Schneps Connects

The demand for alternative, faster, greener and cheaper means of commuting and traveling around the City continues to rise and evolve especially with people preferring open air outdoor options during the Pandemic.

Revel, which is a shared electric moped company began offering their signature blue moped on New York City Streets in 2018. The mopeds were quickly embraced by New Yorkers in the neighborhoods they initially served including North Brooklyn and Western Queens. That all came to a screeching halt this past July when New York City asked the service to be reviewed after the death of 3 riders. After implementing several safety measures and curbs to the service hours Revel returned to NYC street with their 3,000+ mopeds just a few weeks later.

Hear from CEO, Frank Reig on how Revel was founded, how it has expanded to serve cities across the country and how Revel came back to serve its biggest market today.

Every week as part of our new Schneps Connects Podcast Series, we will feature exceptional leaders like Frank while we pull back the curtain on their proudest accomplishments, biggest challenges and all the lessons they’ve learned along the way. Make sure to check out a new episode of Schneps Connects every week wherever you get your podcasts or stream us online at podcasts.schnepsmedia.com

Produced by Jill Carvajal and Josh Schneps

Hollywood has long been known as the center of film and television production, but New York City has grown to be a fierce competitor for that title propelled by both our landmarks, unmistakable street scapes, a deep talent pool and tax incentives. But it wasn’t always that way and one of the City’s first pioneers was the site of the current Kaufman Astoria Studios with roots in production dating back to 1920.

Both the President/CEO,  Hal Rosenbluth and Vice President, Tracy Capune of Kaufman Astoria Studios discuss the evolution of the studios in Astoria along with the surrounding community and their big plans for the future.

Every week as part of our new Schneps Connects Podcast Series, we will feature exceptional leaders like Hal and Tracy while we pull back the curtain on their proudest accomplishments, biggest challenges and all the lessons they’ve learned along the way. Make sure to check out a new episode of Schneps Connects every week wherever you get your podcasts or stream us online at podcasts.schnepsmedia.com

Produced by Jill Carvajal and Josh Schneps

New York City and particularly Manhattan have lost a lot of residents, let alone tourists. We kind of forget how much we rely on tourists until they are no longer around. This is especially hard on a city like New York, which relies heavily on international visitors that spend money at our hotels, restaurants, iconic attractions, street vendors, taxis, museums, shopping venues and recreational facilities.

Fred Dixon and Cristyne Nicholas are the vocal advocates on behalf of the tourism industry of New York City and New York State. Fred Dixon is President and CEO of NYC & Company, New York City’s official destination marketing organization and Cristyne Nicholas was former CEO and President of NYC & Company during the 9/11 tragedy and now serves as the Chair of New York State Tourism Advisory Council, as well as Chairman of the Broadway Association, devoted to the cultural and economic betterment of midtown west and the Broadway theater district.

Hear from this dynamic duo on what innovative ideas they have to lure local residents to look for new experiences in the area, how they will get the industry back on its feet, and what theatergoers and fans can expect differently from Broadway shows coming out of this pandemic.

Every week as part of our new Schneps Connects Podcast Series, we will feature exceptional leaders like Fred and Cristyne while we pull back the curtain on their proudest accomplishments, biggest challenges and all the lessons they’ve learned along the way.

Produced by Jill Carvajal and Josh Schneps

This Christmas, Citymeals on Wheels will prepare and deliver holiday, emergency and weekend meals to thousands of homebound older New Yorkers.  Since the start of pandemic, Citymeals on Wheels prepared and delivered over 2 million meals to vulnerable older New Yorkers who are too old and frail to shop or cook for themselves–800,000 more than during the same time period last year.

Beth Shapiro, Executive Director of Citymeals on Wheels shares how she led the organization to experience a 28% increase in its number of volunteers to help these 20,000 homebound elderly New Yorkers throughout the year.  Beth shares, how columnist Gael Greene and American Chef and TV personality James Beard started Citymeals  by raising $35,000 for Christmas Dinners in the 1980s, how Citymeals prepared and delivered over 25,000 holiday meals for vulnerable older New Yorkers across the city last month along with a friendly check in, and how you can donate to help provide meals to homebound elderly.

By visiting Citymeals.org,100% of your donation will be used for the preparation and delivery of meals.

Every Monday and Thursday as part of our new Schneps Connects Podcast Series, we will feature exceptional leaders, entrepreneurs and advocates like Beth while we pull back the curtain on their proudest accomplishments, biggest challenges and all the lessons they’ve learned along the way.  Listen wherever you get your podcasts or stream us online at podcasts.schnepsmedia.com.

AOC, one of the most well-known and recognizable NYC Elected Officials, and certainly one of the top figures in American Politics, has sparked the national conversation on many topics including global warming and social/economic equality.  US Congress member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) who serves the 14th Congressional District encompassing parts of Queens and the Bronx talks with Josh Schneps, CEO, Schneps Media, to discuss what she stands for, her story growing up here in NYC, how she got to where she is and what her goals are for the future.

With her notoriety come millions of loyal followers, but at the same time she has been at odds with many including those in her own party.  She identifies as a socialist democrat and the word Socialist can be scary to some.  Hear what AOC is all about in this week’s podcast.

