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BonaVia × ExpertEase | Business and Marketing Career Practicum

Business Development & Marketing Program for High School Students

Guided by a Senior Associate at PwC Canada, students work through a real business challenge. Beginning with customer, market and competitor research, they develop a value proposition, product and growth strategy, digital-marketing, website and channel recommendations, then combine those decisions into a complete business-development plan and final proposal.

  • Grades 9–12
  • 12 Weeks
  • 120 Hours
  • Online
  • No Prior Business or Marketing Experience Required
Apply for a Student Fit ReviewRead Student Stories
BONAVIA · CAREER PRACTICUMBusiness ProposalGO-TO-MARKET | Understand Customers · Judge Markets · Design Strategy · Drive Growth
01Customer
02Market
03Growth

Mentor & Program Supervisor

Jean-Matthieu Jamet

Senior Associate at PwC Canada

  • Marketing background, UBC Sauder School of Business
  • Former Business Analyst, Vancouver Fraser Port Authority
  • Former Business Analyst, Policy Reporter
  • Experience across business analysis, marketing and professional services

Jean-Matthieu will guide students in breaking a broad commercial challenge into researchable customer, market and growth questions, building a clear value proposition and action priorities, and translating complex research into professional, credible and executable business recommendations.

What Makes This Program Different

Students do not produce a presentation that merely looks commercial. They build an evidence-based growth logic for a real problem.

01

Guided by a Current Professional-Services Consultant

Students learn from a mentor with business-analysis, marketing and consulting experience, seeing how professional teams research questions, organise evidence and present recommendations.

02

One Business Challenge Across the Full Program

Customer research, competitive analysis, positioning, channel strategy, product recommendations and the final business plan all build around the same problem.

03

Research Connected to Execution

Students move beyond describing a market by turning insight into a target audience, message, channel plan, priority actions and measures of success.

04

Students Take Responsibility for Business Choices

They explain why a market, customer or strategy was selected and identify costs, risks, constraints and evidence that could change the decision.

From Business Curiosity to a Real Growth Challenge

A business plan is not valuable because it looks polished. It is valuable when it understands the customer and market.

Students begin with a specific company or market challenge, study customer needs, competition, product value, channels and growth opportunities, then turn scattered information into a prioritized recommendation. Throughout the project, they ask one question: why might this strategy work, and what evidence would prove it?

  1. 01Understand the business, product and current growth challenge
  2. 02Research customers, the market and the competitive environment
  3. 03Identify the opportunity gap that matters most
  4. 04Build a value proposition, positioning and target audience
  5. 05Design channel, content, website and go-to-market strategy
  6. 06Complete a business plan and present it to a professional mentor team

Three Connected Dimensions

From Market Insight to Strategy to Growth

The three dimensions move through one business challenge: identify the real need, turn it into a strategic choice, then build an execution plan that can be measured and improved.

01

Market and Customer Insight

Research customers, competitors and market change to identify the problem worth solving and the growth opportunity worth pursuing.

  • Understand the business context and goals
  • Research customer needs and behaviour
  • Compare competitors and alternatives
  • Identify evidence-based market opportunities
02

Business and Product Strategy

Turn the insight into a position, product direction, expansion option or partnership plan with clear priorities.

  • Define the value proposition and business position
  • Propose product, expansion or partnership choices
  • Examine resources, risks and feasibility
  • Develop a prioritised strategic recommendation
03

Growth and Execution

Translate the strategy into messaging, channels, content and a launch plan with clear ways to measure and improve it.

  • Design positioning and a go-to-market plan
  • Plan social, email and website activity
  • Build an execution timeline and ownership plan
  • Define metrics and iterate from results

The 12-Week Professional Journey

From the first market question to a business-development plan that can withstand scrutiny.

Six stages build around one business challenge. Students first understand the company and customer, then develop positioning, product and growth strategy before integrating their work into a complete proposal.

  1. 01

    Weeks 1–2

    Business Context and Problem Definition

    Study the company, product, customer and current objective, turning a broad growth need into a clear research question.

  2. 02

    Weeks 3–4

    Customer, Market and Competitor Research

    Collect and analyse market information, customer needs and the competitive landscape, identifying meaningful opportunities and constraints.

  3. 03

    Weeks 5–6

    Value Proposition and Brand Positioning

    Define the target audience, customer problem, product value and brand message, building an evidence-based market position.

  4. 04

    Weeks 7–8

    Product, Channel and Growth Strategy

    Develop product recommendations, market expansion, social, email, website or other channel strategies, then set action priorities.

  5. 05

    Weeks 9–10

    Business Plan and Execution Roadmap

    Combine research, strategy, resources, timeline and measures into an executable business-development plan. Students also design a focused AI tool prototype for a mentor-company business-analysis workflow, supporting market research, information synthesis or recommendation development while preserving human review.

  6. 06

    Weeks 11–12

    Final Business Proposal and Defence

    Present the plan to the mentor team, answer questions and explain key assumptions, risks and expected outcomes.

