Finishing touch: Congratulations, intrepid innovators! You’ve completed the first full workweek of 2025 and, as a modest reward, earned yourselves a lovely weekend respite.
Before we get to the gift-exchanging, holiday de-decorating, NFL playoffs-watching weekendy stuff, there’s one more workday to work through – and this snappy week-in-innovation review to help you do it. Let’s finish strong!
Go green: And don’t forget to water your chlorophyll-infused roommates on National Houseplant Appreciation Day.
For the birds: Today is Jan. 10 and we’re soaring high with National Save the Eagles Day, an annual homage to our (formerly endangered) national symbol that, thankfully, has nothing to do with Philadelphia football.
If you absolutely must root for something green, consider the philodendrons, parlor palms and other indoor flora decorating many of our homes – stars of the show on National Houseplant Appreciation Day.
Taste test: Today’s menu certainly caters to acquired tastes, starting with National Oysters Rockefeller Day, featuring buttery baked oysters that are certainly not for everyone – and, for the record, were named after oil baron John D. Rockefeller by New Orleans chef Jules Alciatore, whose customers wanted a dish “as rich as Rockefeller.” (John D. returns below.)
Chase those oysters with something sweet – but not too sweet, since it’s also National Bittersweet Chocolate Day, favoring slightly astringent cocoa derivatives every Jan. 10.
Independent ideas: Also bringing the bitter was English-born American political philosopher Thomas Paine, a future Founding Father who took it to the British Empire in “Common Sense,” his 47-page manifesto advocating American independence, published on this date in 1776.
Big ideas: Also making plenty of sense was the aforementioned John D. Rockefeller, who – en route to becoming one of the world’s first billionaires and a seafood namesake to boot – founded the Standard Oil Co. on Jan. 10, 1870.
Beam up: Handheld flashlights became a thing on this date in 1899 (at least, a patented thing).
Bright ideas: Also shining brightly was British inventor David Misell, who was actually living in New York when he patented the first battery-powered flashlight 126 years ago today.
Good idea (poorly executed): Rising from the ashes of World War I, the League of Nations – the first intergovernmental organization dedicated to promoting world peace – officially formed on this date in 1920. (It stumbled a bit, what with World War II and all, but we’re not judging.)
Small idea: And it was Jan. 10, 1949, when recording label RCA Victor introduced the 45 revolutions-per-minute record.
Arriving just seven months after rival Columbia Records spun out its trendsetting 33 1/3 RPM “long-play” discs, RCA’s 7-inch “singles” – credited with ushering in the rock ’n’ roll era – offered just one tune per side. (Debate rages to this day about which standalone song was actually published first).
Giant achievements: Willie McCovey was an elite slugger and one of the best to ever play his position.
Willie Mac: American baseball Hall of Famer Willie Lee McCovey (1938-2018) – a San Francisco Giants legend whose 521 career home runs, 1,500-plus runs batted in and numerous awards put him firmly in the discussion of greatest all-time first basemen – would be 87 years old today.
Also born on Jan. 10 were American philosopher, writer and lay theologian Ethan Allen (1738-1789), a farmer-turned-American Revolutionary War hero; American scientist and inventor George Washington Carver (1864-1943), an agricultural ace who developed hundreds of practical uses for soybeans, sweet potatoes and peanuts; English biologist and biochemist Norman Heatley (1911-2004), a key player in the development of penicillin; American entrepreneur, author, minister and retired professional boxer George Foreman (born 1949), a high school dropout who’s thrilled (and grilled) throughout his impressive life; and American singer/songwriter Patricia Mae Giraldo (born 1953), known best as Brooklyn-bred platinum-coated rocker Pat Benatar.
Reelin’ in the years: And take a bow, Donald Jay Fagen! The American musician, singer and songwriter – the beloved co-founder, keyboardist and lead singer of all-time-great rock band Steely Dan – turns 77 today.
Hey (he ain’t) Nineteen anymore, but you can still send your best to Kid Charlemagne at editor@innovateli.com, where Any Major Dude Will Tell You we always accept news tips – and we sometimes have a Black Cow when you don’t share your calendar events (especially Miss Marlene).
