Business student’s startup helps families connect to past through DNA genealogy

AU Bachelor of Management grad and Trouvay founder Bradley Pierson is on a mission to help families trace their roots, find truths

As a young teen, Bradley Pierson (Bachelor of Management ’25) never felt like he belonged, even among family. That sense of disconnection led him to learn about his family tree, which in turn sparked a lifelong interest—and growing business—in genealogy.

Knowing where I came from connected me to this world and helped me understand. It made me feel like I belonged.

After about a decade of tracing his family tree and those of his friends, Pierson witnessed the rise of genealogical DNA testing and its growing role in solving cold cases in the United States.

Despite advancements in technology and access, Pierson saw a gap in the Canadian market and decided to combine his interest in the field with his background in business as an Athabasca University student. Pierson founded Trouvay—inspired by the French word trouvé, meaning “found.” 

The investigative genetic genealogy firm opened its doors in 2022 with a mission to help people uncover the truth about their biological families. Working alongside Mary Dustow, director of community partnerships, the team of two also collaborates with police to help solve cold cases, usually violent crimes. However, the heart of their work involves working with Indigenous communities and families and helping them access and understand the tools available for identifying missing and murdered Indigenous people.

“With these very niche skills in genealogy, I had to be able to help real people, and their families get answers. I couldn't afford to wait, and my interest and curiosity couldn't afford to wait,” said Pierson, who in June will graduate with distinction in AU’s class of 2025.

Tracing his own roots

By the time Pierson was two years old growing up in Edmonton, most of his grandparents had passed away. He learned about family history listening to his father tell stories while sitting around campfires. 

One story in particular captured Pierson’s imagination. In the 1930s, his great-grandfather took his children to the ring circus in Lethbridge. During the show, a lion escaped from its cage and grabbed a young girl from the audience. Without hesitation, his great-grandfather jumped on the lion's back and pounded at its ears until the girl was freed. 

These types of stories made Pierson proud and connected to his roots. “They were fantastic people, brave, and loving. I have some of them in me.”

Finding his way through genealogy

As a young boy, Pierson was confused about who he was or how he fit into the world. Coming from a highly religious upbringing and being gay and closeted, he didn’t feel like he belonged. 

“I had this strong intuition from a young age that I would be doing something with genealogy but had no idea how I'd make it work.”

Seeing where he fit in the fabric of his family tree made him realize that he does belong and that he was important. His journey to self-belonging eventually led to friends and family asking him for help with finding their family trees.

To Pierson, there is nothing more exciting than sitting down with somebody and showing them answers and stories about their family history that they never knew about. 

Path to AU and entrepreneurship

Prior to AU, Pierson briefly attended a virtual genealogy program out of a post-secondary institution in the U.S., but once he came out as gay, he didn't get the religious endorsement he needed to continue his studies. It was the only university that offered a genealogy program, so he was forced to pivot.

“I was like, okay, I'm not getting a degree in genealogy now, so I need to get a degree in business because I'm going to need to start my own business, and I want to learn to manage it well.”

Pierson began AU’s Bachelor of Management program in 2021. He was drawn to the flexibility that AU offered.

I wanted the flexibility because flexibility equated to freedom to me, and I've learned freedom is one of my big values in life.

AU’s model fit the life that Pierson envisioned for himself and allowed him to start Trouvay while still a student. He viewed his business as a “self-made practicum,” while AU created the space for him to feel mentally safe to explore and experiment in business. Launching a business alongside his studies also helped Pierson reinforce and apply the knowledge he was gaining in the classroom. 

“There were definitely times when I was learning things in my classes that I was like, ‘this is going to be important,’” he said.

The case of Deep River John Doe

One of Pierson’s most memorable cases was also Trouvay’s first, uncovering the identity of Deep River John Doe. Over 20 years ago, hikers had discovered a body in an outhouse in the backwoods of the Laurentian Hills in Ontario. Over the following weeks, months, and eventually years and decades, the police had tried unsuccessfully to identify the body, but there was no identification, and the only identifiable markers were stickers from travels. 

Eventually, the Toronto Police Service got involved in the investigation and put out a call out for volunteers to help crack the case. Trouvay jumped at the opportunity to work alongside TPS, and within three days, they successfully narrowed it down to one individual. 

There are so many families deserving answers, and I've got a long life ahead of me, hopefully. So, I'm very excited at the possibility. I’m not going to let this rest until I die.

Pierson felt a particular connection to the person in question after discovering the man was gay and had been estranged from his family. “I felt very honoured to have been able to help bring back his identity. Everyone deserves it.”

Growing his business with help from Edmonton Unlimited

During the early days of Trouvay, Pierson realized that he needed stronger connections in the community. 

Being an AU student helped Pierson get connected to Edmonton Unlimited, an organization dedicated to fostering innovation and supporting entrepreneurs in Edmonton. AU’s partnership with Edmonton Unlimited’s pilot, Studentpreneur, allowed him to participate in the program and learn about marketing, exploring, testing and validation for a startup.

“The knowledge I gained there, and the connections and advice were what I needed to propel my business,” said Pierson. “They are the reason why I am where I am. They were absolutely instrumental.”

Mission to make the unknown the known

Pierson said there is no shortage of cold cases for companies like his to work with authorities to help other families achieve closure. He said there is "a crisis of unidentified human remains in medical examiner offices.” In Alberta alone, he’s learned that there are over 110 unidentified human remains that date back to 1980, plus an additional 200 unidentified human remains in cemeteries. 

“There are so many families deserving answers, and I've got a long life ahead of me, hopefully. So, I'm very excited at the possibility. I’m not going to let this rest until I die.”