—so she combined her career expertise with her passion for youth empowerment, creating a platform that reinvests in the very communities it draws inspiration from.

Kids Worldwide runs hands-on workshops where kids can explore their creativity alongside expert mentors. Their original artwork is then digitized into clothing collections—screen-printed, embroidered, or knit onto garments—giving them a tangible way to see their self-expression come to life. A portion of the proceeds go back into the community to fund additional education and mentorship programs. Below, Robbie talks about the power of artistic expression and balancing the “why” against the constraints of capitalism.

Why is art education such a powerful tool for empowering youth? 

Art is therapy. There is something about the process that is playful, creative and also really grounding. When you are making art, you are fully present—not thinking about the past or the future. It’s a powerful tool that allows youth to be creative, share their perspectives, and process their emotions. I believe it gives them confidence. It’s also very healing.  I also do think that, subconsciously, I started kids worldwide art programming for me; to bring me back to myself, my youth, creativity, and the positivity of being a kid. Being creative helps you let go of all the stress and the worry because you get to really immerse yourself into what you are creating. I started this at a time when I felt the stress of adulthood was weighing me down, and art has helped me reconnect to my true self. 

What impact have you seen on the children who have participated in your workshops? 

The goal is to be able to provide unique experiences to youth that widens their worldview and shows them that accomplishing their goals are possible. They have gotten to meet a lot of really incredible people in our workshops, and I have had the privilege of seeing some of our members go off to college (who I met when they were 12) and become really incredible adults. And on a more simple level, I have seen kids come into the workshops who were painfully shy and now, after years of working with them,  they have slowly broken out of their shells and become more confident. We have also had the ability to use profits made from Kids Worldwide to pay for a child’s rent, purchase a computer for a kid, contribute towards a new wheelchair, and the list goes on. 

Can you share a memorable story from your time working with the kids that reinforced your mission?

Getting to see the kids' faces as we brought them to a Brooklyn Nets Game. They got to tour the training facilities, attend a game in a  fully catered suite, get featured on the jumbotron, and saw one of the star players wearing their designs. Seeing their faces will be ingrained in my memory for the rest of my life. 

I created Kids Worldwide to create unique opportunities for youth and to broaden their world to see possibilities. This experience was exactly that. I had to keep pinching myself—it still feels surreal to me when I say it out loud. 

It’s also just the simple things, like receiving text messages from some of the kids who I have worked with who have now gone off to college telling me how Kids Worldwide has helped them. 

How do you select the artwork that makes it into your collections, and what’s the creative process like?

I take all of the art work, we scan it, and then digitize everything. I then upload it all and play around with the designs—it's a very intuitive and organic process. I am always thinking about the kids who drew it, too! Not everyone’s art work is always included but regardless if the art is included or not, we make sure all kids who attended the workshops are involved in the process. This doodle waffle long sleeve is my favorite on the site right now. 

How did your experience in the fashion industry influence the way you approached building a socially-driven brand?

My experience in the fashion industry made me realize that so much of the industry lacked real purpose. Most brands are solely driven by profit; very few are genuinely committed to an initiative that’s bigger than just selling clothes. When I started Kids Worldwide, I wanted to flip that narrative and figure out a way to do both without compromising success. 

Working at established brands allowed me to make mistakes, take risks, and develop a larger understanding of what to do and what not to do with limited consequences. Having experience under my belt gave me confidence that I could do it on my own. Or maybe I’m just completely naive. One or the other!  

What challenges did you face when transitioning from the traditional fashion world to a purpose-driven business model?

Capitalism and Kids Worldwide feel like they are at complete odds, and there’s been no shortage of challenges. Success in capitalism is measured by sales and profitability almost exclusively. At Kids Worldwide, we started with the mission—the educational workshops and the brand piece came a few years later, so it was about shifting to a model where the mission and impact are just as important as the product. This required rethinking how we looked at success and how we communicated that to our audience.

The biggest challenge is always balancing purpose with running a business. Sometimes the pressure to be profitable would take me away from our “why,” so it was a lot of adjustment and creating balance between our root mission and selling clothes. Finding that balance takes time, patience and constant daily adjustment. 

At the end of the day, our brand is a lot more than just a brand. It’s really about telling a story and engaging and connecting with people to understand our “why.” It’s easy for a mission to get lost in translation if it’s not communicated clearly, so we are constantly trying to make sure that our purpose is at the center of what we do while also trying to innovate the product line and keep people interested in our clothes. We are a constant WIP.

What has surprised you the most about your work with River Fund and Kids Worldwide?

