A fantastic line-up of 28 expert speakers will be sharing their expertise on smart farms, AI, raising agtech capital, the future workforce, and more at this week’s Agriculture Enlightened conference.

EMILI’s annual conference, which will be held at the Hotel Fairmont in Winnipeg on Thursday, October 26, brings together a diverse stakeholder group including agri-food and technology experts, industry leaders, decision-makers, researchers and students from across Canada for a full day of expert speakers and panelists exploring the changing landscape of agriculture in the AI era.

Download a pdf of the conference agenda and speakers. The following list is alphabetical by last name:

Chuck Baresich is president and founder of Haggerty AgRobotics.
Time: 9:15 – 10:00 am
Session: Growing the Innovation Farms Model to Advance Digital Agriculture

Danielle Bérard is Innovation Farms manager at EMILI. Growing up on a cow and grain farm, including custom aerial spraying and grain cleaning near St.Pierre-Jolys, Danielle Berard grew her passion for Agriculture. After completing her Agronomy degree at the University of Manitoba she has held the Professional Agrologist and Certified Crop Advisor designations for 16 years of her career where she worked in various crop inputs, market development and agronomy roles alongside farmers, researchers and technology developers. Danielle most recently became an advanced drone pilot, and she is excited to share what she has learned as the Manager of EMILI’s Innovation Farms in its inaugural season.
Time: 10:30 am – 11:20 am
Session: Fostering Collaboration Across the Pan-Canadian Smart Farm Network

Ray Bouchard is the president and CEO of Enns Brothers Ltd., a 68-year old agricultural equipment dealer in the Province of Manitoba. Ray is also a board member of Protein Industries Canada, the pan-Prairie supercluster, and board chair of the Manitoba-based Enterprise Machine Intelligence and Learning Initiative (EMILI). Ray has been involved in the agriculture industry for over 35 years and served as director, then president of the Canadian Association of Agricultural Retailers. Ray’s passion and vision for the future of Canadian agriculture is ambitious as he sees the long-term benefits for Canadians, the economy and the environment. Ray is committed to life-long learning and in 2017 received the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors.
Time: 9:15 – 10:00 am
Sessions: Growing the Innovation Farms Model to Advance Digital Agriculture

Chris Bunio is co-founder and CEO of TheoryMesh, a Winnipeg-based company focused on agriculture and food supply chains. Chris operationalized TheoryMesh in 2021 with a focus on developing technology for traceability solutions leveraging blockchain and machine learning. Chris represents TheoryMesh as a founding member of the IEEE Blockchain in Agriculture working group. Chris has been active in the technology industry for nearly 30 years.  Prior to founding TheoryMesh, Chris spent 18 years with Microsoft, leading strategy, sales and business development globally as a Senior Director. Chris primarily covered Public Sector industries, including Government, Healthcare and most recently Higher Education while being based in Jordan, UK, Turkey and the US. Chris has deep experience in solution architecture, software development and global business development. Returning to Winnipeg, Canada after nearly 20 years abroad, Chris has been actively engaging in the technology ecosystem in Canada. Chris has been part of events and working groups established by TechMB, EMILI, MI-AP and other Manitoba focused organizations to help with planning for strategic development of the tech industry and capacity building. Chris completed his degree in Physics at the University of Manitoba focusing on theoretical physics and computational methods.
Time: 3:10 pm – 3:50 pm
Session: Putting AI to Work in Agriculture: Doing It Responsibly

Katherine Cherewyk is the executive director of Agriculture in the Classroom – Manitoba (AITC-M), where she champions the integration of agricultural awareness within educational frameworks. Katharine firmly believes in fostering critical thinking in students before any biases set in, ensuring they consider agriculture as a viable career or become advocates for the industry as adults. With a career spanning over two decades, Katharine’s expertise encompasses communications, fundraising, and strategic planning, skills she harnessed to elevate AITC-M’s outreach and impact during her tenure as its Operations and Development Manager. Katharine has a Master of Science and Bachelor of Science in Agriculture (Agroecology) from the University of Manitoba, and a Graduate Certificate in Executive Coaching from Royal Roads University.
Time: 11:20 am – 12:00 pm
Session: Building the Future of Digital Ag: Education and Training Opportunities for Youth

