Spark: The InnovateLI Podcast

Private-jet travel is not just a lifestyle of the rich and famous – it’s an important resource for businesses of all shapes and sizes, on Long Island and beyond. As chief executive officer of Talon Air – a full-service operator specializing in aircraft charter, maintenance and management operations, based at East Farmingdale’s Republic Airport – James Chitty recognizes the importance of this economic cornerstone and relishes the challenge of increasing his company’s already impressive wingspan.In today’s episode, James joins Spark Host Gregory Zeller to discuss the inherent challenge of spiraling fuel costs, the immense opportunity created by ongoing chaos at U.S. public airports and other ups and downs of the private-jet industry – including Talon’s relentless focus on safety, efficiency and happy landings around the globe.

You might already know James Lentini, but not as president of Molloy University. He’s that for sure, and one of the best in the business – in his six years at the helm, Dr. Lentini has overseen Molloy’s transition from college to university, helped double the institution’s endowment and led steady gains in first-year enrollment, belying both the COVID pandemic and declining rates at nationwide private colleges. But he may ring your bell because Dr. Lentini can shred the axe: The Classical guitarist, internationally recognized composer and proud Rock aficionado is well-known to music lovers, with more than 10 albums strumming in the wind.On this episode of “Spark: The Innovate Long Island Podcast,” the surprisingly scientific Molloy music master joins host Gregory Zeller to share the similarities between left-brain academia and right-brain artistry – and note that Molloy University is just tuning up.

Long Island has the cutting-edge laboratories, the world-class talent, the technological know-how, the proud manufacturing history – everything it needs to be a hub of 21st Century R&D and venture investment. But with cornerstone institutions all over its wide-spread map – Nassau Suffolk, North Shore, South Shore – it sometimes lacks the cohesion of a New York City or a Silicon Valley. Enter ambitious nonprofit business booster Accelerate Long Island, now 15 years into its mission to unify all this next-level R&D into a well-oiled nexus for both entrepreneurs and investors.In today’s episode, Accelerate Long Island Program Director Dan Lloyd – the “civic entrepreneur” who also founded the successful community-oriented nonprofit Minority Millennials – discusses the challenges of melding Long Island’s far-flung innovation landscape into a single entity (plus the joys of family and, arguably, New Jersey’s most famous sandwich).

Long Island has no shortage of excellent public-relations professionals – and ranking among the best is ace communicator, seasoned political appointee, veteran educator and bona fide funnyman Mark Grossman. A survivor of tenures under municipal, county and state lawmakers, the namesake of Medford-based Mark Grossman Public Relations has carved an impressive niche as a go-to regional media expert with a penchant for government relations – while filling young minds as an instructor at colleges across Long Island and blending it all into a well-received tour of the regional comedy-club circuit. On this episode of “Spark: The Innovate Long Island Podcast,” Mark joins host Gregory Zeller to discuss the thrills of working for Gov. Mario Cuomo, the ills of free-speech suppression … and the unmatched chills of landing a punchline in front of a live audience.

Before he was Suffolk County Deputy Executive, before he served on the County Legislature, before he was Suffolk’s Commissioner of Economic Development or the Town of Brookhaven’s Economic Development Coordinator, before he became a revered board-of-directors mainstay or private-sector business consultant, Jim Morgo was a teacher. Jim taught English at a Massachusetts prep school and a Long Island high school across parts of two decades. But the enticing lure of politics and government proved strong – young Jim’s experiences campaigning for John F. Kennedy and Robert Kennedy in his home state had instilled something in him, and it came out strong when he met New York State Assemblyman (and fellow teacher) Paul Harenberg. The rest is Long Island sociopolitical history – well covered by today’s jam-packed episode of “Spark: The Innovate Long Island Podcast,” a masterclass in housing, energy, government relations and critical economic-development topics (with loads of A-list name-dropping, too).

