Ryan Seacrest Foundation Hired Partnerships Lead
The nonprofit tapped Clark Sweat to scale its pediatric studio network and build new corporate partnerships.
Updated on Sept. 30, 2026 in Philanthropy
The Ryan Seacrest Foundation has appointed Clark Sweat as Senior Vice President of Partnerships and Marketing to grow its national footprint. The foundation, which integrates media production into pediatric care, aims to accelerate its expansion into new hospital markets.
Why it matters
The hire marks a strategic pivot to boost fundraising and institutional partnerships as the foundation prepares for significant studio expansion in 2027 and 2028. For operators in the healthcare and nonprofit sectors, this signals a potential increase in corporate-hospital collaboration models.
In 2025, the foundation reached 3.1 million patients and families while delivering 8,406 hours of live programming. The network currently operates 14 studios with expansion planned for two additional hospital sites.
The players
Clark Sweat
A philanthropic executive with a 30-year track record who previously raised $8 billion throughout his career.
Ryan Seacrest Foundation
A national nonprofit that operates media studios within pediatric hospitals to provide therapeutic programming.
The details
Clark Sweat joins the foundation following a 30-year career where he previously served as COO at Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, managing $450 million in annual revenue. His role focuses on building strategic corporate partners to sustain the foundation's model of bringing interactive media suites directly into pediatric hospitals. This infrastructure supports patient engagement, evidenced by the 265 original shows produced by patients during 2025.
Timeline
September 30, 2026: Clark Sweat joined the Ryan Seacrest Foundation.
2009: The Ryan Seacrest Foundation was founded.
2025: The foundation delivered 8,406 hours of live programming.
Early 2027: A new Seacrest Studio opens in New Orleans at Manning Family Children's Hospital.
2028: A new Seacrest Studio opens in Milwaukee at Children's Wisconsin.
Market Landscape
The hire mirrors the scaling strategies typically employed by large health-focused nonprofits to convert national visibility into local hospital infrastructure. By recruiting leadership from high-revenue hospital networks, the organization is positioning itself to deepen corporate-hospital collaboration.
Operators in the pediatric healthcare and nonprofit sectors should monitor this expansion as a signal for potential corporate sponsorship opportunities in local markets. Review existing philanthropic partnerships to determine if upcoming facility expansions create new avenues for integrated programming.
The takeaway
Large-scale nonprofit growth depends on executive talent capable of professionalizing partnership pipelines and facility integration. Organizations should evaluate their own capacity to link corporate marketing goals with long-term clinical patient engagement initiatives.
What happens next
The foundation is scheduled to open a new studio at Manning Family Children's Hospital in New Orleans in early 2027, followed by a new location at Children's Wisconsin in 2028.
Further reading
For more on how organizations manage capital campaigns and corporate relationships, see Philanthropy.
