The Pyxis Ocean was the first bulk carrier retrofitted with 37-meter-long (150 feet), airplane-style wings, called WindWings. Developed by BAR Technologies and Cargill in partnership with MC Shipping, the WindWings allow the ship to harness the power of wind.
Author: jbadmin
2024 Edison Awards honor innovation
The 2024 Edison Awards event was underway Thursday, April18, 2024 at the Caloosa Sound Convention Center in Fort Myers. The event, founded in 1987, was inspired by the legacy of Thomas Edison with the goal to acknowledge, celebrate and support innovation in the world.
Edison Awards Celebrate 2024 Innovation Winners at Annual Gala
Edison Achievement Award Given to Leaders
from SpaceX and NASA JPL
Fort Myers, FL – The Edison Awards, an organization dedicated to honoring the world’s most innovative new products, took center stage last night in Fort Myers to announce their 2024 award winners. For the full list of this year’s winners, click HERE.
“The Edison Awards are a celebration of the forward-thinking innovations that will shape our world for the better,” expressed Executive Director Frank Bonafilia. “This year’s impressive group have demonstrated remarkable vision and dedication. They have created products and services that not only meet the needs of today’s consumers, but also help pave the way for a more sustainable and equitable future.”
The event brought together an esteemed group of innovators from across the globe. Attendees had the opportunity to participate in a series of invigorating events, including thought provoking speaker panels by industry experts, networking opportunities, live demonstrations, and breakout sessions. Carmichael Roberts and Florian Shattenman provided valuable insights into the latest trends in sustainability and social impact, other themes throughout the event focused around the future of energy led by Lucienne Pears of Babcock Ranch, and a dynamic conversation about artificial intelligence’s role in the corporate world that included Kristian Hammond and Dr. Rodney Sappington among others.
At the inspirational Edison Awards events this year not only were the winners unveiled, but the Edison Achievement Award was presented to Gwynne Shotwell, the President & COO of SpaceX, and Dr. Laurie Leshin, Director of JPL NASA. Both were celebrated for their exceptional leadership roles and their impact on driving innovation in aerospace. Their uplifting comments for the audience included stories of learning from their failures, pushing the barriers, suggestions on building strong teams and organizations, and their vision for the future of the industry. Other notable attendees from the aerospace industry included Leland Melvin, Sian Proctor, and Paul Propster.
The 2024 class of Lewis Latimer Fellowship honorees, a group embarking on a year-long journey of mentorship and “learn by doing” curriculum were also introduced at the event. John Cropper, the LLFP’s Co-Founder, shared his enthusiasm for this impact driven group, stating, “We are thrilled to announce the 2024 Lewis Latimer Fellows, an exceptional group of individuals who represent a very diverse array of backgrounds and experiences will undoubtedly contribute to the richness of the program.”
The Edison Awards would like to thank its 2024 sponsors: City of Fort Myers, Black & Veatch, CRA, Babcock Ranch, Horizon Foundation, 35 Mules, Blue Waters Development Group, Cargill, Florida Power & Light, Lee Health, SABIC, and U.S. Sugar. For more information about the Edison Awards and the 2024 winners, visit www.edisonawards.com.
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About The Edison Awards:
Established in 1987, the Edison Awards are dedicated to recognizing, honoring and fostering innovations and innovators. Named after Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931), the annual competition honors excellence in new product and service development, marketing, design and innovation. The organization’s mission is to inspire and enable individuals and organizations to create a better future by recognizing and celebrating the world’s most innovative new products, services, and business leaders.
PR Contact:
Rachel Reed
rachel@edisonawards.com
Lee County: 30 Years of Business Excellence…and Counting
It has been just over 30 years since the Horizon Council was formed in Lee County and much has changed with the business landscape in our region. Areas that were once dormant and underdeveloped are now home to numerous industries including Department of Defense contractors, apparel companies, cosmetics and beauty companies, technology and data management corporations and advanced manufacturing.
Our area has not only survived but it has thrived, having overcome a recession, a real estate bubble, a global pandemic, and most recently, the devastation from Hurricane Ian. Population in Lee County has risen by 25% in the past 10 years alone as people see the value in calling our county home, with employment up an astounding 35% over that same period. One hundred thousand new jobs have been created in Lee County since 2013 while LinkedIn has named Cape Coral one of the top 20 places in the United States for remote workers.
One of the key factors driving this growth is the region’s strategic geographic location. Southwest Florida’s proximity to major transportation routes, including highways, airports and ports, has made it an attractive destination for businesses looking to establish a strong presence. Personal finance company WalletHub has ranked Lee County top 10 in Best Places to Start a Business. This accessibility has facilitated efficient supply chain management and enhanced connectivity with national and international markets.
