Toast Institute is the not-for-profit arm of Toast, established to advance women’s participation and leadership in the technology economy through research, workforce development, and systems-level collaboration.

Advancing Inclusive Workforce Development in Technology

We operate at the intersection of research, education, industry, and leadership development to expand the technology talent pipeline, strengthen workforce retention, and accelerate inclusive economic growth.

Our work is grounded in data, aligned with employer demand, and designed for measurable impact.

Our Mandate

Toast Institute exists to increase women’s economic participation in technology and to support employers in building diverse, high-performing, future-ready teams.

‍Our work addresses systemic challenges including:

Persistent gender underrepresentation in technical and leadership roles

Workforce transition gaps between education and employment

Barriers to advancement into senior and executive positions

Talent shortages across innovation-driven sectors

Strategic Focus Areas

Education-to-Employment Integration

We design structured transition pathways that support women graduating from technical and digital programs as they enter and navigate the workforce.

Through employer-informed programming, we provide:

  • Career readiness and job search strategy

  • Compensation negotiation and advancement training

  • Professional skills and leadership development

  • Direct connection to hiring networks and industry leaders

This model strengthens labour market integration, accelerates early-career momentum, and supports long-term retention within the technology sector.

Leadership Sponsorship & Advancement

The Champions Sponsorship Program equips senior leaders with structured frameworks to actively sponsor mid- and senior-level women into leadership roles.

Unlike traditional mentorship models, structured sponsorship drives measurable advancement by:

  • Expanding access to decision-makers and power networks

  • Increasing visibility in strategic initiatives

  • Accelerating promotion readiness and executive trajectory

Champions is designed as a scalable intervention with the potential for longitudinal research and sector-wide adoption.

This initiative strengthens inclusive leadership pipelines and advances measurable equity outcomes within technology organizations.

Applied Technical Skill Development

Toast Institute delivers applied technical workshops and innovation programming that enable women to strengthen and deploy their skills in high-growth environments.

In collaboration with industry and academic partners, these initiatives:

  • Support career mobility, upskilling, and re-entry pathways

  • Encourage interdisciplinary collaboration

  • Increase applied technical confidence and fluency

  • Expand participation in entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystems

Our upskilling programs are designed to respond directly to labour market needs and emerging technology trends.

Economic & Workforce Impact

Women represent over half of the population yet remain significantly underrepresented in technology roles, particularly at senior levels. Expanding participation is both an equity priority and an economic imperative.

Toast Institute contributes to:

Increased supply of skilled technical and leadership talent

Improved workforce participation and retention outcomes

Strengthened employer diversity and advancement metrics

Greater competitiveness in innovation-driven industries

Research consistently links inclusive teams to stronger financial performance, improved problem-solving capacity, and higher innovation output. By integrating more women into the technology workforce and leadership pipeline, we support sustainable economic growth.

Organizational Overview

Legal Name: Toast Institute
‍Corporate Status: Not-for-Profit
Incorporated: October 5, 2025
Full-Time Equivalent Staff: 7

Toast Institute is led by an experienced executive and program team with expertise in workforce development, technology sector engagement, research collaboration, and gender equity strategy.

Governance & Accountability

We prioritize:

  • Clear program design and outcome measurement

  • Transparent reporting and stakeholder communication

  • Measurable employment and advancement metrics

  • Long-term ecosystem alignment with industry and academic partners

Our initiatives are built for scale, institutional rigor, and sustainable impact.

Long-Term Vision

The long-term vision is to become a central engine for inclusive workforce development in Canada by creating clear, supported pathways for women from learning to earning to leadership, aligned directly with employer demand, and focused on closing the gap between talent supply and opportunity in a way that is practical, data-informed, and embedded into how the innovation economy operates.