Meet Spencer Bang – or maybe you already know him. It’s a name that stands out in credits, for sure, and you’ve certainly had plenty of chances to see it. He’s appeared in multiple network and streaming TV crime dramas, he’s performed on stage (on Long Island and beyond) and he’s featured in several independent films, on both sides of the camera. And four years ago, he cofounded Nightwire Films – an independent production company with a spooky fixation on the macabre, a creative marketing strategy and an undying dedication to the art and craft of effective moviemaking. In this special Halloween edition of “Spark: The Innovate Long Island Podcast,” Spencer joins host Gregory Zeller to discuss his admiration for the horror genre, his evolving career as both performer and producer and his penchant for working with up-and-coming talent – and to detail the audio, video and production innovations pushing Nightwire’s partners to the head of the independent-filmmaking class.Innovate Long Islandhttps://www.innovateli.com/Nightwire Filmshttps://www.nightwirefilms.com/

You don’t need a journalism degree or advanced understanding of broadcasting sciences to see that U.S. news media are on the ropes. From your favorite cable news channel to that big city daily to that small-town weekly, American news is plagued by a crisis of trust. Nobody understands how far the fourth column has fallen better than Fair Media Council CEO and Executive Director Jaci Clement, who cut her teeth as a speechwriter, steamrolled through an impressive Long Island journalism career and now heads a fearless watchdog group dedicated to improving media accountability and promoting journalistic integrity, publicly and proudly.The scholar, award-winning podcast host and prototype ink-stained scribe joins Spark Host Gregory Zeller to recall her interviews with reporting royalty, trumpet the FMC’s Folio Awards and recall her adventures working alongside late, great Innovate Long Island founder John Kominicki – one of her favorite professional influences.

Everyone doing business on Long Island – most of us living here, too – owes a debt to the Island’s amazing Industrial Development Agencies, which work hard to ensure that Long Island startups stay here, that out-of-state businesses come here and that every entrepreneur and executive working here has the best chance to succeed. No regional IDA is busier or bolder than the Suffolk County Industrial Development Agency, under the steady guiding hand of Executive Director and CEO Kelly Murphy. In today’s episode of Spark: The Innovate Long Island Podcast, Kelly joins Spark host Gregory Zeller to discuss her long public-service career, her biggest Island-wide socioeconomic victories, important housing progress and Suffolk’s latest industrial-development initiatives – plus her very special connection to one of Major League Baseball’s all-time greatest voices.

Few names resonate across Long Island real estate development like “Burman.”That includes Scott Burman, the one-time heir apparent to the Burman real estate empire now creating his own legacy as the founder of innovative, forward-thinking development firm Burman RE. In today’s episode, Scott joins Spark host Gregory Zeller to discuss the emotional turmoil of breaking away – professionally and personally – from the Burman family, while sharing his front-row perspectives on regional real estate, his deep-seeded beliefs in the importance of volunteerism and his highest hopes for the evolution of Long Island socioeconomics.

Small business is the revenue-generating, jobs-producing backbone of regional socioeconomics – and nobody knows this better than Martha Stansbury.As director of the Small Business Development Center at Stony Brook, Martha has many oars in the water – overseeing instructional programs, preparing annual and special-project budgets, addressing the immediate and long-term needs of entrepreneurs, meeting constantly with State University administrators, Long Island lawmakers and other influential stakeholders.In today’s episode, Martha joins Spark host Gregory Zeller to discuss her long business-development career, her personal and professional ambitions and the Stony Brook SBDC’s Job No. 1: helping small businesses throughout Suffolk County survive and thrive, a critical mission that’s essential to the future of the Long Island Innovation Economy.

As co-founder and CEO of Long Beach-based Trellus Networks, Adam Haber is giving Long Island mom-and-pop retailers a fighting chance against Amazon and other e-commerce giants: a last-mile logistics partner offering home delivery to customers across the Island.It’s the latest endeavor for a master innovator whose long résumé includes stints as a commodities trader, a political candidate, a restaurateur, a government efficiency professional and a seasoned angel investor – and the one that promises the most benefits for other Long Island entrepreneurs, and for the regional innovation economy at large. In today’s episode, Adam joins Spark host Gregory Zeller to discuss his successful career, his essential keys to picking the right investments, his plans to take Trellus national and his ambitious startup’s latest expansion: a new online marketplace allowing visitors to browse thousands of unique, locally made products and order quick delivery across Nassau and Suffolk (and maybe even Westchester).

Nobody understands Long Island socioeconomics better than Kyle Strober. Long Island has many organizations and many leaders monitoring and shaping the regional quality of life – but none more influential than the Association for a Better Long Island and its busy executive director. Kyle joined the association in 2017 after several years as a legislative aide, first for a Nassau County legislator and then as Long Island regional director for U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer – positions that uniquely qualified him to head up a frontline watchdog focused primarily on real estate development in Nassau and Suffolk counties. In today’s episode, Kyle joins Spark host Gregory Zeller to discuss the often-misunderstood benefits of Industrial Development Agencies, the need for more sensible tax structures and his highest hopes for the regional economy – plus, the best place to grab a bacon, egg and cheese in Merrick.

