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| MATR Newsletter - Tue May 18, 2010 |
"Montana is #1 in the Nation for Entrepreneurship and Ranks in the Top 10 for Economic Growth" -- “This is excellent news, but it’s no surprise,” said Governor Brian Schweitzer. “As a state, Montana is a leader. By nature, Montanans are leaders. We are entrepreneurs – we make smart choices – we do more with less and we make it work. Like the report says, our successes are significant and they’re getting noticed.” http://matr.net/articl ... .html
"Montana's Race To The Top - The State with the Best Education Wins!"
The Best Place Project - Missoula, Montana's Five-Year Economic Development Strategy
- Montana Digital Academy Opens Fall Registration
MTDA is the state’s publicly supported K-12 online school and is specifically designed to offer flexible education options to Montana students. Courses are offered free of charge for the 2010-11 school year only.
Glacier Raft and Outdoor Center
- It's time to get down to business: Consultants give us a map to improve economic development in Missoula - Missoula agencies embrace negative economic development report
“Across the board with leadership in Missoula, everybody has been having the same sense that we need some kind of unity and we just haven’t seen it.”
- Full Consultant Report: THE BEST PLACE PROJECT - Missoula, Montana's Five-Year Economic Development Strategy
The following is a brief summary of the most pertinent findings and recommendations:
Globalization Partners International
- Glacier at 100: Preserved Yet Ever Changing - Glacier's park status took courageous, persistent leadership
Here in the Rockies, the passage of laws to protect the landscape has always been difficult. Lines on a map are hard drawn. Fences, intended to create neighborliness, foster initial resentment. Signs that beckon "Welcome" too often read "No Trespass" on the reverse side.
Highway 12 Ventures
- A Multilingual Web Goes Live - Arabic and Cyrillic domain addresses are switched on.
"This is the biggest change in the Internet in 40 years."
Visit Montana
- IdaVation - 2010 - May 26
IdaVation, presented by Kickstand each year, is a wonderful day of learning about technology in Idaho and networking with folks in the industry.
Come Home Montana
- MT Tourism Week: North Dakota High School Students Select Great Falls for Senior Trip
Great Falls use to be the overnight stop. But now, more visitors are seeing the Electric City as the destination with museums and attractions, many of which are free.
- Tourism dept. marketing Montana's High Plains to western Mont., N.D.
“It’s getting discovered.”
Missoula Public Schools Excellence
- Big Sky Economic Development Hires Community Development Specialist, Sara Hudson
In her position at Big Sky Economic Development, Hudson will work closely within the Community Development team to secure funding on behalf of county agencies and other nonprofit organizations, administer grants and facilitate certain projects that result from BSED’s efforts.
- Montana Career Opportunity - Supervisor Operations Planning - Northwestern Energy
Business and/or Engineer degree with Utility experience preferred.
Montana Business
- 2 companies vie for chance to help guide Missoula schools into future
MCPS, with superintendent Alex Apostle and his administration leading the way, is sold on the concept of "21st century education," which officials say will revolutionize teaching and learning for decades to come, realigning class schedules, classroom structure and much of the way in which teachers interact with students, and students interact with each other.
Montana Economic Development
- Schedappy Simplifies Employee Work Schedules
Schedappy users can manage multiple locations, staff availability, time off requests, staff job levels or skills, staffing requirements, special events, and split shifts.
- Darby, Montana Trapper Peak Winery wine maker, Keith Smith cultivating picturesque lifestyle
“This is a beautiful place to live,” Smith said as he strolled across his property, wine glass in hand. “Montana’s a tough place to make a living, but I’m doing good.”
- Water carves steel, stone at GlacierJet in Kalispell, Montana
From a small shop on Ash Road in Evergreen, Boyce serves clients from artists to the aerospace industry using the versatility of his OMAX water jet cutter.
Regional Economic Development
- Montana is #1 in the Nation for Entrepreneurship and Ranks in the Top 10 for Economic Growth
“This is excellent news, but it’s no surprise,” said Governor Brian Schweitzer. “As a state, Montana is a leader. By nature, Montanans are leaders. We are entrepreneurs – we make smart choices – we do more with less and we make it work. Like the report says, our successes are significant and they’re getting noticed.”
Bill Payne
- The Silicon Lining - California’s innovative high-tech firms keep creating wealth, but will bad state policies drive them out? Are they considering your state?
California has piled every imaginable burden on businesses.