The real estate boom in the area has also played a pivotal role in the business sector’s expansion. Property valuation countywide continues to climb, up 11.25% year-over-year. The demand for commercial spaces, from office buildings to retail outlets, has surged, driven by both local entrepreneurs and national corporations seeking to capitalize on the region's economic potential. Four thousand new businesses were licensed in the last year alone. This influx of businesses has not only stimulated job creation but has also contributed to the diversified and robust economy.
Moreover, Southwest Florida’s commitment to fostering a business-friendly environment has attracted investors and entrepreneurs alike. Local governments have implemented policies and initiatives to aid in streamlining the regulatory process, reduce bureaucratic hurdles, and some provide incentives for businesses to set up shop in the region. These efforts have created an environment conducive to innovation and entrepreneurship, fostering the growth of startups and small businesses.
Lead by its strategic location, real estate development, a business-friendly environment, and economic diversification, Southwest Florida stands poised for sustained prosperity, attracting businesses and fostering innovation for years to come.
About the Author
Holly D. Smith is President of the Horizon Foundation, a Sanibel City Council Member and the
former Mayor of Sanibel.
Black & Veatch Adapts Award-Winning Mobile Solution to Extend the Reach of Kansas City Nonprofit
Global engineering and construction firm Black & Veatch sponsored the 2023 Edison Awards Critical Human Infrastructure category – recognizing solutions that improve quality of life, spur economic growth, and prepare for a more resilient future. The company’s Digital Equity Bus won Gold in the Social and Cultural Impact category by bridging the digital divide through mobile workforce development infrastructure. Participating as both a sponsor and a winner of the Edison Awards supports Black & Veatch’s relentless commitment to innovation in the following ways:
- Provides a platform to bolster brand recognition, exemplify thought leadership, and
showcase innovative ideas - Generates leads from prospective clients the company normally wouldn’t have
opportunities to interact with - Develops mutually beneficial partnerships with established and emerging companies
After winning Gold at the Edison Awards, the Black & Veatch team sought additional ways to bring mobile and modular solutions to community-focused organizations. Following the successful delivery of the Digital Equity Bus to Evergreen Goodwill, the company began designing a mobile solution for Goodwill of Western Missouri and Eastern Kansas (MoKan Goodwill) in Black & Veatch’s hometown of Kansas City.
Nonprofit Growth Strategy Sparks Innovation
The U.S. secondhand clothing market maintains a strong trajectory, expected to reach $70 billion by 2027. Goodwill Industries is a nonprofit organization that proves an unassuming bag of secondhand donations has the power to change lives. Through Goodwill’s retail stores, sales from donations fund job training, employment placement services and other community-based programs.
MoKan Goodwill already has a very successful business operation, but they are always strategizing how to further bolster their operations and better serve their communities. The nonprofit had four main goals that sparked the integration of a mobile solution into their growth strategy:
- Extend the reach of existing stores. They wanted a mobile solution they could bring to
high-donation-potential areas (without existing retail stores) and deliver those donations
directly to those in need in other parts of the community (for example, collecting coats
and delivering them directly to unhoused individuals). - Pilot test locations for future retail stores. MoKan Goodwill is strategic about where
they open new retail locations to ensure community interest and economic viability.
They needed a way to utilize temporary solutions to test out new locations, without
making major multi-year investments in permanent infrastructure. - Identify more cost-effective ways to collect donations. Leasing retail space (or even
just parking lot space for Conex boxes) is expensive. Identifying cost-effective
alternatives to long-term leasing allows the nonprofit to re-invest any money saved back
into their education and employment programs. - Increase competitive advantage in the retail space. With many other secondhand stores
entering the market, MoKan Goodwill needed mobile methods of gathering donated
goods to fill their retail locations. They also were seeking more creative ways to drive
brand awareness in the community.
Mobile Solution Inspired by Disaster and Health Crisis Responses
Black & Veatch’s mobile and modular units provide infrastructure for a variety of different community and commercial use cases. The team designed a custom solution to fit MoKan Goodwill’s needs — the Mobile Donation Collection Vehicle (MDCV). The Black & Veatch team was inspired by FEMA’s disaster supply distribution efforts (and the company’s own health crisis response innovations) and consolidated these concepts into a single vehicular solution. The MDCV uses a drive-through orientation to collect and organize donations at remote sites and transport them to MoKan Goodwill’s centralized hub for processing and distribution. The vehicle is designed to extend the overall reach of MoKan Goodwill’s existing stores, test locations for retail store viability, host pop-up donation events and more.
