Bon weekend: A happy Memorial Day break, everybody. Don’t forget to give a moment of thanks to the 1.3 million American service members who died so we are free to grill, beach and airshow.
The Innovate staff is taking a breather, too, so no Monday newsletter.
Looking for winners: It’s time to get the ball rolling on the 2016 Innovator of the Year awards. We’re seeking standouts in software, health and the life sciences, clean energy, food and beverage, science and technology, basic invention and anything else you think would impress our panel of esteemed judges.
We’re accepting nominations until July 22 and winners will be honored at a red-carpeted awards breakfast in October.
FAQ
How to I nominate someone?
Send some basic info on your nominee to events@innovateli.com and we’ll take it from there.
What if I can’t figure out what category my nominee belongs in?
Send some basic info on your nominee to events@innovateli.com and we’ll take it from there.
What if my nominee doesn’t fit into any of your categories?
You’re making this way more difficult than it needs to be.
Is it OK to nominate myself?
Certainly. Self-promotion is the highest form of marketing.
Does it cost anything to nominate?
No, but thanks for the idea. (Just kidding. The nomination process is completely free and winners even get a gratis seat at the awards breakfast.)
What if I have Qs that aren’t FA?
Contact Marlene McDonnell via events@innovateli.com. She’ll know.
Connections in high places: WiredScore, which ranks office towers based on their connectivity, from basic certification on up to platinum, is a big hit with brokers.
Related: Almost a third of NYC’s offices are rated. A single Long Island building has made the grade.
Will redevelop for $$: The Long Island Regional Economic Development Council is considering bids from 20 local downtowns, one of which will receive $10 million from a state contest. (Requires Newsday or Optimum subscription)
No longer penal: NYC has decided to ease the penalties on littering, open containers and public urination, taking 100,000 cases per year out of the criminal courts.
Workforce developments: Students were among the hardest hit by the Great Recession. Seven years later, young people still struggle to find work at rates that far outpace older job-seekers.
Related but not correlative: Boston has 35 colleges and universities. Despite growing enrollment, they cannot produce enough grads for the city’s biotech sector.
Yet another take on: The best city for small business. In this version, San Jose edges out NYC.
By the numbers: 3 billion earthlings have Internet access, 2.1 billion have social media accounts and 1.7 billion are Facebook friends with Rich Kruse.
Copping out of copper: AT&T wants to phase out landlines in California starting in 2020. Consumer advocates aren’t fans of the idea.
ICYMI
Can do, and does: Bellport-based M3 Technology helps defense and commercial contractors navigate the ever-expanding world of inventory management, from single bolt to see-you-on-the-factory-floor. As ops chief Michael Caton puts it, “We don’t like to tell our customers no.”
Only 2.3 million to go: Support for Gov. Cuomo’s third-track initiative is growing, now with support from 500,000 Long Islanders.
A no-brainer: After 18 months of research, a state senate task force has learned that effective workforce development requires great partnerships with schools. And the earlier, the better.
Space frontier: Real estate veteran Ross Selinger is building a technology-focused niche for himself.
Jobs: The region’s unemployment rate dipped below 4 percent for the first time in almost a decade, leaving just 58,000 people seeking work.
Help for the ICU: Northwell Health is human-testing a proprietary technology to combat sepsis, which kills more than 250,000 U.S. hospital patients annually.
From 1,500 nominations: Two Long Island startups are among the 33 regional finalists for EY’s 30th annual Entrepreneur of the Year program.
Hate when that happens: A Monday item directing you to the Town of Islip’s annual CEO summit apparently failed to do so. The sixth running of the event, which features inside baseball from local business leaders in rapid-fire Ignite presentations, is June 23. Free, but please tell them you’re coming.
About our sponsor: Teachers Federal Credit Union is a full-service, not-for-profit financial institution. Founded on Long Island in 1952, it has grown into a 250,000+ member organization with 25 branches in both Nassau and Suffolk Counties. More information is available by visiting www.teachersfcu.org or by calling 631-698-7000.
Visit us: Between newsletters, get breaking news at InnovateLI.com. And please like us on Facebook, our No. 1 source of new traffic.
A reminder: There’s really no such thing as “free” news. Please support great institutions like TFCU.
Did we mention liking us on Facebook? LinkedIn? Twitter?
Compiled by John Kominicki. Thanks for reading.
