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| MATR Newsletter - Fri Aug 4, 2006 |
"...all good things - trout as well as eternal salvation - come by art, and art does not come easy." Norman Maclean
Montana Telecommunications Association Annual Meeting, 08/08, Big Sky http://www.matr.net/ev ... =1656
Developing a more Entrepreneurial Montana
Developing Tech Jobs in Rural Communities
- 12 startups to launch now.
We enlisted a team of top reporters to find out what, and where, the most intriguing new business opportunities are today.
- Extreme Entrepreneur Tour to "spread the word of innovation" on 10 Wisconsin campuses
"The future of Wisconsin businesses depends on the ability of the people they hire to create, innovate, and evolve as the world around you changes," Pietsch said in a release. "The top companies and top team members in them will need the ability to think like an entrepreneur, even within an established organization."
Montana Education Excellence
- Economic Gardening. An Entrepreneurial Approach to Economic Development
We have had many communities visit us and inquire about the program over the years. In an effort to provide a concise summary of our original thinking and the evolution of that thinking during the first years of the program, we present here a synopsis of our experience.
- Internet Start-Ups Lure Execs at Big Tech Firms
"In a smaller environment, you can have a much bigger impact,"
- Beaverton, Oregon may try its hand at 'economic gardening'. City is considering a high-tech approach to help existing businesses sprout jobs
Beaverton would become the first city in Oregon to use the high-tech approach that supports and encourages entrepreneurs by using databases that most businesses wouldn't be able to afford on their own.
Education
- MSU-B pulls in grants for Indian education
"These professional development grants will help us find, train and retain the very best teachers and administrators within American Indian communities," Spellings said. "Reaching our goal under No Child Left Behind of every child reading and doing math at grade level by 2014 depends on the dedicated efforts of our teachers. We will continue to make sure teachers have the support and tools they need to best serve their students."
Montana Business
- Montana University System Awarded $2.2 Million Grant to Serve Low-Income and First-Generation College Students
"I am very excited about the renewal of this program." This will enable our office to continue to provide critical pre-college access services to Montana's low-income, first-generation students," said Commissioner Sheila Stearns.
- A new high-tech take on school group project. Teachers share lessons learned about wikis
He put up an old textbook he published about information systems on a wiki and required his class to make updates. By the end of the term, not only was his textbook more current and comprehensive, his students didn't pay a dime -- and those who updated frequently scored better on exams.
- U.S. Issues New Rules on Schools and Disability
For more than 25 years, federal law had required that schools nationwide identify children as learning disabled by comparing their scores on intelligence tests with their academic achievement. This meant that many students had to wait until third or fourth grade to get the special education help they needed.
Montana Economic Development
- 80 Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana workers facing layoffs
The layoffs are not a surprise because of a 2003 federal law that required claims to be handled in multi-state regions to save money. Claims are now processed separately by state.
Developing Funding Opportunities in Montana
- The August MEDA (Montana Economic Developers Association) Online News
The Montana Economic Developers Association (MEDA) is an association of economic development professionals. We are professional “lead” economic developers, business specialists, government employees, and staff members of affiliated non-profit organizations which promote and foster economic development activities in Montana.
- An Affordable Housing Brouhaha: Does Bozeman Want to Be an Inclusive or Exclusive Community?
When people discuss the future of Bozeman, a common refrain is, “We don’t want to become like Aspen (or Boulder or Jackson Hole).”
- Missoula Area Economic Development Corp (MAEDC) News August 2006
Funding and Building your Business
- When it RAINs, it pours Grand Forks, ND Group looks to invest in growing companies
"Our goal is to form one RAIN fund a month as a way to increase the capacity for equity investments in smaller more rural areas,"
Legislative Newsletters
- 15 Things You Need to Score VC Funding
I've often said that instead of soliciting venture capital for your new startup, you're better off buying a lottery ticket.
- Have Enough Startup Capital?
I want to open my own business. How much startup money do I need?
- Large VC funds signal new excesses, appetite for early stage
For some VCs, the amount of money coming into the business is a worry. The whole industry is too large by a factor of three, said Paul Kedrosky, venture partner at Ventures West Management Inc. of Toronto. Firms won't say no to a check because there's the perception somebody else will take it if they don't, he said.
- “Trademark Tips for Your Web App”
Choosing a good name for your web app is one of the most important things to get right.
- Greg Kostello, Founder of vMix: What Mistakes to Avoid on Business Plans
Here are some of his thoughts on what he sees as the big mistakes in business plans:
Regional Economic DevelopmentIdaho Business
- SBA Newsline Eight August 2006
- How to Promote a Region - Selling doesn't stop at city limits in the Denver Area
Selling the Denver metro area "as a place," and not a collection of dozens of communities, "reduces cognitive dissonance like you wouldn't believe" for outside business prospects.
- Need for qualified workers stressed for WIRED Grant success
The regions that will prosper are those that accerate the integration of their education, workforce development and economic development organizations.
- Reconquering World Cities - Nine Global 'Turnaround' Cities including Portland, OR
"We understand that if we want our countries to flourish, we have to love our cities and make them flourish, too"
Incubators and R&D
- Idaho Office of Science & Technology August 2006
- Idaho Science & Technology Council meets
At a session earlier this year, the council called for a $50 million investment in programs and infrastructure to stimulate the industry.
