Paige M.

Senior Program Manager, Employer Brand

One thing I admire about Toasters is their desire to learn and grow through all stages of their lives, both professionally and personally. Our teams are made up of curious, life-long students, and Toast encourages this in many ways. Toast provides professional development stipends, hosts on-demand learning programs, and so much more. Thanks to our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion team, Toast even supports employees attending conferences focused on a multitude of identities and experiences. 

“We invest in diverse organizations committed to supporting marginalized businesses and communities through various opportunities for employee engagement and learning and development,” Aja S., Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Manager shared when asked why her team prioritizes these partnerships. “Through these opportunities we empower all Toasters to rally around a sense of community, thrive in their roles, and to support their ongoing individual diversity, equity, and inclusion journeys.”

“By sending our Toasters to these conferences and events, we encourage them to bring back their learnings that can cultivate an inclusive workplace, become change makers within their teams, and represent Toast’s commitment to DEI,” added Kim B., Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Enablement Specialist. 

Diversity Women's Business Leadership Conference is an example of one of these conferences. Diversity Woman Media, a multi-platform professional and executive leadership development enterprise that advocates for diversity, equity and inclusion, hosts the conference annually. It is recognized as the premier women’s leadership conference for racial, ethnic, and gender diversity. During the event, women business leaders come together from across a variety of industries, backgrounds, and experiences to hear from some of the most influential thought leaders and executives across the world. In 2022, a group of Toasters attended the conference, and shared a little bit about their experiences with us. 

“I have always attended leadership conferences whenever possible,” shared Jennifer W., Onboarding Consultant II, when asked why she wanted to attend the conference. “You learn so much from the sessions about your personal growth as well as career growth. You are able to network with others in your industry and other industries.”

Similarly, Nicole J., Employee Cloud Go-Live Manager, saw the conference as an opportunity to learn. Nicole’s hope was that she could not only use this information to grow in her own career, but also to help her team. “I have the privilege of ‘leading’ a diverse group of people with amazing backgrounds,” Nicole noted. “As a white, privileged woman I wanted to make sure that I was as open and receptive to educating myself on how to be a better leader and human so that I can create a space for these amazing and diverse individuals to succeed and to grow.”

Throughout the course of the conference, attendees had the opportunity to hear from prolific leaders from various industries, celebrate the accomplishments of other women, meet with coaches focused on a variety of skill sets, and network with other women growing their careers and allies. The wide variety of topics ensured that each participant was able to cultivate an agenda that challenged them in new ways and allowed them to hone in on what was most important to them.

For example, Nicole kept a manager-mindset on throughout the conference, and centered her takeaways on how she can best empower her team. 

“My biggest takeaway from the conference was that, as a leader, it's my mission to make sure that I develop my team to be better than me and to be capable of taking over my job. Not only that, but I need to make sure that I'm hearing and inviting my team into the room. I need to make sure their success is known.”

Reflecting upon her lessons learned, Jennifer was able to really focus on taking risks. “Through the sessions, I dove deep into the importance of taking the leap, and not second guessing yourself. When you take a risk, one of two things will happen- you'll fly, or you'll fall on a soft spot. Take the chance on yourself, let others know who you are, dig into that grit and persevere. Use shortcomings or challenges you’ve overcome to push yourself and fight for what you want.”

Here at Toast, we truly believe that each and everyone one of us plays a role in fostering an inclusive, welcoming company culture for all. I’m grateful that Toast gives us the opportunity to learn and grow in so many different ways! 

Want to learn more about our commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion? Check out our Culture Recipe!