Brianna Blaney and Aria Hahn Founded Pocketed after identifying a critical gap in the entrepreneurial ecosystem: the difficulty in accessing grant funding. Their platform streamlines the process of finding and applying for grants, helping unlock billions in non-dilutive capital for small businesses.

Like many women entrepreneurs, they faced significant barriers to success. "Money is one of the biggest barriers to innovation and entrepreneurship, especially for women and equity-seeking groups," they explain. With just 4% of venture capital going to women-founded companies in Canada, many promising businesses struggle to get off the ground.

The Forum became an essential partner in their growth journey. As Finalists of The Odlum Brown Forum Pitch 2021/2022, they received a $25,000 prize package that fueled their expansion. "The $25,000 in funds significantly contributed to growing our platform to help more businesses access grants and tax credits," Brianna says. Beyond funding, The Forum provided invaluable mentorship and connections that shaped their business model.

Since their win, Pocketed has helped more than 17,000 businesses access over $200 million in grants and tax credits, expanded into the United States, and built a user base where 52% identify as having a female founder. In March 2025, just three years after their Forum Pitch win, Pocketed was acquired by Deloitte Canada—a remarkable achievement that demonstrates how The Forum's support can help women entrepreneurs transform vision into reality.

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Cassandra Hui, Founder and CEO of Heal Mary, created an AI-driven platform that simplifies clinical trial matching for patients and caregivers after experiencing the overwhelming challenge of navigating treatment options for her mother and sisters who were diagnosed with cancer. "My mom was told to get her affairs in order, that there were no other options. Decades later, both my sisters—diagnosed at the same age as my mom—had completely different treatment journeys, based on what they were able to access," she shares.

As a woman in tech, Cassandra faced significant barriers to scaling her healthtech business. "Less than 3% of venture capital goes to women-led businesses. Fundraising was an entirely different experience for me than for many of my male peers," she explains. The complexity of healthcare regulations added another challenge, requiring her to develop a deep understanding of compliance while growing her business.

Cassandra found crucial support through The Forum and The Odlum Brown Forum Pitch. "I went in looking for funding, but I came out with so much more." Through The Forum, she gained invaluable mentorship, including a connection with Dr. Alexandra Greenhill, who helped her navigate regulatory challenges and refine her business model. Today, Heal Mary partners with over 100 nonprofits and serves thousands of patients worldwide. "The Forum believed in me before many investors did. They saw the potential in Heal Mary before the rest of the industry caught up."

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Dionne Laslo-Baker, Founder and CEO of DeeBee's Organics, transformed a serendipitous kitchen moment with her children into a thriving business that produces hundreds of millions of organic freezies annually. As a medical scientist specializing in maternal-fetal toxicology, Dionne had the expertise to create clean-label treats parents could trust, but faced significant barriers scaling her business in the consumer-packaged goods industry.

Despite having a PhD and a clear vision, Dionne encountered gender bias in fundraising and lacked traditional business experience. "Like many women founders, I didn't come from a business background. I knew how to structure research projects and analyze data, but I had no idea how to raise capital, build a sales team, or scale a brand," she recalls. In meetings with potential investors, she was told, "Your husband is successful—why are you doing this? Just go home and take care of your family."

The Forum became an essential partner in Dionne's journey through mentorship, educational programming, and The Odlum Brown Forum Pitch. "The Forum gave me a roadmap," she says. "Through their programs, I learned how to present my business to investors, negotiate deals, and build a strong foundation for scaling. The relationships I built through The Forum were transformative. I met advisors who helped guide me through international expansion, investors who opened doors, and peers who became lifelong collaborators."

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Tara Bosch is the Founder of SmartSweets, a revolutionary candy company with a mission to "kick sugar, keep candy" by creating delicious treats with significantly reduced sugar content. With nothing to her name except a 2009 Honda Fit hatchback when she started her business, Tara struggled to secure the funding needed to launch. Traditional banks wanted to see years of financial records that a startup simply couldn't provide. But perhaps most challenging was the persistent self-doubt Tara battled daily. "I would wake up with almost paralyzing fear, discomfort, insecurity, and self-doubt," she shares with Fortune. "Those feelings never went away, but I had to continually let myself feel capable every day."

In 2017, Tara was a Finalist of The Odlum Brown Forum Pitch. The timing couldn't have been better. She not only received an infusion of funding at a critical time—Tara had a PO for manufacturing due and didn't know how she was going to pay it—but she also forged connections to champions and resources through The Forum. This pivotal moment provided more than just financial support; it activated Tara's network in powerful ways. The support she received through The Odlum Brown Forum Pitch created a comprehensive ecosystem that helped propel SmartSweets through its critical growth phase.

After just four years, Tara grew SmartSweets from kitchen experiments to a $360 million exit when asset firm TPG Growth acquired the company in 2020. The company is now in 130,000 stores across North America and has helped people eliminate over 5.6 billion grams of sugar from their diets. Today, Tara is committed to helping others overcome the barriers she faced through her initiative Bold Beginnings, which provides a $25,000 strings-free grant along with mentorship and community support to help young women bring their entrepreneurial visions to life.

