First steps in judo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu
Matt Soroka starts grappling: judo first, then Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and later no-gi training under Carlos Newton and Mark Bocek.
[Photo: early judo / BJJ days]
Exploring niches &
Building brand functions
[Photo: on the mats, gi]
Talents
- Full-Funnel Marketing
- Lifecycle Marketing
- Brand Strategy
- Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
- Photography
- Community Building
- Adventure & Travel
Matt Soroka is a marketing leader with 15+ years building brands and running full-funnel marketing for e-commerce and tech companies: brand, strategy, market-fit testing, and email/SMS lifecycle.
He co-founded Jits Magazine and grew it into one of the world’s leading Brazilian jiu-jitsu media brands, with 310K+ followers, before its sale in 2022. At TBô, he rebuilt lifecycle marketing and grew returning purchasers by 180%. Since then he has worked with startups and global companies, combining creative storytelling with data-driven execution to grow revenue, awareness and loyalty.
Today he runs his marketing practice through SendCraft & Co. Outside work, he hosts the Snap & Stroll Society photography walks in Toronto and Montreal and teaches Brazilian jiu-jitsu as a 3rd-degree black belt at Soroka Jiu-Jitsu.
Journey timeline
Matt Soroka: three decades in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, fifteen years in marketing.
Picks up the violin
Matt Soroka begins playing the violin, the start of a decade of classical training that runs alongside his judo and jiu-jitsu.
[Photo: young Matt with violin]
Toronto Youth Orchestra
Matt joins the Toronto Youth Orchestra as a violinist, rehearsing and performing classical repertoire with young musicians from across the city.
[Photo: orchestra performance]
Royal Conservatory of Music: Grade 9 violin
Matt completes Grade 9 violin with the Royal Conservatory of Music. In the RCM system, Grade 9 sits in the Advanced level, just two steps below the professional ARCT diploma. Getting there means performing full concert repertoire and passing graded exams in technique, ear training and sight-reading, a level most people who pick up an instrument never reach.
[Photo: RCM certificate or recital]
University of Toronto
Matt earns an Honours BA in History from the University of Toronto: a training in finding the story inside the facts.
[Photo: U of T]
Co-founds Fight Travel
Living in Brazil, Matt co-founds a packaged adventure trip for Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners to tour and train in Rio de Janeiro, working fully remotely while building and promoting the brand.
[Photo: Rio de Janeiro training trip]
Co-founds Jits Magazine
To further promote Fight Travel, Matt Soroka co-founds Jits Magazine and builds it into one of the world’s leading Brazilian jiu-jitsu media brands: 310K+ followers, a 10K email list, and a documentary on UFC competitor Jacaré, produced from scratch with a sponsor deal that paid for itself.
[Photo: Jits Magazine cover or shoot]
Earns black belt in Rio de Janeiro
Matt receives his black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu from Cesar Rezek at the Nova União headquarters in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
[Photo: Nova União HQ, Rio]
TBô: +180% returning purchasers
At TBô, a direct-to-consumer underwear brand, Matt rebuilds lifecycle marketing and makes the Utility Underwear YouTube ad that reached 250K views and sold out the collection.
[Photo: TBô campaign still]
Jits Magazine is sold
Matt and his co-founders sell Jits Magazine. After the exit, he brings the same brand-building playbook to other companies.
[Photo: Jits team / sale]
Launches SendCraft & Co.
Matt Soroka launches SendCraft & Co., his independent marketing practice, initially as a side project. It builds and runs full-funnel marketing for brands on an AI operating layer he designed himself. He took it full time in January 2025.
[Photo: SendCraft workspace]
Decommerce
Matt moves from TBô to its tech branch, Decommerce, diving deeper into B2B SaaS, web3, crypto and martech.
[Photo: Decommerce]
Snap & Stroll Society
Matt Soroka starts the Snap & Stroll Society in Porto, Portugal: a photography walking group that runs day and night photo events. It now runs most events in Toronto and Montreal, with 1,200 members and growing.
