Troost ILead

What Troost ILead does

Troost ILead (Troost Institute for Leadership Education in Engineering) is an educational research institute operating as a unit within the University of Toronto's Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering, housed under the Institute for Studies in Transdisciplinary Engineering Education and Practice (ISTEP). Founded in 2010 and named after founding donors The Troosts, the institute is the dedicated hub for engineering leadership research and training at one of Canada's top engineering faculties, serving undergraduate and graduate engineering students through curricular integration, co-curricular programs, and student-club engagement.

The institute's core offerings are structured into four pillars: (1) for-credit academic courses at the APS code covering leadership theory, emotional intelligence, presentations, project management, and positive psychology; (2) co-curricular programming including Leadership Labs, The Game (a 6–7 month social innovation competition), the ILead Summer Fellowship, and the Club Leaders Series (Emerging Leaders, Summer Fellowship, Leadership Legacy); (3) awards such as the $50,000 Troost ILead Difference Maker Award (funded by the Bodhi Tree Fund since 2020) and the Clarke Prize Environmental Design Challenge ($22,000 in prizes); and (4) workplace and classroom research on engineering leadership learning trajectories, gendered patterns, and team effectiveness. Notable student-launched products emerging from its ecosystem include Haven Safe (campus safety app at four Canadian universities), PeaceOfMind (2023 HFES Mobile Health App Design Competition winner), and Global Spark (10,000+ students across eight universities).

The institute operates on a non-commercial university funding model: academic courses are delivered within standard U of T tuition; co-curricular programs are provided at no additional cost to students; and operations are financed through the university's operating budget plus donor contributions. Revenue diversification is nascent, with industry professional development offerings and the Foundations of Technical Leadership microcredential representing the most commercially oriented segment. Distribution is exclusively through U of T's academic infrastructure, with limited secondary reach through partner networks.

Name

Troost ILead

Legal name

Troost Institute for Leadership Education in Engineering

Website

https://ilead.engineering.utoronto.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Troost ILead is the engineering leadership education and research institute within the University of Toronto's Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering, serving undergraduate and graduate engineering students through academic courses, co-curricular leadership programs, and applied research funded via university budgets and donor contributions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Engineering Leadership Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Advanced STEM & Competition Coaching (MathCounts/AMC/AIME/USAMO, Science Olympiad, Physics/Chem Olympiads) (EDANAKAF)

Keywords

• Engineering leadership education
• Leadership training programs
• Co-curricular programming
• Engineering education research
• Student leadership development

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. University Funding: Troost ILead is an institute within the University of Toronto's Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering, funded through university budgets and donor contributions. Programs such as the Difference Maker Award are funded by external donors such as the Bodhi Tree Fund.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Troost ILead is an educational institute within the University of Toronto's Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering that delivers engineering-specific leadership education. It provides for-credit undergraduate and graduate academic courses (APS-prefixed), co-curricular programming such as Leadership Labs, The Game, the Summer Fellowship, and the Club Leaders Series, awards/hackathons (Difference Maker Award, Clarke Prize), teamwork support services, and workplace and classroom research on engineering leadership. Its audience is primarily U of T engineering students, with limited reach to industry professionals and partner universities.

Product overview

Troost ILead is the home of engineering leadership research and training at the University of Toronto's Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering. The institute operates as a unified educational platform offering academic courses (undergraduate and graduate), co-curricular programs (Leadership Labs, The Game, Summer Fellowship, Club Leaders Series), awards (Difference Maker Award, Clarke Prize), and research initiatives. Haven Safe and PeaceOfMind are notable student-created applications emerging from the institute's programs. The organization functions within ISTEP (Institute for Studies in Transdisciplinary Engineering Education and Practice), which also houses the Engineering Communication Program (ECP) and graduate professional development courses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Academic Courses (Undergraduate & Graduate)

Quantifiable outcome

• The 2024 Clarke Prize winning team projected a 1,725-ton reduction in CO2 emissions on campus in the first five years through their biodiesel solution from recycled cooking oil.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Lighthouse LabsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject Include, a student-led coding accessibility initiative, partnered with Lighthouse Labs as part of their efforts to make coding education more accessible to underrepresented communities.
• GoogleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGoogle partnered with Global Spark (founded by Troost ILead Difference Maker Award winner Morris Huang) for Hack the Globe hackathon and speaker panel events.
• Boston Consulting GroupminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBoston Consulting Group partnered with Global Spark for Hack the Globe hackathon and speaker panel events.
• Bill & Melinda Gates FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBill & Melinda Gates Foundation partnered with Global Spark for hackathon and speaker panel events.
• World Wildlife FundminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWorld Wildlife Fund partnered with Global Spark for hackathon and speaker panel events.
• Safran Landing SystemsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry collaborator for Clarke Prize-winning capstone project developing a non-contact aircraft braking system. Safran Landing Systems is keen to further develop the team's patent-pending technology.
• WaterlutionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWater-focused non-profit organization where ILead student Rosemary Jose serves on the Youth Advisory Board, facilitating the Great Waters Challenge program.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Purdue EPICS: Purdue's EPICS program engages engineering students in long-term, team-based service-learning design projects — closely mirroring ILead's The Game social innovation competition and its emphasis on leadership through real-world engineering challenges.
• Stanford d.school (Hasso Plattner Institute of Design): Stanford institute embedding design and leadership thinking across engineering and other disciplines through courses, fellowships, and research — closely aligned with ILead's academic institute model that combines teaching, co-curricular programming, and workplace research.
• Cornell Engineering Leadership Program: Cornell's College of Engineering delivers engineering leadership training through dedicated courses and programs for engineering students — analogous to ILead's academic courses and co-curricular offerings.
• Vanderbilt Engineering Sciences, Structures, and Leadership: Vanderbilt offers engineering leadership programming integrated into its engineering curriculum, including a Leadership Studies minor for engineers — comparable academic model and student persona to Troost ILead.
• Carnegie Mellon Engineering Leadership (CIT): Carnegie Mellon's College of Engineering runs dedicated leadership initiatives for engineering students, including the Engineering Leadership minor and related co-curricular programs — comparable structure and target audience to Troost ILead.
• MIT Gordon-MIT Engineering Leadership Program: MIT's flagship program offering engineering leadership courses, research, and co-curricular programming for undergraduate and graduate engineering students — directly comparable to Troost ILead's model of curricular + co-curricular leadership education within a top engineering faculty.

Others

• ASEE (American Society for Engineering Education): The professional society advancing engineering education research and practice, including leadership development — analogous to ILead's research outputs on engineering leadership learning trajectories and team effectiveness.
• Engineers Without Borders (Canada): A Canadian organization mobilizing engineering students and professionals around global development and social innovation — directly comparable to Global Spark (an ILead spinoff) and to ILead's social innovation focus via The Game.

Broad incumbents

• Kern Entrepreneurial Engineering Network (KEEN): A network of U.S. universities (including several engineering schools) focused on embedding entrepreneurial mindset and leadership into engineering curricula — broader network approach to the same engineering leadership education space ILead occupies.

Regional players

• McMaster University Faculty of Engineering: Canada's other leading engineering school with co-curricular and professional development programming for engineering students — comparable regional peer serving Canadian engineering students, though without a dedicated named leadership institute.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ileaduoft
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/uoftilead
• Facebookfacebook.com/ileaduoft
• LinkedInca.linkedin.com/in/ileaduoft
• Instagraminstagram.com/ileaduoft

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Troost ILead