About our sponsor: Farmingdale State College is the largest college of applied science and technology in the State University of New York system, with nearly 10,000 students and 46 degree programs focused on relevant high-demand careers. More than half of our students graduate debt-free and 82 percent are employed six months after graduation or enrolled in graduate school. Nearly 80 percent of FSC graduates stay and are working on Long Island six months after graduation. Learn more here.
BUT FIRST, THIS
Conn.-ections: An expanded partnership between a champion of Long Island innovation and a Connecticut-based med-tech pioneer is good news for patients dealing with the deleterious aftereffects of strokes and spinal-cord injuries.
Hauppauge-based Forward Industries, parent of product design and development pacesetter Intelligent Product Solutions, has struck an undisclosed investment deal with Neuvotion, a medical-device maker focused on artificial intelligence-driven neuromodulation and brain-computer interfacing. The deal will help Neuvotion speed its flagship product – NeuStim, a wearable monitor designed to help clinicians remotely track recovery from physical and neurological traumas and adjust care accordingly – to market.
Stamford-based Neuvotion actually has Long Island roots: It was founded in 2019 by neuroscientist Chad Bouton, vice president of advanced engineering and director of the Neural Bypass and Brain-Computer Interface Laboratory at Northwell Health’s Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research. “We are proud to help Neuvotion innovate in the rapidly growing neuromodulation and neurorehabilitation markets,” noted IPS Chief Operating Officer Bob Wild. “Our multidisciplinary team of designers, engineers and scientists is thrilled to provide medical-device design and engineering expertise as Neuvotion brings their life-changing solutions to market.”
Murad scientist: Medical doctor, entrepreneur and Long Island University Class of 1962 graduate Howard Murad is helping future pharmacists follow in his footsteps.
Skin in the game: An undisclosed donation from a 1962 graduate will help Long Island University expand the role of pharmacists in providing greater healthcare to patients – specifically, better skin health.
Leveraging a gift from medical doctor Howard Murad – who graduated from LIU’s Arnold & Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences more than six decades ago and founded California-based clinical skin-care company Murad in 1989 – the university has established the Dr. Howard Murad ’62 Inclusive Wellness Initiative, a 10-year program designed to provide Schwartz College students with interactive healthcare experiences and encourage them to pursue careers in cosmetic science. College-based research activities, professional internships and extracurricular projects are all in the mix, with a full slate of scholarships and other academic incentives on tap.
The initiative is slated to launch during the Fall 2025 semester. “Dr. Howard Murad is known globally as a forward thinker, combining his wealth of experience as a board-certified dermatologist and his pharmacy training from Long Island University,” noted LIU President Kimberley Cline. “We are excited that our students can be inspired by his commitment to modern wellness.”
TOP OF THE SITE
Cell differentiation: Cohen Children’s Medical Center is the first New York hospital to bring a revolutionary gene-therapy treatment to the fight against sickle cell disease.
Bank check: Bethpage Federal Credit Union President and CEO Linda Armyn joins “Spark: The Innovate Long Island Podcast” to discuss progressive marketing campaigns, bold corporate rebrands and other front-burner innovations coming to Bethpage in 2025.
ICYMI
Holiday anxiety took center stage in the last Mount Sinai South Nassau Truth in Medicine Poll of 2024, which notes concerns about COVID, spiraling costs and celebratory binge-eating – but had plenty of nice things to say about largely misunderstood Long Island residents.
Something to say? Welcome to The Entrepreneur’s Edge, Innovate Long Island’s new promoted-content news feature platform – a direct link from you to our innovation-focused audience. Progressive product to promote? Singular service to sell? Sociopolitical position to push? Shine a bright light on the big picture, the little details and everything in between with The Entrepreneur’s Edge. What you need to know.
BEST OF THE WEST (AND SOMETIMES NORTH/SOUTH)
Innovate LI’s inbox overrunneth with inspirational innovations from all North American corners. This week’s brightest out-of-towners:
From New York City: Minority-owned alternative investment fund Jacmel Partners launches investment platform focused on critical infrastructure projects.
