Napa and Sonoma’s hospitality community marks the retirement of a beloved advocate
April 21, 2026 (Healdsburg, CA) — After sixteen years of championing the hospitality professionals of Napa and Sonoma, Colby Smith has announced the official close of CANVAS — a community organization dedicated to connecting, celebrating, and showcasing the region’s concierge teams, winery hosts, tour operators, hotel staff, and experience curators.
Co-founded in 2009 by Smith and Monica Stevens, CANVAS was built on the belief that the people behind the guest experience are the true heartbeat of Wine Country. After its inaugural year Stevens went on to make her own remarkable contributions to the region.
CANVAS built its legacy through signature events: Research Days, CANVAS Connects, Quick Connects, Hospitality Training sessions, the CANVAS Hospitality Excellence Awards, and five regional Trade Shows that drew buyers and visitors from as far as New York and Texas.
“Sixteen years is no small chapter,” said Smith. “As I looked back through photos and stories, each person who found value in our work showed up vividly in my mind. You were there — with your enthusiasm, your commitment, and your joy. Wine Country thrives because of you.”
The CANVAS Trade Shows were a particular point of pride, putting Northern California Wine Country’s local businesses in front of visitors and buyers from Silicon Valley, San Francisco, Sacramento, and beyond. The organization’s professional recommenders — the curators of the guest experience — are credited with influencing millions of dollars spent in the region annually.
Smith is now based in Healdsburg, where she works part-time at Susan Graf on the Healdsburg Plaza. She has also launched Colby’s Compass — a new personal growth platform where she writes about navigating life’s pivots with honesty, humor and grace. She is also completing a book, details of which she promises to share in the months ahead.
“It has been my privilege to serve this community,” she said. “Thank you for making CANVAS not just a business — but a community I will always be proud of.”
To read the full retirement announcement, reminisce with a photo gallery and follow Colby’s next chapter, visit her new publication Colby’s Compass at: colbyscompass.substack.com
