Latest news with #Stenger
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Podcast lets listeners delve into the quirky things that make Naperville, Naperville
Dana Bern and Stuart Meyer share a self-proclaimed nerd-hood for all things Naperville. It's a loving fascination, one the longtime friends relish. Now, they want to get the whole community — and really any potential Naperville buffs out there — in on the intrigue. Bern and Meyer have started a new podcast dedicated to 'peeling back the layers' on Naperville, the pair says. Dubbed 'Naperville Unwrapped,' the podcast releases weekly. Episodes are short, just over five minutes at most, and focus on the idiosyncrasies — whether that's a person, place or phenomenon — that make Naperville, Naperville. Launched earlier this spring, nine episodes have been released to date. Topics have ranged from the history of Naperville's Centennial Beach to nature exploration at Knoch Knolls Park. 'We're really just looking to turn Naperville inside out for all to see,' Meyer said. Meyer and Bern have known each other for years, they said. The pair met through their kids, who attended elementary through high school in Naperville together. 'They were best buddies,' Bern said. Bern is a real estate agent who has lived in Naperville for more than two decades. Originally from Wilmette, she was living in Chicago when in 2004, her family decided it was time to move, she said. They had a wide breadth of places to choose from but Bern recalled going out to Naperville to attend Ribfest right around when they were weighing their options. The city piqued her interest and 'that was that,' she said. Meanwhile, Meyer founded and owns Social Frequency Media Communications and lived in Naperville for more than 20 years. He moved to Florida in 2022 but still visits Naperville a few times a year. In that time, Meyer remained in touch with Bern. Towards the beginning of the year, the pair started toying with the idea of launching a podcast. The venture was born out of their affinity for Naperville and their desire to tell its story — especially from a local's perspective — to a wider audience, they said. 'It's really a fresh lens on a familiar place,' Meyer said. 'I mean Naperville, let's face it, so many of us love it but it can get a bad rap from people who have never stepped foot in our community. My intention (is that this podcast) is a love letter (to the city).' Meyer and Bern decided to create a concise podcast that gives listeners audio snapshots into anything fun, quirky and quintessentially Naperville. Their first episode released April 22 and tells the story of how Naperville became Naperville, taking listeners back to the city's founding in 1831. Another episode highlights Stenger Brewery, one of Naperville's earliest brewhouses. The same episode also offers a fun fact about a famous employee who worked at Stenger (and in the interest of staying spoiler-free, will remain anonymous here). There's an episode about the Naperville Cow Tunnel, built to be used by cattle more than 100 years ago near Webster Street and the current BNSF railroad north of downtown, and another about stargazing with the Naperville Astronomical Association. Bern acts as host for the podcast, or as she says to listeners, is 'your local curatorial tour guide' each episode. Meyer, who has previous experience podcasting, stays behind the scenes. Asked what other subjects they hope to delve into, Meyer and Bern said they already have a list of nearly 100 topics in their back pocket. With their first batch of episodes out, they say the response so far has been 'incredible.' And the duo is having a pretty good time producing the content too. 'I'm having a ball,' Bern said. 'I'm loving it. I love talking to people. I'm probably talking people's ears off about it, but I'm just having so much fun.' 'We're just really looking forward to seeing what the road ahead has (in store) as people continue to fall in love with the show,' Meyer said. '…Who knows what we'll be able to do once that really starts to happen.' 'Naperville Unwrapped' is streaming on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Episodes are also available at tkenny@
Chicago Tribune
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Podcast lets listeners delve into the quirky things that make Naperville, Naperville
Dana Bern and Stuart Meyer share a self-proclaimed nerd-hood for all things Naperville. It's a loving fascination, one the longtime friends relish. Now, they want to get the whole community — and really any potential Naperville buffs out there — in on the intrigue. Bern and Meyer have started a new podcast dedicated to 'peeling back the layers' on Naperville, the pair says. Dubbed 'Naperville Unwrapped,' the podcast releases weekly. Episodes are short, just over five minutes at most, and focus on the idiosyncrasies — whether that's a person, place or phenomenon — that make Naperville, Naperville. Launched earlier this spring, nine episodes have been released to date. Topics have ranged from the history of Naperville's Centennial Beach to nature exploration at Knoch Knolls Park. 'We're really just looking to turn Naperville inside out for all to see,' Meyer said. Meyer and Bern have known each other for years, they said. The pair met through their kids, who attended elementary through high school in Naperville together. 