Platform Wins: Recent Fourth Effect Matches

Luca Oake

Written by Jack Rollins for the Fourth Effect

Sometimes the best matches happen when you're not even looking for them.

Kendra Koch, founder of Divergently, posted what she thought was a job description for a clinical advisor on The Fourth Effect platform. But she accidentally left out that crucial detail. What she got instead was something she desperately needed but hadn't yet named: strategic business support.

Enter Luca Oake, who responded to that "imperfect" post and turned out to be exactly the right person at exactly the right moment.

The Fourth Dimension in Action

This is what we mean when we talk about the fourth dimension of time: the right people at the right moment. Kendra's story perfectly illustrates why boards aren't overhead, they're leverage.

As Kendra shared on LinkedIn: "Support on the business side of Divergently was something I desperately needed but hadn't yet named. Luca turned out to be exactly the right person to step in and fill this need."

But here's what really sealed the deal: "Luca immediately understood me. As a neurocomplex person, I've rarely had the opportunity to work with people who can so easily translate my creativity and multi-layered way of thinking into clear, concise actions."

Sometimes you don't know what you need until the universe delivers it. Sometimes an accidental posting leads to exactly the right strategic partnership.

Beyond Skills Matching

This wasn't just about matching credentials. What made this transformational was deeper compatibility: personality fit, communication style, and shared values. As Luca describes her mission: "cultivate belonging, and bring betterment and a little more beauty into this world," which resonates deeply with everything Divergently is building.

When Kendra says "Luca also challenges me to be a better leader, exactly what I need to transition from founder to CEO," she's describing equity creation in action.

The Fourth Effect's SmartMatch algorithm doesn't just look at what's on paper. It factors in the human elements that make advisory relationships actually work: how people think, how they communicate, what drives them, and where they are in their journey.

The Platform Effect in Real Time

What excites me about Kendra's story is how it demonstrates The Fourth Effect's platform effect. This wasn't a one-off success. It's repeatable and happening across the community daily.

Kendra posted for one type of advisor. The Fourth Effect's algorithm recognized patterns in her language, company stage, and founder profile. It surfaced her opportunity to advisors whose skills aligned with what she actually needed.

Luca was looking for opportunities to apply her organizational development expertise. The algorithm recognized that a neurodivergent founder building a wellness platform might benefit from someone who translates complex thinking into operational clarity.

The match happened because The Fourth Effect's AI looks beyond job descriptions to understand the deeper patterns of successful advisory relationships.

Institutional Success Stories

Individual founders aren't the only ones seeing results. We're also transforming how institutional clients think about building advisory networks.

Patricia Lizarraga, Chief Investment Officer of the WCEO ETF, shared her experience: "We are delighted with The Fourth Effect's advisory board matching service! We plan to continue to source amazing additions to our brain trust through this vibrant community."

The WCEO ETF invests in publicly traded companies led by female CEOs. They understand that the right advisors are a competitive advantage that drives returns.

This institutional adoption validates The Fourth Effect's belief: the advisory board infrastructure gap isn't just a startup problem. It's an ecosystem problem.

The Multiplier Effect

What excites us at The Fourth Effect the most isn't just the individual success, It's the multiplier effect. When Kendra builds stronger leadership with Luca's guidance, Divergently becomes more resilient and better positioned to serve its community. When the WCEO ETF strengthens its advisory network, they're better equipped to identify and support female-led companies.

Every successful match creates ripple effects. Advisors with great experiences become more engaged. Founders who build effective boards become advocates. Investors who see strong advisory impact start requiring them in portfolio companies.

This is how we're reshaping the future of leadership and ownership, one perfectly-timed match at a time.

Advisory Boards as Strategic Moats

The right advisors at the right time don't just give advice. They become part of your competitive moat. They bring credibility when you're fundraising. They provide networks when you're scaling. They offer perspective when you're navigating complex decisions.

Most importantly, they bring capabilities that extend your team without extending payroll. Luca brings organizational development expertise that would cost hundreds of thousands to hire full-time. Instead, Kendra gets that expertise through an advisory relationship aligned with Divergently's success.

Kendra's match proves this. Finding someone who can "translate my creativity and multi-layered way of thinking into clear, concise actions" isn't just helpful. It's transformational.

The Network Effect

The Fourth Effect is building more than individual matches. Every successful relationship strengthens the entire platform. Successful advisors attract quality advisors. Successful founders attract ambitious founders. Successful matches generate referrals.

The Fourth Effect has doubled its community size in the past year while increasing engagement rates and match quality scores.

The Future Is Collaborative

These stories remind me why The Fourth Effect was started. It's about creating moments of perfect alignment that unlock exponential growth.

The future of startup success is collaborative leadership. Founders who recognize that building great companies requires great teams, and great teams include great advisors.

As The Fourth Effect scales its platform, encouraging patterns are emerging. Founders embrace advisory boards earlier. Advisors become more strategic about their engagements.

Sometimes the universe gives you exactly what you need, even when you don't know how to ask for it. And when that happens, equity ownership becomes equity creation.

Ready to Find Your Perfect Match?

These success stories are happening every day on The Fourth Effect platform. Founders are discovering advisors who understand their vision and can accelerate their growth. Executives are finding board opportunities that leverage their expertise and provide meaningful equity upside. Investors are building networks that de-risk their portfolios and amplify their impact.

Whether you're a founder looking to build your first advisory board, an executive ready to transition your corporate experience into startup advisory roles, or an investor seeking to strengthen the governance structures in your portfolio, The Fourth Effect platform can help you find exactly what you need.

The right advisor at the right moment isn't just helpful. It's transformational.

Join thousands of founders, executives, and investors who are leveraging The Fourth Effect platform to build strategic relationships that drive real growth. Because boards aren't overhead. They're leverage.