“It’s easy to feel like we know everything happening around the world, but sometimes we forget about the groundbreaking things happening right here in our own backyard. That’s where the power of NCTV17 comes in.”
With those words, NBC 5’s Stefan Holt opened NCTV17’s annual fundraiser, The Morning Show, celebrating innovation, creativity, and community spirit in Naperville.
Now in his fourth year as host, Holt guided the audience through a morning filled with stories that captured Naperville’s innovative spirit and the people who make it such a special place.
Elements of Change
The program kicked off by highlighting two Naperville residents making a real impact with their inventions. Naperville Fire Firefighter Danny Puknaitis and Naperville North student Allen Xu. Puknaitis, together with firefighter Michael Jost, created the Poseidon Nozzle to better fight electric vehicle fires, while Xu and his classmates developed Eyerobic, a device that helps visually impaired swimmers train safely.
A surprise video message from Chicago Fire actor David Eigenberg, a Naperville Central graduate, congratulated the inventors and encouraged them to “keep making Naperville proud.”
Reed between the Lines
Next, student musicians from OPUS took the stage to show how innovation can be heard as well as seen. Raeya Stewart (oboe), Brody Wise (violin), Kesli Miller (viola), and Logan Sassi (cello) performed an original piece by Wise inspired by his travels to Alaska. They spoke about the creativity and collaboration that make chamber music so dynamic.
As Holt noted, “Innovation doesn’t just happen in labs and startups. It happens in the arts, too.”
Innovation on Tap
The morning continued with Joe Chura, founder of Go Brewing, who shared his journey from tech entrepreneur to pioneer of the non-alcoholic craft beer movement. Chura spoke about building a purpose-driven business and how Go Brewing became the fastest-growing N/A brewery in the country.
In true Morning Show fashion, Joe asked guests to raise a can of Go Brewing beer in a celebratory toast to honor Liz Spencer, NCTV17’s Executive Director, as she prepares to tell her next story after leading the station for more than two decades. “The one time it’s totally okay to have a beer for breakfast,” joked Holt.
Honoring a Legacy
Board President Neveen Michael joined Liz on stage to celebrate her many accomplishments and the transformation of NCTV17 from a grassroots cable channel into a trusted nonprofit community media station. Together, they invited attendees to continue investing in the station’s future during a spirited paddle raise led by NCTV17’s staff and board members.
During the paddle raise, a special video highlighted Trisha Prabhu, a Naperville innovator who invented ReThink, a platform to combat cyber-bullying. NCTV17 has followed Trisha’s journey for over a decade, from a young teen in Naperville to a 25-year-old Yale Law student using her voice to make a difference. As Trisha shared, “I think local media is so, so instrumental now more than ever, because it’s what brings us together as a community.”
A morning to remember
Throughout the event, The Morning Show Band kept the energy high, trivia challenged guests’ Naperville knowledge, and laughter filled the room. In closing, Holt reflected on what brings the community together: “Local storytelling and real community-centered journalism don’t happen on their own. It takes people with passion, creativity, and a lot of heart. That’s exactly who makes up the team at NCTV17.” He encouraged everyone to keep sharing what they saw and heard and to support Naperville’s nonprofit TV station — the one that “knows the faces in the stands, not just the scores on the screen.”
NCTV17 extends a heartfelt thanks to all of the event sponsors whose generous support made The Morning Show possible.
