Speaker Profiles
Friday, February 6th, 2026
Join us for a networking night on Friday!
Brook Coatsworth
Brook Coatsworth (a FARE MSc Grad 2012) works for Litherland & Company, a Canadian-based search management firm specializing in the placement of skilled professionals within the Agri-Business, Agri-Food and Bio-Product sectors. Through their established industry presence and reputation, they excel at placing candidates in permanent, full-time positions across all sectors in Canadian Agriculture. Developing resumes, preparing for interviews and exploring career paths are part of his everyday life. He has supported students from the University of Guelph in preparing for job fairs, employment events and post-graduation milestones for the past decade. Brook is an expert in preparing people for the working world and is looking forward to sharing his story and providing advice on careers in the Agriculture and Agribusiness sectors.
Christoph Wand
Christoph received his Bachelor of Science (Nutritional Sciences) and Masters of Science (Animal Science- Ruminant Nutrition) from the University of Guelph. Christoph joined OMARFRA in 1998 as the Beef Cattle and Sheep Nutritionist. He began his most recent work assignment as a Livestock Sustainability Specialist in 2014 and is based out of the Elora OMAFRA office. Christoph has served on several national and industry-led committees including the Pork Value Chain Roundtable and its Sustainability working group. He has been appointed an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Animal Biosciences recognizing his continued involvement on the University of Guelph campus through the Ontario Agricultural College.
Mikayla Pozzobon
Raised in Toronto and the GTA, Mikayla did not come from an agricultural background but found her way into the industry during her teenage years, where a strong passion for agriculture took root. She graduated from the University of Guelph in 2022 with a Bachelor of Commerce in Food and Agriculture Business (Co-op). Since then, Mikayla has worked in international and corporate marketing for a global equipment manufacturer and currently serves as the Business Development Executive at Think Shift, a marketing agency specializing in agriculture
Marijke Vanderlaan
Upon graduation from the University of Guelph with a B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Agriculture in 2010, Marijke Vanderlaan joined Syngenta as a Regulatory Associate. From there she joined the Seedcare team and soon became the Seedcare Field Biologist working on issues like SCN, PRR, pythium and fusarium. In 2025 she joined Syngenta’s sales team as an Agronomic Sales Representative covering the Guelph to Niagara territory. In 2020, she took on the role of Agronomic Service Representative for Ontario where she supports the sales team to ultimately help farmers grow their best crop. Marijke is interested in many aspects of Ontario agriculture, but especially enjoys learning more about corn, soybean and winter wheat agronomy. Marijke grew up on a dairy farm near Moorefield and currently resides with her husband near Elora, ON.
Little Brown Cow
Jenny and Wes are the founders of Little Brown Cow, a family-run dairy and agri-food business in Brant County, Ontario. Built from the ground up, their work brings the entire dairy supply chain to the farm—from animal care and production to processing and direct-to-consumer retail—with a shared goal of providing nutrient-dense, high-quality food at an affordable price. Recognized as Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers in 2021, Jenny and Wes represent a new generation of agricultural entrepreneurs. Working side by side every day, they are deeply hands-on across all areas of the business, supported by a strong team that helps carry their vision forward. Their journey reflects how leadership in agriculture is built through teamwork, adaptability, and the courage to create something of your own.
Rick Whittaker
Rick is Wellington - Waterloo’s Community Futures Executive Director for the past 22 years as well as acting as Project Lead for the Community Paramedic Monitoring Project. Rick attended Wilfrid Laurier University for Business and Psychology and the University of Guelph for International Development. Rick is an entrepreneur and has started several businesses as well as serving two terms of Municipal Council in the Region of Waterloo and the Kitchener Hydro Commission Board of Directors.
Saturday, February 7th, 2026
The Miller Family
Shannon Miller has spent most of her life immersed in the Ontario agriculture and agrifood industry. After growing up on a dairy farm and studying Ag. Economics at the University of Guelph (OAC ’97), Shannon joined her husband, Robert in the management of his family farm – at that time primarily a dairy operation, with a ‘side helping’ of market gardening and maple syrup. In 2006 the pair made a significant transition – selling the cows and quota, effectively leaving behind the livestock chapter of their story, then shifting the main focus to the roadside vegetable stand. Over the past 20 years, through continuous learning and adaptation, Miller’s Bay Farm has become a diverse enterprise offering fresh vegetables, strawberries, pick-your-own experiences, and field crops. The Miller’s journey is an example of successful farm evolution that prioritizes both business diversification and deep-rooted community connection.
Karolina Crane
Karolina has been a Career Advisor with the Experiential Learning Hub since 2016. As a Career Advisor with a portfolio focused on OAC, she supports students and alumni in one-on-one appointments, events and group workshops focused on career planning and job search. The most popular questions she addresses with students include what careers exist for those interested in impacting animals, outside of veterinarian, and what opportunities exist within the environmental industry. Karolina holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Media, Information and Technoculture from Western University, a Career Development Practitioner post-graduate certificate from Conestoga College, and is currently working towards her certificate in Adult Education Teaching Excellent at Humber College.
Tori Waugh - Keynote Speaker
Tori Waugh is the founder and CEO of Conservation Ag, a company that accelerates sustainability in Canadian agriculture through founding, financing, and scaling innovative tech, projects and organizations with high impact potential. Her work has accelerated client organizations to triple in size, securing $2.5 million in funding and $9.5 million in contracts in 4 years. She has grown Conservation Ag’s impact investment portfolio by 500% in 5 years through sound financial modeling, performance assessment and strong client success initiatives, spearheading several supply chain partnerships, resulting in $7 million in added revenue with negotiated glidepaths to triple in size. While growing annual revenues by %1400 over 6 years, she has designed, launched and scaled transformative initiatives prolifically, resulting in 20+ research partnerships, 20+ Ag tech innovation and development pilots, 60+ farmer-led research projects, and 1,000+ educational initiatives, involving 155+ farms, 300+ farmers, and 1,000+ stakeholders to maximize impact, build stakeholder value, and accelerate innovations for a net-zero transition. Tori has been recognized as a thought leader in sustainable agriculture and innovation adoption programming and was named a Clean 50 Emerging Leader Honouree in 2022, an award that recognizes outstanding achievements in sustainability and environmental leadership. A member of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture’s Soil Action Group, she has advised public and industry efforts to drive sustainable innovation in agriculture on boards such as the Agricultural Adaptation Council, Resource Efficient Agricultural Production Canada, The Soils @ Guelph Initiative, The Grain Farmers of Ontario’s Ontario Cover Crop Strategy Committee, the Soil Health Marketing and Communications Committee, the Ontario Soil Health Assessment Protocol Advisory Committee, and Foodbridge's Advisory Committee (a list of affiliations that earned her the Clean50 Telus Community Service Award). She holds a Bachelors of Science and Masters of Environmental Science from the University of Guelph.