If you read newspapers, magazines or books, you’ve likely read something written by Ambrose Clancy.Ambrose has been an author and professional journalist for half a century, gracing major newspapers like The Village Voice, The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times, popular magazines like GQ and The Nation, and several beloved community periodicals on Long Island, including a long run as editor of The Shelter Island Reporter.His third book – “My Life In Pieces: Writers, Rogues, The Road and The Rock,” chronicling his decades as a reporter and editor – is now between covers, as Ambrose would say, joining his gripping suspense novel “Blind Pilot” (about IRA terrorism) and his masterful nonfiction “The Night Line” (recalling his experiences as a cabbie in late 20th Century Manhattan).In today’s episode, the premier professional pundit joins Spark host Gregory Zeller to discuss his career, the evolution of news reporting over the last 50 years and the dire state of American journalism – and to rationalize his really awful poker playing.Ambrose Clancy Books at Amazon

Few American jurists have assembled a career as influential or accomplished as the Honorable A. Gail Prudenti, the former Chief Administrative Judge of the Courts of New York State. From her studies at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland and her first job as a law clerk in the Suffolk County Surrogate’s Court to her days as a Suffolk prosecutor, her 20-plus years on the bench and her post-judgeship partnership at East Setauket-based family-law specialist Burner Prudenti Law, Gail has seen and done it all, inside the courtroom and out. In today’s episode, the longtime judge and former dean of the Hofstra University law school joins Spark host Gregory Zeller to discuss her storied career, the scope and sometimes underappreciated significance of family law and her highest hopes for the future of federal judiciary – plus the inescapable importance of diversity in the application of the law.

Bethpage Federal Credit Union didn't rise to become a top-20 national credit union -- or increase its asset holdings from $1 billion to more than $13 billion -- by accident. It took a team of forward-thinking leaders and dedicated employees, working together to bulk up an institution that launched more than 80 years ago as a small neighborhood depository exclusively servicing Grumman employees. Chief among them: Linda Armyn, who became Bethpage's president and CEO in August 2023. By then, she'd already spent decades as senior vice president for corporate affairs and chief strategy and marketing officer, positions key to the credit union's impressive growth and critical to her current leadership role. In today's episode, Linda joins Spark host Gregory Zeller to discuss Bethpage's steady rise toward national prominence, its innovative 2025 marketing campaign and its forthcoming big-time rebrand -- plus the vital importance of volunteerism to personal, professional and corporate growth.

The introduction of the school’s first PhD programs, the creation of a world-class biomedical-research facility, a major rebranding and a successful emergency pivot through the teeth of the COVID pandemic – and these are just some of the amazing accomplishments on the scorecard of New York Institute of Technology President Henry Foley. After a seven-year presidential term, Dr. Foley – “Hank,” to friends and colleagues – has announced his retirement from the Old Westbury-based institute, effective next summer. But before he goes, New York Tech’s fourth-ever president still has plenty of major-league items on his to-do list. In today’s episode, the soon-to-be president emeritus joins Spark host Gregory Zeller to look back and look ahead – and explain why he thinks the university’s best and brightest days are still to come.

Smart branding and successful marketing usually go hand-in-hand … but what makes a brand “smart?” And in the cutthroat business of professional promotions, what defines “successful?” These and other critical questions that can make or break a business marketing campaign are answered in this very special episode of Spark: The Innovate Long Island Podcast – a classic switcheroo that sees Spark host Gregory Zeller sitting in the guest’s chair, as the interviewee on a recent episode of The Brandtelling Podcast. Join hosts Arthur Germain and Asaf “The Brand Chef” Bachman as podcasts collide – and the Brandtelling Podcast experts pick the Innovate Long Island editor’s brain about the best and worst in modern branding practices.

Long Island is blessed with many great attorneys, but not all are as studious, flamboyant or successful as John Ray of Miller Place – part Perry Mason, part Marlon Brando, always impressive. With a ripped-from-the-headlines caseload and a long list of high-profile acting gigs, John has made a name for himself in and out of the courtroom over the last four-decades plus – and on the lacrosse field, too, where he continues to compete against players a quarter his age. In today’s episode, the colorful counselor joins Spark Host Gregory Zeller to discuss the Gilgo Beach killer, topless middle-school teachers, precedent-setting surrogate-baby and rape-trauma cases, living abroad and an acting résumé that would impress any thespian – plus the evolution of his unmatched wardrobe, from the top down.