Joe Dales is founding partner at RHA Ventures. He has over 40+ years of agriculture industry experience working with leading companies such as Pfizer, Cyanamid Crop Protection(BASF), First Line Seeds(Monsanto), and NK Syngenta Seeds(Ciba Seeds). In 1997, he co-founded www.AgCareers.com one of the first ag business websites on the internet. In 1998, he co-founded Farms.com Ltd. which has grown to become a leading supplier of innovative solutions to farmers, agriculture and food companies around the globe. In 2019, he co-founded RH Accelerator Inc. and leads their value-adding investments in the agriculture and food innovation and start-up sector. RHA has been rebranded RHA Ventures Inc., has made more than 35 investments and continues to support entrepreneurs with hands-on, experienced business coaching.
Time: 9:15 – 10:00 am
Session: Growing the Innovation Farms Model to Advance Digital Agriculture

Jennifer Flanagan is Actua‘s co-founder and CEO. She is a visionary leader transforming Canada’s STEM education landscape. A trailblazer in technology equity, STEM education, diversity and inclusion, Jennifer’s expertise has propelled Actua’s growth, helping the organization engage 350,000 youth annually and dismantling systemic barriers to STEM engagement. Actua’s programs focus on girls, Indigenous youth, Black Youth, youth in rural and remote communities including in the North, and youth experiencing socio-economic challenges. She champions and advocates for equity in STEM through thought leadership appearances and speaking engagements, media appearances and through her board memberships, including recently joining the board of the University of New Brunswick. Jennifer’s accolades include Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women, the RBC Women Entrepreneur of the Year award and she was recently bestowed with an Honorary Doctorate of Science from Concordia University.
Time: 11:20 am – 12:00 pm
Session: Building the Future of Digital Ag: Education and Training Opportunities for Youth

J.P. Gervais is vice-president and chief economist at Farm Credit Canada. His insights help guide strategy, monitor risks and identify opportunities in the economic environment. In addition to acting as an FCC spokesperson on economic matters, J.P. provides commentary on the food industry through videos and the FCC Economics blog. Prior to joining FCC in 2010, J.P. was a professor of agri-food economics at North Carolina State University and Laval University. He obtained his Ph.D. in economics from Iowa State University in 1999.
Time: 1:00 – 1:55 pm 
Session: Unplugged: A Candid Discussion on the Economics of Innovation

Lasha Glennie is manager of capital enablement at EMILI, Lasha is passionate about supporting the growth and innovation of the Canadian AgTech ecosystem. Her core competencies include designing and implementing programs that connect entrepreneurs, investors, and partners in the AI space, organizing and leading impactful events and training sessions, and managing complex projects with multiple stakeholders and deliverables.
Time: 3:50 pm – 4:25 pm
Session: Raising AgTech Capital in Manitoba

Danielle Graff is a partner at MLT Aikins in Winnipeg and leads the firm’s Innovation, Data & Technology practice. Danielle regularly provides advice to clients in the ag and tech space, including in respect of licensing, technology transfers, outsourcing arrangements and related procurement projects as well as intellectual property. Raised on a farm in rural Saskatchewan, Danielle understands the unique challenges and opportunities that exist in ag tech.
Time: 1:55 pm – 2:30 pm
Session: A Legal Perspective on Innovation, Data and Technology

Chelsea Gray is a special project manager at Farm Credit Canada. She has a true passion for building and fostering meaningful relationships built on a foundation of trust, respect, and knowledge-sharing. She is motivated by FCC’s mission to advance the business of agriculture and contribute to Canada’s economic and social well-being. As a Special Project Manager at Farm Credit Canada (FCC), Chelsea leverages her 15+ years of experience in marketing, strategy, and research to manage strategic partnerships between FCC and various smart farm networks across Canada. Chelsea also leads FCC’s inner-city high school internship program, which aims to ease the transition for opportunity youth from high school into the workforce and remove barriers to success.
Time: 10:30 am – 11:20 am
Session: Fostering Collaboration Across the Pan-Canadian Smart Farm Network

Darcy Herauf is director of FCC AgExpert, business management software that’s solid, simple and built for the farm. He’s spent almost his entire career at Farm Credit Canada, undertaking leadership roles in finance, marketing and information technology. Darcy’s IT experience and background in agriculture inform his day-to-day work, helping make AgExpert a top choice for business and field management software in Canada.
Time: 10:30 am – 11:20 am
Session: Fostering Collaboration Across the Pan-Canadian Smart Farm Network

