UpCycle

What UpCycle does

UpCycle Creative Reuse Center is a Virginia-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in November 2011 by Susan Miranda and Kelley Organek after they visited the ReMida Creative Recycling Center in Reggio Emilia, Italy. The organization operates a single physical location at 2397 S Dove St, Alexandria, VA, where it functions as both a retail shop and a community education studio. Its core model is the collection of donated reusable art, craft, and fabrication materials, which are then resold at low flat-rate basket pricing (Small $5, Medium $10, Large $30) and also deployed as inputs for in-house programming. The organization diverted 50,000+ pounds of materials from the waste stream in 2024 and 45,000+ pounds in 2025.

UpCycle monetizes through a diversified set of programming streams rather than a single product line. Revenue is generated via retail shop sales, adult workshops ($30-$60 per participant), summer camps for ages 3.5-12 ($325/week with optional aftercare), scout badge workshops ($200 base), birthday parties ($295 flat fee for up to 15 children), private adult events, and an annual educator membership program ($125 individual, $125-$650 organization tier). Free community programming—including Tinker Time (Saturdays), Maker Break Open Studio (Fridays), and a Materials Playgroup for ages 1.5-4—extends reach beyond paying customers. Curriculum-aligned K-5 lesson plans and teacher professional development workshops extend the educator vertical. Bookings, registrations, and retail checkout are all handled through Square.

The customer base spans four primary segments: educators and schools (anchored by a long-standing Alexandria City Public Schools partnership), families with young children, adult artists and crafters, and scout troops. Distribution is purely local, with services delivered through the single Alexandria storefront plus offsite community events. The organization is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors chaired by co-founder Kelley Organek, with Kathryn Amberg serving as Executive Director. Operations are supported by monetary donations, in-kind contributions, and program fees, with notable recent sponsorship from Alexandria Women for Good. UpCycle reopened in December 2025 after a six-month operational hiatus, with active investment in new retail management hiring and Board expansion.

Name

UpCycle

Legal name

UpCycle Creative Reuse Center

Website

https://upcyclecrc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

UpCycle Creative Reuse Center is a nonprofit creative reuse center in Alexandria, VA that collects donated art and craft materials, resells them at low flat-rate pricing, and delivers educational programming—including workshops, camps, scout programs, and teacher training—across educator, family, adult, and scout segments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Creative Reuse Center

NAICS

Used Merchandise Retailers (459510)

akta.pro primary industry

Material Reuse & Upcycling Services (Non-recycling Transformation) (EUAIANAJ)

Keywords

• Creative reuse materials
• Arts education programs
• Summer art camps
• Teacher membership program
• Nonprofit retail shop

Headquarters

HQ city

Alexandria

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Retail Shop Sales: UpCycle operates a retail materials center where community members purchase donated art supplies, craft materials, fabric, and other reusable items at affordable flat-rate pricing based on basket size.
2. Workshop and Class Fees: Adult workshops ranging from $30-$60 per person, including sewing classes, paper crafts, and specialized maker programs. Classes are typically limited to 14 participants and include all materials.
3. Summer Camp Programs: Summer camps for children ages 3.5-12 priced at $325/week for preschool camps (ages 3-5, 9am-12pm) and elementary camps (ages 6-12, 9am-1pm with optional aftercare at $125/week).
4. Birthday Parties and Private Events: Birthday parties priced at $295 flat fee for up to 15 children, including instructor-led craft and all materials. Private adult events are also available for team-building and special occasions.
5. Scout Workshops: Private scout workshops priced at $200 for up to 10 scouts ($20 per additional scout), with badge workshops, jewelry making, woodworking, and custom programming available.
6. Educator Membership Program: Annual memberships for educators and educational organizations providing access to materials center. Individual teacher memberships are $125/year; school/organization memberships range from $125-$650 based on number of students served.
7. Donations and Fundraising: The nonprofit receives monetary donations to support operations and programming, including sponsorship opportunities for programs like Tinker Time.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

UpCycle is a nonprofit creative reuse center operating a retail Materials Center that sells donated, surplus, and repurposed craft and art materials to the public at affordable flat-rate basket prices. The organization complements its retail operation with a broad slate of fee-based educational programming, including adult workshops, summer camps, school field trips, scout workshops, birthday parties, professional development for educators, and free community open-studio offerings.

Product overview

UpCycle Creative Reuse Center operates a single-location nonprofit retail and educational facility offering a Materials Center (retail shop) for purchasing donated reusable art and craft supplies, combined with diverse educational programming including adult workshops, summer camps, scout workshops, field trips, professional development for teachers, birthday parties, and free community programs like Tinker Time. The organization functions as both a retail business selling materials by-the-basket and a community education center offering hands-on creative reuse instruction across all age groups. The Materials Center serves as both the retail outlet and program studio space.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Materials Center Retail Shop
• Adult Workshops
• Private Events for Adults
• Parents Night Out
• Maker Break Open Studio
• Tinker Time
• Materials Playgroup
• Family RE-Creation Classes
• Summer Camps
• Birthday Parties
• Scout Workshops
• Field Trips
• Professional Development
• Educator Membership Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 50,000+ pounds of materials diverted from waste stream in 2024
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered major, minor, core and foundational.

• Building MomentummajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2022UpCycle operated from Building Momentum's campus at 5380-D Eisenhower Ave from March 2022 until June 2025, demonstrating a significant partnership for their physical location and operations.
• Alexandria Arts AllianceminorOthersUpCycle is listed as a proud member of the Alexandria Arts Alliance, indicating membership in the local arts community network.
• City of AlexandriacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUpCycle maintains an ongoing partnership with the City of Alexandria, including previous operations at the Durant Arts Center (a City recreation facility) and participation in city-sponsored events and festivals.
• Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership providing outreach programs in ACPS preschool and kindergarten classrooms, professional development for teachers, and field trip opportunities for students.
• Amazon Wish List SupportersminorOthersUpCycle maintains an Amazon Wish List with consumables used for programs (glue, tape) and resource books, allowing supporters to provide in-kind donations.
• ReMida Creative Recycling Center (Reggio Emilia, Italy)foundationalStrategic or Co-development PartnerAfter visiting the ReMida center in Italy in 2010, founders Susan Miranda and Kelley Organek were inspired to bring the creative reuse center model to Alexandria, establishing UpCycle's foundational philosophy and approach.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Goodwill Industries International: National nonprofit resale and workforce-development organization. Overlaps with UpCycle in accepting donated goods for retail resale but operates at vastly larger scale across all retail categories.
• Habitat for Humanity ReStore: Large-scale nonprofit reuse retailer selling donated furniture, building materials, and household goods. Operates a similar donation-to-retail model but with much broader categories and geographic footprint.

Direct peers

• Art From Scrap: Santa Barbara creative reuse center operating a retail shop for donated materials alongside art and environmental education programming for schools and families. Closely analogous nonprofit structure and audience.
• The Scrap Exchange: Durham, NC creative reuse center offering retail sales of donated materials and hands-on creative programming. Operates the same nonprofit reuse-and-educate hybrid model as UpCycle.
• SCRAP Creative Reuse: Bay Area nonprofit creative reuse center selling donated art and craft supplies and offering educational workshops. Direct counterpart to UpCycle in mission, retail model, and educational programming.

Regional players

• ReMida Creative Recycling Center: Original Reggio Emilia, Italy creative reuse center that inspired UpCycle's founders after a 2010 visit. Operates the same philosophical model internationally and validates UpCycle's methodology.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Pinterestpinterest.com/upcyclecrc
• Xx.com/upcyclecrc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about UpCycle