SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – Hundreds of businesswomen in the region gathered at The Oncenter in downtown Syracuse on Friday for the 5th annual CNY Women’s Summit.
The 27-year-old entrepreneur, Alex Canavan, has led the conference since the beginning.
Rising CNY businesswoman conducts 5th annual CNY Woman’s Summit
Alex Canavan: “I’ll be honest. I think the gateway drug into this entrepreneurship journey was definitely the outfits for me.”
*crowd laughs*
Joseph Duffey: The 5th annual CNY Women’s Summit took place on Friday. But don’t be fooled – the 27-year-old mind behind the event, Alex Canavan, is no joke.
Canavan: I mean, there’s so many familiar faces that come to this event year over year, but I’m always surprised to see new faces and a lot of the times, the CNY Women’s Summit is people’s first event when they experience the CNY Women’s Network.
Duffey: A new face this year was Jayla Lane, an assistant VP in AmeriCU Credit Union virtual services. Lane, new to CNY, heard about the event at her job.
Jayla Lane: I actually heard about it through some co-workers. I’m new to the New York area and wanted to be surrounded with like-minded individuals, so they let me know about this event.
Duffey: And a magazine editor appeared to connect with her target base.
Trish Mock: I really wanted to meet more female entrepreneurs because those are the primary subjects of my magazine. I love to interview women and find out all of the interesting and amazing things that the women are doing around Finger Lakes and Western New York.
Duffey: Canavan is the founder of the CNY Women’s Network, an independent media company that connects brands across Upstate New York. The Liverpool HS alum is a former freelance makeup artist but was inspired to climb the ranks in business and realized mentorship was a key factor.
Gwen Crossett: I wanted something more, so then I started my own business.
Canavan: Yeah.
Duffey: Canavan hosts her own podcast called “Cultivate”, a Syracuse-produced show where she interviews industry leaders.
Duffey: For the 27-year-old businesswoman, the event has grown astronomically. Now, in its fifth year, impacting so many women in Central New York, Alex plans to take this even to new heights.
Canavan: I’m excited to say that this year, we’re going to begin expanding the network beyond Central New York. Our next supper club is going to be on May 1st, and we’re hosting that in Saratoga Springs at the beautiful Adelphi Hotel.
Duffey: Canavan has already made a name for herself in her quick ascent, but in her rise, it’s her character that shines.
Tracy Dando: Alex is a light, and it’s been incredible to watch her grow into her confidence and grow into these visions and these dreams that she has around her. She’s been a friend, and I’m just incredibly proud of her.
The summit was an unquestionable success, but the lesson Canavan’s story provides is that you’re never too young to lead. Joseph Duffey, NCC News.
“There’s so many familiar faces that come to this event year over year,” Canavan said. “I’m always surprised to see new faces, and a lot of the times, the CNY Women’s Summit is people’s first event when they experience the CNY Women’s Network.”
One of those new faces was Jayla Lane, an assistant vice president at AmeriCU Credit Union virtual services.
“I actually heard about it through some co-workers,” Lane said. “I’m new to the New York area and wanted to be surrounded with like-minded individuals, so they let me know about this event.”
Canavan is the founder of CNY Women’s Network, an independent media company that amplifies brands across Upstate New York. She also hosts her own podcast called “Cultivate,” in which she interviews industry leaders.
Canavan is a Liverpool High School alumna and earned an associate’s degree in business administration and management from Onondaga Community College in 2022.
The young entrepreneur takes pride in building the largest women’s business media brand in the region without a “fancy degree.”
[CNY] is an incredible place to start a business,” Canavan said. “This is my second business that I’m building here in Central New York, and I just think that it’s an incredible place to build a business because there’s so much room for innovation.”
The conference also welcomed businesswomen like Trish Mock, editor-in-chief of “Good Psyche” magazine.
“I really wanted to meet more female entrepreneurs because those are the primary subjects of my magazine,” Mock said. “I love to interview women and find out all of the interesting and amazing things that the women are doing around Finger Lakes and Western New York.”
Shamina Taylor, a business mentor and wealth coach, was the keynote speaker of the event. A former attorney, Taylor hosts “The Unapologetically Rich Show” podcast. Taylor has inspired Canavan for years, and she still listens to her podcast every week.
“Her work has been instrumental in my own personal growth and leadership journey over the last year,” Canavan said. “It was really just a natural decision because of the impact she’s made on my journey. I just know that everyone in this community had to hear her speak today.”
In its fifth edition, the CNY Women’s Summit has grown. However, for Canavan’s peers like Tracy Dando, the most impressive aspect of this rise is her unwavering character.
“Alex is a light, and it has been incredible to watch her grow into her confidence and grow into these visions and these dreams that she has around her,” Dando said. “She’s been a friend, and I’m just incredibly proud of her.”