Long Island’s technology community appears to be on the upswing once again. In the last five years, Long Island’s pool of tech industry workers has risen almost 25 percent. Since 2010-2015 millennial-aged workers have risen 8.7 percent.  This surge has encouraged people of all ages to be a part of the movement. For example, a Bethpage company came up with an idea to cut down on the size of vending machines and work around malfunctions we’ve become all-too-familiar with. The two twenty-somethings who started up this company not only created a machine that dispenses snacks, but also vends smaller technological appliances like headphones and chargers.

Vengo started its expansion after their debut on the TV show, “Shark Tank”. After impressing the hosts and winning their investments, the device can now be found in gyms, hotels, and colleges. When making the product, the Vengo team also considered the mobility of the vending machine. Those large metal boxes that are in our schools and workplaces cannot travel on certain roads, making it hard for shipping. Due to its size, the Vengo vending machine is now able to be shipped on all types of roads and highways for faster service.

Long Island’s technology boom could create vast opportunities for younger generations. We know this because we’ve been here once before. From Tesla’s radio experiments to aviation and beyond, our community really is a cradle for innovation. With this encouraging news in mind, our education and business communities need to chart a path for this community’s technological resurgence.