Forward Level
Forward Level is a Calgary-based, founder-led marketing and human resources agency that provides integrated retainer-based services — including LIFT strategic planning, marketing strategy and execution, and tiered HR advisory — to small and mid-sized growing businesses across Western Canada.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersCalgary, Canada
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Forward Level does
Forward Level Inc. is a Calgary-based, founder-led marketing and human resources agency founded in 2011 by Amish Morjaria (CEO). The firm operates on an integrated "Human Experience" (HX) thesis, positioning itself as an outsourced marketing and HR department for growing small and mid-sized businesses that cannot afford full in-house teams. Service offerings span the LIFT Strategic Planning program (an eight-week engagement that delivers marketing strategy, personas, competitive analysis, and an implementation plan), marketing services (brand strategy and identity, campaigns, content, digital/web design and development, SEO, social, advertising, and email), and a three-tier HR service line (free Introductory HR Access, HR Advisory starting at $525/month, and custom-budget HR Partner).
The firm generates revenue primarily through monthly retainers amortized over 12- or 24-month terms (starting at $500/month for marketing and $525/month for HR advisory, with hourly blended rates of $150-$190 depending on tier), supplemented by flat-rate strategic projects such as a complete rebrand at $18,000. Sales follow a consultative field motion — LIFT functions as the standardized entry point that converts into a longer retainer relationship — targeting growing SMBs and mid-market businesses primarily in Alberta and Western Canada, with a customer base spanning legal/tax, construction, engineering, environmental, non-profit, cannabis, sports, and technology verticals. The technology stack is non-proprietary and built on Statamic (CMS), Google Analytics 4, Google Tag Manager, Mailchimp, Cloudflare, and Meta Pixel; no SaaS platform, AI/ML capabilities, or APIs are disclosed.
The company is privately held, bootstrapped, and free of disclosed institutional investors, with no M&A, funding rounds, or restructuring events on record. Forward Level currently operates with approximately 12 team members including the Founder/CEO, Managing Partner, Director of Marketing, HR Manager (CPHR/SHRM-CP certified), Senior Marketing Advisors, Marketing Strategist, Creative Lead, and specialists. The firm maintains a strong regional community presence through board and sponsorship roles with the Calgary International Film Festival, Calgary Folk Festival, and EO GROW YYC, which function as both brand-building and pipeline activities for the local SMB market.
Forward Level firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Forward Level
- Legal name
- Forward Level Inc.
- Website
- https://forwardlevel.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Forward Level is a Calgary-based, founder-led marketing and human resources agency that provides integrated retainer-based services — including LIFT strategic planning, marketing strategy and execution, and tiered HR advisory — to small and mid-sized growing businesses across Western Canada.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Forward Level industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Marketing and Human Resources Professional Services
- NAICS
- Public Relations Agencies (541820)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Thought Leadership & Executive Visibility (BPAFADAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Lead Generation & List Building Services (Prospecting, Data Sourcing) (BPAFAKAE), Executive & Leadership Direct Hire (BPACAFAB)
Keywords
Where Forward Level is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Calgary
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Forward Level business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Retainer Model - Marketing Services: Annual retainer combining Marketing/HR hourly budget (for ongoing strategy, advisory, and implementation) plus Strategic Projects flat budget (for major initiatives). Total budget is amortized over 12 or 24 months for cash-flow consistency. Starting at $500/month for marketing retainer plus project costs.
- Retainer Model - HR Services: Three-tier HR service model: Introductory HR Access (FREE), HR Advisory and Soundboard (starting at $525/month), and HR Partner (custom budget). Hourly blended rates range from $150-$190 depending on tier.
- Strategic Projects: Major initiatives with their own plan, budget, timeline, and team estimated as flat-rate projects. Examples include complete rebrand strategy ($18,000), employee engagement platforms, HRIS implementation, etc.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Introductory HR Access - FREE |
| Subscription | Monthly | HR Advisory and Soundboard - Starting at $525/month |
| Subscription | Monthly | HR Partner - Custom Budget |
| Subscription | Monthly | Marketing Retainer (Example) - $500/Month |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Strategic Projects - Flat Budget |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels9 records
Forward Level product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Forward Level is a Calgary-based professional services agency that delivers integrated marketing and human resources services to growing small and mid-size businesses. The firm functions as an outsourced marketing and HR department through retainer-based engagements, anchored by the proprietary LIFT Strategic Planning program (an eight-week engagement) that produces a marketing strategy, audience personas, competitive analysis, and implementation plan, followed by ongoing marketing services (brand development, campaigns, digital) and HR services across three tiers.
Product overview
Forward Level is a Calgary-based Marketing and Human Resources agency offering integrated services that combine marketing strategy and HR to deliver a unified human experience (HX) approach. The company's core offering includes LIFT Strategic Planning (an eight-week strategic planning program), comprehensive marketing services (strategy, brand development, campaigns, digital services including website design/development and SEO), and HR services with three service tiers (Introductory HR Access, HR Advisory and Soundboard, and HR Partner). The company operates on a retainer model combining hourly marketing/HR budgets with flat-rate strategic projects, amortized over 12-24 months for client cash-flow consistency.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- LIFT: Strategic planning program designed to help businesses align their marketing and HR goals over an eight-week period.
