Toast

What it does

Toast is a Calgary-based talent acquisition company that has launched the Toast Talent Marketplace, an AI-powered recruitment platform using semantic search to help recruiters find women and gender-diverse candidates for STEM roles. The platform integrates with existing ATS systems and aims to reduce bias in hiring.

Who it is for

Toast serves two primary audiences: women in tech seeking job opportunities and companies looking to hire diverse tech talent. For job seekers, Toast offers a talent network, job board, career coaching, legal and HR advice, workshops, and a private online community. For employers, Toast provides recruitment services and access to a curated pool of women candidates.

Why it matters

The tech industry suffers from a lack of gender diversity, which slows innovation and deepens inequities. Toast addresses this by flipping the hiring dynamic in favor of women in tech. The platform claims to achieve 10x more diverse placements in partners' hiring pipelines compared to industry representation, and a 3x growth in women's representation in candidate pools within one month (from 11% to 36%). Additionally, Toast reports negotiation rates nearly 1.7x higher than industry norms.

Launch signal

Toast has been featured in media and has hosted events like the Toast Summit 2026 and Toast Dash Hackathon. The company also runs a newsletter called "Your Work Bestie" and has a community portal. Over 500 women have found roles through Toast in the past year.

Brand and naming

The name "Toast" suggests celebration and raising a glass to women in tech, aligning with the tagline "Let's toast to more women in tech." The brand is positioned as a supportive, community-driven alternative to traditional recruitment, with a focus on pay equity and inclusive hiring. The visual identity and messaging emphasize warmth, empowerment, and a break from corporate norms.