The Portal - Utica

The Portal - Utica The Portal is a space for progressive leadership, cultural innovation, and embodied strategy. Founded by Chelan Vanno.

We host community events, executive consulting, curated experiences, and membership-based access.

03/02/2026

Monday Morning at The Portal is a half-day container for starting the week with clarity and shared energy — without noise, without pressure.

We begin with a guided somatic clarity practice.
Then the space opens until 1 PM for quiet work, conversation, reflection, or collaboration.

No agenda.
Just common ground.

If remote work has started to feel isolating…
If you miss small moments of connection…

Join us.

🗓 Monday, March 9 & March 23
⏰ 8:30 AM – 1:00 PM
💛 $45 Day Pass
📍 The Portal · 412 Main Street, Utica

Visit the Space page on our website to register.

Let’s begin the week differently.



Monday Morning at The Portal

02/28/2026

I used to think power meant having the perfect words.

Being polished. Being certain. Being impressive.

Now I know it’s something quieter.

Power isn’t performance.
It’s regulation.
It’s steadiness.
It’s staying in the room when your nervous system wants to run.

It’s feeling the heat rise in your chest…
and choosing not to disappear.

Fear doesn’t go away.
You just learn how to sit beside it.
You learn how to let it come as information.

This week looked like deep conversations. Big ideas. Moments where it would’ve been easier to shrink.

But shrinking is a habit.
Steadiness is a practice.

And every time you stay —
in the meeting,
in the conversation,
in your own becoming —
you rewire what power feels like in your body.

Not loud.
Not flashy.
Regulated. Rooted. Real.

If you’re building something that stretches you… this is your reminder:
you don’t have to eliminate fear.
You just have to stay.

✨ Smart Cookies at The Portal ✨Alexandra did such a wonderful job creating a space where financial conversations felt ap...
02/26/2026

✨ Smart Cookies at The Portal ✨

Alexandra did such a wonderful job creating a space where financial conversations felt approachable, thoughtful, and genuinely supportive. She shared practical insights, answered questions with clarity and care, and made what can often feel intimidating… feel accessible.

And then — we painted cookies. 🎨🍪

There’s something unexpectedly powerful about brushes in hand, decorating cookies while talking about money, goals, fears, and plans. Laughter softened the edges. Curiosity replaced hesitation. Conversations unfolded naturally.

What stood out most?
The connection.

Community reconnections and new introductions being made.

Women realizing they weren’t the only ones with certain questions.

I loved walking people around The Portal and sharing why this room was built the way it was. The Vessel was designed for exactly this: conversations that matter, learning that feels human, gatherings that blend education with experience.

The space was full. The energy was warm. And the night felt aligned with the deeper vision — creating environments where people feel safe enough to ask, connect, and grow.

Grateful to Jessica for the creativity, to Alexandra for leading with confidence and generosity, and to everyone who showed up open and engaged.

More moments like this to come. 💛

02/25/2026

Hey everyone! 🌟

The wait is almost over—the Smart Cookie Event kicks off in just 24 hours! 🎉 Are you ready to join us for an unforgettable experience filled with learning, networking, and fun?

📅 Date: February 25th at 5:30 PM
📍 Location: The Portal
412 Main Street
Utica, NY 13501

👉 Don’t miss out—there’s still time to register! Secure your spot now and be part of this amazing event.

Free entry, registration required: https://guitar-sphere-wnx5.squarespace.com/attend

Let’s make tomorrow extraordinary. See you there! 🎉

02/23/2026

Curious about how you can use this space?

To learn more visit our website at: theportalutica.com/spaces or email us today to get started.

📧 info@theportalutica.com

There are plenty of places where you can learn choreography.What’s harder to find is a space where you can practice embo...
02/23/2026

There are plenty of places where you can learn choreography.

What’s harder to find is a space where you can practice embodiment in community.

Revealed: The Art of Burlesque lives in that space.

