BonaVia x ExpertEase Career & Apprenticeship Program
Finance & Investment
PrivateEquity &InvestmentBanking
Learn to read a company like an investor, then stand behind your judgment.
This is not a course built around finance vocabulary. Guided by a senior investment professional, students research real companies and industries, build an investment model, develop an AI tool prototype for the mentor company, form a point of view, and defend it in a simulated investment committee.
From curiosity to the world of real deals
A company is never worth investing in because of one number.
Good investment judgment brings industry context, business models, financial performance, capital structure, risk, and future potential into one view. Students follow that thinking process through research, modelling, writing, and presentation, while discovering whether finance, business, and investing genuinely hold their interest.
The project journey
Students carry an investment judgment from first question to final defence.
Each step has a clear purpose and contributes to professional work students can revise, present, and explain.
- 01
Understand the company and its market
Study the business, revenue model, competitive landscape, and industry trends before deciding what truly matters.
- 02
Build a comparable company set
Identify relevant comparable companies, benchmark key metrics, and learn why apparently similar businesses may not be truly comparable.
- 03
Build an LBO model
Forecast financial performance, examine capital structure, and evaluate potential returns in a leveraged buyout.
- 04
Form an investment thesis
Bring research, valuation, opportunity, and risk together into a recommendation that is genuinely your own.
- 05
Build an AI tool for the mentor company
Identify a meaningful opportunity within a real workflow, define the need, design the tool, and build a demonstrable prototype that supports research, analysis, or decision-making.
- 06
Present to an investment committee
Deliver a formal presentation, answer challenging questions, and strengthen the first version of the thesis through feedback.
Every student completes
The goal is not simply to understand. It is to produce work with professional substance.
Together, these deliverables show how a student researches, reasons, and communicates, creating a foundation for deeper work in finance and business.
LBO investment model
Financial forecasts, capital structure analysis, and an assessment of potential investment returns.
Industry and comparable company research
Key metrics, investment trends, and a thoughtfully selected comparable company set.
A 20-page investment committee package
A clear presentation of the investment thesis, valuation logic, principal risks, and final recommendation.
Final investment defence
Present the recommendation like an analyst and answer demanding questions in a simulated investment committee.
AI tool prototype for the mentor company
A demonstrable prototype built around a specific research, analysis, or decision-making need, supported by clear requirements and workflow design.
Mentor & Program Supervisor
Carey Lee
Principal at Pender Software Holdings
Former PE Associate at CAI Capital Partners | Former KPMG Corporate Finance Associate Vice President
Carey’s career spans the Big Four, investment banking, and private equity, with experience across the deal cycle. He has led investments in profitable software companies, advised on major M&A transactions, and worked with cross-border clients from Canada to Asia.
As a mentor, Carey is known for making complex finance concepts clear, giving feedback students can act on, and helping them understand the standards, preparation, and judgment behind competitive finance careers.
He has also referred and mentored students into internships and analyst programs at leading global firms.
Mentor Company
Pender Software Holdings
Vancouver, Canada
Pender Software Holdings, or PSH, is a long-term investor in profitable software companies backed by Pender Growth Fund, TSXV: PTF. Operating in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom, PSH works with management teams to scale operations, compound cash flow, and create lasting value across its portfolio.
- Permanent capital and a disciplined investment framework
- A focus on profitable software companies
- An investment perspective spanning Canada, the U.S., and the U.K.
Who this is for
Curious about finance, and ready to do demanding work with care.
Students do not need to arrive as finance experts. They do need the patience to understand the business behind the numbers, respond to feedback, and support a conclusion with evidence.
- 01Exploring business, finance, and investing
- 02Interested in applying AI to a real industry problem
- 03Interested in investment banking, consulting, or private equity
- 04Curious about entrepreneurship, venture capital, and corporate strategy
- 05Considering economics, accounting, finance, or strategy
- 06Seeking a real project experience in the corporate world
- 07Building stronger preparation for university and future business study
What this experience builds
Students leave with more than a model.
Understand how investors think
Learn how professionals evaluate companies, form investment theses, model outcomes, and communicate findings.
See finance careers more clearly
Gain firsthand exposure to investment banking, private equity, venture capital, consulting, and financial advisory.
Build executive communication
Practise investment writing, present insights, and answer difficult questions with clarity and evidence.
Connect with mentorship and the profession
Build a real mentoring relationship through sustained feedback and gain an earlier view of how competitive industries work.
Your next step
A good fit begins with an honest look at the student’s interests and readiness.
Tell us the student’s grade, interests, and current goals. We will consider the commitment, learning style, and questions they genuinely want to explore, then help the family decide whether this is a path worth pursuing.
Complete the project interest form→