Things happen fast around here: Step on it, dear readers – August is off and running and another week of socioeconomic innovation is zipping right along.
It’s already Aug. 2 out there, so try to keep up. An invigorating innovation roundup will put some pep in your step … read this, quick!
All in good humor: Keep your cookies, we’ll take a classic on National Ice Cream Sandwich Day.
Revisionist history: We begin way back on Aug. 2, 1776, where we find the Founding Fathers signing of the Declaration of Independence – an event that did not actually happen on July 4 of that year, as you might have heard.
In color: For those still working on their letters, today is also National Coloring Book Day (though coloring books can be plenty of fun for adults, too).
Adults, kids, artists, writers – everyone can get behind National Ice Cream Sandwich Day, also melting gloriously onto your fingertips every Aug. 2.
In black and white: Less about words than numbers – and leaving plenty of room for color – was the first U.S. Census, which kicked off on this date in 1790 (and ultimately counted 3.92 million Americans, including Slaves and Free White Females).
You gotta mean it: Mapping time around the world.
Monochromatic chronology: The name might suggest otherwise, but Greenwich Mean Time – officially adopted by British Parliament 143 years ago today, first step toward establishing a universally adopted global 24-hour system – has nothing to do with color.
Copper tone: Decidedly copper in color (and composition) was the Lincoln penny, which debuted on this date in 1909. (Alas, drama ensued for the famous one-cent piece).
Choose from several colors: It was Aug. 2, 1965, when Michigan Bell Telephone dialed up the new trimline telephone, a slimmed-down unit that moved the rotary dial and hang-up button from a remote base to the microphone/speaker handpiece (and cost customers an extra $1 per month).
Fade to white: And white giraffes officially became a thing on this date in 2017, thanks to a pair of quick-thinking wildlife rangers in northeastern Kenya.
Rumors of a long-necked ivory female and her pale cub roaming the countryside had been spreading for months – and were finally confirmed by the rangers, who shot a soon-to-go-viral video of the rare animals.
Grid and bear it: French American military engineer Pierre “Peter” Charles L’Enfant (1754-1825) – who inspired street plans for Detroit but is known best for the L’Enfant Plan, the geometric, grid-like mapping of Washington, D.C. – would be 269 years old today.
Say “Munster”: Portrait of a child star.
Also born on Aug. 2 were French sculptor and painter Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi (1834-1904), who designed the Statue of Liberty; American inventor and entrepreneur Frank Perret (1867-1943), a self-taught electrical engineer known best for his deep volcanic dives; American writer James Baldwin (1924-1987), celebrated for his novels, plays and other art forms; American actor Carroll O’Connor (1924-2001), an accomplished thespian known best for playing an unabashed bigot; and American actor Patrick Alan Lilley (born 1953), known best as Butch Patrick (and for playing Eddie Munster).
Crowned Jewell: And take a bow, Jewell Jackson McCabe! The American feminist, business executive, professor and social activist – the energetic founder of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women – turns 78 today.
Wish the relentless ideologist well at editor@innovateli.com, where our ideology is shaped by your news tips – and our activities rely heavily on your calendar events.
About our sponsor: The Long Island Business Development Council has helped build the regional economy for 54 years by bringing together government economic-development officials, developers, financial experts and others for education, debate and networking.
BUT FIRST, THIS
Security funding secured: The North Babylon Union Free School District will step up district-wide security via Albany’s decade-old Smart Schools Bond Act.
The SSBA – now in year nine of distributing millions of dollars in general-obligation bonds to help improve infrastructure and educational technology in statewide schools – recently awarded a fresh $13.2 million in funding to several districts on Long Island and elsewhere. Among the 48 total awards was a $838,149 grant covering new high-tech security systems in the North Babylon UFSD, including new video-recording technologies and state-of-the-art classroom-based emergency-notification systems.
Other Long Island districts earning stipends this SSBA round include the Rockville Centre UFSD ($533,433 for similar high-tech security improvements) and the Jericho UFSD ($259,140, mostly for new classroom tech). “As a former educator and someone who is committed to bettering the lives of my constituents, I am proud to announce this award,” noted State Sen. Monica Martinez (D-Hauppauge), who helped funnel the North Babylon funding. “Before all else, safety is our No. 1 concern for our children.”
