Torbjørn Fyrvik on Scaling Grassroots, Sustainable Activism, and Building Catalyst

Introduced by a mutual friend at the Oslo Freedom Forum, host Liz Sweigart and Torbjørn “T-Bear” Fyrvik bonded over the nuts and bolts of movement-building. What began as a hallway chat became an ongoing exchange about practical tools, generous mentorship, and the real human limits of doing hard things for a long time.

In this episode of Past the Profile, Torbjørn—Norwegian activist now based in Berlin—traces a path from climate street actions to designing infrastructure for grassroots groups. He and Liz unpack why Catalyst is “more than a CRM,” how community and know-how compound across campaigns, and what sustainable activism looks like when you admit it’s a marathon, not a sprint.

Highlights

• Catalyst, beyond “just a CRM” — events, onboarding, delegation, fundraising, plus a knowledge-sharing community for grassroots best practices.
• Proof in the numbers — moving supporter-to-activist conversion from ~2–3% toward ~10% inside member orgs.
• Origins of a worldview — witnessing stark inequality in Rio as a teen; teaching English in the favela; early “utopia” talks with friends.
• Roles, not archetypes — broadening “activist” to include builders, mentors, fundraisers, and caregivers—because movements need every role.
• The balance question — recognizing burnout signals; choosing rest, relationships, climbing, and long-run sustainability.
• What’s next for Catalyst — expanding beyond climate to other movements and growing the community offering alongside the tool.