Steven Dengler
Encyclopedia
Steven Dengler is a Canadian entrepreneur
, businessperson
, and investor
. He is best known for co-founding the currency site XE.com Inc.
in 1993, and currently serves as its CEO
.
Prior to that, he attended high school at St. Andrew's College in Aurora, Ontario
, Canada.
The company they founded, originally called Xenon Laboratories, changed its name to XE.com Inc. in 2001.
XE.com went on to become the world's favorite currency information site,
ranked by Alexa
as the 256th most popular site in the world on August 2, 2011.
The company was named a Greater Toronto Area Top Employer for 2011 by The Globe and Mail
, which featured Dengler and XE.com in a related article about small companies whose perks and benefits rival those found in larger companies.
Dengler is also the principal of Dracogen Strategic Investments, an investment company through which he finances projects, companies, and opportunities he finds "personally exciting, compelling, and (most importantly) fun".
In February of 2010, Dengler co-founded and financed Wifarer Inc. with Philip Stanger. Dengler currently serves as a Director of the company.
Wifarer won the VIATeC
"Inniovative Excellence" award in June of 2010.
In early 2011, Dengler co-founded and financed 7 Hats Publishing Inc. with his sister, Ash Vickers. April 1, 2011, they launched MegaCynics, a semi-autobiographical online webcomic which draws inspiration for source material from actual events and interactions surrounding Dengler and Vickers, who are both characters in the webcomic.
MegaCynics features Dengler's interactions (both real and imagined) with many notable geek culture
figures such as Tim Schafer
, Tom Hall
, Ken Levine, Chris Avellone
, Harrison Krix
, and Teal Sherer
.
On September 29, 2011, Dengler and Tim Schafer
announced
that Dengler had funded the Apple version of Double Fine's
of Psychonauts
through Dracogen. This was followed by another annoucement
on October 14 that Dengler had also funded the PC version Costume Quest
.
Dengler was an official torchbearer for the 2010 Vancouver Olympic games. On Dec 31, 2009, he ran with the torch north of Notre-Dame-du-Nord, Quebec.
Dengler collects video game memorabilia
.
At the 2010 Child's Play Charity
Dinner, Dengler purchased one of Harrison Krix's five Portal Gun props.
Dengler is a philanthropist
.
In addition to Child's Play, he supports a number of charities, including his alma mater, the University of Western Ontario, where he dedicated part of an engineering pavilion in memory of Lynda Shaw, a classmate while he was studying mechanical engineering
there.
Dengler is a private pilot,, sometimes making publicity flights for his related companies, such as his promotional trip for MegaCynics to visit Valve Software
and Penny Arcade
with Ash Vickers and Harrison Krix in May of 2011.
Dengler is a Canadian-Italian dual citizen
who speaks English, French, Spanish, and Italian. He is also a member of Mensa Canada
.
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
, businessperson
Businessperson
A businessperson is someone involved in a particular undertaking of activities for the purpose of generating revenue from a combination of human, financial, or physical capital. An entrepreneur is an example of a business person...
, and investor
Investor
An investor is a party that makes an investment into one or more categories of assets --- equity, debt securities, real estate, currency, commodity, derivatives such as put and call options, etc...
. He is best known for co-founding the currency site XE.com Inc.
XE.com
XE.com Inc. is a Canadian online foreign exchange services company. XE claims to be the world's most popular currency site based on independent, third-party site rankings...
in 1993, and currently serves as its CEO
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
.
Early life and education
Dengler is an alumnus of The University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, Canada.Prior to that, he attended high school at St. Andrew's College in Aurora, Ontario
Aurora, Ontario
Aurora is an affluent town in York Region, approximately 20 km north of Toronto. It is partially situated on the Oak Ridges Moraine, and is a part of the Greater Toronto Area and Golden Horseshoe of Southern Ontario.Many Aurora residents commute to Toronto and surrounding communities.In the...
, Canada.
Career
Upon graduation from university in 1993, Dengler founded a company with long-time friend Beric Farmer, whom he met in 1983 while attending high school at St. Andrew's College.The company they founded, originally called Xenon Laboratories, changed its name to XE.com Inc. in 2001.
XE.com went on to become the world's favorite currency information site,
ranked by Alexa
Alexa Internet
Alexa Internet, Inc. is a California-based subsidiary company of Amazon.com that is known for its toolbar and Web site. Once installed, the toolbar collects data on browsing behavior which is transmitted to the Web site where it is stored and analyzed and is the basis for the company's Web traffic...
as the 256th most popular site in the world on August 2, 2011.
The company was named a Greater Toronto Area Top Employer for 2011 by The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail is a nationally distributed Canadian newspaper, based in Toronto and printed in six cities across the country. With a weekly readership of approximately 1 million, it is Canada's largest-circulation national newspaper and second-largest daily newspaper after the Toronto Star...
, which featured Dengler and XE.com in a related article about small companies whose perks and benefits rival those found in larger companies.
Dengler is also the principal of Dracogen Strategic Investments, an investment company through which he finances projects, companies, and opportunities he finds "personally exciting, compelling, and (most importantly) fun".
In February of 2010, Dengler co-founded and financed Wifarer Inc. with Philip Stanger. Dengler currently serves as a Director of the company.
Wifarer won the VIATeC
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
"Inniovative Excellence" award in June of 2010.
