Welcome, intrepid innovators, to Wednesday and a landmark edition of your favorite innovation newsletter, and to a momentous day in Innovate Long Island history.
It’s mindboggling that more than 10 years have passed since founder John Kominicki had his great lightbulb moment: a regional multimedia platform filled with vital intelligence for investors, key strategies for startups, best-practice insights from A-list influencers and unending support for cutting-edge science and technologies.
A newsy toolbox for inventors, investors, entrepreneurs and executives, spotlighting breakthroughs at Stony Brook University, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Northwell Health and other major institutions – and chronicling the innovation ecosystem rising around these cornerstones.
Just two years after Innovate Long Island lifted off, John left us for the great newsroom in the sky. But his vision, as the best ones do, lives on.
And now, here we are: Innovate Long Island Newsletter No. 1,000, at once a milestone achievement, a herald of major change and a bit of a mathematical quandary.
It all adds up
Only he knows for sure: K-man … the hell did you do with the first 22?
First, the math, which factors in (or doesn’t) the Myth of the Missing 22.
As you may know, our entertaining and educational newsletter archive mysteriously begins with Newsletter No. 23, with no trace of the earlier editions. There were also the unnumbered proto-newsletters John soft-launched to friends and associates (a litmus test, of sorts), plus hundreds of Monday Calendar Newsletters – adored by subscribers, but not part of our numbered archive.
So, how many newsletters have we really published? More than a thousand, that’s for sure (with a decade of Mondays under our belt, probably closer to 1,500). But this in no way dims the glow of official No. 1,000 – an impossible plateau without unshakable commitment to the cause, staunch reader support and the tireless dedication of one Marlene McDonnell.
Starting at the top
Marlene McDonnell: Unstoppable.
When John passed in late 2017, Marlene – closer to Kominicki than anyone in his wide and deep professional circle – took the reins.
Generous sponsors, brilliant innovators, bold businesspeople, genius contributors, dedicated readers, looooong hours working phones and keyboards … numerous fortunate factors have combined to keep Innovate Long Island moving forward. But for all these years, Marlene has been the glue – the savvy executive, the consummate networker, the driving force at the center of it all.
Today, we officially announce that our longtime president has stepped down from her day-to-day leadership role at Innovate Long Island, eager to conquer new worlds. And we thank our president emeritus for her diligent business-development, content-creation and brand-building efforts – for being the foundation of the publication’s first successful decade.
Family business
Christine Zeller: Unflappable.
We’re also excited to announce the launch of Innovate News Service LLC, the new parent company aiming Innovate Long Island toward new heights – and to introduce our new fearless leader, Innovate News Service President and CEO Christine Zeller.
A seasoned IT administrator with an impressive 15-year career in customer-relationship management systems, Christine is a Triple-Star Salesforce Trailhead Ranger and the Salesforce platform manager for international insurance conglomerate Marsh McLennan Agency. She’s also a big fan of unbiased reporting, scientific fact and social justice – and the most capable person I have ever met.
As I ascend to Innovate Long Island publisher (and Innovate News Service COO), I cannot imagine a better partner to succeed Marlene than my brilliant and lovely wife. (And yes, dear, I said “partner” … let’s not get carried away with the titles.)
Growth mode
Marlene’s retirement from Innovate Long Island, the launch of our new LLC and the installation of the new regime are merely the tip of our new-and-improved iceberg.
Not only is Innovate News Service preparing to bring our advocacy-journalism mission to additional innovation hubs across New York State – an excellent opportunity to trumpet the long reach of Long Island-based innovators to new audiences – but an energetic expansion of Innovate Long Island content is underway.
That includes a reinvigorated focus on entrepreneurial startups and a bevy of exciting new features, starting with the inaugural entry in our new Entrepreneur’s Edge promoted-content series. (More on that below.)
Brought to you by
We’re also extremely proud to welcome the latest heavy hitter in Innovate Long Island’s impressive sponsorship stable: leading regional developer Burman Real Estate.
What can we say about our sponsors? If Marlene was our vital cog, they’ve been our rocket fuel. From innovative institutions (FourLeaf Federal Credit Union, St. Joseph’s University, the New York Institute of Technology, SUNY Old Westbury) to fantastic firms (Sahn Ward, Presberg Law, Nixon Peabody, ZE Creative Communications) to outstanding organizations (the Long Island Business Development Council, the Town of Islip Office of Economic Development, the Museum of American Armor, the Commercial Industrial Brokers Society of Long Island), our sponsors have been the lifeblood of our ambitious enterprise, enabling us to tell not only their stories but to chronicle the big ideas and enormous impact of countless regional innovators.
And now Burman RE – with decades of experience developing, constructing and managing commercial, residential and luxury senior-living products – joins the progressive sponsors underwriting our website, newsletters, podcasts and coming-soon features. And we couldn’t be happier about that. (More on our latest sponsor coming right up.)
Raising Voices
We’re also thrilled to present the newest members of our incredible Voices team: Environmental Anchor Frank Piccininni, the co-founder/vice president of the Long Island Conservancy and president/CEO of Spadefoot Design & Construction, who came out swinging in his first article; and Real Estate/Development Anchor Scott Burman, the founder of Burman RE preparing his debut column for next month.