By the Numbers
- Each MDCV can process 100 to 150 donating customers per day.
- Since our mobile solution is a 30-foot box truck, no commercial driver’s license is required.
- The vehicle features a 5.5-kW generator (with internal and external power outlets), a 13,500-BTU AC and heat pump, and a 3,000-pound lift gate.
- For extra space and shelter from the elements, the MCDV is also equipped with motorized awnings on both sides and two 20×20 rapid-deploy pop-up tents.
Other vehicle features include:
- Office with internet connection and desk with secure storage
- Employee and volunteer lounge area with microwave, minifridge and bathroom
- Heating and cooling temperature controls and air purification system
- GRMS portable radio system for personnel communications
- Traffic control devices including cones, printed signs and digital signage option
- Industrial-sized containers for collection transportation
- Forklift or pallet jack
- Tie-down points for storage
Beyond design and construction of the MDCV, Black & Veatch provided additional support that includes financial analysis, deployment support and operational planning. Prior to MoKan Goodwill’s purchase of the vehicle, the team performed a financial analysis to prove that the additional revenue would offset the cost of the vehicle over time. Black & Veatch also worked with MoKan Goodwill leadership to plan how to most efficiently set up and run the vehicle, leveraging the company’s expertise in logistics and management consulting.
What’s next?
Black & Veatch delivered the first-ever MDCV to MoKan Goodwill in late May 2023, with its first official deployment in early June. The team is engaged in discussions with other Goodwill organizations about designing custom vehicles for them as well. As this solution continues to generate interest, the long-term plan is to develop a standard MDCV that can be produced quickly but still be customizable as needed. Download Black & Veatch’s free ebook to learn more about mobile and modular solutions: Five Ways to Rapidly Address Evolving Business and Community Needs
Mobile Donation Collection Vehicle Extends Reach of Kansas City from Black & Veatch on Vimeo.
The Edison Awards Announces Annual Achievement Award Honorees for 2024
Distinguished innovation leaders Gwynne Shotwell and Dr. Laurie Leshin named recipients of world’s foremost innovation award
CHICAGO, IL.–October 27, 2023–The Edison AwardsTM, an annual competition honoring excellence in new product and service development, marketing, human-centered design, and innovation, announces distinguished innovators Gwynne Shotwell, President and COO of SpaceX, and Dr. Laurie Leshin, Director of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), as honorees of the 2024 Edison Achievement Award. Founded in 1987, The Edison AwardsTM are named after renowned inventor Thomas Edison, and the Edison Achievement Award honors remarkable leaders who have made a significant and lasting contribution to innovation throughout their careers. Most notably, the accolade celebrates those whose accomplishments serve as an inspiration across all spaces of innovation and intelligence to positively impact the world at large.
“We are thrilled to honor Dr. Laurie Leshin and Gwynne Shotwell for this esteemed honor, as they exemplify not only extraordinary ingenuity and global leadership, but also the ability to drive lasting impact that secures the future of innovation while also shaping a better tomorrow,” said Frank Bonafilia, Executive Director at The Edison AwardsTM. “It is our great honor to award these remarkable leaders as they steward the future of space innovation, ensuring their prestigious work is commemorated and celebrated around the globe.”
The first woman to serve in NASA’s JPL’s Director role, Dr. Laurie Leshin is a distinguished geochemist and space scientist with extensive leadership tenure in academia and government, including senior NASA positions. Leshin was president of Worcester Polytechnic Institute from 2014 to 2022 and previously served as Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute School of Science dean. At NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center from 2005 to 2008, she served as director of science, then deputy director for science and technology, leading strategy, planning, and implementation of more than 50 Earth and space flight projects. In 2010, Leshin became deputy associate administrator of the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters, overseeing future human spaceflight. Her numerous honors include NASA’s Outstanding Leadership Medal and Distinguished Public Service Medal, and the Meteoritical Society’s Nier Prize for outstanding research by a scientist under the age of 35. The International Astronomical Union named asteroid 4922 Leshin to honor her planetary science contributions. Leshin also advised President George W. Bush on space policy, and President Barack Obama appointed her to the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum advisory board.
As President and COO of SpaceX, Gwynne Shotwell is responsible for day-to-day operations and managing all customer strategic relations to support company growth. Joining SpaceX in 2002 as Vice President of BusinessDevelopment, Shotwell was instrumental in building the Falcon vehicle family manifest, which has grown to more than 270 launches, representing approximately $30 billion in business. Prior to her role at SpaceX, Shotwell spent more than a decade at the Aerospace Corporation, holding positions across Space Systems Engineering, Technology and Project Management. She was also promoted to the role of Chief Engineer of an MLV-class satellite program, managed a landmark study for the Federal Aviation Administration on commercial space transportation, and completed an extensive analysis of space policy for NASA’s future investment in space transportation. Shotwell received, with honors, her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Northwestern University in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mathematics, and serves on their Board.
