From Shelter to CEO: April Hicke on Defying the 0.002% Odds

What does it take to build a company from nothing when the odds are literally stacked against you? 0.8% children who have spent time in foster care earn a grad level15% of people who attempt to quit drinking make it through their first year1.9% women founders ever exceed a million dollars in revenue The chances of one person doing it all is 0.002% and April is one of them. April Hicke, co-founder and CEO of Toast, grew up in foster care, aged out of the system at 18 with no degree, no safety net and a baby — and still built one of the most impactful talent communities for women in tech today. In this episode, we get into the real story behind Toast, the mindset shifts that changed everything, and what April has learned about resilience, boundaries, allyship and showing up fully as yourself in a world that wasn't built for you. We cover: How her past shaped April as a leader and gave her her greatest superpowerThe moment she stopped surviving and started thrivingWhy real self-care has nothing to do with spa daysWhat allyship actually looks like — and why it has to cost you somethingThe role male allies played in building her careerHer advice for any woman who feels her past is a ceiling_________________________Follow SHEO Diaries on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sheo_diaries/Learn more about Toast: https://www.trytoast.ca/Follow Toast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/try.toast/Watch April's TED Talk- Your Past Is Not Your Ceiling: https://youtu.be/_BthPaN-iXU?si=rPBYMuUe8SAjFwsvConnect with April Hicke: https://www.instagram.com/aprilhicke/