UPEI business students deliver strategic growth plans for local pet treat start-up
Students at UPEI are bridging the gap between the classroom and the local economy by delivering strategic business solutions to a rising local start-up.
During the winter 2026 semester, Dr. Jurgen Krause, Professor, McDougall Faculty of Business, gave student teams in the Business 3910 - Strategic Management course the opportunity to analyze a real-life case and develop a comprehensive strategic plan for Purely PEI. The start-up, founded by Bachelor of Science student Erika Marcelo, specializes in creating sustainable and natural pet treats in small batches using locally sourced ingredients.
This unique academic collaboration empowers students while directly feeding back into the Island's entrepreneurial ecosystem.
“We are fortunate that our students can support a small local business like Purely PEI, which also provides them with the opportunity to apply their learned knowledge in a practical setting,” said Dr. Krause. “It also aims to support young entrepreneurs and local businesses, thereby demonstrating the connectedness of UPEI’s McDougall Faculty of Business with our community.”
Out of two class sections, three volunteer student teams were selected to pitch their final strategy evaluations and growth options to Marcelo and a panel of business professors on April 10, 2026. The competing student finalists included Ameena Ferdaous, Katie Gautreau, Huong Tran, Ky Harris, Morgan Lund, Bibhu Sharma, Davina Usanase, Gayatri Sharma, Amy Montesdeoca, and Matthew Cole.
Judges were impressed by the calibre of the presentations as the student groups successfully tackled Purely PEI’s current market positioning, operational challenges, and future growth opportunities. The comprehensive proposals explored crucial business areas such as operations and production upscaling, supplier scenarios, funding, sustainability, marketing, financial projections, expanding product offerings and customer bases, and competitive positioning within the pet food industry.
While each team brought a distinct approach and content to their proposal, every group provided highly valuable suggestions and critical elements to help ensure the early-stage start-up's long-term success. Participating students reflected positively on the initiative, noting that it was an invaluable experience to apply complex classroom concepts to a real business scenario while simultaneously helping a peer student.
