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The Dais

The Dais is a public policy and leadership think tank at Toronto Metropolitan University working at the intersection of technology, education and democracy. Its research on Canada's AI compute capacity fed directly into the federal government's $2.4-billion AI package announced in 2024.

Public policyTorontoFounded 2023dais.ca
$2.4Bfederal AI funding plan that TMU says Dais research helped informToronto Metropolitan University, 2025-02
3current research streams: kids and tech, renewing democracy, and AI and the innovation economydais.ca

What they build

From Potential to PerformanceRoundtable report on Canada's investment in AI compute infrastructureProduct page ↗

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Working at The Dais

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About

TMU launched The Dais on 28 April 2023, merging the Brookfield Institute for Innovation + Entrepreneurship with the university's Leadership Lab under executive director Karim Bardeesy; the name means a raised platform. It publishes research and runs leadership programs across three streams: kids and tech, renewing democracy, and AI and the innovation economy. Its argument that Canada leads on AI research and talent but lags on the compute infrastructure to commercialise it — set out in a policy brief and a roundtable report — helped shape federal programs supporting AI research, commercialisation and expanded compute access for startups and researchers, which TMU credits with informing the $2.4-billion federal AI plan.

Backers

A university think tank at Toronto Metropolitan University, funded through the university and research partnerships rather than investment.

Some figures are founder-stated, not independently confirmed

Quick answers

What is The Dais?

A public policy and leadership think tank at Toronto Metropolitan University, working at the intersection of technology, education and democracy to build shared prosperity and citizenship for Canada.

What does The Dais research?

Three streams: kids and tech, renewing democracy, and AI and the innovation economy. Its work on Canada's AI compute capacity fed into federal programs supporting AI research, commercialisation and compute access.

Is The Dais part of a university?

Yes — it sits at Toronto Metropolitan University in downtown Toronto.

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Maintained by TechTO · facts sourced and dated · last reviewed Aug 30, 2026