Fuel Forward: 25 years of progress at Catalyst Canada

For 25 years, Catalyst Canada has partnered with over 200 organizations to accelerate performance and progress across Canadian workplaces. Our journey began with a clear purpose: to address systemic barriers, amplify underrepresented voices, and foster inclusive environments where all individuals can thrive.

To build on this legacy, we’re launching the Fuel Forward campaign—a multi-year initiative designed to expand our community and accelerate progress toward truly inclusive workplaces. Our goal is to welcome 25 new Supporter organizations in the coming year, fueling change for hundreds of thousands of employees across Canada.

This campaign is both a celebration and a call to action. While progress has been made, the next 25 years of inclusion will not run on autopilot. They require our collective energy, advocacy, and leadership. 

Over the last 25 years, Catalyst Canada has partnered with our powerful national community to address critical business challenges and advance our vision for workplaces that work for everyone:

• Closing the leadership gap: When women were systematically underrepresented on boards, Catalyst Canada launched the Catalyst Women on Board™ initiative (2007–2021)—and helped accelerate the pipeline of senior women into governance roles.
• Driving parity in leadership: With FP500 companies lagging on board gender equity, we created the Catalyst Accord, holding companies accountable and helping them set targets toward gender parity.
• Unlocking employee potential: As Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) were emerging, we co-hosted the Employee Resource Leadership Initiative Conference with BMO (2015–2019)—giving organizations tools to turn ERGs into engines of talent development, innovation, and engagement.
• Inclusion as a competitive advantage: Through Canadian-focused research on Emotional Tax, Indigenous Inclusion, and Inclusive Leadership, we’ve provided companies with data-driven insights that not only explain the human cost of exclusion—but also the business case for retention, performance, and leadership effectiveness

These achievements reflect Catalyst Canada’s enduring commitment to supporting the Canadian business landscape. Our legacy demonstrates how inclusive workplaces are essential for attracting and retaining talent, fostering innovation, building and sustaining trust, and driving sustainable business results.

Fuel Forward with us

The future of inclusion in Canadian workplaces depends on sustained commitment and shared leadership. The Fuel Forward campaign reminds us that progress requires ongoing engagement, advocacy, and collaboration.

We invite you to help shape the next chapter. If you know a colleague at an organization that shares our commitment to inclusion:

• Refer them using our Referral Form.
• Or introduce them with our Draft Referral Letter.

Not sure which companies already support Catalyst? Check the list.

As Catalyst Canada moves into its next chapter, we remain dedicated to accelerating organizational performance and women’s progress through research-backed insights, high-impact convenings, proven solutions, and unparalleled support that fuel organizations to make inclusion a business practice at scale.