Funding the Future: How The Forum Helped Pocketed Revolutionize Access to Grants and Transform the Entrepreneurial Landscape
When Brianna Blaney and Aria Hahn found themselves on Brianna's couch in September 2020—drinking wine, eating pizza, and having the difficult conversation about shutting down their first software venture—they had no idea that this moment would spark an idea that would go on to help thousands of entrepreneurs secure over $200 million in funding.
The pair had been developing DeepND, a predictive hiring platform for restaurants and retailers, when COVID-19 devastated the industry and forced them to make a painful pivot. Through this challenge, they identified a critical problem in the entrepreneurial ecosystem that they were uniquely positioned to solve.
"We realized what a massive role grant funding played in building that business, but still felt it was unnecessarily painful to access," Brianna tells BC Business. "We learned that the problem wasn't unique to us—everybody we spoke to shared our frustrations around how hard it is to find programs you're eligible for."
Breaking Down Barriers to Capital
For women entrepreneurs, access to capital remains one of the most significant barriers to success. With just 4% of venture capital funding going to women-founded companies in Canada, many promising businesses struggle to get off the ground—not for lack of vision or potential, but for lack of financial resources.
Brianna and Aria understood this challenge intimately. As experienced entrepreneurs, they had navigated the complex world of grants and funding before. "Money is one of the biggest barriers to innovation and entrepreneurship, especially for women and equity-seeking groups," they explain to Daily Hive. "As Founders, we've lived this pain, trying to find money to start and grow our companies."
They discovered that while billions of dollars in grants and tax credits are available to Canadian businesses each year, a significant portion goes unused because entrepreneurs either don't know these opportunities exist or find the application process too daunting.
As Daily Hive reports, this realization led to the birth of Pocketed, a platform designed to streamline access to grant funding for small and medium-sized businesses. Using intelligent matching technology, Pocketed would connect entrepreneurs with eligible funding programs and help them navigate the application process.
But turning this vision into reality would require support. That's where The Forum stepped in.
How The Forum Activated Pocketed's Growth
As Pocketed began to gain traction, Brianna and Aria applied to The Odlum Brown Forum Pitch program, seeking not just funding but also the visibility, connections, and mentorship that would take their business to the next level.
The timing couldn't have been more perfect. After launching their alpha version—one of the earliest functional versions of their product—and seeing it oversubscribed by 500%, they knew they were onto something significant. In an interview with Candice Georgiadis, Brianna explains that in the same week, she also discovered she was pregnant—adding another layer of intensity to Pocketed’s already fast-moving journey.
Through The Odlum Brown Forum Pitch, Brianna and Aria gained invaluable insights that helped them refine their business model and pitch. The program connected them with seasoned entrepreneurs and investors who provided strategic guidance that would prove crucial in Pocketed's development.
Their hard work paid off when they were named Finalists of The Odlum Brown Forum Pitch 2021/2022, securing a $25,000 prize package made possible by Capital Sponsor Wheaton Precious Metals that would help fuel their growth.
As Brianna tells BetaKit, "The $25,000 in funds significantly contributed to growing our platform to help more businesses access grants and tax credits." But the impact of The Forum extended far beyond financial capital.
The Forum's Impact: Educate, Activate, Elevate
Through The Forum's programming, Pocketed benefited from support across three core social impact pillars:
Educate: The Odlum Brown Forum Pitch provided Brianna and Aria with crucial business knowledge and strategic insights that helped shape Pocketed's development.
Activate: The Forum connected Pocketed with a powerful network of mentors, advisors, and potential partners. "Mentorship has played an important role in our success," the Founders explain to Daily Hive. "We strive to be the dumbest people in the room by design—we intentionally hire, work with, and speak to people who know more than us and provide their expertise all day, every day."
Elevate: Being selected as Finalists of The Odlum Brown Forum Pitch gave Pocketed significant visibility and credibility in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. This exposure helped them attract new users and partners, elevating their profile across Canada and into the United States.
Creating a More Equitable Funding Landscape
Since winning The Odlum Brown Forum Pitch, Pocketed has experienced phenomenal growth.
