Thanks to our military for their service on this Veteran’s Day.
From Workflows to Intelligent Systems: AI Beyond The Hype | Skillman
Nov 16: INNOVATE100 Social (invite only) | Princeton
Nov 18: Jersey Social Club Mixer | North Brunswick
Tech Council Ventures: Pitch & Pour: Healthcare & Digital Health | New Brunswick
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SG: Rob Ott: AI x the Relevance Advantage @ NJ AI Hub | Princeton
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Hope to see you soon!
Jim Barrood and the Jersey Tech + Innovation Team
Thoughtful pieces, courtesy of AXIOS:
Veterans who keep serving
Why it matters: For many veterans, service is a way of life — and it continues long after they've hung up their uniforms.
💡 Data du jour: Veterans who volunteer spend an average of 93 hours a year serving, compared with 69 hours for other volunteers, according to the 2025 Veterans Civic Health Index.
Americans who've served are also likelier to donate to charity (56% vs. 50% of nonveterans).
Veterans are also slightly more likely to talk to their neighbors and help them with transportation, errands or child care.
Zoom in: On and around Veterans Day, many veterans turn that spirit of giving back toward their own communities.
🍜 In San Diego, veterans, active-duty service members and other volunteers organized a food drive on Sunday for military families struggling to make ends meet.
🦃 In southeastern Michigan, VETLIFE — a veteran-founded nonprofit — is working with Kroger to provide free Thanksgiving dinners to 400 veteran and active-duty military families.
🔨 In Sacramento, veterans are teaming up tomorrow to repair fellow veterans' homes through Habitat for Humanity's Veterans Service Day.
The bottom line: Today is a chance to honor and say thanks to some of the most generous members of our community. People who are more physically active also tend to engage more in creative pursuits — like cooking, music and performing arts — and report more creative accomplishments.
💡 The bottom line: Next time you're in a rut, get up and wander, even if it's in the comfort of your own home. (For me, that's three rooms, but whatever works!)
Give yourself space to daydream, but keep your phone or a notepad handy to record flashes of inspiration.
Once you've got your idea, you'll probably need to take a seat to see it through.
Don't wait for a reason to smile
Your smile could be a self-fulfilling prophecy. |
Why it matters: Simply smiling when you're stressed or blue can lift your spirits, research shows — even when you don't totally feel it.
🔎 Zoom in: Several studies have found evidence that the physical act of smiling can boost feelings of happiness.
The intrigue: The findings support the idea that physical actions and sensations can help shape emotions, rather than simply reflect them, Stanford researchers write.
A smile, even a forced one, can make us feel happier. A furrowed brow can spark feelings of anger.
🎒 Case in point: At the Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts in Southern California, the power of a smile is taken very seriously. An entire section on the charter school's website is dedicated to its philosophy that a smile can make a difference.
"Smiling creates a supportive classroom culture that makes students relaxed, active, and motivated," according to the website. "It increases emotional well-being, lowers stress, and gives students confidence."
Smiling isn't a magic fix. One analysis of 138 studies found that the emotional benefits of facial expressions are modest and vary depending on the circumstances.
But it's a free, instant tool to keep in your back pocket next time you're feeling down.
