In the construction industry, sometimes all it takes is one woman helping another to get something bigger off the ground.

It might start with an introduction, a recommendation or an invitation. In the case of Jennifer Cross, regional director of development at Chandos Construction, and Kristen Cannon, general manager at Cavanagh Properties, it began with one woman reaching out to the other on LinkedIn a few years back.

That led to lunch, more conversations and get-togethers, and eventually to City BuildHERS, their networking and professional growth group for women across construction, real estate, architecture, engineering and land development.

City BuildHERS held its latest gathering Thursday in Huguette Labelle Hall, named after one of the former chancellors at the University of Ottawa. The university partnered with the group on the event.

A sold-out crowd of 125 came out for The Ripple Effect, a name that fit the idea of how one connection can lead to another.

It had been a full year since City BuildHERS’ last gathering, with founders Cross and Cannon juggling busy careers along with some life changes. “We promise not to stay away as long again,” Cannon told the crowd.

It was also nice to see Lauren Epp there, given that she helped City BuildHERS get its very first event off the ground at the Redblacks’ 2023 home opener. Epp was with OSEG (Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group) at the time. She now works in event management at uOttawa.

The formal program featured a discussion with Caroline Cao, the dean of the Faculty of Engineering at uOttawa, followed by a panel with Kelly Rhodenizer, senior vice president of development at Colonnade BridgePort; Megan Wallace, director, mechanical at BPA; Kristi Castilloux, interior designer and project director at Gensler; and Erin O’Connell, senior planner with the City of Ottawa.

From left, Caroline Cao, dean of the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Ottawa, City BuildHERS co-founders Jennifer Cross (Chandos Construction) and Kristen Cannon (Cavanagh Properties), and Trista Lynch-Black, director of major gifts and corporate partnerships at uOttawa, at the City BuildHERS: The Ripple Effect gathering held at the university. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Cao spoke about how engineering has changed dramatically over the past 20 years, moving away from siloed disciplines toward much more collaborative work. Today’s problems, she said, are too complex for engineers, governments, universities and industry to tackle separately.

On the hot topic of AI, Cao said it’s definitely here, it’s moving fast and the challenge is figuring out how to use it well. She even borrowed a line from hockey great Wayne Gretzky: “I skate to where the puck is going to be, [not where it has been].”

The rapid pace, however, isn’t necessarily being matched by adoption, the room heard. Cross summed up the hesitation with a quote she recently heard from Canada’s AI minister, Evan Solomon: “Adoption moves at the speed of trust.”

Cao was optimistic that AI won’t change humanity. It will change how we work, making us more productive and improving the quality of what we do, she added.

The dean also said industry and universities still have some catching up to do when it comes to Gen Z. She described younger students and workers as more focused on sustainability, social justice, global issues and work-life integration, and argued that older generations shouldn’t always expect them to conform to the old way of doing things. Workplaces, she said, need to understand where they’re coming from and meet them partway.

From left, City BuildHERS co-founder Jennifer Cross, regional director of development at Chandos Construction; Caroline Cao, dean of the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Ottawa; and City BuildHERS co-founder Kristen Cannon, general manager at Cavanagh Properties, at City BuildHERS’ latest event, held in Huguette Labelle Hall at the University of Ottawa’s Tabaret Hall. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, Jennifer Scotland, owner of Albec Painting and Coatings, and Kristina Hamilton, principal at Hamilton Recruiting, at City BuildHERS: The Ripple Effect, held in partnership with the University of Ottawa on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026. Photo by Caroline Phillips

A sold-out crowd of 125 gathered in Huguette Labelle Hall at the University of Ottawa’s Tabaret Hall for City BuildHERS: The Ripple Effect. Photo by Caroline Phillips

The panel discussion felt more like a lively conversation. It was relatable, insightful and at times funny. The women shared their career paths, talked about the difference between merely having a seat at the table and actually having influence, and encouraged others to challenge the “this is the way we’ve always done it” attitude in the workplace. Their advice wasn’t that everyone has to be the loudest person in the room but that influence can look different depending on personality.

There was an interesting generational discussion, too. Panelists credited Gen Z with being better at boundaries, self-advocacy and taking care of themselves. One leader described how she encouraged a young employee dealing with concussion symptoms to go home early, then realized she herself felt terrible and was trying to get through the day. It made her question why she was willing to extend that compassion to an employee but not herself. Her message was: take the afternoon off if you need to. The world will survive.

City BuildHERS: The Ripple Effect featured, from left, Kristi Castilloux, Erin O’Connell, Jennifer Cross, Kristen Cannon, Kelly Rhodenizer and Megan Wallace in a panel discussion. Photo by Caroline Phillips

The conversation also focused on the value of relationships among women in traditionally male-dominated industries.

One example was WiLD (Women In Land Development), an annual golf tournament launched 17 or 18 years ago as the women’s answer to their male counterparts’ ski trip at Mont Tremblant. It began with just 40 women from engineering, planning and development, said Rhodenizer, who started it with Kadus Group co-founder and senior partner Jennifer Murray and others.

Today, WiLD sells out with 144 golfers. It was recently held at the Gatineau Golf & Country Club in support of Bruyère Health Foundation.