[Photo: Snap & Stroll night walk]
Selected work
Selected work by Matt Soroka
[Still from the Jacaré documentary]
Jits Magazine · Film
The Jacaré documentary
A documentary on UFC competitor Jacaré that Matt Soroka produced from scratch for Jits Magazine, with a sponsor deal structured so the sponsors made money on it.
Watch on YouTube →[Still from the Utility Underwear ad]
TBô · Video ad
TBô Utility Underwear ad: 250K views
A humorous YouTube ad Matt wrote and made in-house for TBô. It reached 250K views in a few months and sold out the collection.
[Flow diagram or email screenshot]
TBô · Lifecycle
TBô lifecycle rebuild: +180% returning purchasers
Matt rebuilt TBô’s segmentation and email/SMS flows on top of what the founders had started, so every customer cohort heard the right message at the right time.
Find Matt Soroka elsewhere
Three ways to work with Matt Soroka
Marketing
SendCraft & Co.
Matt Soroka’s marketing practice: brand, strategy, market-fit testing and email/SMS lifecycle, built and run for you.
sendcraft.co →
Jiu-Jitsu
Soroka Jiu-Jitsu
Private Brazilian jiu-jitsu lessons in Toronto with Matt Soroka, a 3rd-degree black belt with 16 years of teaching.
sorokajiujitsu.com →
Photography
Snap & Stroll Society
Day and night photography walks in Toronto and Montreal, hosted by Matt Soroka. 1,200+ members. Join the next one on Meetup.
meetup.com/snap-stroll-society →
FAQ
About Matt Soroka
Who is Matt Soroka?
Matt Soroka is a marketing leader based in Toronto and Montreal with 15+ years of experience in full-funnel marketing for e-commerce and tech brands. He co-founded Jits Magazine, runs the marketing practice SendCraft & Co., and is a 3rd-degree Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt.
What does Matt Soroka do?
Matt builds and runs full-funnel marketing for brands: brand strategy, go-to-market and market-fit testing, and email and SMS lifecycle marketing. He works with clients through his practice, SendCraft & Co.
Is Matt Soroka a certified Klaviyo strategist?
Yes. Matt holds the Klaviyo Strategist Certificate (2026), alongside certifications in brand management from the University of London, marketing analytics from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business, AI for marketers from HubSpot, and advertising with Meta.
Where is Matt Soroka based?
Matt is based in Toronto and Montreal, Canada, where he also hosts the Snap & Stroll Society photo walks and teaches Brazilian jiu-jitsu through Soroka Jiu-Jitsu.
What is the Snap & Stroll Society?
The Snap & Stroll Society is a photography walking community Matt Soroka started in Porto, Portugal. It now runs photo walks in Toronto and Montreal and has 1,200 members.
How do I contact Matt Soroka?
Email matt.soroka@sendcraft.co or book a call through the contact section on mattsoroka.com. For jiu-jitsu lessons, visit sorokajiujitsu.com.
What is Jits Magazine?
Jits Magazine is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu media brand that Matt Soroka co-founded with Dave Mence in 2011. It grew to 310K+ followers and a 10K email list before it was sold in 2022.
What is Matt Soroka's Brazilian jiu-jitsu lineage?
Matt Soroka is a 3rd-degree black belt under Cesar Rezek of Nova União. His lineage runs Mitsuyo Maeda, Carlos Gracie, Carlson Gracie, André Pederneiras, Cesar Rezek, then Matt. He has been grappling for 30 years and teaching for 16.
Certifications & education
Verify on LinkedIn →- Klaviyo Strategist Certificate ↗Klaviyo · 2026
- Brand Management ↗University of London · 2025
- Marketing Analytics ↗UVA Darden School of Business · 2025
- Web3 and Blockchain Leadership ↗INSEAD · 2025
- AI for MarketersHubSpot · 2024
- Advertising with Meta ↗Meta · 2024
- Honours BA, HistoryUniversity of Toronto