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Courtney McQueen, Co-Founder and Director of Run Like a Girl Adventures Inc., knows that the most important steps forward are sometimes made possible through collaborative efforts. 

Despite running a successful adventure company since 2012, Courtney found herself at a crossroads after the pandemic forced a business restart. Like so many entrepreneurs, she grappled with questions about her path forward.

"Going into a women in business seminar through The Scotiabank Women Initiative in November 2023 was a big deal for me as a business owner and mom with two young kids," she shares. That seminar turned out to be a transformative step in her journey, as it connected her with a speaker from The Forum, whose supportive presence helped her realize she wasn't alone. 

This experience eventually led Courtney to join The Scotiabank Women Initiative® Mentor Program, powered by The Forum, where she was paired with Mentor Vered Lerner. Their partnership provided more than business guidance, and gave Courtney a fresh perspective on progress itself.

"It's awesome to have someone to bounce ideas off of who can provide unbiased feedback and ideas," she explains. “When I would mention a possible hurdle, she would help me think outside the box [and find] different solutions." 

While reviewing her accomplishments with her Mentor in a recent session, she had a revelation. "As I was telling her what I had been up to since our last meeting, it clicked to me: I am making progress, and I am accomplishing things. Sometimes it feels like we are going nowhere when really, we are!"

One of the most valuable lessons she’s gained from her Mentor is the importance of confidence. "I’m really good at working hard and getting things done, but sometimes, [I’m doing it] without confidence. [I’ve learned to] stand tall, and that what I have to offer and say matters."

Courtney’s mentorship experience has been especially valuable as she navigates her business's post-pandemic chapter. "Although I’ve been going for a long time, it feels new sometimes. This was just the right piece to my journey in helping me feel confident in my pursuit," she says. 

"This is an incredibly helpful program. I almost can’t put words to it. I’m beyond grateful for the opportunity. Entrepreneurs can often be tempted with [thoughts of self-doubt like] 'Do I keep going? Is this going to work?' A Mentor can really help."

Through Run Like a Girl Adventures Inc., Courtney’s creating opportunities for others to challenge themselves and find their paths forward—now with renewed confidence and clarity in her own entrepreneurial journey.

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Nita Agustin is an Indonesian Chinese licensed clinical counsellor based in Burnaby, B.C., who proudly provides guidance and support to gender- and neurodiverse teens and young adults who are curious about living as their most confident selves. 

The path that led Nita to start her own business wasn’t a linear one. As she explains, “Having my own business was a culmination of years spent wondering why I can’t fit into a box. I felt like I spent enough time in the first 30 somewhat years of my life finding places and pockets of community where I fit in. Later on, I learnt that there’s a vast difference between fitting in and belonging. I needed to do certain things in those workplaces in order to fit in. Nowadays, I’m able to show up as myself. It’s been tremendously liberating.

It's been transformative for me to be able to work with folks who are internally motivated to make shifts in their lives. It means a lot to partake in and witness the many shifts that happen as we work together. I want to make an impact in people's lives and it's been very rewarding to have the opportunity to do so through my work.” 

Giving back and helping others shine has enabled Nita to build a business that’s truly rewarding, but getting to the place she is now hasn’t come without its challenges. 

“Comparing myself to others, accessing funding, and developing a sense of direction are the greatest challenges I’ve had to overcome. One of the hardest, invisible hurdles is trusting the process, which means not comparing myself to other practitioners in the field. In the beginning, I started off by [trying to reflect] what other counsellors were doing. I felt like this was a reasonable starting point. But soon enough, I realized that I was doomed to fail if I were to copy and paste their decisions and mindset. After I [started making] decisions based on my gut, purpose, and my own end game, I’ve seen my practice flourish in ways I never thought possible.” 

Nita realized there’s no blueprint or step-by-step manual for building a business, and believes that knowing your values is critical to making decisions and maintaining your sense of direction. She’s also found it extremely helpful to have a small and supportive network who she can reach out to when she needs to soundboard ideas. 

Like so many entrepreneurs, securing funding and building her business with a limited budget has been particularly challenging. 

“I see resource allocation and budgeting as [the factors that] would help move the needle in my business the most. But each decision is not black and white. There might be a time when it makes more sense to bleed money in the short term in order to propel longer term growth. Sometimes I may need to make lifestyle adjustments in order to support my overarching goal. At the same time, I also don’t want to be a starving entrepreneur. I’ve needed to be very intentional about my decisions and plan strategically.”

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Ky Sargeant is an EDI Consultant & Facilitator who created Ky Sargeant Consulting to combine her love for language and performing arts with her understanding of empirical research for effective inclusion efforts. 

As she explains, “Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion are often viewed either as superficial ‘feel good' exercises, or as cold, calculative systems. I believe the truth lives somewhere in the middle. Engaging in any kind of work for social good requires you to build genuine connections with people, while also recognizing the larger structures that shape our behaviour. I strive to inspire my clients to find the joy in making progress on EDI, and then provide the research-backed tools needed to make it happen.”

Ky started doing grassroots student activism in 2018, which eventually led to the UBC Business School's Senior Dean of EDI offering her a job as her research assistant. 

