Sweet and short: Shanah tovah u’metukah, dear readers, and a good and sweet year to all as our many readers of the Jewish faith wrap up Rosh Hashanah at sundown tonight.
The High Holy Days and Labor Day combine to make this an extremely abbreviated workweek – and yet, innovation abounds.
And another thing: Et tu, ampersand?
Reading is fundamental: Here’s a creative thought – basic literacy is a human right. That’s the central theme of International Literacy Day, UNESCO’s annual Sept. 8 celebration of reading, writing and human dignity.
Pardon me? Also somewhat innovative is National Pardon Day, less about seedy political maneuvering or correcting legal injustices than forgiving those who’ve wronged us in our day-to-day lives.
Additionally, it’s National Ampersand Day. (For those keeping score, the punctuation mark is a ligature of the letters E and T – et, in Latin, means “and.”)
Eye of the beholder: Slingshot strap, or something more … organic? You decide.
A Renaissance giant: “David,” the marble masterwork by 15th/16th Century artist Michelangelo, was unveiled on this date in 1504 in Florence.
Five centuries later, art historians still debate about what, exactly, the au naturel Biblical hero is carrying over his left shoulder.
Good sports: Still a vital thread in New York City’s cultural fabric, the New York Athletic Club was founded on Sept. 8, 1868, to promote amateur sports like fencing, judo and water polo, among others.
“Under God” was added later: But the original version of the “Pledge of Allegiance” was published in The Youth’s Companion magazine 129 years ago today.
Scotch, neat: Unfortunately, we refer not to the spirit but to the tape, which became a thing on this date in 1930.
Sea worthy: And speaking of scotch (the spirit), Ernest Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea” – the last major work of fiction released during the author’s abbreviated lifetime – was published on this date in 1952.
The saga of an aging fisherman earned Hemingway a 1953 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and contributed to his 1954 Nobel Prize in Literature.
Absentee landlord: English King Richard I (a.k.a. Richard the Lionheart, 1157-1199) – who spent most of his reign on Crusade, in captivity or defending his lands in France, and is believed to have spent only six months of his 10-year sovereignty in England – would be 864 years old today.
The singing brakeman: Rodgers, country before country was cool.
Also born on Sept. 8 were American civil engineer Canvass White (1790-1834), who helped design the Erie Canal and patented major advances in limestone-based cement; German chemist Viktor Meyer (1848-1897), who significantly advanced organic and inorganic chemistry; pioneering American physiologist Ida Henrietta Hyde (1857-1945), who invented the microelectrode and inspired young women to pursue science; American “Blue Yodeler” Jimmie Rodgers (1897-1933), the “father of country music”; and trailblazing German-British pharmacologist Marthe Vogt (1903-2003), the first to dissect neurotransmitters.
Like red, but not quite: And take a bow, Alecia Beth Moore! The boundary-breaking American singer-songwriter, PETA spokeswoman, philanthropist and champion of LGBT rights – known best as Pink (stylized as P!nk) – turns 42 today.
Wish the pop icon a happy birthday at editor@innovateli.com, where All [We] Know So Far is your news tips Cover [Us] In Sunshine, we always Raise [Our] Glass to your calendar events and we Love [You] Anyway even if you just say “hi.” So What? (You’re still a rock star.)
About our sponsor: The Long Island Business Development Council has helped build the regional economy for 52 years by bringing together government economic–development officials, developers, financial experts and others for education, debate and networking.
BUT FIRST, THIS
Smart move: Adelphi university is loaning out 20 SmartSpot Internet-connectivity boosters this semester, courtesy of Kajeet.
Hitting the SmartSpot: Commuter students attending Adelphi University this fall are enjoying improved Internet access at home thanks to wireless provider Kajeet.
The Maryland-based provider of controlled wireless connectivity selected the Garden City-based university as one of 85 global organizations worthy of a 2021 Digital Inclusion Grant, designed to provide underserved communities access to remote learning, telehealth services and other vital online resources. At Adelphi, the grant – which requires managed services on Kajeet’s proprietary Sentinel Advantage platform – includes 20 Kajeet SmartSpot devices, available to borrow from the university’s IT Helpdesk.
Adelphi is the only New York college or university to earn a 2021 Digital Inclusion Grant, which specifically targets commuter students and could extend beyond its initial one-year term, according to the Maryland company. “Access to technology tools should not be the limiting factor to the success of our students,” noted Avery Bourgeois, Adelphi’s director of budget and IT operations. “Students will now be able to discreetly borrow an Internet hotspot to have a reliable Internet connection at home.”
