Ground level: Up and over, dear readers, as we hurdle another hibernal hump and race into the second half of another wintry workweek (and the second half of Winter 2026, for those keeping score – the exact midpoint between the Winter Solstice and the Vernal Equinox was yesterday).
It certainly has been a rough season on Long Island (look no further than your spiraling oil bill, as boilers and heaters blast nonstop). And there’s more frigidity (and more snow) in the forecast – no thanks to groundhogs Punxsutawney Phil, Staten Island Chuck and even the Island’s own Holtsville Hal, all of whom saw their #^©$!@& shadows on Monday.
Going postal: Thank an actual letter-carrier today.
Union strong: But even six more weeks of winter can’t stop the red-hot innovation economy – and it won’t stop you, intrepid innovators, or the heroes of World Cancer Day, the Union for International Cancer Control’s annual Feb. 4 homage to cancer prevention, detection and treatment.
We’re also spreading the word today about National Thank A Mail Carrier Day, saluting the unflappable – and chilly, no doubt – federal employees still delivering the goods in an era heavy on digital discourse.
Super bowls: Also fighting off the chills is your favorite bisque, broth, consommé or chowder – dealer’s choice on National Homemade Soup Day, raising core temperatures one spoonful at a time every Feb. 4.
First edition: Washington swept all 69 possible votes to become the first U.S. chief executive.
All for one: Also feeling hot, hot, hot was George Washington, the commander of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, who was unanimously elected on this date in 1789 (by 69 presidential electors) as the first President of the United States.
The long way: Feeling brave (and lucky) were Pierre van Ryneveld and Christopher Joseph Quintin-Brand, the pilots behind the stick of the first flight from London to Cape Town, South Africa – which took off on Feb. 4, 1920, and reached its destination 45 treacherous days later.
E for effort: Getting there much quicker was Radium E, the first radioactive element synthetically produced in a laboratory, which is exactly what happened 90 years ago today when University of California at Berkeley physicist John Livingood bombarded bismuth with neutrons.
Pretty slick: Other big-time chemical breakthroughs marking anniversaries today include tetrafluoro-ethylene polymer – the super-substance known best as Teflon, patented on this date in 1941 by DuPont Co. chemist Roy Plunkett.
Face the world: And it was Feb. 4, 2004, when “The Facebook” went live.
Harvard sophomore Mark Zuckerberg’s invention (?) leveraged his unparalleled gifts for coding and deceit – and has grown into one of the world’s most valuable companies, with a market cap approaching $2 trillion.
Hot seat: Parks’ simple act of disobedience sparked a national response.
Sit anywhere you like: African American civil rights icon Rosa Parks (1913-2005) – who became the “Mother of the Freedom Movement” by refusing to surrender her bus seat to a White man in Alabama – would be 113 years old today.
Also born on Feb. 4 were French mineralogist and geologist Antoine François Alfred Lacroix (1863-1948), who pioneered the study of rock-forming minerals; German physicist and aerospace scientist Ludwig Prandtl (1875-1953), remembered as the “Father of Aerodynamics”; American aviator, military officer, author, inventor and activist Charles Lindbergh (1902-1974), an obscure U.S. Air Mail pilot until destiny called; American journalist and activist Betty Friedan (1921-2006), who detailed “The Feminine Mystique” and co-founded the National Organization for Women; and Mexican American boxing promoter and former professional boxer “Golden Boy” Oscar De La Hoya (born 1973), an 11-time world champion across six weight divisions.
Shocking: And take a bow, Vincent Furiner! The American singer, songwriter and actor – known best as raspy voiced, uber theatrical “Godfather of Shock Rock” Alice Cooper, who discovered early on that Rock needed a villain – turns 78 today.
The near-octogenarian is still bringing it – catch him in March at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas (with Criss Angel?!?). And catch our attention (with news tips and calendar events) at editor@innovateli.com.
About our sponsor: ZE Creative Communications is a full-service integrated marketing communications agency specializing in public relations, creative marketing, crisis communication and social media. Founded in Great Neck, ZE Creative Communications has been helping clients create compelling and successful messaging campaigns for more than three decades. Learn more here.
BUT FIRST, THIS
Putting the “sci” back in poli-sci: A strong political science foundation will backbone a new, socially minded Farmingdale State College degree program.
Farmingdale State has launched a new Public Administration and Policy bachelor’s degree program designed to prepare students for demanding careers in government, nonprofit management and other sectors with public-policy reach. Combining classic political science coursework with economics, communications and law classes, the program aims to plug classroom theory into real-world practice, while promoting versatile skills required by a wide range of careers across government and cutting-edge 21st Century industries.
