Operation Heart Foundation

What Operation Heart Foundation does

Operation Heart Foundation is a Toronto-based nonprofit charitable organization that opens career pathways in cardiac surgery for highly talented youth who face systemic barriers due to race, gender, or socioeconomic background. Founded by Dr. Bobby Yanagawa, Division Head of Cardiac Surgery at St. Michael's Hospital, the organization identifies racialized, Indigenous, and women students who have been historically excluded from medicine and delivers a portfolio of structured programs: The Next Surgeon (a 7-week minority high-school initiative with Toronto Community Housing), The Next WOMAN Surgeon (a 5-week program with Havergal College), Surgeons of Tomorrow (a 2-week clinical and research exchange with Howard University and St. Michael's Hospital), Research Scholarships, and the MD Scholarship in Cardiac Surgery. To date, the organization reports 550 underrepresented youth mentored, 150 alumni admitted to Canadian universities, and 52 alumni admitted to medical school on a cardiac-surgery track.

The organization's business model is donation-driven. Revenue is generated through individual donations (one-time and recurring via website, University of Toronto donation portal, e-transfer, cheque), corporate sponsorships (Edwards Lifesciences, Ethicon/Johnson & Johnson, SURE General Contractors), and institutional grants (Telefilm Canada, Canada Media Fund supporting the documentary). Programs are delivered free of charge to participants through embedded partnerships with St. Michael's Hospital, the Temerty Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto, Toronto Community Housing, Havergal College, Howard University, and Japanese surgical institutes (NewHeart Watanabe Institute, Tokyo Bay Urayasu Ichikawa Medical Center). Supporting content products — a feature-length documentary with Tugo Media and an educational podcast series — serve as top-of-funnel awareness and donor-acquisition channels. The technology footprint is minimal: a Squarespace website, standard donation infrastructure, and social media; there is no proprietary technology platform.

Operation Heart does not sell products or services and competes for donor mindshare rather than customers. Its differentiation rests on a narrow, deep focus on cardiac surgery (versus broader healthcare diversity initiatives), clinical immersion through hospital partnerships, and the personal standing of its founder within the Canadian cardiac-surgery community. The board includes executives with substantial corporate finance backgrounds (former NEOM Finance Director, former Hutchison Ports CFO), and named individual donors include board member Ky Luu, founder of SURE General Contractors. The organization operates with a lean team and a community-led, event-driven go-to-market motion rather than a traditional sales force.

Name

Operation Heart Foundation

Legal name

Operation Heart Foundation

Website

https://operationheart.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Operation Heart Foundation is a Toronto-based nonprofit that runs mentorship, scholarship, and clinical immersion programs to open cardiac-surgery career pathways for underrepresented youth (racialized, Indigenous, and women), delivering programming through hospital and university partnerships in Canada and Japan.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Workforce Development / Medical Education Nonprofit

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), Private Pathway & Foundation Providers (EDAIAJAB), Medical Missions & Global Health NGOs (BPAGACAI)

Keywords

• Cardiac surgery mentorship
• Healthcare diversity programs
• Medical education scholarships
• Underrepresented youth pathways
• Surgical simulation training

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, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Philanthropy: Operation Heart generates revenue primarily through individual donations, corporate donations, and organizational partnerships. Donors can contribute via one-time or recurring donations through the organization's website, University of Toronto's donation portal, e-transfer, or cheque. The organization also accepts hard asset donations such as medical equipment and supplies.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Operation Heart Foundation is a nonprofit organization that provides free mentorship, educational, and research programs to support underrepresented youth (racialized communities, Indigenous students, and women) in pursuing careers in cardiac surgery. Its offerings include multi-week structured programs (The Next Surgeon, The Next WOMAN Surgeon), an international clinical-research exchange (Surgeons of Tomorrow), research and MD scholarships, a feature-length documentary, and an educational podcast. Programs are delivered at no cost to participants through partnerships with hospitals, universities, and community organizations.

Product overview

Operation Heart Foundation is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of mentorship, scholarship, and educational programs to advance gender and ethnic diversity in cardiac surgery. Its core offerings include The Next Surgeon (7-week program for minority high school students), The Next WOMAN Surgeon (5-week program for women high school students), Surgeons of Tomorrow (international exchange with Howard University and St. Michael's Hospital), and Research Scholarships (for high school and medical students, including Black and Indigenous Canadian medical students). Supporting educational products include the Operation Heart Documentary (feature-length film in production with Tugo Media, Telefilm, and Canada Media Fund) and an Educational Podcast series. MD Scholarships in Cardiac Surgery provide financial support to medical students, and a Medical Volunteerism program engages professionals as mentors. All programs are delivered through partnerships with St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto Community Housing, the Temerty Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto, Edwards Lifesciences Inc., and Ethicon (a Johnson & Johnson Company).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Next Surgeon: A 7-week initiative for minority high school students to inspire careers in surgery through experiential learning and diverse mentorship.
• The Next WOMAN Surgeon
• Surgeons of Tomorrow
• Research Scholarships