Frank and Scott add new expertise to an already powerful lineup (Technology Editor Brad Carlson, Media Anchor David Chauvin, Healthcare Anchor Terry Lynam, History Anchor Tom Mariner, Social Services Anchor Jeffrey Reynolds and Law Anchor Michael Sahn), and uphold the finest traditions of our illustrious Voices alumni (Harry Aurora, Eugene Barnosky, Ambrose Clancy, Rosalie Drago, Kate Fullam, Robert Glazer, Jeff Guillot, David Hamilton, Mitch Maiman, Nancy Pak, David Pennetta, Phil Rugile and Allison Singh).
The weekly Voices column is the ultimate expression of Innovate Long Island’s “toolbox” motif, and every one of these amazing professionals – each unrivaled in his or her field – has provided an invaluable service to Innovate Long Island and our eager-to-learn audience.
Telling all about it
Arthur Germain: Unrivaled.
Speaking of invaluable, a round of applause, please, for Arthur Germain – podcast producer extraordinaire, creative genius behind Innovate Long Island’s shiny new Media Kit and the best collaborator a forward-looking news website could imagine.
As founder and “chief brandteller” at Northport-based marketing boutique Brandtelling, Arthur has built a well-earned reputation as a prime marketer, top strategist and brilliant copy editor. As Innovate Long Island’s creative director, he’s been essential to our growth and success.
Countless supporters have stepped up through the years: followers who’ve submitted op-ed pieces, calendar events and “On The Move” items; those aforementioned sponsors, who’ve been with us every step of this journey or joined along the way; our friends at Bluehost and Constant Contact; and many others. But Arthur, baby … we literally couldn’t have done it without ya.
Just getting started
Which brings us back to you, dear readers.
When we ran Innovate Long Island’s first-ever Reader Survey this Summer, we were amazed – and more than a little touched – by the strong response. (Hearty congratulations, by the way, to survey respondents Phil Andrews, Mark Cronin and Bobbie Dell’Aquilo, the random-drawing winners of three Visa Gift Cards!)
So many of you took the time to share what you like about Innovate Long Island and suggest new features to make us even better. (On that note, whoever came up with that “reverse pitch night” suggestion … you’re a bona fide genius and we’re working on it!)
More than anything, your responses to the Reader Survey – along with our website traffic, newsletter statistics and other strong metrics – prove our pro-innovation message and socioeconomic positivity resonate with our target audience.
So, where do we go next? Stay tuned.
Today, we’re happy to raise a glass to our new corporate structure, the blazing Long Island innovation economy and our noteworthy 1,000th edition – and to you, whether you click on our e-newsletters or regularly visit our website or both. You, who keep us keeping on.
Thanks for carrying us, for inspiring us and for celebrating with us. We can’t wait to show you what’s in store.
Here’s to 1,000 more!
Best,
Z
Gregory Zeller
Editor and Publisher, Innovate Long Island
Sept. 10, 2025
Ballet body: Copeland achieved what no African American woman had achieved before.
For those keeping score: It wouldn’t be an Innovate Long Island Newsletter without a few nods to the annals of innovation history.
So here on Sept. 10, we offer heartfelt salutes to World Suicide Prevention Day (the World Health Organization’s seriously important annual awareness campaign), the debut of the “TV dinner” (introduced in 1953 by food brand Swanson) and the birth of American minister, editor, journalist and lexicographer Isaac Funk (1839-1912), one half of the encyclopedic Funk & Wagnalls dynasty.
So you think you can dance: And take a bow, Misty Danielle Copeland! The American ballet dancer and author – the first African American woman named principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre – turns 43 today.
Send birthday wishes for Funk, Copeland and your favorite innovation-news publication to editor@innovateli.com, where – a thousand-plus newsletters later – we still dance a jig when we receive your news tips and calendar events.
About our sponsor: Burman Real Estate is poised to revitalize key Long Island communities with thoughtful, relevant redevelopment projects. Current projects include Hicksville’s The Shops on Broadway, a reimagined shopping destination featuring a restaurant row with rooftop and central plaza event spaces; Mineola Downtown, a transit-oriented development; and a nine-story residential tower with direct access to the Mineola LIRR station.
BUT FIRST, THIS
Slow going: Two Long Island highway-improvement projects have been added to the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council’s Transportation Improvement Program – though it will be some time before either is shovel-ready.
The TIP, a statewide fund that’s regularly updated based on regional priorities, includes $4 billion for Island-centric projects – now including renovations of the eastbound Southern State Parkway/Meadowbrook Parkway interchange in Nassau County (traversed by some 200,000 daily vehicles) and the “Oakdale Merge” in Suffolk County (a section of Sunrise Highway where 126,000 daily vehicles from the Sunrise, Montauk Highway, the Southern State and multiple service roads converge). Both projects will start with an environmental review, with the Southern State/Meadowbrook review expected to begin before the end of 2028 and the Oakdale Merge review slated for later this year.