Sure, it’s fun and social, but the tournament is also about building a network of planners, lawyers, engineers, developers and other women in the industry they can turn to for advice when they need it, said Rhodenizer. “It’s about creating your own pockets of people and relationships that you can work with.”

After the discussion, Cross and Cannon encouraged attendees not to be shy about meeting new women at the event and about growing their professional networks. “Take your business cards out; it’s allowed,” said Cross. “This is why we’re here, to add value to each other.”

Added Cannon: “Ask, ‘How can I help you? How can we work together? Who do you need to know?’ because you all know somebody in this room and can help somebody out. You could be the ripple for somebody else.”

That next connection could also happen at Habitat for Humanity Greater Ottawa’s Steel Toes & Stilettos Gala, happening Saturday, Nov. 14, at Infinity Convention Centre. That’s where Cannon and Rhodenizer first met. More specifically, in the women’s bathroom over a compliment about Cannon’s short, edgy cut. It just goes to show that networking can happen just about anywhere.

From left, City BuildHERS co-founder Jennifer Cross; Kelly Rhodenizer, senior vice president of development at Colonnade BridgePort; and City BuildHERS co-founder Kristen Cannon, general manager at Cavanagh Properties, at City BuildHERS: The Ripple Effect, held at the University of Ottawa on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Megan Wallace, director, mechanical at BPA, was part of a panel discussion held at City BuildHERS, a professional networking platform for women in the construction, real estate, architecture, engineering and land development industries. Photo by Caroline Phillips

A sold-out crowd of 125 gathered in Huguette Labelle Hall at the University of Ottawa’s Tabaret Hall for City BuildHERS: The Ripple Effect. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, Shawna Blanchard, director of fund development at Habitat for Humanity Greater Ottawa, and the non-profit organization’s CEO, Sara Cooper, at the City BuildHERS event held at the University of Ottawa on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, Nancy Graham, chapter chair of the Women Presidents Organization; Jennifer Miller, owner of SHOWROOM furniture and lighting; Carrie Irvine, founder and CEO of Carrie Irvine Communications; and Soley Soucie, founder of The Treehouse Group of Companies, at the City BuildHERS event held at the University of Ottawa on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Kristi Castilloux, interior designer and project director at Gensler, was part of a panel discussion held at City BuildHERS, a professional networking platform for women in the construction, real estate, architecture, engineering and land development industries. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, Michelle McKendrick, senior account executive, real estate and professional services, at Altis Recruitment, and Lori Devereux, bilingual director of construction and property management at Altis Recruitment, at the City BuildHERS: The Ripple Effect gathering held at the University of Ottawa. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Erin O’Connell, senior planner with the City of Ottawa, participated in a panel discussion during City BuildHERS: The Ripple Effect, held at the University of Ottawa. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Jennifer Murray, co-founder and senior partner at Kadus Group, and Kadus Group development analyst Charlotte McLaughlin at City BuildHERS: The Ripple Effect, held at the University of Ottawa. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Kelly Rhodenizer, senior vice president of development at Colonnade BridgePort, was part of a panel discussion held at City BuildHERS, a professional networking platform for women in the construction, real estate, architecture, engineering and land development industries. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, City BuildHERS co-founders Kristen Cannon and Jennifer Cross with the University of Ottawa’s Lauren Epp, who helped the women launch their first event in 2023 at an Ottawa Redblacks game. Photo by Caroline Phillips

A sold-out crowd of 125 gathered in Huguette Labelle Hall at the University of Ottawa’s Tabaret Hall for City BuildHERS: The Ripple Effect. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, real estate broker Jen Alvarenga, co-owner of GoodStory; Jonelle Istead, associate vice president of philanthropy at The Ottawa Hospital Foundation; and Jennifer Van Noort, chief development officer at The Ottawa Hospital Foundation, at the University of Ottawa’s Tabaret Hall for City BuildHERS: The Ripple Effect. Photo by Caroline Phillips

A sold-out crowd of 125 gathered in Huguette Labelle Hall at the University of Ottawa’s Tabaret Hall for City BuildHERS: The Ripple Effect. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, Stephanie Craze, director of program operations at Ottawa Network for Education (ONFE); Tracy Noble-Botting, director of marketing and communications for ONFE; and Nadine Kopp, principal at Matrix Heritage, at City BuildHERS: The Ripple Effect, held at the University of Ottawa. Photo by Caroline Phillips

A sold-out crowd of 125 gathered in Huguette Labelle Hall at the University of Ottawa’s Tabaret Hall for City BuildHERS: The Ripple Effect. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Jennifer Cross, left, and Kristen Cannon, seen in Huguette Labelle Hall at the University of Ottawa’s Tabaret Hall, founded City BuildHERS together in 2023. Photo by Caroline Phillips

This article is made possible through sponsorship from Star Motors, WEALTH (WCPD), Syntax Strategic, RBC, Marilyn Wilson Dream Properties, ExecHealth, Altis Recruitment, Bell Canada, First Avenue Investment Counsel, Welch LLP, Brazeau Seller Law, Westland Benefits and Ottawa Rapid FC.

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