Laura Curran has seen the world – but chose Nassau County as her home. Born in Canada and raised everywhere, the once-and-future journalist was the first woman to serve as Nassau County executive, after early jobs reporting for New York City’s biggest tabloids and before her later career in podcasting and talk radio. As county exec, the Democrat – not always an ally of Albany’s liberal majority – took innovative approaches to Nassau’s raging property taxes, rising drug problems and rampant cronyism, before old political machinations took her down. In today’s episode, Laura joins Spark host Gregory Zeller to review her writings, grill local government and recall how a novice school board member became the most powerful person in Nassau – and why, two years out of office, she’s thrilled to leave county politics behind.

Black business is big business – and if you’re not “buying Black,” as the saying goes, you’re shortchanging your local community and the larger economy. That’s the message of the BlaQue Resource Network and its founder, entrepreneur extraordinaire Aleeia Abraham, who’s on a mission to elevate and support her fellow Black business owners. Through popular events, shared promotions and other progressive positivity, the Queens College graduate has already rallied 25,000 networkers to this noble socioeconomic cause – and has big ideas about expanding her Queens-based efforts into Nassau and Suffolk. In today’s episode, Aleeia joins Spark host Gregory Zeller to discuss her ambitious goals, her innovative methods, the $141 billion reality of Black-owned U.S. businesses – and how her stint as a circus ringmaster helped her find her voice.

David Battinelli is a hyper-productive engine of medical modernization, with a 28-page résumé – degrees, jobs, honorifics and more – to prove it. As Northwell Health physician-in-chief and dean of the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, David plays leading roles in the shaping of Long Island’s biotech-centric identity – and the realization of the region’s best socioeconomic hopes. In today’s episode, the diverse doctor joins Spark host Gregory Zeller to share his multiple front-row perspectives on the Long Island innovation economy – and his firm belief in the importance of preparing healthcare specialists to succeed both now and in the future.

Laura Harding had some mighty big shoes to fill, succeeding Elaine Gross as president of Syosset-based equal-rights watchdog ERASE Racism. But over her first 10 months on the job, fill them she has, running headlong into this new opportunity and leading the 22-year-old anti-discrimination organization through fresh inclusive-housing and education-funding initiatives. In today’s episode, the attorney, social worker, seasoned social-justice advocate and "adopted Long Islander" joins Spark host Gregory Zeller to discuss her high-profile career, her faith in today’s youth and the importance of positivity – plus, the subtle power of injecting humor into difficult situations.

Lauren Sheprow is a gifted communicator – so gifted, in fact, that she’s reanimated a long-dead lesson of American political science, brutally murdered by hate, ignorance and bullshit: Communication is always key. After decades of highest-level strategic communications (professional tennis tournaments, major regional hospitals, a SUNY flagship university and more), Lauren is the new mayor of the Village of Port Jefferson – an upset victory the political neophyte (and former professional racquetball player) credits to excellent connections and an innate understanding of effective messaging. In today’s episode, Lauren joins Spark host Gregory Zeller to discuss her well-constructed career, the tough act she’s following at Village Hall and the critical need for clear communications – with constituents, other lawmakers and everyone else – at every level of government.

As director of real estate for Lesso Mall Development Long Island, Dominic Coluccio’s primary responsibilities include vetting potential tenants and negotiating sensitive lease agreements for Samanea New York, a post-pandemic retail/dining/entertainment experience rising from the ashes of a defunct Westbury shopping mall. With Chinese parents, an exotic assortment of ethnic foods and a second-generation Italian American pulling the strings, Samanea New York has an undeniable international flair – and a monumental challenge to overcome, as a brick-and-mortar shopping complex in the burgeoning E-Commerce Age. In today’s episode, Dominic joins Spark host Gregory Zeller to discuss how lessons learned on educational odysseys to Europe, Africa and China (and at his family’s successful import/distribution business) infuse his real estate career – and to offer a glimpse behind Samanea New York’s innovative curtain. 

Johnny Rosado, known best by stage name DJ Johnny Juice, is an award-winning and Emmy-nominated musician – a composer, producer, turntablist, engineer and legendary “b-boy” who’s collaborated with some of the biggest names in the hip-hop genre. But that’s only part of his amazing resumé. Packing engineering and computer-science degrees from the University of California San Diego, the U.S. Navy veteran is a “techie for techs” at a national security company and an instructor at a Uniondale nonprofit that introduces music production to Long Island youth. And he’s still a creative force of hip-hop music, including a key role in this month’s 50th Anniversary Hip-Hop Celebration at the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame. In today’s episode, Johnny Juice joins Spark host Gregory Zeller to discuss creativity, brushes with fame and five decades of musical and technological innovation – plus the evolution of a social message that’s only grown more relevant.

