Who we are
Founded in 2019 by Dr. Ijeoma “Doc” Ononuju, Immersion Foundation is a nonprofit organization, housed at Estate Farms that provides safe space for the cultivation of urban agriculture, STEAAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Agriculture, Art, Math), education, and workforce development for the purpose of holistic health & wellness.
Our Mission & Approach
The Sacramento region is commonly known as the Farm to Fork Capital. According to Sacramento Food Bank Services, there are over 448,000 community members living below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level, more than 1 in 4 of our neighbors in Sacramento County are at risk of hunger. With 90% of California’s farms being family owned, Estate Farms which is the physical location of Immersion Foundation, uniquely positions Immersion Foundation to serve as a thought leader and partner in eradicating hunger in the area.
-
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.
