Cambrian College Business students win provincial competition in Hamilton

SUDBURY – A team of Business Analytics students at Cambrian College has won the top prize at a provincial competition.

The team of three international students placed first overall at the Higher Education Analytics Data (HEAD) competition, held at Mohawk College in Hamilton March 20-21. The two-month, multi-phased competition began with approximately 39 teams from various colleges and universities with the top eight teams competing at last week’s final.

In the competition, students analyzed various sets of data to diagnose a challenge and then come up with a solution. Team Cambrian developed a business model for public transportation for the City of Hamilton. The students analyzed sidewalk coverage, bike lanes, and demographic factors to identify the best locations for new bus stops, sidewalks, and bike routes, to make Hamilton a more accessible and healthier city.

Team members include Aderlly Lopez Lobato of Peru, and Rohan Reddy Tirumalareddy and Chaitali Jani of India.  For the first-place win, they also earned a $1,500 cash prize.

“The culmination of countless hours, relentless detail focus, and wholehearted dedication, along with the support of the best teammates and great mentors, led to our win at the HEAD Competition 2025,” says Aderlly Lopez, who will be graduating from the Business Analytics program this spring.

“Working with these students has been both challenging and inspiring,” adds Farima Miri, a faculty member in the Business Analytics program and coach for Team Cambrian. “Their drive for real-world innovation, as showcased by their win at the HEAD Competition 2025, truly reflects the future of business analytics.”

This is the third podium finish in a month for Cambrian students in provincial or national competitions focusing on business or innovation. General Business student Aryanna O’Malley was a recipient of the Julia Ferreira Public Speaking Excellence Award at the Scotiabank Vanier College National Marketing Case Competition held earlier this month in Montreal.  Team Cambrian, powered by Manitoulin Transport, also placed third in their league at the Enactus Central Canada Innovation and Impact Challenge, held two three weeks ago in Mississauga.

“We are producing students that can compete with the best in Canada, and that says a lot about the quality of our students, and the quality of our faculty, administration, and support staff,” says Janice Clarke, Cambrian’s Vice-President Academic. “For Canada to remain competitive in the world of business, we need to produce the next generation of innovative leaders and that is certainly happening at Cambrian. We are very proud of what our students are achieving and who is teaching them.”

Business Analytics is one of nine programs offered in Cambrian’s School of Information Technology, along with another 20 programs offered through its Douglas A. Smith Family School of Business. Learn more at www.cambriancollege.ca/programs.

Photo: A team of Business Analytics students at Cambrian College placed first overall at the Higher Education Analytics Data (HEAD) competition held at Mohawk College in Hamilton, March 20-21. Team members include (left to right): Jenna Guse, faculty member and teach coach; Aderlly Lopez Lobato, student; Rohan Reddy Tirumalareddy, student; Chaitali Jani, student; and Farima Miri, faculty member and teach coach.