He may be the real Most Interesting Man in the World

Forget about the Dos Equis dude.
 
On Nov. 17, serial entrepreneur and inventor Dr. Robert Langer will be the featured speaker at our chamber’s Annual Business Breakfast.
 
Langer, a chemical engineering professor at MIT and Newton resident, is a co-founder of Moderna and over 40 other companies. He holds over 1000 patents and is one of the most published and cited scholars of all time in any field.  
 
Langer’s breakthrough research and business acumen has advanced the delivery of life-saving medical treatments including mRNA vaccines, insulin, anti-cancer drugs and more. 
 
His patents have been licensed or sublicensed to help launch over 350 pharmaceutical, chemical, biotech and medical device companies --- many of which are headquartered in our region. 
 
NPR called him “a modern-day Thomas Edison.” Forbes Magazine called Langer one of the 15 innovators worldwide who will reinvent our future. And Time Magazine named him one of the 100 most important people in America.
 
We’re honored that Dr. Langer will be joining us virtually Nov. 17 at 10 a.m.
 
 
One more thing about Nov. 17
 
All registration fees for our Nov. 17 event with Dr. Robert Langer will benefit the chamber’s “Nourishing” which purchases meals from independent restaurants that may be struggling to make ends meet during this prolonged pandemic.
 
The meals are then distributed to food pantries and other programs dedicated to combatting food insecurity.
 
We have received state funding for this program to be spent in Newton and Wellesley. But we're looking to extend those dollars and expand the effort into Needham and Watertown through contributions large and small.
 
We hope you will consider helping when you register to attend.
 
Yay, it’s my favorite holiday: Election Day!
 
Newton, Watertown and these other cities are holding municipal elections today: If you live in one of these places, get out and vote before the polls close at 8 p.m.
 
Newton voters will elect a mayor, city council and school committee. (I’ll be participating on NewTV’s Newton election night coverage starting at 9 p.m.)
 
Over the weekend Globe editorial writer Alan Wirzbicki published a spot-on column examining the housing and zoning debate that's dominated much of Newton’s election discussion this year. He also debunked false claims against some candidates.
 
In Watertown, voters get to weigh in on council and school committee contests plus some important proposed charter changes.
 
And yes, there's also a historic election happening down river from us. Here why that matters to us in the burbs.
 
And tonight, in Needham
 
The two candidates for Needham Select Board — Karen Calton and Kevin Keane — will participate in a forum tonight (Tues.) at 7 p.m. via Zoom sponsored by Equal Justice in Needham, Progressive Needham, AAPI Alliance Needham, Chinese Friends of Needham and Indian Community of Needham.
 
On Nov. 17 at 7 p.m., the League of Women Voters of Needham will host its forum. Register. The special election is Dec. 7.
 
Can't fight cyber crime without cyber crime fighters
 
MassBay Community College has announced plans to launch the Center for Cybersecurity Education on its Wellesley Hills campus.
 
MassBay is the only community college in Massachusetts that offers an associate degree in Cybersecurity. The center will offer resources to students at both the high school and college levels studying cybersecurity. 
 
The timing is critical. There were 13,000 open cybersecurity industry positions across Massachusetts last month, according to Colin A. Young at State House News.
 
“We've seen cyberattacks become much more targeted and damaging, with the goals of those attacks ranging from critical infrastructure disruption to massive financial damage," Udi Mokady, CEO at the Newton-based CyberArk said at the annual Massachusetts Cybersecurity Forum last week.
 
CyberArk (a chamber member) is one of 275 Massachusetts companies in the cybersecurity sector. 
 
But hundreds of open jobs threaten to keep a damper on the sector's growth, said Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Mike Kennealy.
 
 
This time, Fuller proposes restaurant relief
 
Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller will ask the city’s Licensing Commission to reduce liquor license fees paid by restaurants by 50% for calendar year 2022.
 
In the case of a single restaurant, the full restaurant alcohol license fee would be reduced for the year from $3,250 to $1,625.
 
Newton’s License Commission reduced the fees paid by restaurants at this time last year too.
 
But that was at the request of City Council President Susan Albright and 17 other city councilors. Fuller opposed the 2021 cut. 
 
Fuller also announced plans to allocate up to $50,000 in American Rescue Plan Act dollars to help restaurants break down, store and reassemble their on-street dining equipment, including platforms, lighting, heaters, planters, tables, chairs, etc.
 
Newton will be removing the painted jersey barriers from in front of 15 restaurants just after New Year's Day to accommodate snow removal.
 
We’re grateful for the mayor's efforts to help our struggling restaurants.
 
Needham's leaning the same way
 
Needham’s Select Board was the first to reduce liquor frees by half last year. They’re scheduled to vote to approve a similar reduction again next week.
 
Watertown went one step further than Newton and Needham last year and eliminated all fees charged to all business for all of 2021.
 
 
Other need to knows

• The CVS that’s been on Central Street in Wellesley since at least the early ‘80s will be closing Nov. 27.  Property owner Linear Retail says they will subdivide the property to make it suitable for smaller operators, similar to what they’re doing with the location just down the street that was formally the Gap.
• Two area CPA firms --- ALL CPAs of Chestnut Hill (a chamber member) and LGA, with offices in Woburn and Salem, NH, announced a merger yesterday. The firm will operate under the LGA brand and maintain offices in all three locations with over 125 employees.
• The state has launched a new round of Tech Talent Diversity Initiative Grants aimed at increasing the diversity of candidates that get hired for internships, apprenticeships, and entry-level jobs in the technology sector.