Genesis Gives Back: From One Foundation to Countless Acts of Kindness
Genesis continues to pour into the Southern California community, expanding its generosity beyond STEM and into the arts with a meaningful donation from the luxury automaker.
When you think of Orange County, your mind probably goes to million-dollar homes with ocean views, where they don’t just drive a car, they drive a showpiece reflecting their affluence and status. However, outside of these enclaves, Orange County sprawls across high-density and lower-income areas, where both two-parent and single-parent families work full-time and resources are stretched thin.
Genesis Gives, the corporate social responsibility initiative of Genesis Motor America, supports nonprofit organizations in its Southern California HQ region to improve access to and performance in youth sports and STEAM education in under-resourced communities. We had the honor of attending to observe (and even participate in!) a Genesis-hosted STEAM workshop for middle school students at the Boys & Girls Club of Huntington Valley.
Local Genesis dealerships play a vital role in supporting the brand’s larger mission. With every vehicle sold, $27 is donated directly to the Genesis Inspiration Foundation to help fund community grants. That means every Genesis purchase is more than just a car—it’s an investment in local communities, making a meaningful impact where it matters most.
This story is 100% human-researched and written based on actual first-person knowledge, extensive experience, and expertise on the subject of cars and trucks. Also, I was Genesis’s guest for this event, but all opinions and impressions are my own.
Genesis and STEAM: Engineering and Design Challenge Event
The program, in partnership with Child Creativity Lab, was a crazy fun event where middle school students from underserved communities gathered for a special afternoon aimed at educating, challenging, and inspiring. The buses arrived, the students filed in, and were soon a captive and curious audience.
They learned about the product development process at Genesis from Chris Gomez, Senior Manager, Product Planning at Genesis Motor America. It was wholly interactive, where the students were given opportunities to think creatively. “What kind of vehicles are there?” Hands shot up, and answers went well beyond car, van, truck, and into the realm of tractors, helicopters, cargo ships, and e-bikes.
Once they had thoroughly exhausted every possible mode of transportation, the next question addressed sources of power. Besides gas and diesel, the kids thought of electricity, steam, wind, solar, and even bouncy springs.
Design and Engineering Inspiration: the Genesis GV60
Chris Gomez, the Senior Manager of Product Planning, took the students outside to examine a new model Genesis GV60, up close and explore the various design and mobility elements. Their minds were already in design mode, and they took inspiration from details pointed out on the car. And how could they not? We were certainly charmed by how much the GV60 comes with at the $52,350 price tag.
With a range of 235 to 290, it’s a quaint little EV. It shares a platform with the Hyundai IONIQ 5 and the Kia EV6, both EVs that we’ve loved testing. Of course, it’s much more refined and luxurious than the latter, but it helps explain the familiarity and size. With Genesis’s design language throughout, and the stellar interior design that typically comes with the moniker, it’s no wonder the kids felt inspired.
READ MORE: The Genesis GV60 Should Be Your First Electric Car
Creativity Comes to Life, From the Design on Paper to Engineering the Finished Piece
Back at their tables, in front of each student was a pencil and sketch paper, and a bag of up-cycled bits and pieces like small cardboard boxes, corks, springs, ribbons, plastic bottle caps, etc. The first task was the design phase, where kids would draw an imaginary future mobility vehicle and give it a name. At this point, the kids were definitely ready to create!
The next step was a little more challenging, as they tore open their bag and began putting parts together to build, as closely as possible, what they had designed on paper. After about 45 minutes, back and forth to the glue table, and refining their parts, the kids proudly shared their models, introducing the name, function, and power source of their future mobility vehicles!
The reality of the timeline is much longer. It can take about six to seven years for a car to go from design to production, so the Genesis cars we see today were based on a design that began years ago. Likewise, what the kids were designing and creating today could theoretically be on the road (or in the sky) in about 6 years!
READ MORE: The Genesis Inspiration Foundation Is Driving Change Through Arts Programs
Genesis Inspiration Foundation’s commitment to Arts Education
The Sciences and Arts are equally transformational for young minds. Since its founding in 2018, Genesis has donated $13 million to fund arts programming at museums, schools, and nonprofit cultural organizations, creating meaningful opportunities for children to explore their creativity and potential. In 2025 alone, Genesis Inspiration Foundation is awarding $3 million to 83 different art organizations with various levels of grants.
The highest level of grant, $100,000, was recently awarded to the Debbie Allen Dance Academy, a Los Angeles nonprofit committed to using dance and theater to enrich, inspire, and transform the lives of students.
READ MORE: Genesis Is More Than a Brand, It’s an Experience, and You’re the Honored Guest
Touring the Dance Academy Helped Us Appreciate Genesis’s Generosity
A tour of the 24,000 square foot facility with 5 dance studios in Los Angeles, personally led by Norman Nixon (Debbie Allen’s partner), felt more like strolling the walls of a museum and art gallery exhibit. Sculptures, paintings, sketches, and multi-dimensional models filled the halls and walls of the public spaces outside the studio doors.
It was bright, colorful, and certainly inspirational. Clearly, Debbie Allen Dance Studio is committed to furthering arts education by offering a variety of programs and a comprehensive dance curriculum. They celebrated with a fantastic show for everyone attending.
By investing in the young visionaries of tomorrow, Genesis is on a mission to spark inspiration in children by crafting meaningful opportunities for them to explore their creativity and potential. When children are inspired, they create. And when they create, they become inspired adults.
READ MORE: 10 Things My Family Adored about the 2025 Genesis GV80 3.5T Prestige
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