Who we are
Immersion Foundation is rooted in the work of cultivating both land and legacy. Through community-centered experiences in agriculture, wellness, education, and creative learning, we create meaningful pathways for youth and families to grow, lead, and thrive. This vision is further expanded through The BlackademX Academy, where edutainment helps inspire Black and Brown youth to see themselves as future contributors, innovators, and leaders across STEAAM industries and beyond.
Our Mission & Approach
The Sacramento region is widely known as the Farm-to-Fork Capital. Yet, according to Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services, more than 448,000 community members are living below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level, and more than 1 in 4 neighbors in Sacramento County are at risk of hunger.
With 90% of California’s farms being family owned, Estate Farms, the physical home of Immersion Foundation, uniquely positions the organization to serve as a thought leader and strategic partner in helping eradicate hunger across the region.
Through the edutainment layer of The BlackademX Academy, this mission also expands beyond food access to help change the way Black and Brown youth see themselves, not only as consumers of opportunity, but as future contributors, innovators, and leaders across the STEAAM industries.
-
Dr. Ijeoma "Doc" Ononuju
FOUNDER & CEO
Dr. Ijeoma (Doc) was named after his Nigerian-born father—the two of them sharing a name that means “good journey in life” in the Igbo language. Today, he draws upon this heritage as a thought leader and impassioned voice for social and economic justice, DEI (diversity, inclusion, equity), and the bold redefinition of possibilities for diverse workforces and communities. An executive leader, Doc drives systemic change through positive influence, a servant mindset, and an innate gravitational pull that inspires stakeholders around collaborative solutions.
Since 2020, Doc has served as the Chair of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Education at Touro University in Vallejo, California. He is also an Assistant Professor of Education at Northern Arizona University, where he has served as the Chair of the Diversity Committee. Currently, Doc is serving as the Director of Partnerships for the Ramona Bishop Brilliance Project, a teacher residency program based out of ELITE Public Schools in Vallejo, CA. There he is leading the efforts to recruit, train and retain the next generation of awe-inspiring educators.
In 2019, Doc founded the Immersion Foundation with a mission to develop tactile educational programming for youth. Faced with the Covid-19 pandemic, Doc decided to purchase a 10-acre farm and begin focusing on bringing together agriculture and urban communities for the promotion of healthy living and disruption of inequitable food systems. Embracing his new farming lifestyle, Doc seeks to introduce farming, agriculture and the byproducts thereof to the Greater Sacramento community.
