Trevor Loke

CARVING A PATH. Trevor Loke has always embraced risk, seeing it as a necessary ingredient for growth and opportunity. From an early age, he exhibited a natural entrepreneurial spirit, whether it was setting up a lemonade stand or selling sweets door to door. “I’ve always been that way,” Trevor reflects. “I was always active, involved in social and community life, and a true believer in whatever I was selling.”

This drive to take on challenges and expand his horizons has defined Trevor’s 15-plus-year career in the philanthropic space, and it was this spirit that led him to co-found Orgmatch in 2021. Orgmatch is a platform designed to connect and foster partnerships between complementary organizations, enabling businesses and nonprofits to collaborate more effectively. Trevor’s role as CEO is to see out its core mission of building trust and amplifying impact.

Growing up in a tough neighborhood in the suburbs of Vancouver, Trevor developed street smarts and resilience from a young age. “Surrey in the 1990s was a rough neighborhood, but it was normal to me; it was the environment I knew,” Trevor recalls. As he moved through high school, Trevor’s entrepreneurial tendencies flourished. When he wanted to join a school trip to Europe but couldn’t afford it, he took matters into his own hands. “I spent the summer selling chocolate almonds, made 60¢ a box, and raised $3,000 to get there,” he shares.

Although he initially pursued political science in college, Trevor quickly realized that academia wasn’t his path. He dropped out of college and began working various jobs, eventually landing a role at an interior design firm. There, he honed his data management and sales skills, which led him into the nonprofit sector.

Trevor’s transition into the nonprofit world was serendipitous. Through connections made on a local gay hockey team, he learned of an opportunity at an AIDS hospice. “I didn’t even know what a fundraiser was, but I knew I could manage relationships and bring people together,” Trevor recalls. This role marked a significant turning point in his career, exposing him to the world of philanthropy and allowing him to build relationships with some of the wealthiest individuals in Vancouver.

In 2011, Trevor co-founded his first startup, Weeve, a company focused on the philanthropic market. “I quit my job without knowing how I’d pay rent, but I had this naive belief that I’d figure it out,” he says. Trevor’s gamble paid off—three years later, Weeve was acquired. This experience gave Trevor his first exposure to the startup world, where he discovered the intricacies of capital movement and the impact of venture-backed businesses.

After Weeve’s success, Trevor spent several years consulting and advising nonprofits, working with organizations like Patagonia to help them align their philanthropic efforts with their brand values. This work inspired him to launch Orgmatch in 2021. Orgmatch aims to bridge the gap between companies and grassroots organizations, helping businesses achieve greater impact by bypassing traditional, well-funded nonprofits in favor of smaller, more effective organizations. “We’re trying to help expose those grassroots organizations that often get overlooked,” Trevor explains.

DRIVEN BY PURPOSE. As a gay man in a progressive space, Trevor feels fortunate to work in an environment that celebrates diversity. “People’s faces light up when I disclose my sexuality,” he quips. But Trevor is also passionate about highlighting the “invisible diversities” that often go unnoticed. “Diversity isn’t just about race or gender—it’s about personality types, skills, and experiences,” he says.

As Trevor gears up to scale Orgmatch, his advice to aspiring founders is rooted in curiosity and resilience. “Be curious about everything,” he advises. “You have to be willing to withstand rejection and still show up with energy and enthusiasm every time. If you’re not ready for that, this might not be the path for you.”