Products and services
- LIFT Strategic Planning
- Marketing Services
- Brand Development Services
- Marketing Campaigns
- Digital Services
- HR Services
- Strategic Projects
Companies that use Forward Level
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Forward Level technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Forward Level partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Calgary International Film Festival (CIFF)minorAnnual sponsorship and community partnership. CEO Amish Morjaria serves as volunteer board member since 2022, contributing to elevating community connection through marketing.
- EO GROW (Entrepreneurs' Organization)minorGROW by EO YYC is a non-profit supporting emerging entrepreneurs. COO Jon Holden serves as volunteer Marketing Chair since 2021, providing marketing expertise to support entrepreneur development.
- Calgary Folk FestivalminorSponsorship partnership including the 'Move Forward Calgary Stage'. Activated towel drive collection for Mustard Seed organization as part of sponsorship activities.
- Pluto ApparelminorPartnership to produce community-inspired All Heart T-shirt. All proceeds supported acts of kindness for front-line healthcare workers.
- WestcorminorAssisted Westcor in launching 'Building a Better Community: A Westcor People-First Initiative'. Helped kick off long-term initiative that raised over $12,500 towards bully prevention in September.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Forward Level competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Major Tom: Canadian full-service digital marketing agency with offices in Toronto, Vancouver, and Seattle serving mid-market clients. Comparable in service breadth (strategy, campaigns, digital) and retainer-driven model; overlap in geography and target segment makes it the closest direct peer.
- Zulu Alpha Kilo: Toronto-based independent creative agency known for brand strategy and integrated campaigns. Comparable brand-strategy emphasis and creative-led marketing services for growth-stage companies.
- Critical Mass: Canadian-founded digital experience agency with a Calgary office, providing strategy, design, and marketing services to enterprise clients. Overlaps on Western Canadian geography, full-service delivery, and brand-led marketing offerings, but skews larger in scale.
- No Fixed Address: Toronto-based creative and brand agency offering advertising, design, and content services. Aligns with Forward Level on strategic brand-building and integrated marketing delivery for growing Canadian businesses.
- Rethink Canada: Canadian creative and PR agency with offices in Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal; provides brand strategy, creative, and earned-media services. Comparable on integrated marketing communications and brand development for mid-market clients.
- Lg2: Montreal-headquartered independent agency offering branding, advertising, digital and content services across Canada. Comparable on full-service independent agency positioning in the Canadian market.
- Mango Media: Vancouver-based full-service digital marketing agency serving B2B and consumer brands with strategy, creative, and digital execution. Similar mid-market positioning, integrated service model, and retainer/client-partner orientation.
Broad incumbents
- Ceridian: Canadian-headquartered human capital management and HR technology company offering advisory and HR service products. Comparable on the HR advisory and people strategy side of Forward Level's bundle, though at vastly larger scale and tech-enabled.
- Ogilvy Canada: Canadian arm of global agency network Ogilvy, providing advertising, PR, and brand strategy. Overlaps on the marketing/communications side of Forward Level's business but operates as part of a much broader portfolio.
- Dentsu Creative Canada: Canadian operations of global advertising network Dentsu, offering full-service advertising, media, and digital marketing. Overlaps with Forward Level on marketing strategy and brand development but operates at much larger scale with broader portfolio.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Forward Level social profiles
Digital presenceForward Level financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Forward Level leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Forward Level funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Forward Level M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Forward Level
What does Forward Level do?
Forward Level is a Calgary-based professional services agency that delivers integrated marketing and human resources services to growing small and mid-size businesses. The firm functions as an outsourced marketing and HR department through retainer-based engagements, anchored by the proprietary LIFT Strategic Planning program (an eight-week engagement) that produces a marketing strategy, audience personas, competitive analysis, and implementation plan, followed by ongoing marketing services (brand development, campaigns, digital) and HR services across three tiers.
Is Forward Level a public or private company?
Forward Level is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Forward Level founded?
Forward Level was founded in 2011. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Forward Level based?
Forward Level is headquartered in Calgary, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Forward Level make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Retainer Model - Marketing Services are the primary driver. The others are retainer Model - HR Services and strategic Projects.
Who are Forward Level's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Major Tom, Zulu Alpha Kilo, Critical Mass, No Fixed Address, Rethink Canada, Lg2 and Mango Media. Broad incumbents are Ceridian, Ogilvy Canada and Dentsu Creative Canada.
Does Forward Level have an API?
No public API is recorded for Forward Level.
What industry is Forward Level in?
Forward Level's product category is Marketing and Human Resources Professional Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAFADAG, Thought Leadership & Executive Visibility, with a secondary code of BPAFAKAE, Lead Generation & List Building Services (Prospecting, Data Sourcing). Its NAICS code is 541820 and its SIC code is 7311.