The short version: Welcome to Wednesday, dear readers, as we roll through this (somewhat abbreviated) early-Autumn workweek.
Yes, with the High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah wrapping up this evening, this is a shortened week for many (especially students and school staffers) – but a busy one nonetheless for our regional innovation economy. Let’s see what’s what.
With cherries on top: And the bottom, and in the middle — such is the glory of cherries jubilee.
Strong orthography, period: Today is Sept. 24 and we’re opening our newsletter with one of our favorites – National Punctuation Day, embracing the proper use of commas, hyphens and the other punctuation marks that distinguish English. (There are 14 in all, for the record, including seven in this paragraph. Here to name them, and to remind us of the fancifully woke notion that a President of the United States and his White House staff should be fully literate, please welcome the cast of “The West Wing.”)
After completing those mental gymnastics, hit the actual gym: It’s also National Women’s Health and Fitness Day, a last-Wednesday-of-September salute to women’s specific wellness needs.
Sweet rewards: Wellness, shmellness … let’s have dessert! Start with National Cherries Jubilee Day, celebrating the sinfully elegant combination of poached cherries and fresh vanilla ice cream drizzled with warm brandy.
And chase down that deliciousness with a tasty North African treat that was originally made with tiger nut milk (but has evolved into a creamy combination of rice, almond milk and cinnamon) – we speak, of course, of horchata, always mugging it up (over ice) on Sept. 24, a.k.a. National Horchata Day.
Sharp mind, right on time: Also enjoying a sweet twofer was Scottish inventor Alexander Dey, who scored two U.S. patents on this date in 1889 – one for his Razor-Sharpening Machine (which didn’t sharpen razors, per se, but uniquely employed razors to grind out bolts, piston rings and other machine parts), another for his Workman’s Time Recorder (considered the first professional time clock).
Wheels of time: Also signaling a new era was Pennsylvania-based inventor Thomas Flaherty, who filed a patent application on Sept. 24, 1909, for a doohickey featuring wheels and gears and a spinning arrow, remembered as the world’s first automobile traffic signal. (It would be almost two full years before the patent was granted.)
Civics 101: Speaking of automobiles, the Honda Motor Co. was incorporated 77 years ago today in Japan. (Based on total units sold domestically, Honda is now America’s fourth-most-popular car brand, for those keeping score.)
Finger-lickin’ franchise: Still dishing out that top-secret combo of 11 herbs and spices, KFC officially franchised on Sept. 24, 1952.
It’s behind Chick-fil-A and Popeyes?!? America’s 15th-most-popular fast-food brand, Kentucky Fried Chicken, became a chain on this date in 1952, when the first KFC franchise opened in Salt Lake City.
Nuclear wessel: And it was Sept. 24, 1960, when the United States Navy launched the world’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.
The USS Enterprise would feature prominently in the Vietnam War, the War on Terror and “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home” (though maybe not how you think).
Let there be neon: French engineer, chemist and inventor Georges Claude (1870-1960) – the “French Edison” remembered for liquefying air and generating energy by pumping frigid seawater from great depths, and especially for inventing neon lights – would be 155 years old today.
Muppet master: During his short life, Jim Henson (right, with his most famous creation) touched many others.
Also born on Sept. 24 were American novelist, essayist and screenwriter F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940), whose turbulent personal life made “The Great Gatsby” seem tame by comparison; American astronomer Charlotte Sitterly (1898-1990), known best for her chemical breakdown of our Sun; American astronaut, aviator, test pilot, naval officer and aeronautical engineer John Young (1930-2018), the ninth man to walk on the Moon and first to command a space shuttle mission; American puppeteer, artist, screenwriter and filmmaker Jim Henson (1936-1990), the man behind the Muppets; and British mathematician Ian Stewart (born 1945), an unparalleled numerical analyst with loyal followings in both science and science-fiction circles.
That’s “Incredibles”: And take a bow, Philip Bradley “Brad” Bird! The American director, producer, animator and voice actor – the Academy and Golden Globe award-winning innovator behind many live-action and animated hits – turns 68 today.
Send your best to Bird (for all his accomplishments, perhaps best known for his voicework in this iconic scene) at editor@innovateli.com, where we also accept news tips and calendar events (but no capes!).
About our sponsor: FourLeaf Federal Credit Union (formerly Bethpage Federal Credit Union) has been serving its members and their communities for more than 80 years. Just like when it first opened its doors in 1941, the credit union is keeping its promise to continuously meet the changing needs of members, employees and the communities they serve by being a trusted financial partner dedicated to enriching lives. Let’s Money Together.
BUT FIRST, THIS
Hitting the greens: This week’s Ryder Cup tournament is much more than a shiny jewel for Long Island’s tourism crown, according to the Long Island Association.
The LIA Research Institute – the nonprofit, nonpartisan business organization’s research arm – released an economic-impact study Monday showing that the Professional Golfers’ Association of America’s 45th Ryder Cup tournament, running Thursday through Sunday at Bethpage State Park’s famed Black Course, will spur $160 million in economic activity across the Island, including the creation of an estimated 1,000 temporary jobs. Add in travel and hospitality revenues in New York City, and the tournament will create a regional economic impact “far more than $200 million,” Ryder Cup Director Bryan Karns said in a statement.
