Mark Lesko - Accelerate Long Island

Accelerate Long Island

In 2011, Lesko spearheaded an initiative as Brookhaven Town Supervisor to commercialize research at Long Island's major research institutions, including Stony Brook University, Hofstra University, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, North Shore-LIJ Health System and the Long Island Association. The effort was modeled after other successful commercialization efforts around the country, like Connect.org in San Diego and other high-tech economies in Silicon Valley and Boston. Subsequently, Accelerate Long Island was launched as a not-for-profit organization by the Long Island Association with the research institutions and several private companies serving on the Board of Directors. After hiring an interim director, the Board of Directors uanimously tapped Mark Lesko to be the organization's first Executive Director. Lesko will be charged with transforming Long Island's economy by cultivating an eco-system that connects researchers with entrepreneurs and investors and creating high-technology jobs. Mark Lesko resigned as Supervisor in September 2012, and the special election for Brookhaven Town Supervisor will coinside with the general election, November 6, 2012.