bio

Matt is an accomplished philanthropy executive, policymaker, pioneering advocate, activist and thought leader. He has more than three-decades of local, state, national and international service, managing projects, programs and organizations, building alliances and earning movements. He has served in senior strategy and operational positions in private, corporate philanthropy, and government grantmaking.

Known as a transformative leader and generative thinker, Matt is an outstanding steward of strategy and staff, translating vision into operational reality at scale. He is an adept systems thinker with high ambiguity tolerance. He has a track record of conceptualizing and implementing high impact grantmaking strategies, characterized by innovative public private partnership and civic engagement. He has extensive management experience with staff, large and small.

Most recently, Matt served as senior consultant for youth engagement and subsequently as inaugural President of Oakland-based, XQ Institute, the premiere education initiative of the Emerson Collective. Leading up to Emerson, Matt was inaugural administrator of two successful, private philanthropies (HDI, The Learning Coalition); Director on the National Security Council staff (NSC) – Office of Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs; Senior consultant to the US Department of State (US Mission to the United Nations), and the United Nations Office of Project Services (UNOPS) – the UN’s humanitarian assistance logistics agency; Senior Director at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) - State of Hawaii’s indigenous advocacy and grantmaking agency; Director at Caspian Securities – the first emerging market-only investment bank; Student leader of a global grassroots movement in support of Tiananmen Square uprising; Founder of the first student led, internet-based, global human rights network -- the Student Human Rights Exchange (SHARE); and, Founding & Managing Partner of The Greenhouse, the first double bottom-line, ecosystem economics-based, high-tech business incubator in Hawaii.

Over the years, he has distinguished himself in the domains of public education, civic engagement and human rights with a history in national security, multilateral affairs, democratic governance, international diplomacy, humanitarian assistance, civil military affairs, military psychological operations, religious freedom, and landmine eradication.

Matt holds a BA from Tufts University in Art History, a certificate in multicultural communications from the School for International Training in Brattleboro, Vermont, and an MPA from the JFK School of Government at Harvard University.

Outside of his professional pursuits, Matt participates in working groups on civil-military affairs and delivery of humanitarian assistance in complex emergencies. He sits on a handful of Hawaii-based, non-profit boards.

SHARE Spread Human Rights Knowledge in Newly Democratic Mongolia

SHARE Spread Human Rights Knowledge in Newly Democratic Mongolia

Matthew Lorin serves as president of XQ Institute, a company dedicated to revamping American education. Previously, Matthew Lorin co-founded the international Student Human Rights Exchange in order to assist nations during times of political transition or turmoil. The organization was designed to use technology to disseminate information in order to support cohesive societies. When Mongolia drafted its first democratic constitution in 1992, the concept of human rights was still foreign to many Mongolian citizens. They were unaware of their new rights, and state-run media outlets did little to spread helpful information. SHARE stepped in to help by establishing a human rights and development center at the National University of Mongolia. Equipped with computers and books from the United States, the center served as a resource for all things related to human rights and democracy. The organization and its founders were recognized before the House of Representatives for their impactful work in Mongolia and other fledgling democracies in 1993.

Rock Climbing Basics

As president of XQ Institute, Matthew Lorin is responsible for the nonprofit’s strategic leadership and his functions at the education-focused organization include establishing long-range goals and managing the operating budget. In his leisure time, Matthew Lorin enjoys outdoor activities like sailing, especially in Chatham, Massachusetts, as well as rock climbing ever since his time in Annapurna and Everest.

For thrill-seekers also looking to get a good workout, rock climbing might be the answer. According to REI, here are a few steps to follow if you’re a beginner:

1. Get a guide. A guide can be a professional that you pay or just friends with rock climbing experience. You might be able to find a rock climbing gym that can teach the essentials.

2. Pick a type of climbing. There are three basic types: indoor rock-climbing, bouldering (which is perfect for the height-adverse), or outdoor top-rope climbing. Each offers advantages and disadvantages - conduct research to figure out which is right for your lifestyle.

3. Collect climbing gear. You’ll want to invest in rock climbing shoes, a helmet, and climbing harness as well as climbing ropes and a belay device. Learn more about the kind of gear you’ll need at rei.com/learn.

The James B. Castle School Redesign - 2014

The James B. Castle School Redesign

Matthew Lorin is the inaugural President of the XQ Institute, an organization dedicated to reform of US public high schools. Matthew Lorin also served as the Founding Director of Honolulu-based The Learning Coalition and, during his tenure, oversaw the successful redesign of Castle High School in Kaneohe, HI. Before the redesign, James B. Castle High School was on the brink of being shut down. One out of every four students did not graduate, and students reported feeling trapped in the school. Despite the accommodating climate, classes were always held indoors and the school seemed designed to be separate from the community it served. Trust between surrounding communities and the school was largely nonexistent. Opening a process of engagement, the Castle High School redesign project sought input from the surrounding community, parents, students, and teachers to identify the problems with the model of education and develop solutions. Identifying opportunities for learning in the community, the school developed ties with local businesses, community groups, nonprofits, and educational and research institutions to produce of campus and hands-on learning opportunities for students and build trust between the community and the school. Further, through the Castle Po’okela project, students were encouraged to work in the community learning skills of land stewardship. Prior to the program, 47 percent of students entering the Po’okela project were below grade level, now 90 percent of students have achieved grade level.

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs - Promoting Economic Self-Sufficiency

As head of XQ Institute, education professional Matthew Lorin supports thousands of school builders across the country rethink american public high school. A resident of Hawaii, Matthew Lorin previously worked as head of research and planning for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

In the 1970s, Hawaiians of all backgrounds came together and voted to fund new programs for native Hawaiians. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) resulted from this effort in 1978, and it remains a public agency that operates locally with little outside interference.

In order to create a more sustainable future for native Hawaiians, economic self-sufficiency has become an important part of OHA's goal. The agency recognizes affordable housing as a major obstacle for many families, and has put programs in place to help.

In addition to working with like-minded organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, OHA set aside funds to help families rent homes or even purchase their own. Over the last year, nearly 50 families were able to purchase a home with down-payment assistance from the OHA.