The company has:
Helped more than 17,000 businesses access over $200 million in grants, tax credits, and incentives
Secured strategic partnerships with organizations like MaRS, League of Innovators, and Accelerate Okanagan
Raised $1 million in seed funding to scale their operations
Built a diverse user base where 52% identify as having a female founder and 22% have a founder who's part of a visible minority
But the impact of Pocketed extends far beyond these impressive numbers. By democratizing access to non-dilutive funding, they're helping level the playing field for entrepreneurs from all backgrounds.
"One of our biggest goals at Pocketed is to democratize funding—to help change the narrative around funding and entrepreneurship, especially for equity-deserving groups," the Founders explain to NUVO. Their platform is breaking down financial barriers that have historically prevented many entrepreneurs, particularly women and those from underrepresented communities, from realizing their business dreams.
From Startup to Acquisition
In March 2025, Deloitte Canada announced its acquisition of the company for an undisclosed amount. This strategic acquisition allowed Pocketed to integrate with Deloitte's Gi3 practice, significantly expanding its reach and impact.
"The integration of Pocketed's industry-leading technology with Deloitte's deep capabilities is a force multiplier, transforming how businesses secure funding," Brianna said at the time of the acquisition. "This isn't about incremental change—it's about setting a new standard for funding success."
This remarkable achievement came just five years after Brianna and Aria founded the company, and only three years after their win at The Odlum Brown Forum Pitch Finale—a testament to the power of their vision and the support they received along the way.
Building a Legacy Beyond Business Success
For Brianna and Aria, Pocketed was never just about building a successful business—it was about creating systemic change in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
"We believe that we have a responsibility to create impact as we continue to build and scale Pocketed," says Brianna. "That's why we made Pocketed free to use. We actively target underrepresented founder groups, including women, to help overcome financial barriers to entrepreneurship."
This commitment to equity has remained central to Pocketed's mission as the company has grown and evolved. By removing one of the most significant barriers to entrepreneurship—access to capital—they're helping create a more diverse and dynamic business landscape.
The Forum's Continuing Impact
The relationship between Pocketed and The Forum didn't end with The Odlum Brown Forum Pitch Finale. The Founders have remained active in The Forum's community, supporting fellow entrepreneurs and giving back to the organization that played such a pivotal role in their journey.
As NUVO reports, "Since winning the competition, Pocketed has developed new technology and fostered new partnerships across Canada and the U.S." As the Founders explain, "We've grown by almost 30% in four months, including supporting fellow finalists and companies within The Forum community."
This ongoing connection exemplifies the cyclical nature of support within The Forum's ecosystem. As entrepreneurs find success, they return to elevate others following in their footsteps.
Advice to Women Entrepreneurs
Be curious — "Entrepreneurship is a daily lesson in humility. You'll get it wrong often, but staying curious helps you stay agile and responsive. Experiment and move quickly."
Find your passion — "Find a problem that you're genuinely passionate about solving. It will help to keep you going through the long days, late nights, stress, and uncertainty."
Embrace mentorship — "Be the dumbest in the room by design. We intentionally hire, work with, and speak to people who know more than us and provide their expertise all day, every day."
Stay focused — "Focus has been drilled into us through our advisors and directors. It's hard to pick 'just one thing' or 'just one user' you are going to build for. Remember that focus doesn't mean everything else is a 'no,' it's just a 'not yet.'"
Pocketed's remarkable journey from a wine-and-pizza pivot moment to acquisition by one of the world's leading professional services firms demonstrates the profound impact that The Forum can have on women entrepreneurs. By providing education, activating networks, and elevating entrepreneurs and their journeys , The Forum creates pathways for women to transform their visions into reality—and in Pocketed's case, to transform the entrepreneurial landscape itself.
Through Pocketed, Brianna and Aria have not only built a successful business but have also helped thousands of other entrepreneurs access the funding they need to grow. This ripple effect of positive change perfectly embodies the mission of The Forum: to unlock access to wisdom, financial, and social capital for women entrepreneurs across Canada.