Stop your engines: Mass transit, bicycles and even your own two feet will have their day to shine later this month, when the ninth avenue Car Free Day rolls onto Long Island and around the world.
The international car-out, scheduled for Sept. 22, encourages people to ride a train, catch a bus, lace up their sneakers or otherwise get to and fro without using their cars (carpooling, with multiple passengers who’d otherwise drive themselves piling into a single vehicle, is accepted). The idea is to benefit society – and the global environment – by reducing fossil-fuel use and traffic congestion, if only for a day; on Long Island, motorists are invited to sign a Car Free Day Pledge to do their part to reduce what organizers estimate as 1 billion cars traversing global roadways each day.
A multitude of regional sponsors – including the Long Island Rail Road, Nassau Inter-County Express and Suffolk Transit – stand behind the pledge, which automatically enters participants in a raffle for prizes including a 10-trip all-access LIRR pass, a $100 gift card to Wantagh-based Brands Cycle & Fitness, a one-hour guided horseback trail ride through Belmont Lake State Park (courtesy of the Babylon Riding Center) and others.
POD PEOPLE
Episode 10: Matt Cohen, in charge.
New Long Island Association President Matt Cohen has some amazing ideas about regional infrastructure, small business and even the Island’s place in the new space race – and he’s just one of the incredible guests who made Season 1 of Spark: The Innovate Long Island Podcast so entertaining and informative. Season 2 is on its way … but first, hear everything you missed.
TOP OF THE SITE
Middle ground: Perfectly balancing the left and the right, Hofstra University has appointed two Senior Presidential Fellows with front-row perspectives on the White House and public policy.
Always easy, always free: We love it when you share this engaging newsletter with your entire innovation team, but it’s about time they all had their own one-click subscription, because you’re not, like, Billy the messenger boy.
VOICES
Voices legal anchor Michael Sahn, managing member of Uniondale law firm Sahn Ward, notes several undeniable connections between COVID and climate change – and suggests a comprehensive plan to protect Long Island from both.
STUFF WE’RE READING
Feeling bettor: A huge online sports-betting initiative will battle homelessness and mental illness. Politico takes a chance.
Feeling better: A global psychological study clears a path for “cognitive reappraisal” during the pandemic. Vox takes a stroll.
Feeling meta: Companies are diving into the “metaverse,” bringing 3D digital environments to life. Fast Company takes a trip.
RECENT FUNDINGS
+ Joshin, a Minnesota-based digital-care platform connecting people with special needs, disabilities and other chronic health conditions to care providers, raised $3 million in seed funding led by Anthemis Group and The Autism Impact Fund.
+ Goodcall, a California-based conversational AI platform for local restaurants and merchants, raised $4 million in seed funding led by Neo, Foothill Ventures, Merus Capital, Xoogler Ventures, Verissimo Ventures, VSC Ventures, Pipe.com founder Harry Hurst, Zillow co-founder Spencer Rascoff and other angels.
+ Code Climate, a New York City-based engineering-intelligence platform, raised $50 million in Series C funding led by PSG, with participation from Union Square Ventures, Foundry Group, Lerer Hippeau Ventures and NextView Ventures.
+ Carbon Robotics, a Washington State-based agriculture-robotics company, raised $27 million in Series B financing. Backers included Anthos Capital, Ignition Partners, Fuse Venture Capital, Voyager Capital, Bolt and Liquid2 Ventures.
+ Naborforce, a Virginia-based tech firm connecting aging adults to care-provider networks, raised $2.5 million in seed funding led by Claritas Capital, with participation from Artemis Fund.
+ Bluetail, an Arizona-based data platform for private aviation, raised more than $2.1 million in Series A funding led by Brookstone Venture Capital.
BELOW THE FOLD
In technicolor: Tracking the stunning seasonal sights.
In living color: Track vivid fall foliage across the country with this interactive map.
In black and white: Behold, the winners of the 2021 Mono Photography Awards.
Color-blind conundrum: Why Color Vision Deficiency is especially challenging for women.
Visionary: Please continue supporting the incredible organizations that support Innovate Long Island, including the Long Island Business Development Council, which has viewed regional economic-development issues with 20/20 vision for more than five decades. Check them out.