Marc Alessi may be the most diversified jewel of Long Island’s innovation crown. He’s a lawyer, ex-lawmaker, executive, entrepreneur, ace networker and – perhaps most importantly – a true visionary, with a clear notion of Long Island’s best socioeconomic destiny and a roadmap to get there. As executive director of the Business Incubator Association of New York State (BIANYS), he’s giving the future a running start. As director of the Tesla Science Center in Shoreham, he’s giving Long Island’s past its just due. And with a full slate of other commercialization and economic-development initiatives keeping him busy, he’s all-in on innovation, all the time.   In today’s episode, Marc helps Spark host Gregory Zeller kick off Season 4 with his unique insights on invention, a juicy recap of Albany blood-sports and a strong call for innovations that truly help humanity – plus the secrets of surviving the dreaded sixth-grade Philadelphia trip. 

Walter Stockton was born, raised and educated in Pennsylvania – but Long Island is his home and, thanks to his efforts, home to thousands of developmentally disabled Islanders who might otherwise wind up in an institutional horror house, or worse. The founder of the Independent Group Home Living Program – and now the Kinexion Network, an umbrella management-service organization for a half-dozen major league Long Island nonprofits – has led a decades-long charge to improve professional services and residential opportunities for the developmentally disabled. And he’s done it through the teeth of recessions, pandemics and an ever-changing political climate. In today’s episode, the master innovator joins Spark host Gregory Zeller to discuss five decades of progress for himself, his circa-1978 startup and Long Island’s most vulnerable residents – and his brightest assessment of new innovative opportunities ahead.

Robert Zimmerman has been a household name on Long Island and beyond for decades, for all the right reasons – brilliant innovation across the professional-communications spectrum, fantastic business success, unblinking political commentary at the highest levels, compassionate crusades for numerous humanitarian causes. Now he’s Victim No. 1 of a political crime that redefines sad, seedy and scary – not merely an insult to the people of Western Long Island, but another serious threat to our national democracy. In today’s episode, the co-founder and co-president of ZE Creative Communications joins Spark host Gregory Zeller to discuss his trailblazing collaboration with longtime partner Ron Edelman, the dumpster fire that is George Santos and his highest hopes for the future of his nation – and his world-class PR firm.

Ernie Canadeo is a dynamo of digital advertising, a champion of regional entertainment and quite possibly the most interesting man in Long Island innovation. The founder and CEO of Melville-based integrated advertising agency The EGC Group and chairman of the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame has built a successful career around big names, big ideas and a lifelong love of great music. Mostly, he’s done it by having fun– an important lesson for entrepreneurs and business owners of all shapes and sizes. In today’s episode, the marketing master joins Spark host Gregory Zeller to discuss the old (“X-rated”) days at Studio 54, the rise of EGC and the opening of the LIMEHOF’s shiny new Stony Brook museum – and recount enough brushes with fame to choke Johnny Carson.

“Downtowns” and “Main Street USA” are 100-year-old concepts that can be easily lost in the modern shuffle. But while the personalities of downtown districts and main street markets have changed, their importance hasn’t. These lessons are paramount to Eric Alexander, the longtime director of Vision Long Island and founder of the Long Island Main Street Alliance. Through 25 years of planning and lobbying efforts, the innovative influencer has boosted more than 150 Long Island infrastructure projects, always keeping his eye – and the eyes of local stakeholders – on important smart-growth principles. In today’s episode, Eric joins Spark host Gregory Zeller to discuss how his mission has changed (and hasn’t) over a quarter century – and the dire need for “the Long Island elite” to get with the program.

The genius researcher, oft-published innovator and “father of bioelectronic medicine” spearheads a field of study that promises to permanently rewrite the medical textbooks: electric nerve stimulation. Offering drug-free alternatives for the treatment of inflammation throughout the body – and the diseases and other conditions causing it – bioelectronic medicine attracts top minds and huge investments around the world. And nowhere is that more evident than the Manhasset-based Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, the Northwell Health R&D mecca blazing trails under President and CEO Tracey’s steady hand. In today’s episode, the global research rock star joins Spark host Gregory Zeller to discuss his amazing career, his most gratifying achievements … and the “accidental” discovery that started it all.

