Feel the heat: Welcome to Wednesday, dear readers, as we hurdle the hump of another late-Autumn workweek – complete with a brief but chilly Winter preview.
Yes, Long Island, those were the season’s first snowflakes you saw swirling around yesterday (if this irks you, be glad you weren’t in Chicago or Western New York). Nighttime lows in Nassau and Suffolk in the 30s are predicted throughout the week … but the innovation economy, fortunately, is hotter than ever.
Last chance: Before we dive into that socioeconomic sauna, one last reminder for all you generous holiday gift-givers: The Innovate Long Island discount over at LocaLI Bred – the amazing gift-box pioneers packing customizable baskets with chocolates, coffees, whole-leaf teas, artisanal soaps, aromatherapy candles, unique clothing and more, all made right here on Long Island – expires this week.
Discount code INNOVATELI5 will still get you a nice break on large corporate orders, making LocaLI Bred an all-heart no-brainer for companies with multiple customers, employees and partners on their gift lists – but the code’s only good through Friday (for real!), so hurry up and check them out.
Know your enemy: Pneumonia is one of the most common infectious diseases in the world — and today’s the day to learn how to beat it.
Pneu and improved: Today is Nov. 12 and we’re officially leading off with World Pneumonia Day, an annual awareness campaign centered on preventative vaccinations and cutting-edge treatments for the serious lung infection.
Promoting health of a different kind is National Chicken Soup for the Soul Day, which technically has nothing to do with the popular series of inspirational books, but similarly focuses on self-care, inspiration and the importance of nurturing our core beings.
Come on, get happy: Nurturing some of our lesser tendencies is National Happy Hour Day, in which we tie one on after work – a tradition, for the record, that dates back to the early days of the U.S. Navy.
Further happy news: There’s plenty to eat after you stumble out of the pub (and into an Uber). For instance, National French Dip Day (dripping with appreciation for the gussied-up cheesesteaks) and National Pizza With the Works Except Anchovies Day (we wholeheartedly agree with that order) both satisfy the munchies on Nov. 12.
What rhymes with “pizza”? Also fairly satisfying is Emily Dickinson’s first poetry collection, published (posthumously) on this date in 1890.
Hudson underpass: Other achievements from beyond the grave associated with Nov. 12 include the Holland Tunnel, which was the world’s longest underwater vehicular tunnel when it opened on this date in 1927 – three years after the death of designer and chief engineer Clifford Holland.
Messy Nessie: Do you see a plesiosaur? A capsized boat? A dog? A century later, theories still abound about the first picture of the so-called Loch Ness monster.
Dino? Might: Also exceeding its life expectancy is the infamous Loch Ness Monster, which some believed to be a very-not-extinct Mesozoic Era plesiosaur when it was first photographed 92 years ago today.
Evolutionary road: A plesiosaur in 20th Century Scotland would contradict everything we know about evolution – and throw shade on a Nov. 12, 1968, United States Supreme Court ruling invalidating an Arkansas law that criminalized the teaching of human evolution in public schools.
Salvage one two: And it was this date in 1984 when NASA astronauts – spacewalking from the cargo bay of Space Shuttle Discovery – conducted the first-ever orbital salvage operation, reeling in a malfunctioning satellite against rapidly deteriorating odds.
The crew would capture one more broken bird before safely returning both satellites to Earth for repairs. (And give yourself 10 bonus points, child of the 70s, if you caught that “Salvage 1” reference back there.)
Think about it: French artist François Auguste René Rodin (1840-1917) – the iconic master of bronze and marble portraits generally considered the “Father of Modern Sculpture” – would be 185 years old today.
Princess bride: Kelly gave up Hollywood stardom to marry into royalty.
Also born on Nov. 12 were French Canadian nurse Jeanne Mance (1606-1673), who co-founded the colony of Montreal and spearheaded North America’s first hospital; Scottish surgeon, anatomist, physiologist, neurologist, artist and philosophical theologian Sir Charles Bell (1774-1842), who wrote “the Magna Carta of neurology”; American astronomer Seth Nicholson (1891-1963), who predicted eclipses, calculated comet orbits and discovered four of Jupiter’s moons; American silver screen legend Grace Kelly (1929-1982), who went from virtual Hollywood royalty to actual Monégasque royalty; and American sportscaster Al Michaels (born 1944), a mainstay of network sports coverage for more than 50 years.
He’s just Ken: And take a bow, Ryan Thomas Gosling! The versatile, talented and red-hot Canadian actor – already boasting a Golden Globe, a Primetime Emmy and three Oscar nominations (with a trip to that galaxy far, far away approaching at lightspeed) – turns 45 today.
Send the Fall Guy your best at editor@innovateli.com, where our Notebook is filled with your news tips and we go to La La Land whenever you share your calendar events.
About our sponsor: The Long Island Business Development Council has helped build the regional economy for 56 years by bringing together government economic-development officials, developers, financial experts and others for education, debate and networking.
BUT FIRST, THIS
Counselors connect: Long Island school counselors gathered Nov. 7 at SUNY Old Westbury to magnify artificial intelligence’s effects on young human intelligence.
Developed by the East End Counselors’ Association, the Nassau Counselors’ Association and the Western Suffolk Counselors’ Association, the 49th Long Island Counselors’ Annual Conference featured a keynote address by Varon Consulting Founder and CEO Joshua Varon, who discussed ways ChatGPT and other AI tools can tangibly and ethically empower school counselors. The day-long summit also included workshops covering AI-related content for financial-aid processing, career counseling and transfer admissions, as well as an overview of SUNY’s Advancing Success in Associate Pathways and Advancing Completion through Engagement programs.