With multiple PGA and Ladies Professional Golf Association tournaments scheduled to be played on Long Island over the next several years, the economic importance of the Ryder Cup and similar events cannot be overstated, according to Long Island Association President and CEO Matt Cohen. “Assets like the Bethpage Black course allow our region to attract world-class sporting events,” Cohen noted. “This preeminent golfing tournament will provide a unique opportunity for Long Island to host visitors (from) throughout the world who will spend their money at our hotels and restaurants and boost job growth both on and off the course.”
Start your engineers: Nearly two-dozen young women got a leg up on skilled trades this Summer, thanks to the United Way of Long Island and friends.
Building the future: A top regional nonprofit and a leading national infrastructure services group joined forces this summer to help young women explore career opportunities in construction, clean energy, engineering and other skilled trades.
The United Way of Long Island partnered with Melville-based master builder The Haugland Group to host Girls Who Build, a hands-on exploration initiative designed to introduce girls ages 15-17 to professional pathways they might not otherwise consider. Held Aug. 13 and 14 at the United Way’s E3 SmartBuild Training Center in Deer Park, the program – with a nod to partners including Girls Inc. of Long Island, the Workforce Development Institute, Danish energy producer Ørsted A/S and the National Society of Black Engineers, among others – engaged participants in building-science demonstrations, virtual-reality career simulations and other chances to explore the technology, gratification and fun of skilled-trade employment.
United Way of Long Island President and CEO Theresa Regnante trumpeted a well-supported and well-attended effort to promote “greater female representation” in skilled trades and encourage “upward mobility” among impressionable schoolgirls. “[We are] aligning them with strong women role models who are excelling in high-growth, high-demand sectors,” Regnante noted. “Together, we are creating an on-ramp to ensure the next generation of innovators in energy, engineering and construction is strong, diverse and empowered.”
TOP OF THE SITE
Come one, come Fall: Discover Long Island is teaming up with Long Island MacArthur Airport on an ambitious multistate marketing campaign designed to bring travelers to the Island’s vineyards and other scenic destinations throughout Autumn.
Playing catch-up: New exciting episodes of “Spark: The Innovate Long Island Podcast” are in production now! Catch up quick on recent conversations with the queen of Long Island media, the head of the Island’s busiest IDA, the prince of regional real estate development and all the other innovation-economy leaders who’ve shared their unique perspectives.
VOICES
Food trucks are more than a tasty alternative – they’re innovation with engines, according to Voices Food and Beverage Anchor Zelory “Celery” Gregler, who dishes on the popular phenomenon after encountering a life-changing fried-oyster po’ boy at Mount Sinai Heritage Park’s popular “Foodie Friday” event.
Livin’ on the Edge: 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
Talking out of your acetaminophen: According to science (and decades of human experience), there’s no connection between Tylenol and autism. NPR emphasizes fact.
Head first: With an eye on player safety, the National Football League continues to evolve helmet technologies. NFL.com uses its noggin.
If you fail to plan…: When the Internet goes down, will you be ready? HuffPost prepares for the worst.
RECENT FUNDINGS
+ AppZen, a California-based artificial intelligence-powered financial-management platform, raised $180 million in growth funding. The round was led by Riverwood Capital.
+ Le Walk, a New York City-based app-maker focused on location-based, guided experiences, raised $4.1 million in Seed funding led by Adverb Ventures and Lerer Hippeau, with participation from Origins Fund and Point72 Ventures.
+ AusperBio, a California-based clinical-stage biotech developing targeted delivery technologies for transformative therapies, raised $63 million in Series B2 funding led by Qiming Venture Partners, with participation from HanKang Capital, CDH Investments, YuanBio Venture Capital, Sherpa Capital and Genesis Capital.
+ Samara, a California-based manufacturer that designs, builds, installs and finances prefabricated accessory dwelling units, raised $34 million in Series B funding. The round was led by Thrive Capital.
+ Lingokids, a California-based software developer creating interactive apps for young children, raised $120 million in financing in a combination equity/go-to-market investment round led by Bullhound Capital and General Catalyst’s Customer Value Fund, with participation from Nextalia Ventures.
+ Centari, a New York City-based artificial intelligence-powered platform offering deep insights on potential investments, raised $14 million in funding led by Sentinel Global, with participation from GTMfund, South Park Commons, Alt Capital, RiverPark Ventures and Recall Capital.
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 FourLeaf). Gregory Zeller can tell you more.
BELOW THE FOLD (Jimmy Kimmel Edition)
That happened fast: Bowing first to MAGA and then to the almighty dollar, Disney quickly ended Kimmel’s “indefinite” suspension.
King’s ransom: Disney reversed after mass cancelations and a $5 billion stock hit.
First in their hearts: How the Kimmel free-speech crusade crossed political lines.
Station breaks: Why some ABC affiliates aren’t welcoming back Kimmel.
Late night, and always: Please continue supporting the outstanding organizations that support Innovate Long Island, including FourLeaf Federal Credit Union, where all the talk is about strong communities and socioeconomic progress. Check them out.
