By Kimatni Rawlins, Automotive Rhythms
Every front office dreams of a draft class this deep. Karma Automotive, the Irvine-based ultra-luxury vehicle manufacturer, just landed one: an elite roster of rookies and proven ballers willing to trade endorsements for equity. The company has unveiled Karma Nexus, an exclusive client engagement and ownership program, and its inaugural roster reads like an all-star ballot from both the NBA and NFL: Anthony Edwards, Kyler Murray, Bryce Young, Dylan Harper, Ron Harper Jr., Tracy McGrady, and Josh Childress have all signed on as investors, not just owners of the marque’s rolling sculptures.
Recently, I was able to preview what motivates these athletes to seek a seat at Karma’s table by touring the company’s Orange County headquarters and sitting down with President Marques McCammon. The North Carolina A&T grad walked me through the three pillars driving the brand, Experiences, Community, and Technology, before I climbed into the 1,000-horsepower Kaveya battery-electric super coupe for a ride that reaches 0-60 in under three seconds on a 250-mile range. Karma’s design language, dubbed Stealth Tech, skips the exaggerated grilles and spoilers other brands lean on, favoring a taut, sculptural physique that McCammon says is always “flowing in perpetual motion.” It’s the automotive equivalent of a point guard who doesn’t need a flashy crossover to get around defenders.
That same disciplined philosophy is now extending past the showroom floor. Through Karma Nexus, members get first-priority access to vehicles and events, direct engagement with Karma’s design and engineering teams, and bespoke commissioning opportunities for models such as the Karma Invictus and the upcoming Eximius. By direct invitation, select members can also invest in the company itself, essentially turning car aficionados into stakeholders, the way a savvy veteran turns a max contract into a franchise stake.
“Karma’s goal is for our products and experiences to reflect the successes of our Nexus members in ways that are equally unique and distinctive as they are,” McCammon said. “The fact that so many influential names are among the program’s founding members is exciting, and that so many of them have chosen to invest in the company is a testament to what we are building.”
The play was co-drawn by McCammon and Kai Cunningham, co-founder of Limited Ventures, whose firm has deployed more than $250 million to help pro athletes convert playing careers into long-term portfolios. “This is a first-of-its-kind structure that meaningfully aligns athletes through ownership and access to the product itself,” Cunningham said, calling it a potential blueprint for the industry.
The athletes themselves sound less like customers and more like scouts who found a sleeper prospect before the rest of the league caught on. Anthony Edwards and business manager Justin Holland said Karma’s willingness to zag while everyone else follows the wave was the deciding factor. Kyler Murray, never one to attach his name loosely, called Karma a check on every box: luxury, innovation, and future-built. Bryce Young cited the alignment between his family office’s vision and Karma’s. Dylan Harper and Ron Harper Jr., building their post-hoops playbooks together as brothers, see the investment as a chance to help shape a luxury brand from the ground floor. Josh Childress, now running his own private equity shop at LandSpire Group, called the partnership one built on real intent rather than hype.
Tracy McGrady, ever the closer, framed it simply, “I’ve spent my life betting on greatness — in myself, in my teammates, and now in the future of innovation.”
Karma Nexus will continue to expand its roster on an invitation-only basis, with names from entertainment, business, and tech industries expected to join the athletes already locked in. For a brand that prices itself alongside Aston Martin and builds each car around a story worth telling, adding a bench this stacked isn’t just good press; it’s a championship-caliber move. Welcome to the starting five of the electrified luxury era!
