Democratizing Charity: A Transformative Journey

Matt Pohlson is the co-founder of Omaze, a platform that’s raised over £300m for charity through once-in-a-lifetime prize draws. Matt shares how a life-changing moment shaped his mission, the business model behind giving away luxury homes and cars, and why storytelling and consistent advertising have fuelled Omaze’s success. Plus, the challenges of the founder journey and his advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
00:32 - Matt’s near death experience
03:08 - How a near death experience has changed Matt
06:56 - Omaze origin story
10:18 - Shifting from US celebrity to UK focused prizes
13:24 - Do Omaze buy the houses, cars and luxury items?
14:22 - The business model of Omaze
18:09 - Why storytelling is so important for Omaze
24:52 - Why Omaze make so many ads
28:16 - Omaze’s advertising success through consistency
31:27 - The most challenging parts of Matt’s founder journey
33:59 - Matt’s advice to aspiring founders