Despite the long waits, the new TIP additions mark “key investments in the safety, efficiency and long-term resiliency of Long Island’s infrastructure,” noted Long Island Contractors’ Association Executive Director Marc Herbst. “I am grateful to Gov. (Kathy) Hochul and [New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez] for their work to ensure the serious issues at the Oakdale Merge and along the Southern and Meadowbrook State Parkways are addressed.”
New school of thought: Northwell Health President and CEO Michael Dowling (left) and founding Principal Erika Hurtado-Valentino celebrate the opening of the Northwell School of Health Sciences.
Healthy start: A pioneering education/healthcare alliance has welcomed the inaugural class of the Northwell School of Health Sciences.
First announced in 2024, the Woodside-based school – a partnership between the New Hyde Park-based health system, Bloomberg Philanthropies and the 501(c)3 nonprofit Fund for New York City Public Schools – greeted its initial 240 students Aug. 28. The first-of-its-kind “healthcare high,” designed to address a surging healthcare-workforce demand while creating new pathways to living-wage careers for regional high schoolers, is part of a $250 million national initiative by Bloomberg Philanthropies, which intends to create healthcare-focused career technical-education high schools in 10 U.S. communities.
The school will integrate rigorous academics with immersive healthcare experiences, giving students a well-rounded education while stocking a regional pipeline of future healthcare professionals. “We are extremely proud to be part of something that is redefining the entire high school experience by ensuring our graduates are ready to contribute meaningfully to healthcare,” noted Northwell Health President and CEO Michael Dowling. “This novel approach should serve as a model for others, showing how health systems can partner with public schools to strengthen workforce development and better prepare students for high-demand careers.”
TOP OF THE SITE
Tales from the crypto: Welcome to The Entrepreneur’s Edge, our first-ever promoted-content section and the latest addition to Innovate Long Island’s comprehensive toolbox – first up, the rising importance of cryptocurrency-backed loans, according to our new friends at Lantern Finance.
On with the show: What a ride it’s been on Spark: The Innovate Long Island Podcast – nearly five dozen amazing conversations with the brightest and most influential leaders of the Long Island innovation economy, with more informative and fun one-on-ones on the way. Enjoy the show!
VOICES
Terry Lynam: Feeling a little sick.
Voices Healthcare Anchor Terry Lynam, former senior vice president/chief public relations officer for Northwell Health, offers an unblinking assessment of U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. – and details the long road toward restoring faith in the nation’s suddenly backpedaling, increasingly mistrusted public-health infrastructure.
Something to say? The Entrepreneur’s Edge is open for business! Innovate Long Island’s new promoted-content platform provides a direct link to our innovation-focused audience – and your future clients. Progressive product to promote? Singular service to sell? Sociopolitical position to push? Here’s your chance to shine a bright light on the big picture, the little details and everything in between. Learn more here!
STUFF WE’RE READING
Didn’t think that through: With global tariffs wreaking havoc, American farmers – many of whom supported Trump – are in crisis. Fortune experiences voter’s remorse.
Working on it: Celebrating 2025’s top workplaces for innovators. Fast Company shows some creativity.
Did you make the list? Behold, the year’s 400 richest Americans. Forbes rolls in dough.
RECENT FUNDINGS
+ Higgsfield, a California-based provider of an artificial intelligence-powered “video reasoning” engine for creators, raised $50M in Series A funding led by GFT Ventures, with participation from BroadLight Capital, NextEquity Partners, AI Capital Partners Menlo Ventures and Alpha Square Group.
+ Runware, a California-based AI-as-a-Service provider, raised $13 million in Seed funding led by Insight Partners, with participation from a16z Speedrun, Begin Capital and Zero Prime.
+ QuEra, a Massachusetts-based manufacturer of neutral-atom quantum computers, expanded its $230M Series B financing round with a new investment from NVentures.
+ Harbor Health, a Texas-based primary- and specialty-care clinic group and health insurance company, raised $130 million in new funding led by General Catalyst, 8VC and Alta Partners, with participation from DFO Management, Health 2047 Capital Partners, Lemhi Ventures, Martin Ventures and Breyer Capital.
+ Nuclearn, an Arizona-based artificial intelligence platform designed specifically to oversee nuclear operations, raised $10.5 million led by Blue Bear Capital, with participation from SJF Ventures, AZ-VC and Nucleation Capital.
+ Pathwork, a California-based autonomous distribution platform, raised $3.5 million in Seed funding led by Costanoa, with participation from Logos Fund, American Family Ventures and Meridian Ventures.
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 – on Long Island, and soon, across New York State (just ask Burman RE). Gregory Zeller can tell you more.
BELOW THE FOLD (No. 1,000 Edition)
Cutting Edgley: There are Ironman triathletes, and then there’s Ross Edgley.
The long way around: Meet the extreme athlete who just swam 1,000 miles around Iceland.
Energy Cost efficient: Why France is knocking 1,000 euros off the price of electric vehicles.
Do the math: Sorry, Mr. President, drug prices haven’t come down 1,000 percent (and mathematically, they can’t).
A thousand-fold: Please continue supporting the fantastic firms that support Innovate Long Island, including Burman RE – our newest major-league backer, multiplying the wisdom and gravitas of our news service and all our amazing sponsors. Check them out.
