The Ripple Effect
One connection, one invitation, one opportunity can change everything.
The Ripple Effect
Built on Connection. Designed for Change.
City BuildHERS, in partnership with the University of Ottawa, presents The Ripple Effect — an evening designed to bring together the women shaping our cities across construction, development, engineering, architecture, planning, and the public sector.
The evening opens with a fireside conversation with Caroline Cao, Dean of Engineering at the University of Ottawa and the first woman to hold the role. Her journey from student to dean reflects the powerful ripple effect of women in leadership — how representation in education and industry can inspire the next generation and reshape the future of the built environment.
From there, the conversation expands into a dynamic panel with senior city-building leaders, exploring the moments when leadership, perspective, and opportunity created ripple effects across projects, careers, and communities. The panel features Kelly Rhodenizer, Senior Vice President Development at Colonnade BridgePort; Emma Blanchard, Municipal Lawyer and Partner at BLG; Kristi Castilloux, Senior Designer and Director at Gensler Ottawa; and Councillor Marty Carr, Ottawa City Council. Together with City BuildHERS co-founders Jennifer Cross, Director of Regional Development, Chandos Construction and Kristen Buter, General Manager Cavanagh Realty, they will share insights on how women’s voices influence the spaces we design, fund, build, and experience every day.
The evening also features a powerful keynote from GenWell — Canada’s Human Connection Movement. Founder Pete Bombaci and Angela Stathakos will explore how human connection shapes the health of our communities and the environments we create. Their message is simple but profound: the places we design and the communities we build have the power to foster belonging, strengthen relationships, and improve the well-being of those who live and work within them.
Together, these conversations explore how connection, leadership, and opportunity create ripple effects that extend far beyond a single project or moment in time.
The evening concludes with curated networking designed to spark meaningful introductions and new collaborations, bringing together women across the city-building ecosystem in a space intentionally designed for connection.
One connection, one invitation, one opportunity can change everything.
The Ripple Effect
Built on Connection. Designed for Change.
City BuildHERS, in partnership with the University of Ottawa, presents The Ripple Effect — an evening designed to bring together the women shaping our cities across construction, development, engineering, architecture, planning, and the public sector.
The evening opens with a fireside conversation with Caroline Cao, Dean of Engineering at the University of Ottawa and the first woman to hold the role. Her journey from student to dean reflects the powerful ripple effect of women in leadership — how representation in education and industry can inspire the next generation and reshape the future of the built environment.
From there, the conversation expands into a dynamic panel with senior city-building leaders, exploring the moments when leadership, perspective, and opportunity created ripple effects across projects, careers, and communities. The panel features Kelly Rhodenizer, Senior Vice President Development at Colonnade BridgePort; Emma Blanchard, Municipal Lawyer and Partner at BLG; Kristi Castilloux, Senior Designer and Director at Gensler Ottawa; and Councillor Marty Carr, Ottawa City Council. Together with City BuildHERS co-founders Jennifer Cross, Director of Regional Development, Chandos Construction and Kristen Buter, General Manager Cavanagh Realty, they will share insights on how women’s voices influence the spaces we design, fund, build, and experience every day.
The evening also features a powerful keynote from GenWell — Canada’s Human Connection Movement. Founder Pete Bombaci and Angela Stathakos will explore how human connection shapes the health of our communities and the environments we create. Their message is simple but profound: the places we design and the communities we build have the power to foster belonging, strengthen relationships, and improve the well-being of those who live and work within them.
Together, these conversations explore how connection, leadership, and opportunity create ripple effects that extend far beyond a single project or moment in time.
The evening concludes with curated networking designed to spark meaningful introductions and new collaborations, bringing together women across the city-building ecosystem in a space intentionally designed for connection.
Good to know
Highlights
- 3 hours
- In person
Refund Policy
Location
University of Ottawa, Huguette Labelle Hall
550 Cumberland Street
Tabaret Hall, Room 112 Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5
How do you want to get there?
Agenda
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Registration & Welcome Cocktail
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Fireside Chat with Caroline Cao, Dean of Engineering
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Panel Conversation
Panel Conversation The Ripple Effect in City-Building Leadership At the heart of the evening is a dynamic panel conversation exploring how leadership, perspective, and opportunity create ripple effects across projects, careers, and communities. Bringing together senior leaders from across the city-building ecosystem — Kelly Rhodenizer, Senior Vice President Development at Colonnade BridgePort; Emma Blanchard, Municipal Lawyer and Partner at BLG; Kristi Castilloux, Senior Designer and Director at Gensler Ottawa; and Councillor Marty Carr, Ottawa City Council — the discussion will examine the moments when a voice, a decision, or a connection changed the trajectory of a project or opened a door for someone else. The conversation will be guided by City BuildHERS co-founders; Jennifer Cross, Director of Regional Development at Chandos Construction, and Kristen Buter, General Manager at Cavanagh Realty. Drawing on their experience across constru