Every Monday and Thursday as part of our new Schneps Connects Podcast Series, we will feature exceptional leaders like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez while we pull back the curtain on their proudest accomplishments, biggest challenges and all the lessons they’ve learned along the way.

Produced by Jill Carvajal and Josh Schneps

The economic fallout from COVID has been devastating for many businesses and residents in New York City. 

James Patchett, President and CEO of NYC Economic Development Corporation is one of the key stakeholders focused on the City’s economy and improving quality of life for millions of city residents, workers and visitors.  Some of the city’s most iconic attractions and important institutions like the High Line, the Cornell Tech campus, the NYC Ferry service, and much more involve James’ work and the NYCEDC.

Every Thursday as part of our new Schneps Connects Podcast Series, we will feature exceptional leaders like James while we pull back the curtain on their proudest accomplishments, biggest challenges and all the lessons they’ve learned along the way.

Produced by Jill Carvajal and Josh Schneps

This episode we are talking NYC real estate with James Whelan, President of the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY), the City’s leading real estate trade association representing residential and commercial corporations and individuals involved in New York City real estate.

Real Estate is one of the largest economic drivers in the region as well as an industry that touches every New Yorker that lives and/or works in the City.

The pandemic has hit the NYC real estate market hard. Many are struggling to pay their rent and/or mortgages for their homes and businesses, a small fraction of the workforce is going back into the office and the impact is felt by all including landlords.

What is the long term outlook for real estate in NYC and how will leaders like James Whelan help us recover?

Every week as part of our new Schneps Connects Podcast Series, we will feature exceptional leaders like James while we pull back the curtain on their proudest accomplishments, biggest challenges and all the lessons they’ve learned along the way.

Produced by Jill Carvajal and Josh Schneps

Hear from Rick Cotton, the Executive Director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey as he shares his thoughts about the economic impact of Covid-19 on NY & NJ transportation as a leader of one of the most important regions in the world.

Covering Air, Rail, Land and Sea, the NY & NJ region is served by one of the most extensive transit systems in the world. Transportation is the backbone of the region’s economy, providing access to jobs and education and enabling intra-city and inter-state travel.

In this episode, we discussed how Cotton sees travelers being able to and having the confidence to go in and out of the airports safe from Covid-19 in the coming month and what safety measures have been put in place; how the airports impact the overall NY/NJ economy; what will help the NY/NJ Port Authority improve economically; how the Airports have been transformed over the last year (JFK and LaGuardia) and the state of the Gateway Tunnel Project and more.

Every Thursday as part of our new Schneps Connects Podcast Series, we will feature exceptional leaders like Cotton while we pull back the curtain on their proudest accomplishments, biggest challenges and all the lessons they’ve learned along the way.

Produced by Josh Schneps and Jill Carvajal

For years, driving a cab and aspiring to own a medallion was a great path for many including immigrants to achieve the American dream. 

In this latest episode of Schneps Connects, Josh Schneps, CEO Schneps Media speaks with Richard Wissak, the Vice President of 55 Stan, a company that owns and operates a large fleet of NYC Taxi Cabs dating back to 1960 and based out of LIC, Queens. 

We all know how much yellow cabs are part of the City’s DNA, but technology has changed the landscape of the Industry and along with that the Streets of the City.

In this episode, we discussed that Taxi Medallions were at one time a great long term investment that was protected by supply and demand.  You could only pick up people off the streets of New York City with a medallion and those medallions were auctioned in small amounts by the City of New York. In 2014, medallion values peaked at about $1.3 million each. However, the industry was massively disrupted by mobile apps that offered ride-hailing as well as ride-sharing and on top of that the taxi industry was shaken up by risky lending practices to those who borrowed to buy medallions that are now under water. The impact of which drove down the values almost 90% to about $140,000 each. 

Hear what is being done for medallion owners that have been so severely impacted by technology and now COVID.

Every Thursday as part of our new Schneps Connects Podcast Series, we will feature exceptional leaders like Richard while we pull back the curtain on their proudest accomplishments, biggest challenges and all the lessons they’ve learned along the way.

Produced by Jill Carvajal and Josh Schneps

It is Back to the Future with Stratis Morfogen.  No, this is not the name of a science fiction time machine but instead an entrepreneur and restaurateur who has made plenty of big bets in his career and continues to do so today in the midst of the pandemic.  Morfogen tells us about his experience from local diners to founding Phillipe Chow to Brooklyn Chop House in lower Manhattan.  Morfogen and his team stepped up to the “plate” and served NYC first responders in the earlier part of the year and is now gearing up to open a 14,000 square foot restaurant in the West Village and a series of automated and futuristic take out shops featuring no human interaction called Brooklyn Dumpling Shop and yes, they are located in Manhattan.

Every Thursday as part of our new Schneps Connects Podcast Series, we will feature exceptional leaders like Stratis while we pull back the curtain on their proudest accomplishments, biggest challenges and all the lessons they’ve learned along the way.

Produced by Jill Carvajal and Josh Schneps