Like many creative geniuses, Christian Gonzalez borrowed liberally from established works when he created “The Macabre Sessions” – in this case, from the best of the horror and science-fiction genres. But if the young digital artist mined Stephen King’s worst nightmares for inspiration, the end result – an original audio story set on Long Island, told over 13 super-creepy episodes with a full voice cast, sound effects, original music, growling monsters and interdimensional stakes – was all about 21st Century innovation. In today’s special Halloween-themed episode, Christian joins Spark host Gregory Zeller to discuss how a Suffolk County Community College class assignment became a living, snarling cornerstone of Suffolk Internet Radio – and explore how emerging technologies have modernized the creative process.

After 21 years as president of ERASE Racism, founder Elaine Gross has handed the baton – and a two-decade legacy of litigious success and social progress – to a worthy successor. The Long Island-raised Boston University graduate has made a career of racial justice in housing, education and other key areas, taking a graceful approach to an ongoing street fight that continuously exposes the ugly underbelly of systemic racism – and fosters progressive solutions in conjunction with lawmakers and educators across Long Island, New York and beyond. In today’s episode, Elaine reflects on her long odyssey from civil rights crusader to civil rights champion – and expresses her highest hopes for New ERASE Racism President Laura Harding, as she takes the reins.

Andrew Parton was a banker before he landed at the Cradle of Aviation Museum, but no ordinary banker – the St. John’s University MBA had already carved a decades-long career in major-league marketing for some of the nation’s leading financial institutions. That experience – and his childhood love of air and space, fueled equally by “Star Trek” and real-life NASA missions – made him the perfect person to spread the word about the Cradle of Aviation, a shining salute to the region’s glorious aerospace history and centerpiece of Long Island’s impressive Museum Row. In today’s episode, Andy joins Spark host Gregory Zeller to discuss his risky transition from corporate to nonprofit marketing, Cradle of Aviation’s tireless dedication to regional education and the unique museum’s exciting, hands-on journey through time and space.

Long Island is blessed with a multitude of world-class colleges and universities and an impressive roster of all-world scholars to run them – and right at the top is Dr. John Nader, President of Farmingdale State College. A veteran of the SUNY system and former mayor of the City of Oneonta, John – who doubles as co-chairman of the critically influential Long Island Regional Economic Development Council – has led Farmingdale State through six years of remarkable growth, expanding the college’s student body, physical footprint, industry/academic collaborations and cutting-edge programming. In today’s episode, the highly optimistic problem-solver describes how politics prepared him for academia – and why Farmingdale State is so important to Long Island socioeconomics.

Raised by strong women with long careers in professional healthcare, Dawn Smallwood seemed destined to become a doctor. She even went to college to study biology. But fate had other ideas. In January, the veteran law-enforcement officer – after decades in the service of the FBI, the NCIS and CUNY Public Safety – became chief of the Stony Brook University Police Department, the first woman to fill the role. As SBU’s top cop, she commands a 190-member department that serves and protects 26,000 students, staffers and visitors every single day, from dormitories to university stadiums to hospital ERs. In today’s episode, the chief joins spark host Gregory Zeller to discuss the immense responsibilities of her pressure-packed job, her adventures as a Greater New York federal agent and her biggest challenges of all: raising two daughters to believe they can accomplish anything, and finding time for a good true-crime podcast.

With some estimates counting more than 218,000 food-insecure Long Islanders, including 80,000 children, the Herculean efforts of Chief Executive Officer Paule Pachter and his team at Long Island Cares-The Harry Chapin Food Bank cannot be overstated. The former deputy commissioner of the Nassau County Department of Mental Health, who earned a master’s degree in social work from Adelphi University, heads a massive rescue mission that annually manages millions of dollars in private and corporate donations and distributes more than 16 million pounds of food to children, seniors and veterans, among others in need. In today’s conversation, Paule joins Spark host Gregory Zeller to discuss 40 years of innovation at Long Island’s first food bank, as well as the regional community’s endless generosity and the comprehensive logistical effort required by late philanthropist Harry Chapin’s vision of a hunger-free Long Island.

Robert Catell is a living legend of the regional energy sector and an iconic influencer, across Long Island and beyond. Starting as a junior engineer for Brooklyn Union Gas way back in 1958, Robert rose quickly through the ranks, prioritizing modernization and energy efficiency at every step. A savvy and respected leader, he was a key player in a multibillion-dollar merger that forever reshaped regional energy distribution – and since his “retirement” has only gotten busier, leading clean-gen crusades, advising startups, mentoring future leaders, helping to build Long Island’s best socioeconomic future. In today’s episode, the former KeySpan and National Grid U.S. chairman joins Spark host Gregory Zeller to discuss a life spent in the literal corridors of power – and his fervent belief that Long Island’s brightest days are yet to come.