Products and services

• The Next Surgeon A 7-week mentorship and experiential learning program for minority high school students designed to inspire careers in surgery through mentorship sessions, hands-on surgical simulation, an aspirational conference, a closing dinner, and a certificate upon completion. Free to participants; delivered in partnership with Toronto Community Housing.
• The Next WOMAN Surgeon A 5-week initiative designed to address the gender gap in cardiac surgery by empowering women high school students to explore careers in cardiac surgery through simulations, mentorship from women physicians, and career counseling. Free to participants; delivered in partnership with Havergal College.
• Surgeons of Tomorrow A clinical and research exchange program in partnership with Howard University (HBCU) and St. Michael's Hospital, offering Howard medical students a 2-week stay in Toronto with OR shadowing, research projects, and publication opportunities.
• Research Scholarships Research scholarships for high school and medical students (including Black and Indigenous Canadian medical students) to engage in health-related research, providing early exposure to the field and fostering interest in medical careers.
• MD Scholarship in Cardiac Surgery Scholarship program supporting MD students pursuing cardiac surgery careers, enabling them to focus on research projects and connect with surgeons across Canada without financial barriers.
• Operation Heart Documentary A feature-length documentary in production by Tugo Media, with support from Telefilm and the Canada Media Fund, providing an intimate behind-the-scenes look at cardiac surgery, patient stories, and healthcare disparities in Canada and globally.
• Educational Podcast A podcast series featuring conversations about cardiac surgery, sharing insights from the field with patients, students, trainees, surgeons, and the broader community, with debut episode focused on women in cardiac surgery.

Quantifiable outcome

• 550 underrepresented youth mentored through programs
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• St. Michael's HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCore hospital partner providing clinical training sites, mentorship from cardiac surgeons, and hosting the Surgeons of Tomorrow program. The Division Head of Cardiac Surgery at St. Michael's is Dr. Bobby Yanagawa, founder of Operation Heart.
• Toronto Community HousingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity housing partner collaborating on The Next Surgeon pilot project, selecting 25 high school students from marginalized communities to explore careers in medicine and cardiac surgery.
• Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of TorontocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner providing institutional support for programs, research scholarships, and the Surgeons of Tomorrow exchange program with Howard University.
• Edwards Lifesciences Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedical technology company and proud partner supporting Operation Heart's mission to advance gender and ethnic diversity in cardiac surgery.
• Ethicon, a Johnson & Johnson CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedical device company and proud partner supporting Operation Heart's programs to advance diversity in cardiac surgery.
• Tugo MediacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDocumentary production company producing the Operation Heart feature-length documentary that explores cardiac surgery realities and healthcare disparities.
• Howard UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistorically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) partner in the Surgeons of Tomorrow program, providing medical students for 2-week immersive clinical and research experience in cardiac surgery at St. Michael's Hospital.
• NewHeart Watanabe Institute (Japan)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTokyo-based cardiac surgery institute hosting international observerships for Operation Heart students. Dr. Toshiya Ohtsuka provides mentorship and surgical observation opportunities.
• Tokyo Bay Urayasu Ichikawa Medical Center (Japan)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJapanese medical center participating in the Tokyo-Toronto Cardiac Exchange program, providing surgical observation opportunities with Dr. Joji Ito and team.
• Havergal CollegeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrivate school for girls in Toronto partnering with Operation Heart for The Next WOMAN Surgeon program, recruiting women high school students to address the gender gap in cardiac surgery.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Student National Medical Association (SNMA): Oldest and largest student-run organization in the US focused on increasing the number of medical students of color. Direct comparable on the pipeline-and-mentorship mission to diversify the physician workforce, with overlapping programs in mentorship, scholarships, and community outreach.
• Indigenous Physicians Association of Canada (IPAC): Canadian association representing Indigenous physicians and supporting Indigenous students entering medical training. Direct comparable as a Canadian organization advancing representation of an underrepresented group in medicine, with overlapping scholarship, mentorship, and pathway mandates.
• National Medical Fellowships: US-based nonprofit providing scholarships and service-learning programs for underrepresented minority medical students. Direct comparable as a scholarship-and-pathway nonprofit operating in the same underrepresented-in-medicine mission space, though at a larger scale and broader specialty scope.
• Association of Black Cardiologists: Nonprofit dedicated to eliminating disparities in cardiovascular disease through representation in the cardiology workforce. Highly comparable on the dual focus of cardiac specialty plus diversity in the physician pipeline.

Broad incumbents

• Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada: Canada's largest nonprofit focused on heart disease and stroke research, advocacy, and health systems change. Comparable as the dominant Canadian cardiac-focused nonprofit, though its mandate is disease research and prevention rather than workforce pathway development.
• American Heart Association: Major US-based cardiac health nonprofit funding research, training, and advocacy. Comparable on cardiac specialty focus, though its scale, geographic reach, and broad mission dwarf Operation Heart's narrow workforce-pipeline scope.
• Canadian Medical Association Foundation: Charitable arm of the Canadian Medical Association supporting medical education, physician wellness, and community health. Comparable as a Canadian medical-philanthropy organization with adjacent scholarship and equity programming, but at much broader scope and scale.

Others

• Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders: Large international medical-humanitarian NGO with field-based medical workforce development and global health equity focus. Adjacent comparable on the mission to expand access to medical care for underserved populations, though its delivery model (field medical operations) differs from Operation Heart's pipeline-and-education model.
• Perelman School of Medicine Office of Diversity and Inclusion: Academic medicine diversity office at a major US medical school running pathway programs, scholarships, and mentorship for underrepresented students. Adjacent comparable as an institutional operator of pre-medical and medical school diversity pipeline programs that Operation Heart's model resembles.

Emerging players

• White Coats for Black Lives: US-based medical student organization focused on racial justice in medicine and increasing the representation of Black physicians. Comparable as a movement-style organization addressing diversity in medicine, but with an advocacy rather than direct pathway-program focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Operation Heart Foundation