For me, this series isn’t about performing. It’s about creating a container where women can experiment with identity, confidence, sensuality, humor, and power — without pressure or comparison. The stage is an option, not the point.

When a small group commits to eight weeks together, something happens. Laughter gets louder. Shoulders drop. Confidence builds. Not because someone tells you to “be bold,” but because you practice taking up space in a room that feels steady.

That’s the kind of environment inside The Portal.

I moved through the first series as a student, and I’m excited to be returning to the stage in May for the showcase.

The next cohort begins 3/2. Limited space.

Register at: https://app.acuityscheduling.com/catalog.php?owner=30797059&action=addCart&clear=1&id=2038136

02/22/2026

There’s something powerful about being guided by someone who embodies the work.

This spring, Cleo Qupid will be your guide inside Revealed: The Art of Burlesque — an 8-week immersive series at The Portal exploring embodiment, confidence, character, and creative self-expression.

This isn’t just about “learning to dance.” It’s about learning to inhabit yourself more fully. To move with intention. To take up space. To be witnessed in a room that feels safe.

The first class begins 3/2, and the cohort is intentionally small.

If you’ve been curious, now’s the time.
Registration closes soon.
$300 for the full series. Link in bio.

02/21/2026

hope everyone has a great weekend 👇

No one talks enough about the isolation.Remote work.Solo entrepreneurship.Running things from home.On paper it’s flexibl...
02/21/2026

No one talks enough about the isolation.

Remote work.
Solo entrepreneurship.
Running things from home.

On paper it’s flexible.
In reality? It can be quiet in a way that drains you.

When I was working fully remote, I noticed something — even stepping back into a not-so-aesthetically-pleasing cubicle felt refreshing. Just being around people again shifted my energy.

Now I get to choose. I can be “in the office” at The Portal — a space intentionally designed to feel beautiful and inspiring — or cozy at home in my study, or outside when the weather is nice.

I love both.

But I’ve learned that physically being around other humans, even quietly working alongside them, changes something.

That’s one of the reasons The Portal exists.

We’re dedicated to offline space.
Shared space.
Common ground.

Monday Morning isn’t traditional coworking. It’s about starting your week in alignment — in a room built for connection and collaboration, even if the people around you aren’t your coworkers.

We begin with a grounding somatic clarity practice with Alanna Bone.

Then the space is open to work, think, connect, or simply not feel alone in your ideas.

🗓 February 23rd
⏰ 8:30 AM – 1:00 PM
💛 $45 Day Pass
📍 The Portal · 412 Main Street, Utica

If you’ve been craving real-world energy again,
visit the Space page on our website to register.

Let’s start the week together.

Register at: theportalutica.as.me/mondaymorning

Address

412 Main Street
Downtown Utica, NY
13501

Telephone

+13154042579

Website

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Gratitude Daily

Chelan Vanno, founder of Infinite Illumination Yoga, is a certified instructor of Kundalini Yoga and Meditation. She received her certification from the Kundalini Research Institute in 2018 and has studied with some of the most renowned instructors in the country. Her lead teacher was Kartar Khalsa, who has received many honors, including being named as the International Kundalini Yoga Teacher Association’s Teacher of the Year in 2014. She received additional instruction in sound and mantra from internationally known recording artist Sat Purkh Kaur Khalsa, and training in posture and alignment from Siri Sat Kaur, founder of Kundalini Yatras Inc.

As a mother and business professional, Chelan was in search of a way to find balance and peace in her life. In an attempt to overcome some personal struggles, she attended a wellness retreat in 2017 that featured Kundalini Yoga. The experience had a profound impact and inspired her to dive deep into its practices and spiritual principles. The transformational shifts this evoked, led to an undeniable need to share the benefits of Kundalini Yoga with others.

She now finds fulfillment and joy in enlightening her own students on these ancient practices, sharing techniques that can be used in everyday life to release stress, find emotional balance and awaken intuition. Her classes, which consist of breathing techniques, physical practices and mantra meditation, are aimed at building physical vitality and expanding consciousness.