A Canadian Non-Profit • Est. 2023
Tech4All
Making advanced technologies accessible to underserved communities across Canada
Growing Older Is Universal.
Being Left Behind Shouldn't Be.
Every one of us will age. It's a journey we all share - our parents, our grandparents, and eventually ourselves. Yet in a world racing toward digital transformation, millions of seniors are being left behind, facing isolation and confusion in an increasingly connected world.
The technology gap isn't just an inconvenience: it's a barrier to healthcare, social connection, financial security, and dignity. We can do better. We must do better.
41%
of Canadians 50+ are at risk of social isolation
58%
have experienced loneliness
1 in 5
seniors report feeling lonely regularly
Source: Canadian Coalition for Seniors' Mental Health & Statistics Canada
Our Research
Read the Data Behind Our Work
Alone Together is Tech For All's inaugural research report on social isolation and wellbeing among Canadian seniors. Drawing on the 2019/2020 Canadian Health Survey on Seniors (CHSS), a nationally representative dataset of 41,550 respondents representing 6.4 million Canadians aged 65 and older, the report maps the scale, geography, and human cost of loneliness in older populations.
1 in 10
seniors meet clinical loneliness threshold
3×
risk increase for those living alone
5×
more likely to report poor mental health
0
measurable effect of internet access alone
50%
of lonely seniors don't want more social activity
The Gap: Programs are abundant, but meaningful connection remains elusive.
Methodology: All estimates use the CHSS survey weight (WTS_CM). Loneliness is measured via the Hughes 3-item Loneliness Scale (score ≥ 6). Coefficient of variation thresholds follow Statistics Canada quality standards. All correlations are cross-sectional; causal direction is not established.
Technology is best when it brings people together - not when it leaves them behind.
Mark Nguyen
Co-Founder, Tech For All
Everyone deserves clear, user-friendly guidance on today's technologies
Using familiar metaphors and beautiful visuals, we help people understand complex tools - AI, cryptocurrency, cybersecurity - as easily as a household appliance.
Demystify Technology
Make complex tools - like AI and web browsers - easy to understand, much like explaining how a toaster works.
Bridge Language Gaps
Translate materials into multiple languages so everyone can learn in the language most comfortable to them.
Intergenerational Learning
Empower youth to teach seniors, fostering respect, empathy, and understanding across generations.
Mindful Engagement
Practical guidance on safe browsing, scam avoidance, and balanced screen time for healthier habits.
Enrich Local Culture
Collaborate with artists so our materials reflect the creativity and traditions of Toronto's communities.
Our Programs
- 01
Educational Materials
Brochures, pamphlets, booklets, short videos, and social posts that explain AI, deepfakes, and safe web browsing in plain language.
- 02
Mindful Tech Guides
Resources on screen-time awareness, online safety, and digital wellness - designed to reduce fear, not amplify it.
- 03
In-Person Workshops
Live sessions at seniors' centres, libraries, community hubs, and cultural festivals with hands-on demonstrations.
- 04
Youth Employment
Summer programs that recruit young people to develop, translate, and share our materials while building leadership skills.
Empowering Youth, Serving Seniors
Each summer we recruit young people - often from visible-minority communities and women - providing mentorship, training in communication and cultural sensitivity, and leadership opportunities. They become role models, contributing to stronger, more tech-savvy neighbourhoods.
Built for the moment of AI for All
In June 2026, Canada released AI for All - a six-pillar national strategy to make sure AI serves people, not just labs. Tech For All's mandate, programs and community footprint already deliver against several of those pillars today.
How our mandate already delivers
Three pillars, three programs already in motion.
- Pillar 1 · Protecting Canadians
Plain-language defences against deepfake scams
Fraud is now the most common Criminal Code offence reported to Canadian police - 122,275 incidents in 2024, and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre attributes a rising share to AI-generated voice clones, deepfake video and synthetic-identity impersonation. We are producing multilingual booklets, short videos and workshop kits that teach seniors how to spot, pause and verify a suspicious call, message or video - closing the trust gap before money is lost.
Statistics Canada, Police-reported crime in Canada, 2024 · Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre
- Pillar 3 · Powering AI Adoption
Bringing AI literacy to underserved communities & SMEs
Canada aims to lift business AI adoption from 12% to 60% by 2034. Adoption stalls where AI feels alien. Our toaster-simple guides, hands-on library workshops and youth-led demos give seniors, small businesses and community nonprofits a confident first encounter with chatbots, transcription and everyday automation - turning curiosity into capability.
AI for All - Pillar 3, Powering AI Adoption
- Pillar 2 · Empowering Canadians
Free training that reflects Canadian voices & languages
The strategy promises free AI training for everyone in Canada and demands that Canadian languages and cultures be represented. Our materials are translated by youth from the communities they serve and co-designed with local artists, so the people most often left behind by tech rollouts are the first ones in the room.
AI for All - Pillar 2, Empowering Canadians
Who We Serve
Aligned with the Government of Canada's focus on diverse communities and inclusive growth
Seniors
Guiding older adults through the digital landscape with dignity and care.
Racialized Youth
Empowering visible minority young people with skills and opportunity.
Cultural Communities
Celebrating and serving Toronto's rich multicultural communities.
No One Left Behind Due to
Language Barriers
Everything we produce is translated into local languages represented in the communities we serve, ensuring accessibility for all.
English
English
Tiếng Việt
Vietnamese
தமிழ்
Tamil
ਪੰਜਾਬੀ
Punjabi
हिन्दी
Hindi
Soomaali
Somali
Italiano
Italian
Türkçe
Turkish
Our Vision: 2040
By 2040, Tech For All will have built a first-of-its-kind intergenerational R&D ecosystem, where youth researchers and senior mentors work side by side with Canada's leading labs, transforming a lifetime of lived experience into world-class intellectual property.
The Knowledge Recycling Loop
Older adults hold something irreplaceable: decades of professional expertise, cultural memory, and hard-earned wisdom. Today, much of that knowledge quietly retires with them.
Statistics Canada reports that approximately 850,000 Canadians retire each year, with adults aged 55+ holding an estimated 35+ years of accumulated professional and vocational expertise on average - knowledge that largely exits the workforce with them.
Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey, 2023 · OECD Employment Outlook, 2023
We intend to change that. Through structured programs at Canada's top R&D labs, we will connect senior mentors with youth researchers, converting retained expertise into strategic research priorities, while giving older adults profound purpose, community, and connection.
A society grows great when old people plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.
Greek Proverb
Rooted in Community,
Growing for Tomorrow
"We grew up in Black Creek and Jane & Finch - communities that shaped us into who we are today."
Mark, Co-Founder
MBA, Schulich School of Business
Our founders grew up in underprivileged neighborhoods, but communities that strengthened and shaped them into technology leaders. Thanks to public resources they relied on, they went on to develop software for Bay Area companies in elder-care.
Now, through Tech For All, they're giving back - helping local seniors and residents navigate a digital world that can seem confusing or overwhelming.
Communities
York Centre
Serving
Humber River
Area
Toronto Centre
The Team Behind Tech4All
Mark Nguyen
Founder & Research Director
MBA(c), BBA · Schulich School of Business
Mark is a researcher and community advocate whose work bridges health technology, digital culture, and human behaviour. He founded Tech4All out of a deep belief that access to technology is a matter of equity, not privilege.
His health research spans digital accessibility, technology adoption among aging populations, and neurotech UX. His digital culture interests explore the intersection of media, algorithms, and consumer behaviour.
Health equity through technology
Inclusive digital participation
Community-centred research
Research Interests