John Wallace needs no introduction to fans of the Syracuse Orange or the New York Knicks – but you might not know how deeply the Rochester native’s roots run throughout New York State. Since hanging up his professional sneakers, the one-time NCAA scoring machine has embarked on numerous professional and personal efforts designed to empower youth and promote social justice. A master communicator with a hard-earned degree in sociology, John has also carved out an impressive broadcasting career, while lending his compassion and intelligence to innovative workforce-development efforts on Long Island and beyond. In today’s episode, the Knicks’ 1996 first-round pick joins Spark host Gregory Zeller to discuss his greatest mentors, fiercest opponents and most heartfelt social causes – and to review the X’s and O’s of “giving back,” and how they’ve changed over his amazing career.

Welcome to the first-ever Long Island Multimedia Crossover Virtual Extravaganza, a groundbreaking collaboration between Drake Media Studios, Brandtelling and Innovate Long Island. This episode of Spark: The Innovate Long Island Podcast, featuring multimedia producer and talk show host Donna Drake, is also being recorded as a video segment for “The Donna Drake Show,” which is based on Long Island and syndicated across the United States and in 25 countries. In this tech-savvy episode, Donna joins Spark host Gregory Zeller to discuss her successful program and her burgeoning Melville multimedia studios, and to introduce her viewers to the Spark podcast and Innovate Long Island’s progressive socioeconomic mission.

Paul Schwartz is an entrepreneur, a networker, a VC magnet and the co-founder of a company promising to revolutionize the heating and cooling industries: Stony Brook-based ThermoLift, home of the Hofbauer Thermal Compression Climate Control device. The “TC3,” for short, eliminates toxic refrigerants and replaces older heating, cooling and hot-water systems with one energy-efficient machine that does it all – and does it with low (or zero) carbon emissions, powered by clean biofuels or hydrogen. In today’s conversation, Paul joins Spark Host Gregory Zeller to discuss his partnership with legendary engineering master Peter Hofbauer, brushes with other world-class scientists and investors, collaborations with national laboratories and top universities and the steady course that has brought his 2012 startup to the edge of international commercialization.

The Long Island innovation economy has many leaders, but few as driven or accomplished as Kevin Law. Known best as the longtime president and CEO of the Long Island Association, Kevin has amassed an amazing economic-development record across Long Island’s public and private sectors, helping to generate $5 billion in government and private infrastructure investments – a lawyer, planner, conservationist, business networker, affordable-housing spearhead and relentless soldier for Long Island’s myriad socioeconomic causes. In today’s conversation, the nominee to lead Albany’s Empire State Development Corp. joins Spark Host Gregory Zeller to remember his most influential mentors, review his long public-service career and share his brightest hopes for the future of Long Island energy, transportation and housing development.

Innovate Long Island readers already know David Chauvin, executive vice president of ZE Creative Communications in Great Neck and a cornerstone of Innovate LI’s fantastic Voices column. As our government and media expert, David has explored a wide breadth of accessible and important topics, ranging from social responsibility to the Millennial mindset to the importance of science over sensationalism, with a healthy exploration of social media’s risks and rewards. These topics, of course, cross his desk constantly at ZE Creative Communications, where David manages day-to-day operations and helps numerous clients share their best public face. In today’s conversation, the executive VP joins Spark host Gregory Zeller to discuss innovation in the PR world – and how being a Mets fan creates a certain air of pollyannish optimism.

This month marks one full year since Dr. Timothy Sams assumed the presidency of the State University of New York College at Old Westbury. And what a year it’s been.  Succeeding longtime president Dr. Calvin Butts III, Tim took over smack dab in the middle of the ever-changing COVID pandemic – a unique challenge for any new administrator, though it turns out his particular set of experiences with inclusive innovation and strategic change, and his decades of professional success at well-regarded universities, prepared Tim well.  In today’s conversation, the SUNY Old Westbury president joins Spark host Gregory Zeller to discuss the importance of liberal-arts education and social justice – and the need for creative management of society’s most crucial resource: young, impressionable minds.  