Marlise Hunter is the director of platform at Tall Grass Ventures, a Calgary-based agrifood tech venture firm, where she supports the growth of early-stage companies who are driving the transformation of the agrifood sector. Before joining Tall Grass, Marlise had over 10 years of business development experience with a strong penchant for supporting organizational growth, strategic partnership development and investment attraction. Her experience had led her to work at the intersection of academia, government and industry in previous roles within agtech venture capital, economic development and tourism. She also currently serves on the Advisory Council for the Simpson School of Public Policy which has a mandate to translate fact based academic research in the agrifood sector to help inform public opinion and drive public policy. Coming from rural roots, she is now an impassioned advocate for bridging the urban/rural divide and driving change within the broader agriculture innovation ecosystem in Canada.
Time: 3:50 pm – 4:25 pm
Session: Raising AgTech Capital in Manitoba

Nicolas Joubert is a lawyer and member of MLT Aikins ’ leading Innovation, Data and Technology practice group in Winnipeg. Nicolas advises clients on a variety of technology and intellectual property matters including arranging and procuring IT services and software, developing intellectual property strategies, and commercializing and licensing intellectual property. Nicolas advises both small and large businesses and government entities in a variety of sectors, including in ag and food.
Time: 1:55 pm – 2:30 pm
Session: A Legal Perspective on Innovation, Data and Technology

Jacqueline Keena is managing director of EMILI. She is a professional agrologist (P.Ag.) and holds degrees in agribusiness and public policy. Jacqueline is also a board director for Assiniboine Credit Union and the past-Chair of the Manitoba Women’s Enterprise Centre, a not-for-profit that administers small business loans for women entrepreneurs.
Time: 9:15 – 10:00 am
Session: Growing the Innovation Farms Model to Advance Digital Agriculture

Andrea Ladouceur is assistant deputy minister, Investment and Trade, Government of Manitoba. She is a trusted civil servant often asked to lead teams and ideas through transformation. She focuses on mapping and leading teams from a vision through to operationalization. The majority of her career with the Manitoba Government is invested in Treasury Board Secretariat’s Strategic Initiatives. During this time she worked on major projects including air services review and contract negotiations and design to implementation of the centralized capital/infrastructure approach. More recently she supported the Department and Health and Consumer Protection and Government Services as a Senior Lead at Priorities and Planning Secretariat. Today she is the Assistant Deputy Minister of Investment and Trade.
Time: 3:50 pm – 4:25 pm
Session: Raising AgTech Capital in Manitoba

Rachel LeClair is Manager of Skills and Talent at EMILI. In this role, Rachel engages with numerous stakeholders in the digital agriculture ecosystem to develop dynamic initiatives such as the Explore Project, Work-Integrated Learning Platform, and the Manitoba Digital Agriculture Table. This includes research on current and future skills trends in the sector and the engagement of industry and academia. Rachel is passionate about creating opportunities for students to find meaningful career pathways. Rachel holds a Master of Arts in Political Science from Western University and a Master of Education from the University of Ottawa. Her academic pursuits reflect her interests in non-profit leadership development, community engagement, and the principles of meaningful inclusion.
Time: 11:20 am – 12:00 pm
Session: Building the Future of Digital Ag: Education and Training Opportunities for Youth

Adrienne Levay is an instructor and researcher at Lakeland College.
Time: 10:30 am – 11:20 am
Session: Fostering Collaboration Across the Pan-Canadian Smart Farm Network

Dan Lussier is the creator and project manager for the EMILI Data Initiative which is focused on building the capacity of the agri-food sector to use data responsibly in a way that benefits people, and businesses, along the value chain. Prior to working at EMILI, he worked for the federal ministers of agriculture and international trade and as a researcher in advanced manufacturing at the University of British Columbia. Dan lives in Montreal and holds engineering degrees from the University of Manitoba and the University of Oxford.
Times: 2:30-2:40 pm, and 3:10 pm – 3:50 pm
Sessions: Interoperability for Digital Ag: What Is It and What Can We Do About It?; and Putting AI to Work in Agriculture: Doing It Responsibly

Brenna Mahoney is the general manager at Keystone Agricultural Producers. Brenna is focused on building a strong primary agriculture advocacy capacity in Manitoba, by ensuring communications and outreach are at the foundation of all organizational efforts. Brenna has contributed to and built national coalitions and partnerships focused on advancing the Canadian brand, farm practices and market access, public trust, grain nutrition and health, and sustainability. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Human Ecology, with a major in Clothing and Textiles/Textile Sciences, from the University of Manitoba. After working in her field, she pursued her certification in Human Resource Management from Red River College. She has significant experience working in project management, communications, and consensus building. Brenna has a passion for agriculture and working with members of the entire value chain to ensure positive collaboration from all aspects of the Canadian agricultural industry.
Time: 11:20 am – 12:00 pm
Session: Building the Future of Digital Ag: Education and Training Opportunities for Youth