Would you like to explore whether this learning path fits the student?

Apply for a Student Fit Review

What Students Complete

Every recommendation must be supported by the customer, market and evidence.

Together, these outcomes show how a student understands a business problem, develops strategy, creates an execution plan and explains the judgment behind it.

01

Business and Problem Diagnosis

Explain the company’s current position, goals, resources and the problem that deserves priority.

02

Customer and Market Research

Analyse target customers, needs, market trends and the most important opportunities.

03

Competitive Analysis

Compare competitors and alternatives and explain where meaningful differentiation may exist.

04

Value Proposition and Brand Positioning

Define who the business serves, what value it creates and how that value should be understood.

05

Digital-Marketing and Channel Strategy

Plan social, email, website, content or go-to-market activity.

06

Business-Development and Execution Plan

Integrate product, growth, resources, timeline and metrics into an executable recommendation.

07

Final Proposal and Defence

Present the commercial logic, respond to questions and explain the evidence behind the recommendation.

08

AI Business Analysis Tool Prototype for the Mentor Company

Design an AI tool for a focused customer, market or competitor-research task that improves analysis while preserving evidence and human judgment.

Student Experiences

What Students Say

11 student perspectives

These reflections come from students across different BonaVia × ExpertEase career practicums. Each card identifies the student’s original program, mentor background and year.

01

Student A.L. | Marketing Career Program | Mentor background: PwC | 2025

Creating a Launch Plan for a Real Brand

“I honestly thought market research was pretty straightforward: make a survey, find a few statistics, and put everything into a PowerPoint. Then we started working with a real local business, and I realized how much I had missed. We had to understand the customers, study the competition, plan the launch, and write a marketing plan the business could actually use. Some parts of our plan were carried out, which was probably the biggest surprise for me. It felt completely different from handing in an assignment and getting a grade. Something we created was useful in the real world. That was incredibly satisfying. I learned a lot.”
02

Student J.W. | Marketing Career Program | Mentor background: PwC | 2024

How a High School Experience Helped Me Land a Paid Internship

“I completed this program in Grade 12, and it became one of the most useful experiences on my resume. In my first year of university, it was a big reason I landed a paid internship. During the interview, I could explain the entire business process clearly, from market research and strategy to the launch and results. I could explain why we made each decision and answer follow-up questions because I had done the work in depth. I was not repeating marketing terms or trying to make a small school project sound bigger than it was. I knew what I was talking about. Getting that experience before I graduated from high school gave me a huge head start.”
03

Student D.H. | Private Equity & Investment Banking Career Program | Mentor background: Pender Software Holdings | 2025

From Not Understanding PE to Completing the Full Analysis Process

“Before this program, I honestly wasn’t sure what private equity was. Now I feel like I have a pretty solid idea of how it works. Going through a deal process was a big takeaway in itself because there is so much more to it than I expected. We worked through a CIM, wrote an investment memo, and had to decide whether a company was actually a good buy. That made private equity feel real instead of just being another finance term I had heard before. By the end, I could explain the process in my own words and understand why each step mattered. I learned a lot and would genuinely recommend this program to anyone who is curious about finance.”
04

Student P.S. | Private Equity & Investment Banking Career Program | Mentor background: Pender Software Holdings | 2025

Learning the Real Day-to-Day Work and Analytical Process

“The first things I learned were more of the day-to-day tasks, like building a CIM and writing an investment memo. We also talked about normalized EBITDA, competitive moats, debt, risk, and how to analyze whether a company is a good buy. At first, some of these terms sounded pretty confusing, but using them in a real project made them much easier to understand. This was not just memorizing definitions or making a basic presentation. We had to look at the information, question the assumptions, and explain our own decisions. I really liked that the work felt close to what people in finance actually do. It taught me much more than I could have learned from a textbook.”
05

Student F.S. | Private Equity & Investment Banking Career Program | Mentor background: Pender Software Holdings | 2025

Using Program Knowledge in Networking Conversations

“I didn’t know how impactful this program would be, but once I started going to networking events, the small points we learned made a really big difference. I remember reviewing our notes about debt and risk before one event and then using that knowledge to ask a much better question. The person I spoke with actually had a lot to say about it, and the conversation landed really well. Before the program, I would not have known what to ask or how to explain my question clearly. This is knowledge I probably never would have learned otherwise. The program made me much more confident speaking with professionals and helped me feel like I could actually take part in the conversation.”
06

Student A.W. | Finance Career Program | Mentor background: Pender Software Holdings | 2026

Seeing What Finance Careers Really Look Like and Discovering More Options

“Before the program, I didn’t really know what working in finance looked like. I honestly wondered, is it really just Excel spreadsheets every single day? Speaking with a mentor who actually works in the industry put the role into perspective and helped me understand what people really do. I also realized that finance is applicable to so many things, and that investment banking and consulting are not the only paths. The program opened me up to different options and possibilities in finance that I had never considered before. It gave me a much wider view of the industry and helped me think more clearly about what I might want to study or explore in the future. I would absolutely recommend it, especially if you are interested in finance but have no idea where to start.”
07

