Quick note: Over the hurdle we go, dear readers, as we hurtle into the backstretch of another busy workweek.
Today is Wednesday, March 13, and of course no hump day is complete without an educational and entertaining edition of your favorite innovation newsletter. On that note…
Service animal: Salute a four-legged veteran today.
Sleep on it: We first open our eyes to World Sleep Day, an annual celebration of proper slumber and the critical health benefits of a good night’s rest.
Also waking on the right side of the bed today is National Good Samaritan Day, when helpful, friendly and kindhearted do-gooders shine brightest.
Private pooch: It’s also National K9 Veterans Day, a tail-wagging salute to highly trained dogs who’ve logged military service.
And go (coco)nuts! March 13 is also National Coconut Torte Day, a salivating salutation to flourless cake buttressed by buttercream and coated in coconut. Mmmmm!
He likes Uranus: Likely going nuts on this date in 1781 was astronomer William Herschel, who discovered the planet Uranus. (Keep the eye-rolling jokes to yourself, thank you … and for the record, to commemorate Herschel’s achievement, the discovery of planet/not planet/no anatomical innuendo whatsoever Pluto was announced on this date in 1930.)
Sam he am: “Uncle Sam” (left), America’s alter ego since the War of 1812, in his 1852 cartoon debut.
He wants you: Other names you likely know associated with this date include “Uncle Sam,” who debuted in cartoon form in The New York Lantern on March 13, 1852.
He’s all ears: You might not know his name, but you know his work – Maine-based inventor (and avid ice skater) Chester Greenwood, only 15 at the time, earned a U.S. patent for earmuffs on this date in 1877.
He’s just Ken: You definitely know Barbie’s pal Ken (especially now), but did you know his last name is Carson? Either way, toymaker Mattel introduced the ultimate friend with benefits at the American International Toy Fair 63 years ago today.
He made a killing: And it was March 13, 1986, when $100-billion-man Bill Gates (along with cofounder Paul Allen, who passed in 2018) first introduced shares of Washington-based Microsoft Corp. to the public.
For those keeping score, if you’d invested $1,000 during that IPO – when shares opened at $21 apiece – you’d have about $6 million now.
An American in Paris: Iconic American journalist and novelist Janet Flanner (1892-1978) – The New Yorker magazine’s sensible and witty Paris correspondent for nearly half-a-century, remembered by the byline “Genêt” – would be 132 years old today.
Coco puffed: Gauff glowed after winning the 2023 U.S. Open.
Also born on March 13 were English manufacturer Frederick Walton (1834-1928), who invented linoleum; American businessman, author, mathematician and astronomer Percival Lowell (1855-1916), who founded the Lowell Observatory, where Pluto was later discovered (see above); American civil engineer Clifford Holland (1883-1924), who designed numerous subway and automobile tunnels underneath New York City, including the famous Holland Tunnel; American poet and novelist Dorothy Aldis (1896-1966), who wrote books and poems for adults and children but is revered for invoking youthful perspectives; and American billionaire banker James “Jamie” Dimon (born 1956), longtime chairman and CEO of JPMorgan Chase.
Net gain: And take a bow, Cori Dionne “Coco” Gauff! The American tennis sensation – currently the world’s No. 3 female player, according to the WTA’s official Women’s Tennis Rankings – turns 20 today.
Wish the 2023 U.S. Open champion well at editor@innovateli.com, where your news tips are aces and your calendar events always make a racket.
About our sponsor: At Nixon Peabody, we deliver sophisticated legal services to our clients and our communities by combining high performance, entrepreneurial spirit, deep engagement and an unwavering commitment to a culture of collaboration, diversity and humanity. Visit NixonPeabody.com.
BUT FIRST, THIS
Misfire: Protecting teens is always a good idea, but New York’s “digital media bills” aren’t the way to do it, according to Chamber of Progress CEO Adam Kovacevich.
Chamber challenge: From our Innovate Virginia desk comes Chamber of Progress, a national pro-technology trade group that’s targeting two proposed New York State laws designed to protect teens on social media – but might actually do the opposite.
The McLean-based organization has announced a new campaign opposing New York “digital media bills” S7694 and A8148, companion State Senate and State Assembly proposals to “[prohibit] the provision of addictive feeds to minors,” according to the bills’ language. Among other things, the new law would ban the use of algorithms that lead to online addictions – while also eliminating algorithms that filter out hate speech and harassment, according to opponents.