From California: Pleasanton-based healthcare-solutions ace Movano Health releases wearable “virtual wellness assistant” trained with the latest medical-journal data.
From California: Los Angeles-based communications pioneer Timekettle introduces AI-powered earbuds offering real-time translations for cross-language conversations.
ON THE MOVE
Andrea Tsoukalas Curto
+ Andrea Tsoukalas Curto has been appointed an affiliate board member of the Commercial Industrial Brokers Society of Long Island and co-chairwoman of the CIBS W Committee. She is a Land Use and Zoning partner at Uniondale law firm Forchelli Deegan Terrana.
+ Renna Guadalupe has been promoted to director of marketing at Ronkonkoma-based Campolo Middleton McCormick. She was marketing manager.
+ Felicia Pasculli has joined the Elder Law and Special Needs Practice Group at Uniondale-based Rivkin Radler. She is the founder of the Long Island Alzheimer’s Foundation and the Family Council at the Northport VA Medical Center, and was most recently a partner at Futterman Lanza & Pasculli in Smithtown.
+ The Hauppauge-based HIA-LI has announced a new slate of two-year officers:
- Babylon Town Councilman and Standard Advisors Group CEO Anthony Mannetta has been elected chairman of the Board of Directors.
- KMO Strategy Principal Kevin O’Connor has been elected first vice chairman.
- PSEG Long Island Energy Efficient and Renewables Director Michael Voltz has been elected second vice chairman.
- Sasserath & Co. CEO Alan Sasserath has been re-elected treasurer.
- TRITEC Real Estate Principal James Coughlan has been elected corporate secretary.
+ The Hauppauge-based HIA-LI has announced the election of six new Board of Directors members:
- Mario Asaro, president of Industry One Realty
- Phil Boyle, president and CEO of Suffolk Regional Off-Track Betting and Jake’s 58 Casino Hotel
- Jeffrey Dorschuck, senior vice president of M&T Bank
- Steven Kuperschmid, partner at Ruskin Moscou Faltischek
- Alex Lipsky, co-owner and president of Lipsky Construction
- Kevin Santacroce, New York Market president of ConnectOne Bank
+ Anthony Cancellieri has been elected to the Healthcare Trustees of New York State Board of Governors. He is co-chairman of the Mount Sinai South Nassau Advisory Board and a trustee of the Mount Sinai Health System.
+ Melville-based Canon USA has announced several executive-level promotions:
- Kiyoshi Oka has been promoted to executive vice president and general manager of the Marketing Strategy Unit. He was vice president and GM.
- Masato Mori has been promoted to senior vice president of the Business Innovation Group. He was vice president.
- Karin Harrington has been promoted to vice president of the Business Partner Group. She was sales director.
- William Lowe has been promoted to vice president of the Client Services Group. He was vice president of service for Canon Business Solutions.
- Dawn Rouse has been promoted to vice president of the Client Services Group. She was senior director of strategic pricing.
- Jami Schultz has been promoted to vice president of Corporate Human Resources. She was senior director and general manager.
+ David Chung has been appointed director of clinical research and multiple-myeloma system chief at the Northwell Health Cancer Institute. He was the director of the Adult Stem Cell Transplantation and Cancer Immunotherapy fellowships at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
+ Guy Savia has been appointed to the boards of directors at the Town of Hempstead Industrial Development Agency and the Town of Hempstead Local Development Corp. He is the CEO of Hauppauge-based Savoy Medical.
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 Farmingdale State). Gregory Zeller can tell you more.
BELOW THE FOLD (Come To Your Senses Edition)
Tone deaf: Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark, the top supplier of hearing aids to the United States (not to mention Legos and Wegovy).
Smell: Behold, the “stinkygram,” as the sense of smell goes digital.
Sight: The “smart contact lens” industry is quickly coming into focus.
Hearing: Threats to annex Greenland by economic force are bad news for hearing-impaired Americans.
Magic touch: Please continue supporting the innovative institutions that support Innovate Long Island, including Farmingdale State College, which has a proven knack for placing workforce-ready professionals into the regional innovation economy. Check them out.