The program – which will also apply social science research and analysis methods to frontline issues in energy, healthcare and technology – is gearing up for liftoff in the Fall 2026 Semester. “In today’s economy, [students] need the breadth to be able to move within and across industries and entire sectors,” noted Associate Professor of Political Science Michael Motta. “We want the students to understand how government works and, more importantly, we want them to know how they can work.”
In theory: The Olympics of game theory are coming to Long Island.
Stony Brook University has been named host of the Eighth World Congress of the Game Theory Society, a five-day conference celebrating a branch of mathematics and economics that studies strategic decision-making between rational actors whose outcomes depend on each other’s choices. Essentially, game theory analyzes situations where the best course of action for one participant depends on what other participants do in competition, cooperation or open conflict – with applicable lessons across economic, scientific, corporate and political models.
The winning proposal to host the next games – scheduled for July 17-21, 2028 – was submitted by the Stony Brook Center for Game Theory, a world-renowned institute that’s conducted dozens of international game-theory conferences and more than 75 game-theory workshops over the last four decades. The prestigious World Congress is slated to visit Long Island following stops in Beijing, China (in 2024), and in Budapest, Hungary (in 2021, after the 2020 edition was delayed one year by COVID).
TOP OF THE SITE
Feeling no pain: A new Feinstein Institutes research center is serving up real drugs and alcohol to better understand wonky motor functions – and potentially unlock fantastic new mental-health therapies.
Impatience rewarded: A fresh season of “Spark: The Innovate Long Island Podcast” is in production – new guests, new sponsors, loads of laughs and actionable intel. But why wait? Dozens of amazing conversations from Seasons 1-5 are standing by right now!
VOICES
As the federal government raced toward partial shutdown last week, Voices Healthcare Anchor and former Northwell Health Senior Vice President Terry Lynam detailed how ICE backlash was stalling the works – and threatening a bipartisan public-health revival.
STUFF WE’RE READING
Innovation consternation: Tariffs and other trade-policy whiplash suggest America has lost its innovation touch. Bloomberg takes a deep breath.
Desperate grab: The president’s vague call to “nationalize” elections sparks a furious bipartisan response. Reuters takes a hand count.
Risky business: Why risk management must be a part of every corporate financial decision. Forbes takes a big chance.
RECENT FUNDINGS
+ Fieldguide, a California-based, artificial intelligence-native audit and advisory platform, raised $75 million in Series C funding led by Growth Equity at Goldman Sachs Alternatives, with participation from Geodesic, Bessemer Venture Partners, 8VC and Thomson Reuters.
+ Breezy, a California-based, AI-powered operating system for real estate professionals, raised $10 million in Pre-seed funding led by Ribbit Capital, with participation from Fifth Wall, DST Global, Liquid 2 Ventures, O.G. Venture Partners, OpenAI CEO of Applications Fidji Simo and Lightspark CEO David Marcus.
+ Linq, an Alabama-based communications layer for AI agents, raised $20 million in Series A funding led by TQ Ventures, with participation from Mucker Capital and angel investors.
+ When, an Illinois-based workforce-transitions platform, raised $10.2 million in Series A funding led by ManchesterStory and 7wire, with participation from Mairs, Power Venture Capital, B Capital, Enfield Capital Partners, TTV Capital and Alumni Ventures.
+ Branded Realties, a Virginia-based developer of Ai-power augmented-reality experiences, raised $1.6 million in Seed funding. Backers included Patrick Guise, Jack Richards and Greg Darby.
+ Varo Bank, a California-based, all-digital, nationally chartered bank, raised $123.9 million in Series G funding led by Warburg Pincus and Coliseum Capital Management, with participation from Northview.
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 ZE Creative). Gregory Zeller can tell you more.
BELOW THE FOLD (68th Annual Grammy Awards Edition)
Um … ouch?: Yes, nipple rings held up Chappell Roan’s Grammys dress.
Good news: But not for MAGA, as Bad Bunny takes top honors.
Skin in the game: Critics decry “spectacle of nudity” on the Grammys red carpet.
Cher alike: The Goddess of Pop’s big flub was hardly history’s first awards-show gaffe.
Gold, for the record: Please continue supporting the fantastic firms that support Innovate Long Island, including ZE Creative Communications, where the lyrics are sharp, the tune is snappy and the awards are always earned. Check them out.