- Audio Blog: Project Idaho Enterprise to to bridge the seed capital "Valley of Death" for early stage ventures.
With "Bootstrap Idaho", up to $100,000 on a matching basis will be available to successful applicants to help them meet the milestone of "business start-up". Finally, with "Launch Idaho ", companies passing the business start-up milestone may then apply for an additional matching $250,000 to help further their growth.
- Grants to help Idaho keep up with tourism growth
“We’re being discovered as a destination,” Dane said. “People are coming because it’s a beautiful place to come and visit. It’s a nice place to come and play.”
Small Diameter Timber Utilization
- Some convinced insects could be used to detect bombs
The researchers believe they are on the verge of perfecting a briefcase-size system that can be carried around and deployed easily, using laser technology to track bees that have been trained to find explosives.
Careers
- Biomass isn't one size fits all, says report
Biomass is the term given the small-diameter trees and underbrush cut during thinning projects prescribed as an antidote to fire-prone, overgrown forests. The trees are so small they cannot be used by sawmills or log home builders.
Non-Profit News
- Six Things You Should Know About Pre-Employment Tests
Pre-employment testing is on the rise.
- Can't Find a Job? Here's Why... Some IT pros are having little luck finding new positions
Take a look at your qualifications and determine whether they are truly marketable in the current environment.
- Career Opportunities For Older Job Hunters
The five fastest growing industries in terms of hiring senior-level executives -- who, by virtue of their experience tend to be older -- are health care, financial services, high tech, business services and defense/aerospace, according to ExecuNet, a job-posting and networking site focused on job openings for senior executives.
- A Guide to the Latest Batch Of Corporate Buzzwords
It would be wise, then, if executives who want to be believed and understood, carefully select their language.
Energy
- Strong nonprofits enrich all of us
The Idaho Nonprofit Development Center won't make local nonprofits wealthy overnight, nor will the organization have answers to every question. But the center's mission is clear and commendable: Work with the state's 11,000 nonprofits to help them be as successful as possible. That includes avoiding duplicated services and other efforts; assuring that applicable laws are being followed; and perhaps most of all, helping these vital organizations to our communities learn to speak the same language so the rest of us understand not just how important nonprofits are to our way of life, but how we can be most helpful to them.
- SKC to be Awarded Over $25,000 for Student Grants
- August 2006 MNA eNews
State of Montana Surplus Equipment Available to Nonprofits
Connectivity & Communications
- Tempe schools curb energy costs
According to Pomeroy, the district has saved more than $95,000 this fiscal year as a result of its conversion to time-of-use meters, which allow for different rates of utility usage for peak and off-peak hours. Eventually, all facilities will be equipped with cooling-control systems.
- Vail lifts profile of wind energy
That makes Vail Resorts the second-largest corporate purchaser of wind power in the nation, behind Whole Foods Market, and the largest purchaser of wind power in the state.
- Clinton Foundation to Work to Reduce Greenhouse Gases
“It seems to me that there is now a consensus in the world that climate change is real and that we have to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” he said. “What we need now is more information about how to do it quickly, economically, and organize the efforts to do it. It seemed to me that the challenge was quite a bit like the work I’ve done on AIDS.”
- Green Power Inc. Demonstrates Waste-to-Fuel Technology Creating NanoDiesel
"We really can convert regular household waste, medical waste, anything that is not radioactive, metal, glass or porcelain, into diesel fuel," said Michael Spitzauer, CEO of Green Power, Inc.
- How Australia got hot for solar power. Down under, they're all over alternative energy - starting with a 1,600-foot tall "solar tower" that can power a small city.
Acting as a giant greenhouse, the solar collector will superheat the air with radiation from the sun. Hot air rises, naturally, and the tower will operate as a giant vacuum. As the air is sucked into the tower, it will produce wind to power an array of turbine generators clustered around the structure. The result: enough clean, green electricity to power some 100,000 homes without producing a particle of pollution or a wisp of planet-warming gases.
Commuter Rail Development
- In strategy shift, AOL makes more services free in chase for ads
"We've listened to our customers, and many of them want to keep using these AOL products when they migrate to broadband — but not pay extra for them," said Jeff Bewkes, Time Warner's president and chief operating officer.
- Researchers demonstrate 'systemic' vulnerability in wireless computers
Some computers with wireless Internet capabilities are vulnerable to malicious software that would let hackers take over the machines even if their owners aren't actually online, researchers announced here Wednesday.
- Wikipedia Showdown! What are the weirdest, funniest, craziest, and most bizarre entries?
Help us discover the weirdest, funniest, craziest, and most bizarre entries that the people's encyclopedia has to offer.
Cool Stuff That's Coming
- Conn. looks into building commuter rail line
Connecticut officials and their western Massachusetts counterparts believe the commuter line could ease highway congestion and create jobs by boosting the region's economic development.
- Scientist thinks invisibility possible in future
It's unlikely to occur by swallowing a pill or donning a special cloak, but invisibility could be possible in the not too distant future, according to research published on Monday.
- New TEDTALES: Ideas Worth Spreading- Nicholas Negroponte, Inventor Jeff Han
This week, we peer into the near future of computing with Nicholas Negroponte, who's determined to level the global playing field with his now-famous $100 laptop for the developing world, and inventor Jeff Han, whose stunning new interface may radically change the way we use computers.
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