Protecting teens in an increasingly digital world is a noble cause, but “New York’s digital media bills do the opposite,” notes Chamber of Progress CEO Adam Kovacevich. “Banning algorithms that filter out harmful content would turn New York teens’ online experience into a stream of toxic posts,” Kovacevich adds. “This legislation would be like banning water filters to make sure people get essential minerals from their tap – the intent is good, but the legislation is seriously flawed.”
AI alliance: Long Island’s top business-support groups have announced a first-ever collaboration focused on artificial intelligence – specifically, on ensuring the Island gets its slice of juicy AI pie.
The Long Island Artificial Intelligence Conference, slated for April 3 at Long Island University’s Tilles Center, marks the first joint event to be hosted by the Long Island Association and the HIA-LI, the Island’s largest business boosters by numbers of members and breadth of socioeconomic influence. The conference – scheduled to be keynoted by global AI expert Radhika Dirks, founder and CEO of AI accelerator XLabs – is designed to unite regional businesses, academia, nonprofits and government on a mission to make Long Island a worldwide leader in the development and implementation of AI technologies.
That tracks in a region that’s “always been at the forefront of technological innovation” and boasts “world-class research and academic institutions and a highly skilled workforce,” according to LIA President/CEO Matt Cohen, while HIA-LI President/CEO Terri Alessi-Miceli called AI a “transformative frontier for our members” and “pivotal for businesses of all sizes.” Advance registration is required to attend the conference; more information here.
TOP OF THE SITE
How to be successful (and conscientious) in business: Connectivity, conscience and counseling were the keywords in Adelphi University’s big-brains, all-heart student business-plan competition.
Top picks: Spend 30 minutes (or so) learning and laughing with one of Long Island’s leading innovators – “Spark: The Innovate Long Island Podcast” has dozens to choose from. Take your pick.
VOICES
The need for stricter regulations governing false, menacing and otherwise dangerous social media content is obvious – as are the risks of over-regulation, a clear freedom-of-speech threat. Voices Law Anchor Michael Sahn, managing member of Uniondale law firm Sahn Ward Braff Koblenz Coschignano, walks that line with an unblinking pros vs. cons regulatory review.
STUFF WE’RE READING
Big change: Rounding up at the checkout counter is generating millions for charities. NPR counts the coins.
Armed, forcing: The U.S. Army is facing a major innovation dilemma. The Modern War Institute draws the battlelines.
Scarcity mentality: Can technology foster a Utopia in a post-scarcity world? Vox balances wants and needs.
RECENT FUNDINGS
+ Claroty, a New York City-based industrial cybersecurity expert focused on cyber-physical systems protection, raised $100 million in strategic growth financing led by Delta-v Capital, AB Private Credit Investors at AllianceBernstein and Standard Investments.
+ Maybell Quantum, a Colorado-based quantum-infrastructure pioneer, raised $25 million in Series A funding led by an affiliate of Cerberus Capital Management L.P., with participation from Lavrock Ventures, Caruso Ventures, Mark IV Capital, Decisive Point, In-Q-Tel and Olive Capital.
+ Glimpse, a Massachusetts-based battery-quality monitoring platform, raised $4 million in seed funding led by Ibex Mobility, Flybridge Capital Partners and a syndicate of battery and EV angel investors.
+ RapidSOS, a NYC-based intelligent safety platform linking 9-1-1 call centers and first responders, raised $75 million in additional funding led by BlackRock, NightDragon, BAM Elevate and Manhattan Venture Partners.
+ Sionna Therapeutics, a Massachusetts-based clinical-stage biotech developing novel small-molecule therapies, raised $182 million in Series C funding led by Enavate Sciences, Viking Global Investors and Perceptive Advisors.
+ BrainCheck, a Texas-based digital health provider, raised $15 million in funding led by Next Coast Ventures, S3 Ventures and UPMC Enterprises.
Like this newsletter? Innovate Long Island newsletter, website and podcast sponsorships are a prime opportunity to reach the inventors, investors, entrepreneurs and executives you need to know (just ask Nixon Peabody). Marlene McDonnell can tell you more.
BELOW THE FOLD (Shipshape Edition)
Youth vs. experience: The former “baddest man on the planet” (right) has 30 years on his muscular young opponent.
Pasta shape: The history of penne, spaghetti and other favorite pasta shapes.
Watch shape: Square or round? Samsung weighs a smartwatch switch.
Fight shape: With Jake Paul looming, fans worry about Mike Tyson.
Good shape: Please continue supporting the amazing firms that support Innovate Long Island, including Nixon Peabody, where sophisticated services and total commitment always put clients in the most advantageous positions. Check them out.
