SFU Beedie students tackle real-world challenges at PEAK and ELITE competitions

More than 140 SFU Beedie undergraduate students put their skills to the test this year at the PEAK and ELITE case competitions, tackling real-world business challenges alongside industry and community partners.

Hosted by the Office of Student Experience (OSE), both competitions were held at SFU's Surrey campus for the first time, in collaboration with partners including the City of Surrey (Invest Surrey), Downtown Surrey Business Improvement Association, and Innovation Boulevard. The expanded footprint created new opportunities for students to connect with Surrey’s growing business and innovation community through networking and on-site engagement. 

Together, the competitions offered students at different stages of their academic journey the chance to apply classroom learning in high-pressure, real-world contexts—while building meaningful industry connections.

Building skills early through PEAK

Designed for first- and second-year students—including those from Fraser International College (FIC)—the PEAK Case Competition introduced 87 participants to the fundamentals of case analysis and presentation. 

This year’s case, developed in partnership with Enterprise Mobility, challenged teams to evaluate the organization’s approach to artificial intelligence adoption. Students were tasked with balancing innovation, operational impact, and long-term business value in their recommendations.

Participants presented directly to company representatives and industry professionals, receiving detailed feedback on both their analysis and delivery. 

SFU Beedie extends its thanks to Enterprise Mobility—particularly Charan Bamrah, Mitchell Blake, and Jaclyn Flom—for their partnership and continued support.

Celebrating PEAK 2026 winners

• First place: Pits Consulting — Yashar Jamshidi, Joban Mahil, Ling Ly, Aidan Mui
• Second place: 2C Consulting — Mohammadreza Kardar, Nami Mirzaei, Aria Torkaman, Iliya Seifi Kashani
• Third place: Case Closed Consulting — Keira Fitzgerald, Abraham Tang, Madison Rothfelder, Ashlynn Collard
• Fourth place: Cloud Consulting — Joshua Oladokun, Max Gu, Cameron Ryan, Victoria Pasin
• Fifth place: The Core 4 — Gurleen Saroya, Priyanka Gautam, Grace Chan

Simulating global competition at ELITE

For more advanced students, the ELITE Case Competition provided a deeper, more intensive experience. Held May 22–24, the three-day program brought together 55 senior BBA students for an overnight competition designed to mirror the pace and rigor of international case competitions. 

Participants worked through two live cases with direct involvement from sponsors, SFU’s Stephens Family Medical School and Merit Kitchens, requiring teams to develop feasible, implementation-ready recommendations under tight timelines.

The first case—a four-hour sprint—challenged students to develop a social accountability strategy for the medical school, ensuring community-driven health care remains central to its mission. 

The second case gave teams 15 hours to assess how Merit Kitchens, a Surrey-based family business, could strengthen its competitive position. Recommendations explored technology adoption, global market expansion, tariffs, and how the next generation of leadership can preserve the company’s legacy while adapting to evolving market pressures.

A defining feature of ELITE 2026 was the opportunity to step inside a live case. Participants visited Merit Kitchens’ manufacturing facility, gaining firsthand insight into operations and engaging directly with Paul Siekmann, vice-president of operations. The experience added depth to the case work, bridging the gap between theoretical analysis and real-world decision-making. 

Beyond the case room, students connected with industry professionals from across Surrey through networking sessions and community programming.

“Participating in this case competition was an excellent experience for our business,” says Siekmann. “The students demonstrated impressive professionalism, creativity, and analytical skills in their assessment and recommendations. Their insights provided valuable perspectives that challenged us to think differently about opportunities and growth.

“We are grateful for the time, effort, and enthusiasm they brought to the project and look forward to future opportunities to collaborate with the university and its talented students.”

Students echoed the impact of the experience.

“ELITE was one of the most rewarding case competition experiences I’ve had at SFU Beedie,” says Kayla Jong of Stateside Consulting, which placed second overall. “The live case format and facility tour made it feel much closer to working with a real client.”

For Tyler Tan of Team AKTION, which won the four-hour case, the experience underscored the value of clarity and focus. “The competition was an invaluable opportunity to compete against top talent and tackle the pressures facing small enterprises,” says Tan. “Keeping our approach simple and focused on core objectives was key.”

SFU Beedie extends its thanks to Merit Kitchens, particularly Paul Siekman and Thomas Siekman, for their partnership and continued support.

Celebrating ELITE 2026 winners

Four-hour case winners:

• Team AKTION — Audrey Tseng, Kian Wu, Tyler Tan
• Stateside Consulting — Claire Dubois, Edric Lagrisola, Kayla Jong, Sachkeerat Sandhu
• 1159 Consulting — Camille Porras Sanchez, Dmitri Folomeyev, Sophie Long, Jet Sun

Overall ELITE results:

• First place: Motion Consulting — Trey Ebose, Emily Ko, Nithik Seneviratne
• Second place: Stateside Consulting — Claire Dubois, Edric Lagrisola, Kayla Jong, SachkeeraT Sandhu
• Third place: 1159 Consulting — Camille Porras Sanchez, Dmitri Folomeyev, Sophie Long, Jet Sun
• Fourth place: Quadra Consulting — Natalie Maltcheva, Seraphina Was, Damji

Learning through experience

Experiential opportunities like PEAK and ELITE are a cornerstone of the SFU Beedie undergraduate experience. By working on live cases with real organizations, students develop not only technical and analytical skills, but also the confidence to present, defend, and refine their ideas under pressure.

These competitions also serve to strengthen connections between students and the broader business community—creating pathways for mentorship, collaboration, and future opportunities.

SFU Beedie extends its thanks to all participants, student volunteers, faculty, judges, and community partners whose support made this year’s competitions possible.