“In my three years supporting the school and doing research, I learned that over the last 40 years, the way we've done EDI work may have caused more harm than good. There's a lot of challenges people don't think about, but one that really stuck with me is the fear that many feel towards the term ‘EDI.’ People often see ‘EDI’ and worry about being a bad person or saying the wrong thing, which is a huge barrier to learning. As someone with years of performing arts experience in poetry and comedy, I found myself uniquely positioned to turn a typically fearful learning experience into something enjoyable and inspiring. The amazing response I had to my work while I was still a student made me realize that there was a big need for this in the business world, which led me to starting the practice I have now.” 

For Ky, marketing her business has been one of the greatest challenges she’s faced as an entrepreneur. 

“I spend a lot more time focusing on improving my work than I do talking about it. While I love the fact that virtually all my clients come from organic referrals, I often wonder if it will be enough if I don't start marketing myself more conventionally. I think a large part of this comes from my fear of taking space as a transgender woman. There is so much hostility and danger involved with being a publically known trans woman, that I feel held back from doing more in order to protect myself. I also worry a lot about not representing my community well enough. There are so few trans women in the business world that I'm always wary of how people will see my actions as a reflection of others, so I strive to show up in space with a lot of intentionality, which means I need to be more careful of how I manage my energy.”

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Erin Laye is the entrepreneur behind Erin Laye Photography, a portrait photography business that’s based in Campbell River, B.C. With the goal of helping women look and feel their best in their photoshoots, she also started her own podcast called Beyond The Pose: By Erin Laye Photography, which offers helpful tips and tricks to those who want to go into any photoshoot feeling confident and prepared.

From a young age, Erin was eager to contribute to her community, connect with people, and make a difference. Once she received her diploma in professional photography and had the chance to work alongside amazing photographers, she realized she could give back while pursuing her passion by helping people appreciate the unique beauty they possess.

As she explains, “[Finding] the opportunity to use my skills to help and create opportunities for others keeps me going.”

Erin’s giving nature has continued to lead her down the entrepreneurial path. She recently launched her second venture, Smart Landlord Solutions. “This business was inspired by the crash course I went on as a new landlord who is a young woman. I want to help other new and existing landlords learn from my mistakes and provide systems and coaching so that they don’t have to do it all alone.”

For Erin, finding a supportive community has been one of the greatest challenges she’s encountered while starting and growing her businesses. “I have often found it isolating to be a business owner, especially with multi-passions, as a lot of people can’t relate. I was recently paired with a Mentor through The Forum Mentor Program Presented by The Scotiabank Women Initiative® with the goal of starting a new online business. I’m very excited to see how this can help me in my journey!” 

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Brittney Ashley is the proud Founder of Creative Dynamics Virtual Services, a company that is redefining the scope of virtual assistance by providing hands-on "done-for-you" support and business coaching that helps entrepreneurs build and scale.

Brittney, a certified business coach and imposter syndrome coach, wants to help entrepreneurs overcome limiting beliefs and strive towards their goals with confidence. She and the Creative Dynamics team are there to provide practical virtual assistance and guidance.

While Brittney specializes in overcoming imposter syndrome, it’s something she used to struggle with herself—and is what led her down the path she’s on now. As she explains, “Despite my extensive experience and qualifications, I grappled with self-doubt and feelings of inadequacy. Through mentorship, self-compassion and continuous learning, I conquered these doubts and emerged stronger. I became an imposter syndrome coach to help others navigate similar challenges.” 

Like many entrepreneurs, Brittney has also found it especially challenging to overcome pricing structure resistance. “Despite the undeniable value and quality of our services, persuading potential clients of their worth has proven to be a formidable task. I know this challenge resonates with many women in business, and I'm dedicated to confronting it directly.” 

Having experienced toxic work environments first-hand before starting her business, Brittney was driven to create a truly supportive, nurturing, and creative space where fellow entrepreneurs can thrive without having to side-step negative pressure—helping people find success and happiness both inside and outside of the business world. 

Brittney is also the host of “Breaking Norms, Building Dreams”, a radio show with a listenership of 200,000 that reminds individuals of their worth and dismantles societal norms that hold them back.

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Ami McKay, Founder of PURE Design Inc., first got involved with The Forum in 2008 as a mentee: “I appreciated it so much and wished that it was something I could have had when I was younger. So after about five years when I felt like I had enough life experience, I decided to give back as a mentor the way that other women had supported me.” 

Looking back on her time as a mentee, she says “It was great to have an ear to talk about my struggles as an entrepreneur. This supportive environment impacted me in a positive way through my highs and lows as a business owner.” Now as a mentor, she finds she continues to benefit from the experience while giving back. Not only does it remind her of her own accomplishments and the wisdom she has to share, but she’s found it’s strengthened her ability to lead in her own company. 

“I encourage any woman to join as there is so much to gain as both a mentee and as a mentor. In the olden days, we mentored the younger generations, passed down knowledge and support, and it is missing in our culture today. It’s very fundamental for us women to connect with other women, to be guided and to guide. Don’t forget to ask for help! Even I still need a mentor today as my business grows and changes,” she says.

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