Getting involved in the River Fund in 2011 changed the course of my life in that it gave me perspective and purpose. Starting Kids worldwide would have never happened without the River Fund and their support. I started volunteering for the River Fund during Hurricane Sandy in 2011 and between 2011 and 2018, I would volunteer in the pantry line. Families would line up for hours with their kids and I started to think, How can I do something to support the youth while their parents wait to get food for the week? That is how Kids Worldwide got started. 

I wanted to create a place for kids to come to that was warm, safe, fun and creative. And when you see so many people in your own backyard who depend on things like the River Fund for food every week, it gives you immense perspective. Focusing on youth is the way to break the cycle of poverty. 

The kids have taught me so much about being present, overcoming adversity with grace, and always moving forward despite what life throws at you. The kids have been my spiritual teacher. They’ve helped me evolve in such profound ways. 

Tell us a little more about yourself! How has motherhood has shifted your perspective on womanhood?

I always say I became a raging feminist after I gave my birth to my daughter. We are superheroes and we are literally life. We sustain, nurture and create life, and there is nothing more powerful or super human than that. I remember the first time I took my daughter outside, I saw a few other mothers pushing their strollers and I was just like, wow, all of these women just did what I did? 

Giving birth and being a new mom has become so normalized because so many people do it, but there needs to be WAY more talk about how hard it is and how much pressure there is on women to do it all. That is why I am so grateful for Spread the Jelly! Becoming a mother has given me a deeper understanding of life and what it means to be human. It has humbled me and cracked me open. The first two years of motherhood were really hard for me—I had a child and gave birth to Kids Worldwide at the same time. I also suffered from postpartum depression; it was dark but it was a process I needed to go through to come out the other side. 

Motherhood changed me by forcing me to examine every part of myself and decide who I wanted to be for my daughter. Returning to the real world,post-COVID, post-birth, was an adjustment. A part of me felt incredibly powerful, like I could do anything, but another part of me was deeply insecure and felt that the world was unfair to women, especially working mothers.

Now, two years postpartum— even today, three years in—I’m still working on my self-confidence and learning to speak up in a society built for men, money, and power over everything. Having a daughter has made me reflect even more on the kind of parent I want to be, how I want to lead by example. The biggest thing I am working on is my self confidence, to not let society put me down or keep me small. I want more than anything in life to raise a fiercely independent, strong daughter—and in order to do that, I have to face all of my insecurities first.  

Motherhood comes with a lot of responsibility but in some ways, it’s really freeing. I really don't have the capacity to care about the small stuff or the stupid things that don’t matter. Motherhood is messy, selfless, and it’s hard AF, but there is truly nothing more beautiful. 

What are some conversations, books, film, or exhibits that have recently impacted you? 

My aunt gave me a book when I was in high school called Women Who Run With the Wolves. I just started re-reading it again. It’s filled with stories and poems about women reconnecting with their true power. Society often makes women feel like we have to stay small, censored, muzzled, and nice, which causes us to lose sight of our own power and disconnects us from our purpose and alignment with nature.

When we are aligned, we are fiercely intuitive, strong, and creative. There’s a reason nature is often referred to as Mother Nature—we are deeply connected to the world around us. We hold immense power; we just have to constantly remind ourselves of that in a society that tries to tell us otherwise.

Another one is My Old Ass—a movie filmed in Muskoka, the area of Canada where I grew up. It explores the inner dialogue and relationship a girl has with both her younger and older self. It beautifully captures the experience of being young and the perspective that comes with aging. The story follows an 18-year-old girl talking to her 38-year-old self, which really resonated with me since I’m turning 38 in May. It made me reflect on my teenage years, my 20s, and everything I’ve learned along the way. It also reminded me how empowering it feels to be in my late 30s—I have so much more awareness and perspective now.

Controversial art hot take. Go. 

People need to stop being referential. To be a good artist in any sector or genre is to create something new. Be the thing that's never been done before and just let your freak fly. Be totally yourself and know that honestly, all art should be controversial. In this day and age with instagram and an overload of information, it feels so much harder to be different. We are fed information that you have to dress this way, you have to wear this brand, etcetera, and I want to encourage people to do the opposite. It’s this celebrity marketing vehicle that makes everyone look the exact same and is limiting creativity. 

A favorite trait about yourself?

I have a pretty good ability to discern the truth, and motherhood has made me care way less about what anyone thinks of me. I am too tired to give a F about the insignificant things I used to care about. I also have become better at protecting my energy and not giving too much of myself. It’s a stereotypical answer but motherhood has made me really see that life is a lot bigger than myself. It has widened my scope of consciousness

You have 24 hours alone to yourself. What do you do?

Go to a hotel, preferably in the woods, order room service, get a massage, and SLEEP.