Mitch Maiman truly needs no introduction to the Innovate Long Island audience. A fixture of Long Island innovation, he’s the president and cofounder of Intelligent Product Solutions, a Hauppauge-based product-development consultancy that’s carved a mighty niche as one of the region’s premier creator/enhancers. Mitch has led the company since its 2007 launch and straight through its 2018 acquisition by Forward Industries, which actually relocated itself from Florida to Long Island to allow IPS to stay in its well-developed flow. Recognizing a job well done, the longtime president finally stepped down on Jan. 1, 2022 – but there are many itches for this experienced engineer and unparalleled entrepreneur left to scratch. In today’s episode, Mitch joins Spark Host Gregory Zeller to discuss the past, present and future of Intelligent Product Solutions – and reveal what “retirement” has in store for one of Long Island’s great innovators.

Renee Flagler is knee-deep in partnerships and outreach efforts designed to help future socioeconomic innovators positively influence the world they inherit – specifically, the next generation of young professional women. The teacher, award-winning writer and passionate public speaker is entering her fifth year as executive director of Girls Inc. of Long Island, the regional chapter of the national organization devoted to empowering girls to be strong, bold and self-confident in work and all facets of life. In today’s conversation, Renee joins Spark Host Gregory Zeller to discuss community-based programming, critical capital campaigns and the “human duty of service” – and to reveal how running a Girls Inc. chapter is the perfect way for a natural-born writer to express herself.

Brian Fried is an inventor in the truest sense – a home-based tinkerer with a garage full of exciting contraptions, a real dedication to creating a better world and a fully realized sense of human nature. Since he made his first commercial mark in 2007 with Pull Ties Fasteners – think “Twisty Ties: The Next Generation” – Brian has created podcasts, written books, launched professional consultancies and formed inventor clubs, all designed to help other makers commercialize their designs. What started as a monthly Suffolk County-based entrepreneurs club has now gone national, exponentially expanding Brian’s ability to help rookie inventors get where they want to go. In today’s conversation, Brian joins Spark host Gregory Zeller to retrace his steps toward inventive mentor, define his personal creativity process and discuss the differences between a good idea and a commercially viable idea – not always the same thing!

Change is in the air at Hofstra University, where freshly minted President Dr. Susan Poser – the first woman to fill the post – has completed her first 100 days in office and is steaming toward a bold new future for Long Island’s largest private university. A lawyer and long-experienced academician, Dr. Poser now runs what is, essentially, a small city: Hofstra boasts nearly 120 buildings across a sprawling 244-acre campus, with a student body of 10,000-plus and more than 2,500 staff and faculty members. And while she’s already impressed by the institution and its accomplishments, she’s promising some big changes – at her October inauguration, the new president announced a yearlong effort to solicit input from the Hofstra community on where the university will go in a post-pandemic world, and how it will get there. In today’s conversation, Dr. Poser joins Spark host Gregory Zeller to define that ambitious innovation strategy and discuss the rich history, multifaceted programs and powerful off-campus alliances that make Hofstra University a true jewel of Long Island’s academic crown.

Stony Brook University cornerstone David Hamilton is one of the hardest workers in all of Long Island innovation. As executive director of Stony Brook’s Clean Energy Business Incubator Program (the “incubator without walls”) and chief operating officer for the university’s Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center (a New York State-funded Center of Excellence), he’s a teacher, a mentor, a master networker, a logistics expert and a team leader for dozens of early-stage energy and sustainability companies … exactly the kind of roll-up-your-sleeves-and-get-’er-done type inexperienced entrepreneurs need to help them navigate the treacherous, unforgiving waters of business development. In today’s conversation, David joins Spark host Gregory Zeller to discuss the past, present and (increasingly international) future of CEBIP and the AERTC – and to underscore the critical work of the busy Stony Brook University incubator programs, which operate on the front lines of the global war against climate change.

Armed with gallons of courage and the latest ghost-busting technology science can offer (forget the proton packs, this is serious stuff), the 17 volunteer members of the Long Island Paranormal Investigators team are knee-deep in the other side – facing fearsome phantoms and probing petrifying poltergeists in Long Island’s cemeteries, haunted houses and spooky woods. Fiction, you say? Maybe. But co-founder Michael Cardinuto, a lead director at Westbury-based special-needs social-services agency Tiegerman Community Services, can tell you stories that will turn you white as a ghost: disembodied screams, mysterious hooded beings, demonic pig-lizards, shadow people and more, all here on Long Island and all very real, according to the paranormal professional. In today’s conversation, Michael joins Spark host Gregory Zeller to debunk the “nonsense” of “reality TV” ghost-hunting, review his most blood-curdling experiences from 18 years of real-life afterlife investigations and confirm that – if you know where and how to look – the truth is out there. Happy Halloween, brave listeners!