Latest news with #SharivandePol


CTV News
23-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
‘Dream team of cows': CATTLEytics wants to redefine farm data with AI
A Hamilton-based company aims to empower farmers with tools to make informed decisions by using artificial intelligence (AI) across all aspects of their operations. CATTLEytics offers data-driven proprietary software tailored to dairy and livestock farmers to assist with breeding decisions, targeted animal health protocols, optimal management decisions and even staff scheduling and task management. 'If you've ever seen the movie Moneyball, you're optimizing a baseball team. We want to do that for dairy cows. You're making your dream team of cows with the data that you have, so next season, you're going to have the best herd,' Shari van de Pol, the company's chief executive officer, told BNN Bloomberg in a Tuesday interview. The company leverages digital twin simulations, streamlined protocols and custom analytics to enable producers to enhance efficiency, profitability and sustainability without expanding resources. She said farmers save about one to two hours a day with analytics. 'The concept with software these days is that we really try to create a digital version of everything that exists on a dairy (farm) in order to better connect with all the different interactions that would happen on that dairy (farm),' said van de Pol. 'For instance, if there's a treatment plan, we would have a digital version of the treatment plan. If there's a drug to be used, we would have a digital version of the drug. If, for instance, there's yes, a calf born, we'll have a digital version of that calf. That helps us really connect all those different interactions so we can better model what's happening on our dairy (farms).' Farmers have used technology for many years. In fact, Canada was recognized as one of the global leaders in the agricultural technology industry with precision agriculture, according to Northbridge Consultants. The market value of precision agriculture in Canada reached $870 million in 2021. Precision agriculture refers to a suite of farm management technologies, as well as data and analytics used to increase efficiency, production, and sustainability, according to CIBC Thought Leadership. Tools include GPS, sensors, robotics, drones, autonomous vehicles, and software. van de Pol wants to build on top of advancements made on farms. 'In the 90s, there was precision agriculture then we moved on to have pedometers, because, you might know this, but most cows actually wear kind of like a Fitbit, so that you know how many steps they take,' said van de Pol. 'We moved on into the AI age, but we need to continue, especially in Canada, all of these efficiencies in order to be able to provide the amazing, nutritious food that we provide for everybody every day.' van de Pol grew up in a rural community before beginning her career in computer engineering and data analytics at large multinational companies. She later became a large-animal veterinarian. She created the company combining her passion for technology and veterinary medicine. Her company employees about 12 to 14 people depending on the season to help farmers run a farm while understanding the challenges farmers face. 'In order to run a farm like the actual people, they have to understand animal biology,' said van de Pol. 'They have to run a business. They have to be able to service equipment and run equipment. There's so much knowledge to this but then the workers themselves too, have to understand everything tied to animal husbandry.' Farmers must also abide by strict protocols. Dairy Farmers of Canada, a national policy, lobbying, and promotional organization representing Canadian dairy producers, developed proAction, a national quality assurance program for the Canadian dairy sector. The program is mandated on all Canadian dairy farms. 'There's really strict protocols,' said van de Pol. 'In Canada, we have something called proAction that is kind of like the way that there's a food inspection, we have that for dairy farms. There's so much knowledge that goes into running one of these operations, it's probably one of the most difficult types of farming out there'.


