Delaware weekly roundup: Watch the gubernatorial debate; VFA closure fallout; Fasting-growing local companies

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Gubernatorial candidates debate in Dover

Delaware’s six candidates for governor — three Democrats and three Republicans – spoke out at the Delaware Journalism Collaborative’s first debate of the season last week.

Though an attempt at broadcasting the debate from Dover Public Library simultaneously in both English and Spanish didn’t work out as planned, a full video of the event is now available, with Spanish transcription.

➡️ Check out the recap and watch the video here.

VFA alumni keep building entrepreneurship

The closure of Venture for America, a program that put entrepreneurial fellows into cities like Baltimore, Philadelphia, Miami and Birmingham was a disappointment for everyone involved. Many of the 1,400 alumni and fellows are determined to keep the momentum going, despite the downturn in VC funding to startups that contributed to the org shutting its doors.

One upside: With no more org rules, entrepreneurs in non-VFA places like Delaware may have an opportunity to get involved.

➡️ Read my report on the aftermath of VFA’s closure here.

Leveraging data to find solutions on the ground

So many big geospatial datasets, so little time — or really, so few professionals trained to leverage the wealth of information they contain. That’s why Temple University’s Geography, Environment and Urban Studies Department runs three professional science master’s degree programs that train more experts in the field.

Students in these GIS programs learn to harness the power of existing data to find novel approaches to urban and regional planning, public health, environmental assessments and other issues. If you’re into mapping and want to make an impact, this program could be for you.

“I feel like a lot of the social sciences are about defining problems,” a department professor told Technical.ly. “But with GIS, I feel like we’re kind of flipping that and figuring out solutions to the problems.”

➡️ Find out more about Temple’s GIS grad programs

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News Incubator: What else to know today

• Out of the 19 companies in the 2024 Inc. 5000 listed as being in Delaware, 11 are actually located here. That’s the result of out-of-state companies using DE-incorporated addresses and local mailboxes as their business address. [Social media post]

• Democratic National Convention attendees from Delaware support the Harris/Waltz ticket. Still, there are mixed emotions in the aftermath of President Joe Biden’s exit from the race. [New York Times]

• The Philadelphia Inquirer endorses Matt Meyer for governor of Delaware, citing projects like the Hope Center and Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long’s financial controversies. [Philadelphia Inquirer]

• Chemours opened an electric vehicle battery lab at the Discovery Hub at the University of Delaware STAR Campus. Ten employees will start developing battery electrodes using Chemours’ existing Teflon research. [Delaware Business Times]

• The Delaware Department of Education released a guide for navigating AI in the classroom and avoiding problems like plagiarism and information bias. The guide is the culmination of an eight-month effort with the state’s Council on Educational Technology. [Town Square Live]

• CP Cases, a UK-based manufacturing company with a subsidiary in Frankford, which was a location project of the Delaware Prosperity Partnership, has been 87% acquired by the global firm Lagercrantz. Delaware-based US general manager Peter Gill and founder Peter Ross will retain 13% ownership in the company’s shares. [Delaware Prosperity Partnership]

• Phish’s four-day Mondegreen Festival in Dover last weekend drew about 45,000 people from as far as New Zealand and Japan. Many said they’d come back to Delaware — at least if Phish returns for another festival. [The News Journal]

• Attack ads on Delaware candidates for governor are often funded by out-of-state PACs, whose millions dwarf the candidates’ local fundraising. One of the biggest donors is NYC-based TransPerfect CEO Phil Shawe, who’s had a beef with the Delaware Chancery Court for nearly a decade. [Spotlight Delaware/The News Journal]

• Norwegian company AquaCon is turning the old Bainbridge Naval Base west of Newark on the edge of Cecil County, Maryland into a $320 million salmon farm. The project will be built in two phases, starting next year. [Delaware Business Now]

• The New Castle County Vocational-Technical School District upgraded its St. George’s High School facility with solar panels on rooftops and fields, funded by an Energize Delaware Grant. The company contracted to install the panels, Seiberlich Trane Energy Services, said 50% of its service engineers graduated from the Vo-Tech district. [WDEL]

• A local photographer captured the northern lights on the Delaware Bay. While the 2 a.m. light show was partially visible to the naked eye, the bright pink and yellow in the photo were produced using a 10-second exposure on an iPhone 15 Pro Max. [The Cape Gazette]

🗓️ On the Calendar

• Wednesday, Aug. 21 — It’s Bizness Time with Full Carbon, Stitch House Brewery, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. [Details]

• Thursday, Aug. 22 — 3rd Annual HBCU College Fair, Teen Warehouse, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. [Details]

• Saturday, Aug. 24 — Milk & Honey Small Business Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. [Details]

• Tuesday, Aug. 27 — Delaware Journalism Collaborative U.S. House of Representatives Debate with a live stream, 7 p.m. to 8:30 pm [Details]

• Tuesday, Aug. 27 — DEBCC: Know Your Rights as an Undocumented Business Owner online seminar, 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. [Details]