Current start: It’s Wednesday already, intrepid innovators, as we ride through the hump and bustle through another busy week of socio-economic invention.

It’s a very warm February 23, with spring – and innovation – in the air. Let’s dance!

Gentle ride: Hit the gas and take off – it’s National Banana Bread Day.

And let’s not forget Rover, who will surely sit and stay for National Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day.

Always excuses: If none of these solutions work for you, you probably have your reasons – we wouldn’t be shocked National Streamlining Dayjustifying the unjustifiable this and every February 23rd.

Beantown Birthday: They obviously had their reasons for waiting, but Boston – originally founded in 1630 by Puritan settlers – officially incorporated in town on this date in 1822. (Biological anniversaries below.)

My engine: German genius Rudolf Diesel was eager to patent his always roaring internal combustion engine – what he did 129 years ago today, defying both steam engines and horse-drawn carriages.

Chew this: Speaking of sustainable innovations, Austrian immigrant Leo Hishfield introduced the Tootsie Roll – the first “penny candy” and weatherproof wartime ration, according to the story – February 23, 1896.

No strings attached: Other built-to-last creations associated with this date include the Disney classic “Pinocchio”, which created in 1940 on its way to earning a magic $121.8 million in worldwide box office receipts.

For those keeping the accounts, that’s $2.4 billion in adjusted 2022 dollars.

Radioactive Man: And Glenn Seaborg, a nuclear chemist at the University of California at Berkeley – Nobel laureate who identified 10 elements in total, including seaborgium – discovered plutonium February 23, 1941.

It was no accident.

WEB 1: American sociologist, historian, civil rights activist, pan-Africanist and author William Edward Burghardt “WEB” Du Bois (1868-1963) – the first African American to earn a doctorate from Harvard University and co-founder of the NAACP, among other achievements – would be 154 years old today.

Also born on February 23, the German-British composer George Frideric Handel (1685-1759), whose “Messiah” go up again; British plant anatomist and morphologist Agnes Arber (1879-1960), the first female botanist (and only the third female) elected Fellow of the Royal Society; American director, cinematographer and producer Victor Fleming (1889-1949), who made ‘The Wizard of Oz’, ‘Gone with the Wind’ and other hollywood classics; American actress and producer Majel Barrett-Roddenberry (1932-2008), the eternal “First Lady of Star Trek”; and Canadian politician and former astronaut Joseph Jean-Pierre Marc Garneau (b. 1949), the first Canadian in space.

Tanjōbiomedeto: And bow down, Naruhito! Or maybe we bow to him? Anyway, the 126th emperor of Japan – born Hironomiya Naruhito – turns 62 today.

Wish Her Majesty good luck at [email protected], where your topical tips and calendar events always receive a royal welcome.

About our sponsor: The Long Island Business Development Council has helped build the regional economy for 53 years by bringing together government economic development officials, developers, financial experts and others for education, debate and networking.

BUT FIRST, THIS

Success plan: One of Long Island’s oldest and best-known home improvement companies has been acquired by an ambitious investment management firm.

Based in Boston and San Francisco Audax Private Equity acquired the East Meadow-based company Alure Home Improvements, a preeminent provider of residential kitchen repairs, bathroom renovations and other full-service home improvement projects with 75 years of satisfied Long Island customers. Terms of the deal – which saw the Ronkonkoma-based M&A advisory Protection Advisors board Alure Chairman and CEO Sal Ferro and his team – were not disclosed.

Audax, which has an $8 billion investment portfolio in the middle market, plans to combine Alure with two other regional home improvement leaders to form new direct-to-consumer brand Renovo Home Partners . “Given the long-term success of the three brands, we saw significant potential in combining the businesses under one umbrella,” Audax Private Equity managing director John Dupey said on Tuesday, adding that the ultimate goal is to create “one of the leading DTCs in the country. repair and remodel [companies].”

Ready and able: New York State’s Office of the Director of Disability Services will help qualified people with disabilities secure well-deserved employment opportunities.