Raising eyebrows: Not to mention awareness, money and lacrosse sticks — the 2023 Long Island Shootout for Solders was another hit.
Stick figures: From the Innovate Long Island Sports Desk comes a popular athletic benefit for military veterans that’s obliterated its fundraising goal, once again.
Shootout for Soldiers-Long Island, a sponsor-your-favorite-player lacrosse event spun off the national Shootout for Soldiers organization in 2014, raised $180,321 during its annual 24-hour tournament, held July 13 and 14 at the Town of Oyster Bay’s John J. Burns Park in Massapequa. The yearly gathering presents two-dozen hourlong games over 24 hours, pitting men’s and women’s teams of all ages and abilities against squads with similar skills, with players and teams raising their own individual sponsorships.
The $180,000-plus tally easily surpassed the event’s $150,000 fundraising goal, marking another win for Shootout for Soldiers-Long Island, which has raised more than $1 million to date. Shootout for Soldiers-National – which launched in 2012 and uses its events to educate host communities about the challenges faced by U.S. veterans – has now staged more than 15,000 fundraisers and raised upwards of $5 million.
POD PEOPLE
Episode 27: Dawn Smallwood, college cop.
Season 4 of Spark: The Innovate Long Island Podcast has followed the formula (amazing conversations with innovation economy leaders) and raised the bar (legendary DJs, social justice crusaders and more).
Another makes-you-laugh, makes-you-think conversation coming soon – catch up quick on the latest batch of Season 4 episodes, and another three dozen before those.
TOP OF THE SITE
Coming soon: Young techs representing top Long Island and South Korea universities glimpsed the future during an exclusive tour of Canon USA’s Melville headquarters.
Lucky break: You can always read these factual and fun newsletters on our website – except for our subscriber-only calendar newsletters, which are circulated every Monday (and not archived). Fortunately, subscriptions are always easy, always free.
VOICES
The Voices column is back on the food-and-beverage beat with well-fed columnist Zelory Gregler, who comes into possession of some authentic Italian pesto and loses possession of his faculties – until some master Long Island chefs help him remember that in cooking and in life, the simple things matter most.
STUFF WE’RE READING
Hands off: Hands-free driving is here, but is it safe? The Verge takes a spin.
Called off: Does the economic “soft landing” mean no recession? Vox crunches the numbers.
Cheesed off: A federal judge tossed a Florida woman’s $5 million mac-and-cheese lawsuit. NewsNation dismisses the case.
RECENT FUNDINGS
+ Helpful, a Massachusetts-based family-caregiver management app, raised $7.5 million in seed funding led by Redesign Health.
+ GlassPoint, a New York City-based renewable energy semiconductor manufacturer, closed an $8 million Series A funding round led by 300PPM, former Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, former Alcoa COO Tomas Sigurdsson and other industrial leaders.
+ Airvet, a California-based pet-telehealth pioneer, raised $18 million in Series B funding led by Mountain Group Partners, Canvas Ventures and Headline.
+ Mobilo, a NYC-based digital business card maker, raised $4.1 million in seed funding. Backers included Deepwork Capital and TMT Investments.
+ ETCH, a Maryland-based decarbonization pioneer, raised $7.5 million in seed funding. Emerald Development Managers made the investment.
+ A-Alpha Bio, a Washington State-based synthetic-biology and machine-learning startup, raised $22.4 million in Series A2 funding led by Perceptive Xontogeny Ventures, Madrona and existing investors.
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 (just ask the LIBDC). Marlene McDonnell can tell you more.
BELOW THE FOLD (Dog Eat Dog Edition)
Scoop Dogg: Uncle Snoop is a busy entrepreneur.
Dog tags: Alan Alda’s “M*A*S*H” gear raised $125,000 for charity.
Dog days: Believe it or not, the hottest days of summer are almost behind us.
Dogg designs: Entrepreneur Snoop introduces ice cream line and new Skecher shoes.
Dogged: Please continue supporting the progressive organizations that support Innovate Long Island, including the Long Island Business Development Council, which has been in relentless pursuit of stronger regional socioeconomics for five decades. Check them out.
