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How Immersion Powers a New Era of Venture Philanthropy

Published on
March 31, 2025

When Nathan Harris and Kiam Cook co-founded iiCare it wasn’t just about creating another nonprofit—it was about building a movement. A new category. A blueprint for venture philanthropy that doesn't just raise funds, but reshapes industries, unlocks access, and delivers measurable, scalable social change.

Two Founders, One Purpose

Nathan and Kiam started with a shared frustration: seeing both their parent suffer simultaneously facing deadly diseases and witnessing the lack of quality care they were given access to in a time of critical need. While billions were being spent in the name of philanthropy that misaligned with the very innovations and communities it claimed to serve. Too often, funding went to vanity metrics and ideas that lacked traction or infrastructure, while bold, grassroots innovation—particularly from underestimated founders—was left unsupported and ultimately bereft of their true potential.

That’s where Immersion came in. With deep roots in design thinking, venture development, and data-driven execution, Immersion became the operational engine behind iiCare. Together, they crafted a methodology that would change the game—one that blends venture capital discipline with philanthropic intent.

🧠 The Strategy: What Makes Venture Philanthropy Different at iiCare

Our model isn’t just about writing checks. It’s about building ecosystems. Here’s how it works:

  1. Human-Centered Innovation: Every program begins by deeply understanding community needs, using tools like journey mapping, voice-of-the-customer research, and rapid prototyping.
  2. Co-Creation with Partners: We design alongside our stakeholders—from major brands to federal agencies, from youth to innovators.
  3. Proof of Impact: We leverage real-time data, AI, and behavioral insights to track ROI, optimize continuously, and report transparently.
  4. Return Beyond Capital: We unlock long-term returns—health equity, economic mobility, and intergenerational opportunity.

🌍 Real-World Impact: A Look at Our Signature Programs

1. Play For Purpose: Part of Our National Icons of Impact Campaign

Our youth platform continues to expand nationally through the Play For Purpose campaign—an initiative that spans across athletes, brands, and cities. One of our activations featured a two-day experience with Google Code Next and the NBA All-Star Weekend in partnership with the Junior Deputies. That event alone engaged students in tech, wellness, and mentorship, but it represents just one chapter in our broader mission to build a pipeline of diverse youth innovators.

2. The Steve & Marjorie Harvey Foundation: Empowering Futures

We’re proud to be joining forces with the Steve & Marjorie Harvey Foundation to help scale several of their transformative programs including:

  • The Steve Harvey Mentoring Program for Young Men
  • Girls Who Rule the World Mentoring Program
  • The Mothers’ Enrichment Summit
  • Virtual and In-Person College-Bound SessionsThese programs have already impacted over 100,000 participants, with partnerships that stretch across more than 35 countries. Through our collaboration, we’ll apply our design and venture models to enhance reach, deepen measurable outcomes, and integrate scalable capital solutions.

3. Arete Health x iiCare: National Launch Imminent

We are proud to help scale iiCare & Arete's Health Alliance, a groundbreaking nonprofit healthcare platform. Together, we’ll launch national programs focused on patient access and advocacy, aligned with our iiCare Alliance hub-and-spoke model. From genomic screening to wraparound patient services, this initiative is positioned to become a national standard for preventative and equitable healthcare access.

4. Ray Lewis x iiCare: Ray Of Hope

In collaboration with NFL legend Ray Lewis, we launched a national campaign that:

  • Reached over 9.9 million people
  • Raised $146,262.78 in donations
  • Delivered a 187% ROI with a $39 average order value
  • Provided direct support to underserved communities across the nation

This campaign is now a proof point—and a platform. With future activations in development, our partnership with Ray Lewis will evolve into a year-round impact engine that intersects culture, sports, and community transformation.

🧭 iiCare’s Core Programs & Charter

These initiatives are just the beginning. Underpinning all of them is the iiCare Charter—our guiding mission to catalyze innovation that removes barriers, unlocks equity, and generates long-term value. At the center of our work is the iiCare Consortium, a national impact alliance of cross-sector leaders, foundations, funders, researchers, hospitals, and innovation teams committed to reimagining healthcare, education, and economic mobility.

Our model is built to adapt. Whether you're a corporate partner looking to co-launch a purpose-driven campaign, a foundation seeking a scalable outlet for philanthropic capital, or a city looking to drive equitable growth—we offer turnkey programs and strategic guidance to meet your needs.

🧰 How We Can Support You

Through Immersion and the iiCare Consortium, we offer a robust suite of services and partnership models:

Programmatic Solutions

  • Healthcare Equity & Trial Diversity: Hub & Spoke models, clinical trial access programs, and wraparound patient support services.
  • Workforce Development & Venture Support: Training, fellowships, and access to networks of investors and mentors.
  • Digital Inclusion & Financial Literacy: Community activations, toolkits, and scalable digital products.

Advisory & Innovation Services

  • Design Thinking Sprints: Problem-solving labs to co-develop solutions alongside internal teams.
  • Venture Philanthropy Structuring: Guidance on Program-Related Investments (PRIs), recoverable grants, and co-investment frameworks.
  • Market Access Strategy: From grassroots community buy-in to institutional partnerships.

Engagement Pathways

  • Join the iiCare Consortium: Gain access to our member network, resources, and national convenings.
  • Sponsor or Co-Design an Initiative: Align your brand with high-impact outcomes and inclusive innovation.
  • Leverage our Venture Studio: Accelerate ideas, products, or campaigns with hands-on execution support from our experienced team.

🔮 What’s Next in This Series?

Each post in this Use Case series will:

  • Dive deep into a real-life iiCare or Immersion-led program
  • Outline the model, goals, implementation, outcomes, and lessons
  • Help readers assess if they are a fit for our venture philanthropy methodology

Stay tuned for:

  • A full feature blog breaking down the Ray Lewis campaign results
  • Our Innovation Fund structure with Arete
  • Jeffersonian Dinner activations as catalytic capital deployments
  • Tech transfer and commercialization pathways for federal grantees and HBCUs
  • Our national collaborations with institutions like CFT, Magic Pill, and Odyssey Re

🤝 How You Can Support or Partner

If you’re a:

  • Family Office seeking real-world measurable impact
  • Brand or Agency looking to align with a bold cause
  • Startup or Fund wanting to test and scale with communities

We’re ready to build with you.

Join the movement to reimagine philanthropy as a high-impact, high-integrity engine for equitable innovation. Let’s create what’s next—together.

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