Two Decades. Three Women. One Constant.

The professional smart home industry has undergone dramatic shifts over the past two decades. Twenty years ago, the iPhone had not yet been released, VHS tapes were still common, and home automation was just beginning to enter the mainstream conversation. But through all this evolution, three things have remained constant in the industry: the dedicated presence of Wendy Griffiths, Amanda Cannon, and Jody Larsen.

- Interview by Jessica Bowes

These exceptional women have been with CEDIA since the mid-2000s—that’s more than half as long as CEDIA’s been around. With a combined wealth of knowledge, they graciously shared what's changed, what's stayed the same, and what continues to inspire their work in the smart home industry.

What was your path into the smart home industry? Did you ever have moments of doubt about whether this was the right industry for you, or did you always know this was where you belonged?

Wendy Griffiths, Senior Vice President, Membership & Global Development: Like many in the smart home industry, my path wasn’t a straight line. Interestingly, I began my career as a pharmaceutical buyer (another male-oriented industry) in South Africa before returning to the UK in the late 1990s. I chose to move from a corporate structure to something that I was passionate about: music and the world of publishing and events within the pro-audio, hi-fi, and consumer electronics space.

As the hi-fi world began to embrace multi-room audio and home cinema, it evolved into what we now know as “custom installation,” and I evolved with it. The transition felt organic, driven by a shared passion for sound and how to bring the live music experience into homes.

Did I always know this was the right industry for me? I think the answer revealed itself over time. Now, with over 25 years in this space, that sense of community and purpose is what grounded me then and continues to inspire me now.

Amanda Cannon, Membership Services