Student A.L. | Biomedical Career Program | Mentor background: PhD mentor | 2026

Where Research Meets Business

“I joined because I was interested in biomedical science, so I assumed the program would focus mostly on research. I did not expect business to be such a big part of it. A great invention still has to become something people can understand, access, and use, and I had never really thought about that side before. The program taught me to consider the science behind an idea as well as what it takes to bring that idea into the real world. That connection between science and business became my favorite part. I am now planning my own product line, and this experience gave me a much clearer idea of where to begin.”
08

Student J.X. | AI Career Program | Mentor background: Google | 2025

A Program That Completely Changed My Understanding of AI

“Before this program, AI mostly meant chatbots and homework tools to me. I did not realize how much more people were doing with it. Learning how major tech companies use AI was honestly mind-blowing. At school, a lot of students are still told not to use AI at all. Here, I learned how to use it to research, build, test ideas, and solve real problems while still thinking for myself. That completely changed the way I see AI. Most students my age have not had the chance to work with it this way yet, so I feel like I now have a really useful starting point. I would highly recommend the program to students who want to experiment with AI for themselves.”
09

Student A.L. | Software Engineering Career Program | Mentor background: Citadel | 2025

Gaining Technology and Industry Insight Beyond School

“My school had never given me this kind of exposure to technology or the industry. Through the apprenticeship, I started to see what the field looks like outside a classroom. Working with a mentor who is actively shaping the field made a huge difference. I was learning from someone with firsthand knowledge, which gave the experience a completely different weight. It changed what I thought was possible for my future and helped me see technology as more than something I studied at school. It became a path I could actually imagine for myself.”
10

Student O.W. | Product Manager Career Program | Mentor background: P&G | 2024

Building a Mentor Connection and Getting an Early Career Head Start

“My mentor was awesome! She taught us, but what I remember most was how she connected with us and shared her own journey. That made the experience feel personal. I was learning from someone who was willing to talk about what her path had actually looked like. I also built connections through the program, and some of them have already opened doors to opportunities I never imagined. Getting that kind of exposure so early feels like a real head start on my career.”
11

Student A.H. | Graphic Design Career Program | Mentor background: Nike | 2023

Bringing Creative Ideas to Life in Real Projects

“It was amazing to see my ideas come to life in real projects. Working on real projects made the skills I was developing feel much more concrete. What stayed with me most was knowing that the work had a tangible impact. That was such a cool feeling. The experience also made my college applications stand out. By the time the program ended, I felt much more prepared for whatever comes next.”

01/11

Ready to explore whether the program is a good fit?

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Starting Point

Who Is This Program For?

  • Open to students in Grades 9–12
  • No prior business, marketing, consulting, product or technology experience required
  • Relevant to students exploring business, entrepreneurship, marketing, product management, AI, web, UX/UI or consulting
  • Ready to research customers, analyse markets, form recommendations and complete a professional proposal

Personalized Learning Design

The content and project challenge are designed around each student’s existing business understanding and communication skills.

The team considers the student’s commercial knowledge, research ability, digital-tool experience and communication foundation, then tailors preparation materials, core-concept instruction and stage-specific support. A beginner can first build foundations in market research, customer analysis and business communication, while a more experienced student can take on deeper growth strategy, product thinking and execution planning.

Each pathway may differ, but every student must complete an evidence-based business recommendation with logic that can withstand questioning.

01

Tailored Business Foundations

Preparation in business models, market research, customer analysis, positioning and channels is selected around the student’s starting point.

02

Personalized Strategy Depth

Research scope, use of data, strategic complexity and execution requirements are adjusted to the student.

03

Stage-Specific Consulting Support

Students receive focused feedback during problem definition, research, strategy, proposal development and defence.

Growth and University Preparation

The value is not in saying “I joined a business program.” It is in explaining how the student understood a customer and made a choice.

The program title alone does not determine a university outcome. The value comes from whether the student personally researched customers and markets, compared strategies, worked within constraints and can explain why one recommendation deserved priority.

These experiences can help students understand business, marketing, entrepreneurship, product management and consulting more realistically while giving them analysis, judgment and outcomes they may later discuss in applications, résumés, portfolios and interviews.

Apply to the Program

Program Application

The program is open to students in Grades 9–12, with no prior business or marketing experience required. Preparation materials, learning content and project support are personalized to the student’s starting level so they can build the required foundation and progress through market research, growth strategy, business planning and the final proposal.

Application Process

  1. 01Interest Form
  2. 02Fit Assessment & Interview
  3. 03Admission and Enrolment
Apply for a Student Fit Review

The regular format runs for 12 weeks, with an average commitment of 10+ hours per week. The summer intensive runs for about 1.5 months, with an average commitment of 20+ hours per week. The program is fully online.

Start Here

Complete the 1-Minute Student Fit Form

Tell us about the student’s current grade, business interests and goals. BonaVia will consider the commitment, learning style and starting point, then help the family understand whether this experience is a good fit.

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