Mairead Matthews is the manager of digital policy at the Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC). Mairead brings her longstanding interest in innovation and public policy to the conversation on technology, sustainability, and agri-food. Mairead has previous experience studying the impact of technology on Canada’s agri-food labour market and holds a Joint Honours BSocSc in Public Administration and Political Science from the University of Ottawa.
Time: 11:20 am – 12:00 pm
Session: Building the Future of Digital Ag: Education and Training Opportunities for Youth

Bryan Prystupa is a Senior Product Owner with the Farm Credit Canada’s AgExpert team, collaborating with partners and companies across Canada to develop integrations that help producers make the most out of their digitized farm data. He’s passionate about helping advance Canadian agriculture and food through technology solutions.
Time: 10:30 am – 11:20 am
Session: Fostering Collaboration Across the Pan-Canadian Smart Farm Network

Rick Rutherford is president of Rutherford Farms.
Time: 9:15 – 10:00 am
Session: Growing the Innovation Farms Model to Advance Digital Agriculture

Dan Schultz is an agribusiness psychotherapist, helping agtech companies around the world design their category and think differently about how they commercialize their products. Dan is vehemently opposed to telling boring stories, sales pitches thoughtlessly read off spec sheets, oversold technobabble, undersold innovation, and venture money wasted on vanity marketing metrics. Dan helps companies stop droning on about incremental improvement and start building movements. He is the author of the weekly newsletter AgTech Marketing Insights. You can read his full weekly newsletter at agtechmarketinginsights.substack.com.
Time: 8:50 am – 9:15 am
Session: The Long and the Short of It: Horse Racing, the Problem with Forecasts, and the Future of AgTech

Richard Tuck is finance lead at Startup TNT. Richard focuses on four areas of interests for research, investing, teaching, and studying: entrepreneurship, sustainability, leadership, and technology. He is always looking to collaborate in any of these areas and tends to focus on topics that overlap two or more of them. As such, social entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial finance, social finance, social innovation, social R&D, and building corporate infrastructure and leadership in tech startups and social enterprises are of particular interest and expertise, and where he provides maximum impact.
Time: 3:50 pm – 4:25 pm
Session: Raising AgTech Capital in Manitoba

Fred Wall is vice-president of marketing and digital agriculture at Farm Credit Canada. His portfolio includes FCC’s Digital Agriculture practice, Market Analytics, Pricing, Products, Digital Services, and the AgExpert platform. He is responsible for course-correcting challenges and managing complicated, leading-edge projects requiring innovative thinking using his three-pronged expertise in technology marketing, agriculture, and research.
Time: 1:00 – 1:55 pm
Session: Unplugged: A Candid Discussion on the Economics of Innovation

Celia Wanderley is chief technology officer and head of Invent at AltaML. She is a highly accomplished executive with over 25 years of experience in the technology sector. Celia has held several senior executive positions, including her time at Deloitte’s Technology Strategy and Transformation Service, where she co-led the architecture practice for Deloitte Canada. Presently, Celia is the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for AltaML. Celia excels in envisioning and driving digital transformation, and the associated organization change management. She has deep expertise in enterprise solution architecture, strategic planning, and large-scale technology transformation. She holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in computing science. Connect with Celia on LinkedIn.
Time: 3:10 pm – 3:50 pm
Session: Putting AI to Work in Agriculture: Doing It Responsibly

Blake Weiseth is agriculture research chair at Saskatchewan Polytechnic. He grew up on a mixed grain and livestock farm near Shaunavon, SK. He holds a joint role of Applied Research lead at Glacier FarmMedia Discovery Farm and Research Chair at Saskatchewan Polytechnic and is currently pursuing a PhD in Soil Science from the University of Saskatchewan. He is a Professional Agrologist (PAg) with the Saskatchewan Institute of Agrologists. His research focuses on evaluating agricultural management practices and emerging technologies for their ability to optimize water and nutrient use efficiency while limiting nutrient losses in runoff water. Data-collection hardware and sensors are used as a basis for informing precision agriculture management practices.
Time: 10:30 am – 11:20 am
Session: Fostering Collaboration Across the Pan-Canadian Smart Farm Network

Visit www.agenlightened.ca for more information.