Delaware weekly roundup: A look inside the Millsummit; AI predicts the future of local arts; Gov. Carney wants to bring the Sixers to Wilmington

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The Millsummit returned with a new venue

Leadership and entrepreneurship conference the Millsummit returned for its 8th year as a one-day event at Hercules Plaza and Chancery Market.

Around 300 people registered this year, per Spur Impact founder and conference organizer Charles Vincent, with another hundred or so participating virtually through live stream. It was a full day of panels, workshops and networking.

➡️ Read my report from the event here.

AI predicts the future of Delaware arts

Jet Phynx Films’s third annual Dirty Popcorn Black Film Festival returned to the Delaware Art Museum on Saturday, including an AI vision of its mission to make Delaware a hub for filmmaking.

The day-long event included panels, local soul food, music and, of course, film screenings. Governor John Carney also made an appearance, and Mayor Mike Purzycki, who was featured in one of the screened films, sent a video message of support.

➡️ Take a closer look at the event here.

Social media as news platform

More people than ever are getting local news from social media. About 23% of Americans say it’s their primary source, per the latest Pew survey, up from 15% half a decade ago — and the younger you are, the more likely that is. That’s one reason Technical.ly is on these platforms. At least some of them.

Our latest move is to start posting regularly on Threads — follow us at @technical_ly — but we’re also heavily active on LinkedIn, which makes sense as the innovation ecosystem’s platform of choice, since it’s so heavily business-focused. We’re rethinking our strategy for Instagram (if you have suggestions, let us know) and are also still posting on Facebook. Last note: As of this week, we’re moving all X posts to our main account instead of market-specific feeds, so if you’re still there, give that a follow.

➡️ Thanks for reading — see you on LinkedIn?

News Incubator: What else to know today

• Capital One closes in on the Discover acquisition. The $35.3 billion deal could impact more than 2,000 Delaware employees across both companies.  [Delaware Business Times]

• While Philly debates over a new stadium in Center City, Governor John Carney tweeted out a pitch to bring the Sixers to Wilmington. [Philadelphia Inquirer]

• A UD research cruise is studying the ocean’s micro layer, the water that sits between the sea and the air. [Town Square Delaware]

• The New York Times reports that Delaware is the best state to retire to. Overall “well-being” and “weather” are the reasons why it topped the list. [NYT]

• Delaware schools struggle to fill 700 open positions, which could have major ramifications on classroom sizes. [Spotlight Delaware]

• Jessop’s Tavern in Old New Castle is one of 50 historic restaurants nationwide to receive a $50,000 historical restoration grant. [Delaware Business Now]

• Google’s 2024 tech event revealed a demo of Gemini Live, new Pixel phones, AI-powered photo editing and more. [Tech Crunch]

🗓️ On the Calendar

• Wednesday, August 14 — The Delaware Journalism Collaborative will hold a gubernatorial debate at the Dover Public Library. [Details]

• Wednesday, August 14 — Mayoral candidates will attend a forum held by the Delaware Black Chamber of Commerce at the Wilmington Public Library. [Details]

• Wednesday, August 14 — Tech job hunters can join Code and Coffee Philly for a virtual event, LeetCode Wednesday, to prepare for coding interviews. [Details]

• Friday, August 16 — Support small businesses, and network with their owners, at the Sip and Shop Expo. [Details]

• Monday, August 19 – Play cards, party games and more virtually at Wilmington Game Night. [Details] 

• Monday, August 19 — Network with the New Castle County Alignable Alliance at Mad Mac’s. [Details]

• Tuesday, August 20 —Meet other business professionals at Stitch House Brewery for Business First’s networking event. [Details]