WHAT: Queens College Business Forum
WHO: Victoria (Vicki) Schneps-Yunis, founder and president of Schneps
Communications and publisher of the Queens Courier chain of nine
community newspapers. Schneps Yunis will speak about her business
experiences and the challenges she faced as an entrepreneur and
mother balancing work and family, the changes in the news
industry brought about by the Internet, and the important role of
local newspapers.
WHEN: Informal breakfast begins at 8 am
Formal program 8:30 – 10 am
Seating is limited and registration required: 718-997-5210 or Email:
business.forum@qc.cuny.edu
WHERE: Queens College, 65-30 Kissena Boulevard, Flushing
Student Union, 4th floor
For directions, go to
http://www.qc.cuny.edu/welcome/directions/Pages/default.aspx
BACKGROUND:
A former grade-school reading teacher, Vicki Schneps-Yunis began Schneps Communications in 1985 with one newspaper, the Queens Courier. Today she presides over a chain of nine community newspapers, as well as Queens Business Today, the borough’s premier business publication; El Correo de Queens, Queens’ first and only Spanish-language newspaper; HealthWise, a bi-monthly health and lifestyle magazine; and most recently, Aspire, a publication that focuses on the lifestyles and interests of college students throughout Queens and Long Island.
A parent activist, she also founded and is a member of the board of the Working Organization for Retarded Children and Adults (WORC), a multi-million-dollar, not-for-profit organization, which serves several hundred families in Queens and Long Island through group homes, in-home assistance and day programs. Schneps-Yunis has received numerous awards for her dedicated community service.
The power of the press to effect change in the treatment of the mentally challenged was what inspired Schneps-Yunis’ fervent desire to enter the news business.
The Queens College Business Forum was launched in the fall of 2005. Sponsored by the Queens Borough President’s Office, the Queens Chamber of Commerce, Farrell Fritz, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and The Queens Courier/Schneps Communications, the forum acts as a catalyst within the diverse areas of Queens, bringing together the business community, local government, academia, and students to provide an opportunity for “town and gown” to interact. Influential leaders in a number of fields serve as keynote speakers at a series of breakfast lectures, touching on issues vital to the Queens business community. The forum’s theme, “Queens: A Catalyst for Success,” is reflected in the subject matter of the seminars. Each forum fosters discussions that provide insight on how local businesses are seizing opportunities and profitably adapting to changes in business and regulatory conditions.
