2026 Prairies Award winners

Community builder. Equity champion. April Hicke opens doors for women to thrive in technology.

April saw an opportunity to change the face of technology by creating more pathways for women to enter, advance and lead. She believed that meaningful change starts when more women have access to shape the industry and its future.

Drawing on more than 15 years of experience in leadership, change management and strategic team development, April has helped build Toast into a recruitment firm and community dedicated to advancing women in tech.

But for April, creating access is only the beginning. She has championed an ecosystem that supports women throughout their careers, combining recruitment with coaching, upskilling, community, research and technology. Initiatives such as the Toast Summit, Supper & Spa Clubs and The Champions Program create opportunities for women to strengthen their networks and propel their careers forward. The Toast Institute brings research on gender equity into the equation, while technology such as Toast’s AI-powered career agent offers on-demand career support.

A Certified Change Practitioner, TEDx speaker and Top 40 Under 40 honouree, April is also deeply committed to developing others. Known as a natural relationship-builder and problem-solver, she devotes much of her time to coaching emerging leaders.

April is challenging assumptions about who gets access to opportunity in tech. By bringing purpose to performance and people to the centre of change, she is helping more women get the opportunity to lead, influence and build what comes next.