Innovation!
That simple word is as complex as it can get. It seems there are many definitions of the word. Just google “definition of innovation” and you’ll get 1.9 billion results.
For this issue of EVOLVE the Editorial Board chose to define innovation not as creation but as new ways to do old things.
Known widely as an educator, civil rights and women’s rights activist, Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, who is being honored with a statue in the U.S. Capitol’s Statuary Hall, was also a great innovator and entrepreneur. Dr. Mary McLeoud Bethune: Innovator & Entrepreneur is a fascinating read about this less well-known part of her legacy, the impact of which continues to reverberate in our community and beyond.
Dr. Michelle Carter, who I would like to thank for participating in this issue, shares in a personal essay how Dr. Bethune has influenced her life as a community leader and entrepreneur.
Local manufacturers, Jayne Fifer of the Volusia Manufacturing Association, Daytona State College and CareerSource Flagler Volusia have partnered to bring FAME (Federation of Advanced Manufacturing Education) to the area. This is an innovative “earn while you learn” approach to educating and advancing skilled workers in the manufacturing industry.
Again, innovation is all about new ways to do things which causes me to ask, how do you innovate in your business?
When I think of NASCAR, I dream of Bill France Sr. holding court at the Streamline Hotel, The North Turn and of course the World Center of Racing created in a trioval so more people could see the front stretch and pit road. Ben Kennedy shares with us the innovations the sport has seen through the pandemic and moving forward…racing yes, but really the innovation he focuses on is the media to support the racing fan to make the whole sport more engaging.
Innovation is all around us…even in our mouths if you have had a crown put on a tooth at David Lloyd DDS’s office. We have gone from waiting weeks for a crown to having it printed while you wait. And who would have thought that Volusia County and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University would provide a home for TECHFIT. The company’s approach to healthcare goes beyond norm to customize healthcare for each individual patient.
This and so much more awaits you in the pages ahead.
