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City BuildHERS reveals ‘what’s possible’ for women in construction, design, real estate

Sold-out event for women held on eve of International Women's Day

March 8, 2024

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City BuildHERS was back in action last night, looking as chic, confident and empowered as ever.

The all-women event hit full capacity, attracting some 170 attendees and generating a waiting list. Its popularity is a testament to the growing demand among women from the commercial construction, design and real estate industries to connect with one another, said co-founders Jennifer Cross, business development manager for MARANT Construction, and Kristen Buter, vice president of property management at Mastercraft Starwood.

From left, City BuildHERS co-founders Jennifer Cross, business development manager for MARANT Construction, and Kristen Buter, vice president of property management at Mastercraft Starwood, have created a new way for women working in male-populated industries to connect with one another and build professional relationships. Photo by Caroline Phillips

The pair launched City BuildHERS last June, less as an event series and more as a movement “to keep shining the light on the fact that there are women out there doing great things,” Cross explained. It’s about featuring women leaders who are working in a male-populated sector “to showcase what’s possible.”

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The latest City BuilderHERS featured a group of women engineers and architects involved with the largest, most complex heritage building renovation project ever undertaken in Canada: restoring and modernizing Centre Block on Parliament Hill.

The choice of the National Arts Centre’s O’Born Room for the gathering was perfect. It offered panoramic views of the national landmark, along with the city’s downtown. The room looked especially stunning thanks to the work of local marketing agency TRUEdotDesign. It installed a champagne wall and added stylish furniture. The stage, with its lush plants and velvety couches in emerald green hues, resembled a luxurious living room. The City BuildHERS neon sign was also a nice touch.

Last night’s event featured a panel consisting of Annegret Hayward, Lynn Ferron and Tanya Crowder from global design, architecture, engineering and planning firm HOK and Susan Vivian, Sarah Zakaib and Christie Lyons from design and engineering consulting firm WSP.

They shared the winding journey of their career path in a way that was relatable and inspiring to the crowd. City BuildHERS is about having real conversations, Cross said of the immersive “fly on the wall” type of experience. “It’s not about regurgitating the same old, same old stuff”.

City BuildHERS featured a discussion with women professional leaders working on Ottawa’s most iconic project, Centre Block’s Rehabilitation Project. Photo by Caroline Phillips

City BuildHERS featured a discussion with women, including structural engineer Sarah Zakaib from WSP, who are working on the Centre Block Rehabilitation Project. Photo by Caroline Phillips

HOK’s Annegret Hayward, who’s the principal in charge of the Centre Block Rehabilitation project, spoke at the City BuildHERS event held at the National Arts Centre on Thursday, March 7, 2024. Photo by Caroline Phillips

City BuildHERS featured a discussion with women working on the Centre Block Rehabilitation Project, including Tanya Crowder — a former professional dancer and choreographer who’s now a senior design technology specialist with HOK Architects. Photo by Caroline Phillips

A sold-out crowd of 170 attended the City BuildHERS event held at the National Arts Centre on Thursday, March 7, 2024. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Project director Susan Vivian from design and engineering consulting firm WSP spoke about her career and involvement in the restoring and modernizing of Centre Block on Parliament Hill at City BuildHERS. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, Sarah Zakaib, Susan Vivian, Tanya Crowder, Christie Lyons, Annegret Hayward and Lynn Ferron were the featured panelists for Women at the Centre, as part of the City BuildHERS event held at the National Arts Centre’s O’Born Room on Thursday, March 7, 2024. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Organizers told Ottawa Business Journal that the response to City BuildHERS has been “overwhelming”, both in ticket sales and sponsorship engagement.

In officially welcoming everyone to the event, Cross told the room: “The fact of the matter is that we would not be here if it was not for all of you. The support that has been showered on us is extraordinary. Everywhere we go people are telling us, ‘We’re going to your event, we’re so excited, we’ve got our tickets’.”

Cross continued thanking attendees for their presence and ongoing support, emphasizing the significance of representation.

The founders also found special meaning in sharing the event with their daughters that night.

The women’s partnership began almost two years ago, after Buter read an Ottawa Business Journal article about Cross, when she started her new role with MARANT Construction. After connecting on the professional networking platform LinkedIn, they decided to meet for lunch. They clicked instantly.

“We couldn’t believe that we didn’t know each other already, given that we’re both in the same industry,” said Cross, who acknowledged that she struggled, at first, to navigate the construction industry when she started with MARANT.

The pair realized that they could work together with other women to help each other grow in their careers. “There are women in construction, there are women in engineering and architecture, but we don’t know each other. In order to have this power of sisterhood, we need to interconnect and find a platform that brings everyone together.”