In early 2011, Dengler co-founded and financed 7 Hats Publishing Inc. with his sister, Ash Vickers. April 1, 2011, they launched MegaCynics, a semi-autobiographical online webcomic which draws inspiration for source material from actual events and interactions surrounding Dengler and Vickers, who are both characters in the webcomic.
MegaCynics features Dengler's interactions (both real and imagined) with many notable geek culture
Geek
The word geek is a slang term, with different meanings ranging from "a computer expert or enthusiast" to "a carnival performer who performs sensationally morbid or disgusting acts", with a general pejorative meaning of "a peculiar or otherwise dislikable person, esp[ecially] one who is perceived to...
figures such as Tim Schafer
Tim Schafer
Timothy Schafer is an American computer game designer. He founded Double Fine Productions in January 2000, after having spent over a decade at LucasArts...
, Tom Hall
Tom Hall
Tom A. Hall is a game designer born in Wisconsin. He attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he received a B.S. in Computer Science. In 1987, he worked at Softdisk Inc., where he was both a programmer and the editor of Softdisk, a software bundle delivered monthly...
, Ken Levine, Chris Avellone
Chris Avellone
Chris Avellone is an American video game designer and comic book writer who worked for Interplay and currently works in Obsidian Entertainment.-Early life and education:...
, Harrison Krix
, and Teal Sherer
Teal Sherer
Teal Sherer is an actress, best known for her portrayal of Venom in the web series The Guild. She was also a member of Full Radius Dance.-Early career:While in college, Teal performed in plays such as The House of Bernarda Alba and Antigone...
.
On September 29, 2011, Dengler and Tim Schafer
Tim Schafer
Timothy Schafer is an American computer game designer. He founded Double Fine Productions in January 2000, after having spent over a decade at LucasArts...
announced
that Dengler had funded the Apple version of Double Fine's
Double Fine Productions
Double Fine Productions is an American video game developer founded in July 2000 by Tim Schafer after his departure from LucasArts. He started Double Fine with Programmers David Dixon and Jonathan Menzies in what was once a clog shop in San Francisco...
of Psychonauts
Psychonauts
Psychonauts is a platform video game created by Tim Schafer, developed by Double Fine Productions and published by Majesco. The game was released on April 19, 2005, for the Xbox, April 26 for Microsoft Windows and June 21 for PlayStation 2. It was released on Steam on Oct 11, 2006, as an "Xbox...
through Dracogen. This was followed by another annoucement
on October 14 that Dengler had also funded the PC version Costume Quest
Costume Quest
Costume Quest is an adventure role-playing video game developed by Double Fine Productions and published by THQ. In the game, the player controls a child that is trick-or-treating with their twin on Halloween night when they encounter a monster that kidnaps the sibling...
.
Personal Life
Dengler and Farmer still work together, and remain very close friends. Dengler named one of his children "Beric", in honor of Farmer.Dengler was an official torchbearer for the 2010 Vancouver Olympic games. On Dec 31, 2009, he ran with the torch north of Notre-Dame-du-Nord, Quebec.
Dengler collects video game memorabilia
Souvenir
A souvenir , memento, keepsake or token of remembrance is an object a person acquires for the memories the owner associates with it. The term souvenir brings to mind the mass-produced kitsch that is the main commodity of souvenir and gift shops in many tourist traps around the world...
.
At the 2010 Child's Play Charity
Child's Play (charity)
Child's Play is a charitable organization founded by the authors of the popular computer and video games-based webcomic Penny Arcade that organizes worldwide toy drives to children's hospitals. Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins founded Child's Play in 2003 to improve the lives of sick children by...
Dinner, Dengler purchased one of Harrison Krix's five Portal Gun props.
Dengler is a philanthropist
Philanthropy
Philanthropy etymologically means "the love of humanity"—love in the sense of caring for, nourishing, developing, or enhancing; humanity in the sense of "what it is to be human," or "human potential." In modern practical terms, it is "private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of...
.
In addition to Child's Play, he supports a number of charities, including his alma mater, the University of Western Ontario, where he dedicated part of an engineering pavilion in memory of Lynda Shaw, a classmate while he was studying mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the...
there.
Dengler is a private pilot,, sometimes making publicity flights for his related companies, such as his promotional trip for MegaCynics to visit Valve Software
Valve Corporation
Valve Corporation is an American video game development and digital distribution company based in Bellevue, Washington, United States...
and Penny Arcade
Penny Arcade (webcomic)
Penny Arcade is a webcomic focused on video games and video game culture, written by Jerry Holkins and illustrated by Mike Krahulik. The comic debuted in 1998 on the website loonygames.com. Since then, Holkins and Krahulik have established their own site, which is typically updated with a new comic...
with Ash Vickers and Harrison Krix in May of 2011.
Dengler is a Canadian-Italian dual citizen
Multiple citizenship
Multiple citizenship is a status in which a person is concurrently regarded as a citizen under the laws of more than one state. Multiple citizenships exist because different countries use different, and not necessarily mutually exclusive, citizenship requirements...
who speaks English, French, Spanish, and Italian. He is also a member of Mensa Canada
Mensa International
Mensa is the largest and oldest high-IQ society in the world. It is a non-profit organization open to people who score at the 98th percentile or higher on a standardised, supervised IQ or other approved intelligence test...
.