First-ever Chief Disability Officer Kimberly Hill will advocate on behalf of this diverse population, with Governor Kathy Hochul authorizing state agencies to designate up to 1,200 positions for persons with disabilities, including 500 positions for qualified veterans with disabilities . In announcing the new office this month, Hochul lamented that only 35% of New Yorkers with disabilities between the ages of 18 and 64 are employed, ranking New York City 38th out of 50 states — “not…a statistic I’m really proud. “said the governor.

Step into the new office, which picks up where now-defunct Albany signs like the circa 1983 State Office of the Disability Advocate left off, pursuing a more diverse workforce and equitable statewide. “The appointment of a disability lead … is a very welcome step toward achieving the vital goal of ensuring equity, inclusiveness and accessibility for New Yorkers with special needs,” noted Mental Health Office Commissioner Ann Sullivan. “This is an opportunity for New York State to raise awareness about disabilities and change perceptions.”

POD PEOPLE

Breakthrough clean technology, famous scientists, industry-government collaboration in the big leagues – ThermoLift has it all, powered by a brilliant mix of R&D funding, lab experimentation and business networking.

Co-Founder Paul Schwartz Joins Spark: The Innovate Long Island Podcast to Share the Story of Spark’s Season 2 Sponsor – and to Celebrate a Carbon-Neutral Engineering Masterpiece That’s About to Change the world.

TOP OF THE SITE

Monumental moments: With its mysterious and misunderstood animal disease center relocated, conservationists want the largely underdeveloped Plum Island preserved as a national monument.

Tax relief in aisle 1: An abandoned West Hempstead supermarket will be replaced with a $71.5 million building and 150 apartments, with a local IDA coupon.

The Inbox Crowd: Thank you for forwarding this engaging and informative newsletter to your innovation team and recommending their own easy and free subscriptions.

VOICE

False rhetoric is directly contributing to a public health crisis and the truth must be told, according to nonprofit Voices presenter Jeffrey Reynolds, who is blasting misleading criticism of President Biden’s national drug addiction strategy.

WHAT WE READ

All changes: Recognizing the indicators of change is essential to the success of innovation. Forbes spot the signs.

You bet your life: The best venture capitalists are betting big on health and life science technology startups. GeekWire check the odds.

Please don’t go: How “Empathy Driven Innovation” Can Overcome the Great Resignation. Fortune offers the sensations.

RECENT FUNDING

+ Kiwibota Florida-based robotic sidewalk delivery startup, raised $7.5 million in pre-Series A funding. Backers included Headline, House of Lithium and Sodexo.

+ Chronica California-based life sciences network powered by Web3, raised $8.3 million in funding led by True Global Ventures, with participation from a Fortune 50 global technology company and other private investors.

+ Trading.TVa New York-based social livestreaming and immersive chat platform for merchants and financial content creators, raised $8 million in funding led by Lightspeed Venture Partners.

+ Eyrusa Washington-based jobsite intelligence platform for the construction, oil and gas industries, closed a $12 million Series A funding led by Spring Mountain Capital, Autodesk, Motley Fool Ventures and Fuel Venture Capital.

+ Epitela Utah-based digital health company that develops wearable wireless EEG monitors for seizure detection, closed a $12.5 million Series A funding round led by Catalyst Health Ventures, Genoa Ventures, Dexcom and Wavemaker 360, among others.

+ Nth cyclea Massachusetts-based technology company specializing in metal processing and recycling, raised $12.5m in Series A funding led by Frankstahl and VoLo Earth, with participation from Mercuria, MassMutual, MM Catalyst Fund and Clean Energy ventures.

Do you like this newsletter? Innovate Long Island’s newsletter, website, and podcast sponsorships are a great opportunity to reach the inventors, investors, entrepreneurs, and leaders you need to know (just ask LIBDC). Marlene McDonnell can tell you more.

BELOW THE FOLD (The Wish You Wish Edition)

Stars light: No one seems to know what the new flavor of Coke is is all about.

Star burn: Earth trash is destroying outer space, and nobody seems to care.

First star I see tonight: Why NASA’s new space telescope photographed its first star from 18 different angles.

They would like to be able to: Please continue to support the amazing organizations that support Innovate Long Island, including the Long Island Business Development Council, who only wants the best for Long Island’s innovation economy. Check them.