Jay Lucas at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center in Concord, NH., describing NH’s contributions to space, shortly after historic SpaceX launch
As a nation we have been experiencing a very difficult time. And, though recent events have been truly testing, there is one major positive event that has occurred during the past week. We saw the successful launch of the SpaceX Dragon and NASA rocket, marking our first return to space in nearly a decade. Even more important, it was the first ever collaboration between private enterprise and a government agency to launch humans into space, demonstrating the power of American entrepreneurism and business. Meanwhile, we’re also starting to see our communities come back to life after a number of difficult months due to COVID-19.
Back in 1776, as our nation began to make its way towards independence, our founders were looking for a motto that could encapsulate what we stood for. As the Revolutionary War began to oppose British rule, it was important to show unity. Many phrases were debated, but only one would stand the test of time, ‘E Pluribus Unum.’ Out of many, One. This motto originally described the unity between the 13 original colonies that allowed the formation of the United States of America, but throughout our history it has taken on many different meanings. In light of what we’ve endured over the past few months and the events of the past week, we’re reminded once again of the power of this motto and its capacity to inspire us as a nation.
We chart a course of optimism and growth. The spirit of the American entrepreneur endures and gives us renewed hope as we steer our way through choppy waters. We find lightness in the dark, and celebrate rays of positivity – finding inspiration and paying tribute to the men and women who have launched this historic SpaceX mission.
Entrepreneurial Spirit - Newport Economy Moves Forward!
We love to see entrepreneurial success – especially in difficult times. And, even more when it contributes to the exciting revitalization of a wonderful small town. And, so it was this past month, as Newport welcomed a new business to its Main Street. Cole-TAC, an industrial sewing company that makes tactical accessories for law enforcement and shooting enthusiasts, is a local entrepreneurial success story.
It started as a hobby in a spare bedroom and has now grown to a business serving customers throughout the US. Dustin Coleman and wife, Lee, have been hard at work taking their hobby from their home to a warehouse in nearby Unity and now to downtown Newport. The new location will provide additional space for expanded PPE production which will serve area hospitals.
While writing their own success story, the Coleman’s have been active helping the next generation of entrepreneurs by being big supporters of the Claremont Makerspace. They have donated five industrial sewing machines as well as generously giving of their time by teaching classes.
Big Ideas Can Be Accomplished - Manchester’s Own - Mario Faggiano
Some say we are living in difficult and uncertain times, but moments like these are where the next opportunity lies, where entrepreneurial spirit can overcome any obstacle, as proudly demonstrated by Manchester’s Mario Faggiano.
I first learned about Mario in a recent Union Leader article. Mario, a real estate executive in New York and Central High School graduate returned to his native Manchester, NH and launched a company while still running a company remotely. Seeing the need to help people with proper PPE masks, he launched a company in New Hampshire that’s manufacturing and shipping a million masks to essential businesses across the country. The factory making the masks is right here in the United States, creating jobs, while also doing its part to keep people safe through Mario’s innovative approach.
I could not be prouder of the work Mario and folks like him are doing through these challenging times. We all have a choice. We can sit-back and let things simply happen, or like Mario, we can proactively respond to the moment and set a new course for the future. We must look at this “New Normal” and build upon it rather than fear it. By having this mindset, we can open the doors of opportunity and empower our communities.
So, let’s seize this moment, as Mario has done, not because it’s easy, but because it’s what is needed for our communities, our economy, and our human spirit. So, I invite us all to be the next Mario and seize this moment, so we can use our energies to create a better tomorrow.
Positive Profile of the Week: Elon Musk
We pay tribute this week to Elon Musk: A man who is accomplishing the American dream. His is the success story of an immigrant starting with meager means, who through hard work, courage and persistent effort achieves enormous financial success – but far more important, makes a lasting positive impact on the course of history and human progress.
Although Elon Musk is sometimes seen as larger than life figure, he actually comes from rather humble beginnings. He immigrated to the United States from South Africa with $2,000 to his name and a suitcase full of books. After dropping out of his doctoral program at Stanford, he formed a small company called Zip2, which he quickly sold. From the cash he received for his small ownership stake in Zip2, he used the money to create a company that would eventually become what we know today as PayPal. When he successfully sold PayPal, he used the funds from that venture to finance SpaceX.
Elon is undoubtedly a great entrepreneur, and while he may be best known as the CEO of Tesla, his obsession with space has brought the United States, and the rest of the world for that matter, back into space exploration. Founded in 2002, his SpaceX was responsible for this week's history making adventure that saw the first ever collaboration between a private company and government space agency to send humans to space, eventually docking with the International Space Station. This incredible partnership ushers in an incredibly exciting new era of space exploration that will eventually see more commercially driven space flight in the near future. Elon and his entrepreneurial drive are the epitome of the American ‘Can-Do’ spirit and ‘never say quit’ mentality. We champion and celebrate Elon Musk – entrepreneur extraordinaire!
Quotes of the Week: Space Exploration
“Space is for everybody. It’s not just for a few people in science or math, or for a select group of astronauts. That’s our new frontier out there, and it’s everybody’s business to know about space.” - Christa McAuliffe
“Land on Mars, a round-trip ticket - half a million dollars. It can be done.”
Elon Musk
“Retain the vision for space exploration. If we turn our backs on the vision again, we're going to have to live in a secondary position in human space flight for the rest of the century.”
Buzz Aldrin
“Space exploration is a force of nature unto itself that no other force in society can rival.”
Neil deGrasse Tyson
“Everyone, red state, blue state, everyone supports space exploration.”
Bill Nye