Meet Val Wimes | Humanitarian & Social Impact Strategist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Val Wimes and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Val, what’s something about your industry that outsiders are probably unaware of?
Outsiders often underestimate the weight we carry, especially as a black woman in this field. Being a strategist in the social sector means constantly staying updated on various aspects across different industries worldwide. Working with people to help others is incredibly challenging. It involves dealing with egos, incompetence, lack of experience, politics, and more, making it difficult to establish efficient systems. By this point, one feels exhausted, yet still needs to engage with the community, forge partnerships, have numerous conversations, and address their needs—all while striving not to internalize their emotions, despite witnessing the detrimental effects of failing systems on them. Afterwards, there are still personal matters to attend to, such as health issues, but quitting is not an option. Someone has to do it, but it would be nice if someone checks up on us.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Socially Immersed was founded just before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic with the aim of using creativity and cultural engagement to raise awareness and educate people about social issues. However, the pandemic prompted a shift, placing us in a consulting role. Over the past five years, we’ve established ourselves as a firm, specializing in crafting strategies for individuals, entities, and organizations looking to make a meaningful impact on their constituents or communities.

As the founder, I bring nearly a decade of professional experience to the table alone, along with a fresh perspective. My extensive engagement with various communities, ethnic groups, industries, coupled with a holistic view of societal dynamics, informs our innovative approaches at Socially Immersed. Each project we take on also is handled by a team I craft plus we have outside advisors to ensure we are checking as many boxes as possible.

Despite our success in consulting, I’ve made the decision to close this chapter. Through this journey, I’ve learned that proficiency doesn’t always align with passion, and it’s crucial to recognize when a change in direction is needed. I’d also like to add that passion evolves. I’m immensely grateful for our clients, whose diverse projects across public, private, and government sectors have enriched our experience and influenced our transition. We were able to offer valuable insights, address significant human rights issues, donate thousands of service hours, and guide over 50 undergraduates and graduate students toward a path of social impact.

I believe our next steps are to return to the essence of why the company was started to begin with- to get the individual socially immersed. So, expect some dope curated products, experiences, stories, etc. What about impact? Socially Immersed will establish a CSR program, however I did form a new structure called The Sameritan Project, also known as Good Sameritan. More details will follow, but it is VERY exciting to be building out a systems change nonprofit.

As we embark on this new phase, I want the world to know that I will always be a social entrepreneur first. People over profits, always.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my best friend were here for a week, we’d hit the beach multiple times. Where there’s an ocean, there’s me.

We’d take a dance class at Secret Pole Dance Studio, attend jazz Mondays at the Sofitel, participate in a perfume-making class, catch a concert, visit a couple of museums on my list, go to Catalina, and take a train to Santa Barbara for the day. We’d also visit a karaoke bar in Koreatown, hit someone’s roof top, and let the day take us. I’m also a part of this huge women’s group chat, so I’ll let her check out events in there as well. It’s LA; things are always happening. If she’s here on a Sunday, we’re definitely going to Liemert Park.

Some food spots include Malibu Beach Inn and Somi Somi. We’d grab vegan food at Nic’s on Beverly. Since this is LA, we would definitely be at someone’s dinner party.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
First and foremost, I want to dedicate my shoutout to God, who deserves the greatest credit. I am grateful for the opportunity to have moved states, as it has led to significant educational advancements and exposure that have shaped my path. God’s grace, mercy, protection, and provision have enabled me to accomplish all things, from traveling alone to another continent for weeks at a time to successfully undertaking huge projects that affect livelihoods. His calling has saved my life multiple times.

I am also thankful for everyone who has allowed me to ‘be in the room’ or taken a chance on me. While there are too many to name, I want to give a special shoutout to Angie Wilkerson, Michelle Monroe, Earn Your Leisure, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Urban League, Islamic Relief USA, and the Pacific Council on International Policy.

Website: https://www.sociallyimmersed.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valthesuperhero/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/valarie-wimes/

Other: https://www.instagram.com/sociallyimmersed/ https://www.tiktok.com/@sociallyimmersed