Like many creative geniuses, Christian Gonzalez borrowed liberally from established works when he created “The Macabre Sessions” – in this case, from the best of the horror and science-fiction genres.

But if the young digital artist mined Stephen King’s worst nightmares for inspiration, the end result – an original audio story set on Long Island, told over 13 super-creepy episodes with a full voice cast, sound effects, original music, growling monsters and interdimensional stakes – was all about 21st Century innovation.

In today’s special Halloween-themed episode, Christian joins Spark host Gregory Zeller to discuss how a Suffolk County Community College class assignment became a living, snarling cornerstone of Suffolk Internet Radio – and explore how emerging technologies have modernized the creative process.

After 21 years as president of ERASE Racism, founder Elaine Gross has handed the baton – and a two-decade legacy of litigious success and social progress – to a worthy successor.

The Long Island-raised Boston University graduate has made a career of racial justice in housing, education and other key areas, taking a graceful approach to an ongoing street fight that continuously exposes the ugly underbelly of systemic racism – and fosters progressive solutions in conjunction with lawmakers and educators across Long Island, New York and beyond.

In today’s episode, Elaine reflects on her long odyssey from civil rights crusader to civil rights champion – and expresses her highest hopes for New ERASE Racism President Laura Harding, as she takes the reins.

Andrew Parton was a banker before he landed at the Cradle of Aviation Museum, but no ordinary banker – the St. John’s University MBA had already carved a decades-long career in major-league marketing for some of the nation’s leading financial institutions.

That experience – and his childhood love of air and space, fueled equally by “Star Trek” and real-life NASA missions – made him the perfect person to spread the word about the Cradle of Aviation, a shining salute to the region’s glorious aerospace history and centerpiece of Long Island’s impressive Museum Row.

In today’s episode, Andy joins Spark host Gregory Zeller to discuss his risky transition from corporate to nonprofit marketing, Cradle of Aviation’s tireless dedication to regional education and the unique museum’s exciting, hands-on journey through time and space.

Long Island is blessed with a multitude of world-class colleges and universities and an impressive roster of all-world scholars to run them – and right at the top is Dr. John Nader, President of Farmingdale State College.

A veteran of the SUNY system and former mayor of the City of Oneonta, John – who doubles as co-chairman of the critically influential Long Island Regional Economic Development Council – has led Farmingdale State through six years of remarkable growth, expanding the college’s student body, physical footprint, industry/academic collaborations and cutting-edge programming.

In today’s episode, the highly optimistic problem-solver describes how politics prepared him for academia – and why Farmingdale State is so important to Long Island socioeconomics.

Raised by strong women with long careers in professional healthcare, Dawn Smallwood seemed destined to become a doctor. She even went to college to study biology. But fate had other ideas.

In January, the veteran law-enforcement officer – after decades in the service of the FBI, the NCIS and CUNY Public Safety – became chief of the Stony Brook University Police Department, the first woman to fill the role. As SBU’s top cop, she commands a 190-member department that serves and protects 26,000 students, staffers and visitors every single day, from dormitories to university stadiums to hospital ERs.

In today’s episode, the chief joins spark host Gregory Zeller to discuss the immense responsibilities of her pressure-packed job, her adventures as a Greater New York federal agent and her biggest challenges of all: raising two daughters to believe they can accomplish anything, and finding time for a good true-crime podcast.

With some estimates counting more than 218,000 food-insecure Long Islanders, including 80,000 children, the Herculean efforts of Chief Executive Officer Paule Pachter and his team at Long Island Cares-The Harry Chapin Food Bank cannot be overstated.

The former deputy commissioner of the Nassau County Department of Mental Health, who earned a master’s degree in social work from Adelphi University, heads a massive rescue mission that annually manages millions of dollars in private and corporate donations and distributes more than 16 million pounds of food to children, seniors and veterans, among others in need.

In today’s conversation, Paule joins Spark host Gregory Zeller to discuss 40 years of innovation at Long Island’s first food bank, as well as the regional community’s endless generosity and the comprehensive logistical effort required by late philanthropist Harry Chapin’s vision of a hunger-free Long Island.

Robert Catell is a living legend of the regional energy sector and an iconic influencer, across Long Island and beyond.

Starting as a junior engineer for Brooklyn Union Gas way back in 1958, Robert rose quickly through the ranks, prioritizing modernization and energy efficiency at every step. A savvy and respected leader, he was a key player in a multibillion-dollar merger that forever reshaped regional energy distribution – and since his “retirement” has only gotten busier, leading clean-gen crusades, advising startups, mentoring future leaders, helping to build Long Island’s best socioeconomic future.

In today’s episode, the former KeySpan and National Grid U.S. chairman joins Spark host Gregory Zeller to discuss a life spent in the literal corridors of power – and his fervent belief that Long Island’s brightest days are yet to come.

John Wallace needs no introduction to fans of the Syracuse Orange or the New York Knicks – but you might not know how deeply the Rochester native’s roots run throughout New York State.

Since hanging up his professional sneakers, the one-time NCAA scoring machine has embarked on numerous professional and personal efforts designed to empower youth and promote social justice. A master communicator with a hard-earned degree in sociology, John has also carved out an impressive broadcasting career, while lending his compassion and intelligence to innovative workforce-development efforts on Long Island and beyond.

In today’s episode, the Knicks’ 1996 first-round pick joins Spark host Gregory Zeller to discuss his greatest mentors, fiercest opponents and most heartfelt social causes – and to review the X’s and O’s of “giving back,” and how they’ve changed over his amazing career.

Welcome to the first-ever Long Island Multimedia Crossover Virtual Extravaganza, a groundbreaking collaboration between Drake Media Studios, Brandtelling and Innovate Long Island.

This episode of Spark: The Innovate Long Island Podcast, featuring multimedia producer and talk show host Donna Drake, is also being recorded as a video segment for “The Donna Drake Show,” which is based on Long Island and syndicated across the United States and in 25 countries.

In this tech-savvy episode, Donna joins Spark host Gregory Zeller to discuss her successful program and her burgeoning Melville multimedia studios, and to introduce her viewers to the Spark podcast and Innovate Long Island’s progressive socioeconomic mission.

Paul Schwartz is an entrepreneur, a networker, a VC magnet and the co-founder of a company promising to revolutionize the heating and cooling industries: Stony Brook-based ThermoLift, home of the Hofbauer Thermal Compression Climate Control device.

The “TC3,” for short, eliminates toxic refrigerants and replaces older heating, cooling and hot-water systems with one energy-efficient machine that does it all – and does it with low (or zero) carbon emissions, powered by clean biofuels or hydrogen.

In today’s conversation, Paul joins Spark Host Gregory Zeller to discuss his partnership with legendary engineering master Peter Hofbauer, brushes with other world-class scientists and investors, collaborations with national laboratories and top universities and the steady course that has brought his 2012 startup to the edge of international commercialization.