'They were best buddies,' Bern said. Bern is a real estate agent who has lived in Naperville for more than two decades. Originally from Wilmette, she was living in Chicago when in 2004, her family decided it was time to move, she said. They had a wide breadth of places to choose from but Bern recalled going out to Naperville to attend Ribfest right around when they were weighing their options. The city piqued her interest and 'that was that,' she said. Meanwhile, Meyer founded and owns Social Frequency Media Communications and lived in Naperville for more than 20 years. He moved to Florida in 2022 but still visits Naperville a few times a year. In that time, Meyer remained in touch with Bern. Towards the beginning of the year, the pair started toying with the idea of launching a podcast. The venture was born out of their affinity for Naperville and their desire to tell its story — especially from a local's perspective — to a wider audience, they said. 'It's really a fresh lens on a familiar place,' Meyer said. 'I mean Naperville, let's face it, so many of us love it but it can get a bad rap from people who have never stepped foot in our community. My intention (is that this podcast) is a love letter (to the city).' Meyer and Bern decided to create a concise podcast that gives listeners audio snapshots into anything fun, quirky and quintessentially Naperville. Their first episode released April 22 and tells the story of how Naperville became Naperville, taking listeners back to the city's founding in 1831. Another episode highlights Stenger Brewery, one of Naperville's earliest brewhouses. The same episode also offers a fun fact about a famous employee who worked at Stenger (and in the interest of staying spoiler-free, will remain anonymous here). There's an episode about the Naperville Cow Tunnel, built to be used by cattle more than 100 years ago near Webster Street and the current BNSF railroad north of downtown, and another about stargazing with the Naperville Astronomical Association. Bern acts as host for the podcast, or as she says to listeners, is 'your local curatorial tour guide' each episode. Meyer, who has previous experience podcasting, stays behind the scenes. Asked what other subjects they hope to delve into, Meyer and Bern said they already have a list of nearly 100 topics in their back pocket. With their first batch of episodes out, they say the response so far has been 'incredible.' And the duo is having a pretty good time producing the content too. 'I'm having a ball,' Bern said. 'I'm loving it. I love talking to people. I'm probably talking people's ears off about it, but I'm just having so much fun.' 'We're just really looking forward to seeing what the road ahead has (in store) as people continue to fall in love with the show,' Meyer said. '…Who knows what we'll be able to do once that really starts to happen.' 'Naperville Unwrapped' is streaming on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Episodes are also available at
Business Recorder
10-06-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Societe Generale becomes first major bank to launch dollar-pegged stablecoin
PARIS: France's Societe Generale said on Tuesday it plans to launch a publicly tradable, dollar-backed stablecoin through its digital asset subsidiary, making it the first major bank to enter the growing market of dollar-pegged cryptocurrencies. The new digital currency, named 'USD CoinVertible', will be issued on both the Ethereum and Solana blockchains, with public trading expected to start in July, SocGen's crypto arm SG-FORGE said in a statement. Stablecoins are a type of cryptocurrency typically pegged to a traditional currency, usually the dollar, allowing people to move large sums of money using blockchain networks instead of traditional banking payment systems. The sector has seen rapid growth, driven by crypto company Tether, which has issued $155 billion of its dollar-pegged tokens. SG-FORGE launched a euro-based stablecoin in 2023, although it has not been widely adopted, with just 41.8 million euros ($47.62 million) in circulation, according to its website. SocGen said its stablecoins are classed as e-money tokens and will be regulated under MiCA, the European Union's landmark crypto regulation adopted in 2023. Tether does not have a licence to operate in the European Union under MiCA. Jean-Marc Stenger, CEO of SG-FORGE, said that there was demand for a regulated dollar-based stablecoin. 'At the moment, there are no other banking-related players in that space … that's definitely the feedback we have from the market, both corporates, financial institutions, but also crypto exchanges,' he said. 'There is a very, very strong need for well-regulated, robust offering in the crypto and stablecoin space'. Stablecoin issuers typically take in dollars from customers and give them the crypto token in return. The issuers profit by investing these dollar holdings into yield-bearing assets such as bonds. BNY will serve as the custodian for SG-FORGE's reserves, which will initially be kept in a cash account, before later being invested into other assets, Stenger said. SG-FORGE said that its token can be used for crypto trading, cross-border payments, foreign exchange transactions and management of collateral and cash, and will be listed on various crypto exchanges, without giving further details. The subsidiary has 'more than 15' crypto exchanges and brokers being onboarded as clients, Stenger added. In the U.S., Congress is poised to pass legislation to create a regulatory framework for stablecoins. Bank of America could launch a stablecoin, its CEO said earlier this year, and some other large banks are considering issuing a joint stablecoin. Tether is the world's largest stablecoin issuer. Its CEO said in a post on X that the company was the seventh biggest buyer of U.S. government debt in 2024, because it holds its dollar reserves in Treasuries. The second-largest issuer, Circle, went public on the U.S. stock market on June 5 and saw its shares soar 48% on Friday. Regulators have long warned that stablecoins could impact market stability by creating connections between mainstream finance and more volatile crypto markets.