Hamilton Spectator
30-04-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Canada's Leading Pitch Program for Women Entrepreneurs Awards Finalists at The Odlum Brown Forum Pitch Finale 2025
The Odlum Brown Forum Pitch Finale 2025 prize recipients. Pictured left to right: Lianna Genovese, CEO, ImaginAble Solutions; Ibukun Elebute, co-founder & COO, CELLECT Laboratories; Dr. Shari van de Pol, founder & CEO, CATTLEytics. Photo credit: Jamie-Lee Fuoco. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Forum , a Canadian charity that mentors, educates, and champions women entrepreneurs, celebrates the three finalists of this year's The Odlum Brown Forum Pitch — the country's leading pitch program for women-founded businesses. Each finalist will receive $44,420 to accelerate their business growth and impact. The 2025 finalists are: 'The Odlum Brown Forum Pitch program is a reflection of the talent, vision, and resilience of women entrepreneurs across Canada,' says Kirsten Koppang Telford, CEO, The Forum. 'At a time when supporting homegrown innovation matters more than ever, we're proud to celebrate this year's finalists and all participants as they tackle real-world challenges with Canadian-built solutions, driving progress and transforming industries. This program exists to ensure they don't have to do it alone by providing as many opportunities as possible for women entrepreneurs to unlock the capital they need to thrive.' Annual Finale Event Raises a Record $1.3 Million for Women Entrepreneurs The Forum hosted its annual The Odlum Brown Forum Pitch Finale event on April 25, 2025, at the JW Marriott Parq Vancouver to celebrate this year's finalists and raise funds to support women entrepreneurship nationwide. This year, the 800-person event raised over $1,300,000 which will support the organization's programming for Canadian women entrepreneurs who are ready to grow their businesses. The three Canadian powerhouse finalists took the spotlight – and the stage, showcasing their business visions to a sold-out crowd of entrepreneurs, business leaders, investors, and The Forum community. The event also featured live audience voting and selected ImaginAble Solutions to receive an additional prize package valued at $20,000, thanks to the generosity of Wheaton Precious Metals. What the Finalists Had to Say: 'This recognition isn't just a milestone for our team – it fuels our vision to empower dairy farmers worldwide by building cutting edge technology that makes animal agriculture more sustainable, efficient, and profitable,' said Dr. Shari van de Pol, founder & CEO, CATTLEytics. 'I'm honoured to be named among this year's finalists and thank my program mentor, Katheleen Eva, Investor, StandUp Ventures.' 'CELLECT Laboratories is thrilled to be named a finalist in this year's The Odlum Brown Forum Pitch Finale alongside outstanding Canadian businesses all led by women entrepreneurs who are driving innovation in their industries,' said Ibukun Elebute, co-founder & COO, CELLECT Laboratories. 'The funding and support provided by this program will enable us to scale our impact as we transform reproductive health screenings for women. A big thanks to my mentor Sarah Willson for their insight and guidance.' 'The Odlum Brown Forum Pitch program has provided us with not only the strategic resources to accelerate our growth, but also a network that champions our mission to create a positive global impact for the disability community,' said Lianna Genovese, CEO, ImaginAble Solutions. 'I'm also deeply thankful to Melanie Ewan, my program mentor, for their support throughout this journey.' The Odlum Brown Forum Pitch is a national program for all women entrepreneurs, designed to help fast-track their business journeys and address the biggest barrier women entrepreneurs face — access to capital. The program offers education, 1:1 mentorship, coaching, national exposure, and access to specialized resources and networks so women entrepreneurs can secure the funding, community, and support they need for growth. The Forum thanks long-time supporter and Title Sponsor, Odlum Brown Limited, continued Capital Sponsor, Wheaton Precious Metals, and Reception Sponsor, Fort Capital. The program is also made possible by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, and numerous talented partners, including women-owned CountDown Events. For more information about The Forum and The Odlum Brown Forum Pitch program, visit and About The Forum The Forum is a national, registered Canadian charity whose purpose is to deliver impactful community, education and mentorship programs that are designed to elevate self-identifying women, trans-femme and non-binary entrepreneurs in their unique journeys. As The Forum marks its 23rd year, the organization continues to see a rise in the need for programming across the country as more women turn towards building businesses. In the last year, The Forum supported over 2,000+ program participants, across 12 provinces and territories in Canada and reached 61,000+ people with education, resources and inspiration across 219 unique communities. To date, the charity has supported over 18,000 women entrepreneurs across Canada through its programs and events including The Odlum Brown Forum Pitch program , The Forum Mentor Program , The Forum E-Series program and more. Visit for more. For press information or interviews contact: Monique Camenzuli, The Edit PR: monique@ / 416.809.9918 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at