Alex Canavan, Founder and CEO of the CNY Women’s Network, credits her mother with being a catalyst behind her ambition for her company, saying, “My mom was the breadwinner in our family, and she was a very powerful woman who inspired me.”
Alex describes herself as a “connector and an entertainer” who always knew she wanted to build a brand. With the mission of bringing people together and creating community, Alex launched the first CNY Women’s Summit in 2022. After a successful second Summit in 2023, the event evolved into the CNY Women’s Network, centered in Syracuse, NY.
“I could feel the energy in the room at the second Summit, and I knew for a fact that if I didn’t act on it soon, someone else would jump at the opportunity to do what I wanted to do.”
Prior to launching her company, Alex was juggling multiple roles—running her makeup business, working part-time for Equitable Advisors, and handling social media and events for a restaurant and club. When she sought mentorship for business-building and found little available, she made a pivotal decision in the summer of 2023 to focus fully on developing the CNY Women’s Network.
Today, the CNY Women’s Network amplifies its members and their businesses through events, editorial features, a robust online directory, active social media presence, and the Cultivate CNY podcast, where Alex interviews diverse business leaders and trailblazers in Central New York.
“We want to be known as the marketing partner for women-owned businesses across upstate New York,” she affirmed.
This year’s CNY Women’s Summit, held at the Oncenter in Syracuse on March 7, exceeded all expectations. With an initial goal of 350–400 attendees, the event sold out at 470 participants from across the region. Alex shared that the dramatic growth since the first year prompted her to invest, this year, in bringing in keynote speaker Candy Valentino.
“I think that bringing in Candy ended up elevating what the CNY Women’s Summit is, and what it can be. Having women of this caliber will hopefully, in the long run, attract much deeper partnerships with companies that are striving for excellence, which is what we’re all about.”
The 2024 event also featured an expanded speaker lineup—growing from around 13 speakers last year to 30 this year. Sessions were layered with multiple breakout rooms, allowing attendees to build their own experience.
“It was really important for us to have a gorgeous event…and for the production and audio to be just as good as the stage design. I was so happy with the lighting, production and the backdrop that Cheshire AV brought in for us.
“I wanted something different than pipe and drape this year that would add a little more dimension. I think they knocked it out of the park, honestly. I’m so glad they were able to take care of that part of it instead of having to contract someone separately to bring it in, so I loved that.”
Alex is referring to the 28’ x 10’ backdrop created using Cheshire AV’s new Quest FormSet Tiles—innovative, three-dimensional scenic tiles that offer dynamic color customization and unique configurations to complement any brand. The tiles are white by default but can be lit and rotated in any 90° angle to form striking visual displays.
Julian Felder, the event’s video lead, noted that a mockup of the layout is designed in advance, and the configuration of the tiles makes it easy to execute—even when working with freelance crews unfamiliar with the system.
Though this was the fourth year of the Summit, it marked Alex’s second year working with Cheshire AV.
“I just love the communication. It was easy, smooth, clear…. It’s just great to work with a team like Cheshire because everyone’s such an expert and you can just hand over that control, which for me was the most important part.”
She added, “As you build a company, you realize that it’s much better to make the investment in the team that will get the job done instead of just partnering with people that are less experienced. I feel like each time you work together, the relationship deepens and you’re able to make more progress together. I would much rather nurture and maintain a relationship than constantly look for a new partner.”
“They also have a great team,” shared Alex, commenting on how professional and competent each of Cheshire’s staff was.
Looking ahead to the future, Alex explained, “We’re very much still developing a lot of the business…. The CNY Women’s Network is so much more than I originally thought it would be and there’s also still so much potential and so many avenues in which we can take it, so it’s very exciting, and I’m really grateful.“
Cheshire AV is proud and honored to partner with such a young, vibrant, and purpose-driven company. Supporting the CNY Women’s Network as it grows and evolves has been incredibly rewarding, and we’re excited to continue playing a role in helping them bring their vision to life.
