Kemi TignorUpbounders
A Returned Peace Corps Volunteer and former non-profit fundraiser, Kemi Tignor founded Upbounders® as a mom who recognized a solvable problem; a dearth of high-quality toys that reflected her young son and the America that our kids’ experience every day. Established in 2018, Upbounders® creates award-winning playthings built on principles of joyful learning, skill and social development, envisioning, and sustainability. Through play, Upbounders® aims to be a positive part of a child's life by celebrating what’s special about their world as they bound upward toward their future.
The children depicted in Upbounders® toys are doing everyday things, like going on a picnic, going to the splash park, going camping, and enjoying music. Upbounders® enjoys (and actively cultivates) a broad customer base of parents, caregivers and educators looking for toys that offer children the opportunity to see themselves and the wonderful facets of the everyday world reflected in their playthings.
In 2019, Upbounders® launched on Amazon as the perfect place to reach customers whoever and wherever they might be. Upbounders® has been part of several special initiatives over the years, working with amazing people across the company. Upbounders® is a certified Small Business selling partner on both Amazon and Amazon Business. Because people sometimes put down their phones and go for a walk, you can also find Upbounders® in local Washington, DC retailers like Shop Made in DC, Labyrinth Puzzles & Games on Capitol Hill, Politics and Prose, and the Kennedy Center Gift Shop.
Around the country, Upbounders® is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art Gift Store, various independent retailers, and Ace Hardware locations. In the summer of 2023, Upbounders® was the featured toy in all Chick-fil-A kids meals, with over 10 million prized-sized versions of its toys distributed nationwide.
Upbounders® founder, Kemi Tignor, was born and raised in Providence, Rhode Island. She lives in Washington, DC with her husband (a longtime Washingtonian) and son.