Business Times
10-06-2025
- Business
- Business Times
Societe Generale becomes first major bank to launch dollar-pegged stablecoin
[PARIS] France's Societe Generale said on Tuesday (Jun 10) it plans to launch a publicly tradable, dollar-backed stablecoin through its digital asset subsidiary, making it the first major bank to enter the growing market of dollar-pegged cryptocurrencies. The new digital currency, named 'USD CoinVertible', will be issued on both the Ethereum and Solana blockchains, with public trading expected to start in July, SocGen's crypto arm SG-FORGE said in a statement on Tuesday. BNY Mellon will serve as the custodian for the stablecoin's reserves, the bank said. Stablecoins are a type of cryptocurrency typically pegged to a traditional currency, usually the dollar, allowing people to move large sums of money using blockchain networks instead of traditional banking payment systems. The sector has seen rapid growth, driven by crypto company Tether, which has issued US$155 billion of its dollar-pegged tokens. SG-FORGE launched a euro-based stablecoin in 2023, although it has not been widely adopted, with just 41.8 million euros (S$61.4 million) in circulation, according to its website. SocGen said its stablecoins are classed as e-money tokens and will be regulated under MiCA, the European Union's landmark crypto regulation adopted in 2023. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up Tether does not have a licence to operate in the European Union under MiCA. Jean-Marc Stenger, CEO of SG-FORGE, said that there was demand for a regulated dollar-based stablecoin. 'At the moment, there are no other banking-related players in that space ... that's definitely the feedback we have from the market, both corporates, financial institutions, but also crypto exchanges,' he said. 'There is a very, very strong need for well-regulated, robust offering in the crypto and stablecoin space'. SG-FORGE said that its token can be used for crypto trading, cross-border payments, foreign exchange transactions and management of collateral and cash, and will be listed on various crypto exchanges, without giving further details. The subsidiary has 'more than 15' crypto exchanges and brokers being onboarded as clients, Stenger added. In the US, Congress is poised to pass legislation to create a regulatory framework for stablecoins. Bank of America could launch a stablecoin, its CEO said earlier this year, and some other large banks are considering issuing a joint stablecoin. Tether is the world's largest stablecoin issuer. Its CEO said in a post on X that the company was the seventh-biggest buyer of US government debt in 2024, because it holds its dollar reserves in Treasuries. The second-largest issuer, Circle, went public on the US stock market on June 5 and saw its shares soar 48 per cent on Friday. Regulators have long warned that stablecoins could impact market stability by creating connections between mainstream finance and more volatile crypto markets. REUTERS
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Goodwill Theatre awarded nearly $5 million to restore 1899 Firehouse
JOHNSON CITY, N.Y. (WIVT/WBGH) – Goodwill Theatre recently received a grant to help bolster its efforts to revitalize and restore its iconic property. Goodwill Theatre was awarded $4.95 million from the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) to complete phase two of the restoration of the 1899 Firehouse. The Firehouse is currently home to The Schorr Family Firehouse Stage. The grant is part of a capital project funding announcement that will award over $86 million to 134 capital projects across New York State. 'We are very excited to receive these funds that will launch Phase 2 of the Goodwill Theatre Performing Arts Complex by completing the Firehouse building expansion. We will be able to add a significant amount of new programming geared to both the audience of today and the audience of tomorrow,' said CEO Naima Kradjian. 'We will be able to start our professional training program and our Laboratory for New Work, while adding 300% more performance space to our organization. We are very pleased that the Governor and the Legislature recognize the arts as an economic development engine that helps to revitalize communities.' In addition, NYSCA awarded Tri-Cities Opera with $99,000 for parking lot renovations as well as Roberson Museum and Science Center with $240,000 for design plans. Goodwill Theatre awarded nearly $5 million to restore 1899 Firehouse Sunny today, frosty tonight Stenger's final graduation weekend at Binghamton University Truth Pharm aims to 'build a more just future' with new mural Westover YMCA opens Discovery Den to unite families and members Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
