Leader in the Making
Ali Pankowski - Class of 2023
For former professional ice hockey player Ali Pankowski, skills learned on the ice— teamwork, quick thinking, and adaptability—are instrumental to her success as a veterinary student and entrepreneur.
Growing up, Pankowski and her sister Annie, a veterinary student at the University of Wisconsin, spent a lot of time at a veterinary hospital in Orange County owned and operated by their parents. Although she always thought of being a veterinarian, Pankowski worried that it was the comfortable choice. As a public policy major at Princeton University, she considered law school and worked in a district attorney’s office researching cold cases. Then came the opportunity to play professional ice hockey in Switzerland for a year.
When Pankowski returned to southern California after living abroad, she helped her parents set up a laboratory at their clinic. The experience renewed her interest in veterinary medicine, so she applied to veterinary school.
Trying other things first has made vet school a great experience because I know that this is where my interests truly lie.
– Ali Pankowski
When the COVID-19 pandemic sent classes online, Pankowski and her sister moved home to keep up with their clinical skills and help with the family business. They gained an unexpected appreciation for the challenges behind transferring and reading veterinary medical records.
“We hoped that when we pulled up a case we weren’t going to get a 300-page record,” reflected Pankowski. “We agreed that there has to be a better way to do this.”
After returning to in-person instruction, an opportunity arose to address the issue. An open call from the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation and High Alpha Innovation’s Venture Studio sought ideas for problems that could be solved with software. The Pankowski sisters interviewed hundreds of veterinarians and other stakeholders to come up with their product, Transfur, which leverages advanced technologies like artificial intelligence to request, send, manage and review clinically relevant information from an animal’s medical records.
Their concept was chosen as one of 150 ideas to participate in a weeklong “hackathon” competition. After a successful pitch to investors on the final day, they claimed the top prize of $500,000. The winnings enabled them to hire a CEO and build the product, which is nearing a commercial launch.
Pankowski is looking toward graduation in 2023, an internship at the University of Pennsylvania, and a residency in small animal surgery or emergency. In her free time, she stays active by practicing Olympic-style weightlifting and hiking with her dog, Bruce.
In addition to family support, she credits sports as part of her equation for success.
“Playing hockey significantly influenced my experiences,” said Pankowski. “In vet school, you’re constantly working with new people with different personalities, backgrounds, and interests and trying to form a cohesive unit in a short amount of time to achieve a shared goal.”
Similarly, with Transfur she had to learn to assume different roles.
“When we started Transfur, we were the ‘captains’,” she said. “Then we hired a CEO and had to navigate how to provide insight in different ways.”
Above all, sports taught her to handle new situations with confidence.
“I wouldn’t give up my sports background for anything,” she said.