With a commitment to celebrate and champion innovators who represent the powerfully diverse minds of the world, The Edison AwardsTM founded the Lewis Latimer Fellowship Program in April 2021. The program centers around the tenets of technological, behavioral, futuristic, systematic, and design-oriented thinking to transform innovation and combine ideas across cultures, ensuring equity and inclusivity for all futurists alike. Nominations for 2024 The Edison AwardsTM are now open and due November 10, 2023, and may be submitted through TheEdison Awards’ website. Further details including evaluation criteria, pricing, and timeline may also be found through the website at www.edisonawards.com.
Lewis Latimer Fellowship Program Hosts Memorial Event Celebrating Namesake
Historic event commemorates the life and achievements of Innovator Lewis Howard Latimer, headstone unveiled to adorn renowned inventor’s resting place.
FALL RIVER, MA. – September 26, 2023 – The Lewis Latimer Fellowship Program, an organization dedicated to providing special access and mentorship to a select group of exceptional Black innovators, hosted the Lewis Howard Latimer Memorial Program on September 23rd, 2023. The commemorative occasion celebrated the life and legacy of renowned inventor Lewis Latimer, whose vast scientific contributions to modern society were largely unrecognized during his lifetime. The event culminated in an unveiling and placement of the innovator’s headstone, created by sculptor and artist Stan Mullins.
“This is the culmination of three years of hard work,” said Jonathan Cropper, co-Founder at the Latimer Fellowship Program. “When we created the Lewis Latimer Fellowship Program, we felt it was critically important to create and elevate new ‘superheroes’ that young Black kids can look up to and aspire to be. And when we learned about Latimer and that he was laid to rest here without a tombstone, we simply had to right that wrong.”
Latimer’s carefully crafted headstone offers long-overdue acknowledgment of his life’s work and achievements. The memorial ceremony was attended by Latimer Fellows past and present, the executive director of the Lewis Latimer House Museum in New York, as well as Fall River Mayor Paul Coogan and members of the Latimer Family.
Founded in April of 2021 by Frank Bonafilia, Dr. Carmichael Roberts, and Jonathan Cropper, the Lewis Latimer Fellowship Program is an extension of The Edison Awards, a globally recognized annual competition that has served as a leader in recognizing, honoring, and fostering innovation for more than 30 years.
For more information about the Latimer Fellowship Program, visit http://www.latimerfellows.com. Applications for the next round of innovative Latimer Fellows will open soon.
S4 | E5 – NAMI (Nano and Advanced Materials Institute)
On the podcast today, the winner of two silver Edison Awards: The Nano and Advanced Materials Institute, known as NAMI, in Hong Kong.NAMI has a long streak of innovation when it comes to advancements in nanotechnology. That continues this year with two more smart products: a new kind of bollard that keeps vehicles from hitting pedestrians and bandages that help prevent sports injuries.
Jenny Yiu, NAMI’s Chief Operating Officer, is here to share what’s happening at the nano level to create these big ideas.
Listen Now
S4 | E4 – CAP3Nano by Qnergy
Imagine a world where we can eliminate methane gas emissions that contribute to rising temperatures across the globe… We can do that using a generator that works 24/7. And it’s all based on a concept developed 200 years ago…the Stirling Engine.
Qnergy’s innovation, the PowerGen CAP3Nano system eliminates methane emissions from off-grid natural gas wellpads. The engine is designed to capture raw, unprocessed methane that would otherwise be vented or flared and convert it into useful electricity and heat. The engine is coupled with a compressed air system to create a solution that substitutes methane with air. The manufacturing results in a product that requires no scheduled maintenance for up to 8 years even in the harshest, most remote environments.
Qnergy CEO Ory Zik is with us today to talk about the impact.
Listen Now
S4 | E3 – NEBULAE® SRS by Northgate Technologies Inc
Put yourself into the operating room… Look up. Would you expect to see smoke? That’s right — smoke, created during laparoscopic surgery. It clouds the surgeon’s vision as they do their work through a camera and creates repeat exposure for everyone in the room, like nurses.
That’s why Northgate Technologies developed a smoke removal system for laparoscopic surgeries: the Nebulae SRS.
Northgate Vice President and General Manager David McDonough joins us to explain how the Nebulae SRS solves several issues: removing smoke and reducing CO2 gas usage – lessening surgical time for patients and improving a hospital’s carbon footprint.
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