Participants also attended a College Connections Expo, offering updates on new programs, facilities and student opportunities at area colleges and universities. “We were excited to welcome [the conference] back to campus again this year and to support the amazing professionals who work hard every day to help students get ready for life after high school,” noted SUNY Old Westbury Admissions Director Frank Pizzardi. “Big thanks to the conference planning committee for putting together such a great program, which was timely, engaging and a big hit with everyone who attended.”
Worth the “Wait”: Will Carter and Lisa find true love? Find out Nov. 18 in Bellmore.
Screen shot: Long Island talent abounds in a special movie screening coming soon to Bellmore.
Merrick-based writer-director Debra Markowitz is slated to present “Wait List: A Love-ish Story,” her new feature film produced with a bevy of Long Island filmmakers and performers, including comedian and actor Travis Grant, also hailing from Merrick; musician Rorie Kelly, a Sound Beach resident who helped shape the film’s soundtrack; and several recognizable faces from the big and small screens (boasting appearances in major motion pictures “Blair Witch II” and “She’s Gotta Have It” and hit TV shows “Blue Bloods” and “The Blacklist,” among others). The Nov. 18 screening at Bellmore Movies & The Showplace is scheduled to include an audience Q&A with Markowitz – a former Nassau County film commissioner who launched her production company, Intention Films and Media, in 2014 – and cast and crew members.
“Wait List” – the romcom-ish story of a young man who pursues a romantic relationship with a childhood friend’s now-divorced mom, despite the age gap and other messiness – joins a growing Intention Films and Media library that includes finished features, film shorts, episodic series and a host of drawing-board projects. Tickets for the Nov. 18 theater event are $10 at the door.
TOP OF THE SITE
Investing wisely: Stony Brook University and Santander US Bank are teaming up to educate the workforce of tomorrow – and instill the confidence it will need to succeed.
Pile driver: The up-and-coming horror-movie master, the veteran Long Island politico … “Spark: The Innovate Long Island Podcast” continues to pile up inventive entrepreneurs, learned legends and other key innovation-economy contributors. Pile on some knowledge.
VOICES
With the government shutdown winding down, the political-football saga of federal SNAP funding remains a dark tragedy – though Voices Healthcare Anchor and former Northwell Health Vice President Terry Lynam notices a silver lining in the selfless actions of Long Island donors and volunteers.
Something you’d like to add? The Entrepreneur’s Edge is open for business! Innovate Long Island’s promoted-content platform provides a direct link from startups, established corporations and nonprofits to our forward-thinking audience – 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, from the perspective of your innovation-focused enterprise. Learn more here!
STUFF WE’RE READING
Betting the House: Nationwide Democrats continue to frustrate the GOP’s high-risk gerrymandering strategy. Reuters maps it out.
Human touch: Technology is advancing fast – and so are the skills necessary to control it. Business Insider studies the humanities.
Make it quick: For many startups, artificial intelligence is – and must be – the primary growth engine. Forbes speeds up innovation.
RECENT FUNDINGS
+ CampusKnot, a Mississippi-based, artificial intelligence-powered classroom-participation platform, raised $1.1 million in funding led by Tulane Ventures, Boot 64 Ventures, Invest Mississippi Impact Fund, Momentum Fund and Greaux Innovation Ventures.
+ Evolve, a Denver-based, AI-powered professional training and adaption learning platform, raised $1 million in Seed funding led by AltaIR Capital, with participation from 500 Global, ULTRA.VC, Funders VC and Brayne.vc.
+ Fastbreak, a North Carolina-based software maker focused on professional sports, raised $40 million in Series A funding led by Greycroft and GTMfund, with participation from the NBA, the NHL and other professional sports organizations.
+ Upward, a Washington State-based fintech infrastructure platform provider, raised $8 million in Seed-plus funding led by Dundee Venture Capital and Breakwater Ventures Fund, with participation from Techstars, Altari Ventures, Cascade Seed Fund and Outside Ventures.
+ The Beans, a California-based financial operating system and workforce-development platform for care-industry professionals, raised $5.4 million in Seed funding led by Alloy Alchemist Fund, Commerce Ventures, Impulsum Ventures, Precursor Ventures, Swing Ventures, Techstars, Esther Dyson, TruStage Ventures, Coyote Ventures and Fabric VC.
+ IDL, a California-based professional sports league for dancers, raised $7 million in Seed funding led by Elysian Park Ventures, KB Partners, APEX, CIROC President Nick Tran, former NBA CMA Tammy Henault and SPCSHP CEO Taryn Crouthers.
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 the LIBDC). Gregory Zeller can tell you more.
BELOW THE FOLD (Magnetized Edition)
Don’t see the attraction: Actually, lots of people know what a magnet is.
Misunderstood: Some people are really confused about magnets.
Understood: Researchers have been refining the science of magnetics since 600 BC.
Magnetic attraction: Behold, the invisible forces determining mutual romantic interest.
Come together: Please continue supporting the outstanding organizations that support Innovate Long Island, including the Long Island Business Development Council, which has been pulling together governments, developers, investors and other regional stakeholders for nearly six decades. Check them out.
