Delaware weekly roundup: Electronics disposal sites; Bethany Hall-Long’s swearing in; Marijuana Commissioner quits

Welcome to the roundup of the latest from Delaware's tech and entrepreneurship scene. Want this in your inbox? Subscribe for free.

How to dispose of your old electronics

E-waste — what your discarded electronic devices become when simply tossed in the garbage — can be an environmental nightmare that leeches toxic chemicals into the environment. At the same time, just tossing electronic devices means that valuable materials inside them like gold and copper go to waste.

Instead of discarding your old devices, Delawareans have options for environmentally friendly alternatives, from the Delaware Solid Waste Authority’s dropoff events to NerdIT NOW’s recycling program, which in many cases will turn your old devices into refurbished ones.

➡️ See an interactive map of electronics disposal options in Delaware

Here’s what you can learn from a long tenure

Before his current role as chief people officer at software engineering service company EPAM Systems in Newtown, Pennsylvania, Larry Solomon spent 30 years building his career at Accenture, holding many different positions.

Solomon recently sat down with Technical.ly Philly reporter Sarah Huffman to talk about the opportunities a long tenure with one company can offer — and how it can be surprisingly varied, not just a long slog in at the same desk for years some young jobseekers may imagine.

➡️ Read Sarah’s interview here

News Incubator: What else to know today

• Bethany Hall-Long was sworn in as governor as John Carney stepped down to take on his new role as Wilmington mayor. Governor-elect Matt Meyer will be inaugurated on Jan. 21. [NBC 10 Philadelphia]

• On his last day as governor, Carney finalized agreements with US Wind, paving the way for two offshore projects. The projects include $40 million in community benefits, including workforce development and environmental scholarships. [Delaware Business Now]

• As of Jan. 1, Delaware’s Personal Data Privacy Act, passed in 2023, has officially gone into effect. Delawareans now have the right to increased control over the use of their private data, while companies doing business in Delaware must offer more transparency. [Delaware Public Media/Technical.ly]

• Carney-appointed Marijuana Commissioner Rob Coupe stepped down, leaving the role to be filled by the Meyer administration. Coupe is moving on to be chief of staff for CRx Construction in Rehoboth Beach. [Delaware Business Times]

• Governor-elect Meyer’s plans for housing accessibility will include zoning reform allowing for more smaller and high-density housing units and improving existing housing. [Spotlight Delaware]

• M&T Bank has appointed Krista Phillips to a newly created leadership role, chief customer officer. The job, based in Wilmington, will address customer needs across the financial institution’s footprint. [Delaware Online]

• Applications for Startup302, the Delaware Prosperity Partnership pitch competition for technology and technology-enabled startups led by underrepresented founders in Delaware and beyond, are open through Jan. 26. [DPP]

• ChristianaCare’s Crispr in a Box education kit was named the No. 2 top technological innovation of 2024 by the Scientist. The kit allows high school and college students to perform real gene editing experiments. [The Scientist/Technical.ly]

A note of gratitude

As we enter 2025, Technical.ly is kicking off our next 15 years. And the work is more important than ever:

• With so much concern about declining economic mobility, our guides help people access fast-growth careers.
• With so much confusion around AI use and resources, our ground-up reporting follows the people building the tech.
• With so much debate around immigrant contributions, our storytelling highlights people living the experience.

One thing we’ve learned about our business model: We need your help to keep our site paywall-free. Sending gratitude to all our donors — and all our readers. You’re our community, and we couldn’t do it without you.

➡️  Make a tax-deductible contribution to support local tech reporting

🗓️ On the Calendar

• Thursday, Jan. 9 — Delaware SBDC Webinar: How to Start a Business [Details]

• Friday, Jan. 10 — Work Week Wind Down at Chancery Market [Details]

• Saturday, Jan. 11 — DelArt Cinema Jazz Age Moving Pictures, “The Roaring ‘20s” [Details]