Business Plan Forums
- What do Angels Look for in Fundable Deals – Part I
We would love to invest in entrepreneurs with prior CEO experience, but angels are most often approached by first time entrepreneurs. So, what are the key differentiators for investors?
Careers
- Oregon Entrepreneurs Compete for $165,000
"There are some that want to invest in things that are good, do well and help people. There are others that are looking for a straight forward return. We think we offer both, the ability to do well and do good."
Funding and Building your Business
- Get Inspired! Check out these 25 unforgettable graduation speeches
At times like these, when the future seems unsettled and uncertain, it can be easy to lose heart. When you turn on the television or read newspapers or blogs, the voices of cynicism and pessimism always seem to be the loudest. Don’t believe them.
- In Job Market Shift, Some Workers Are Left Behind
Many of the jobs lost during the recession are not coming back. Period.
- Use game theory to get ahead in your career
"People who apply game theory to their careers make better decisions in the first place and are better equipped to deal with disruptions along the way."
Incubators and R&D
- 3 Tips for Setting Up an Advisory Board
An advisory board can also play a surprising role when it comes time to sell your business.
- Preparing the perfect pitch
Here's a quick primer on how to go about the presentation process, no matter what industry you're in:
- Putting a price on goodness
"Striving to do more good is associated with greater profitability, equity and asset returns, and shareholder value creation."
- Keep your workers safer
Whether it's an office or a construction site, all workplaces are potentially hazardous -- and implementing strategies to prevent accidents makes sense both for your workers and for your company's bottom line.
- Why Are Women-Owned Firms Smaller Than Men-Owned Ones?
What's holding back so many women business owners?
Montana Education Excellence
- Boulder's TechStars startup bootcamp taking off
"The real reason for running TechStars is for the opportunities that it creates and for the long-term ecosystem efforts."
Montana Education/Business Partnerships
- Preclinical research summit coming to the University of Montana
The event will be a day of discussion and learning for translational researchers in academic and industry settings.
University TechTransfer
- When Interns Make Sense. They aren't just cheap labor. They also can bring new perspectives.
Interns present a tremendous opportunity to entrepreneurs.
- Just Doing It - The University of Montana and NIKE have a long-standing deep relationship
“I think of the people who know me, if you asked 100 of them where my values come from, 99 of them would immediately say Montana,” says Sprunk, who graduated in 1986 with an accounting degree. “I don’t make it public. It’s not like I advertise it. But I’m very proud of it. I’m proud of being a Griz.”
Idaho Business
- Leroy Hood’s Personalized Medicine Vision Enters Proving Ground at Ohio State
Ohio State University, the nation’s second-largest university, said late Friday that its board has approved a partnership with Hood’s Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle.
Wyoming Business
- Idaho Technology Council picks former HP vice-president, Rich Raimondi to lead board
“This organization is committed to serving as the unified voice for technology in Idaho so that we can create an ecosystem that helps businesses grow and creates high paying jobs in an important Idaho industry.”
- Idaho Gov. Otter to visit China to promote trade
The group will also promote Idaho as a location for Chinese businesses looking to expand to the United States as part of Otter’s Project 60 plan to grow the state’s economy to $60 billion by encouraging businesses to add more jobs.
Education
- The Rise and Fall of Wyoming's Little Norway
University of Wyoming created a "Little Norway" in Laramie 35 years ago, by offering scholarships to some of the best young skiers in the world. (Happy Nasjonaldagen!)
Missoula BarCamp
- Underemployed IT Workers Teach, Learn in Georgia High Schools
Operation Reboot, a three-year program that launched last fall, seeks to put 30 experienced IT workers (10 per year) in high school classrooms to share their expertise and learn how to teach.
Energy and Climate Change
- Missoula BarCamp: Gathering of our creative community a great success
There were roughly 40 sessions posted ranging from technology fare, social media use, photography, environment, co-working/remote working, and one session was even a hike in the local foothills.
Grupthink
- Combating Climate Change - The University of Montana Looks at Ways to Neutralize Its Carbon Footprint by 2020, Starting with Initiatives Right Now
“We never imagined we’d have to re-argue the same case over again with the same data. But it shows you how shallow the understanding of climate science really is.” Dr. Steven Running
- New electricity grids may be smart, but not so private
It can tell how many people live in the house, when they get up, when they go to sleep and when they aren't home.
- Iron Man 2 and the Future of Energy
"Better Living Through Technology?"
- 10 times to trust the wisdom of the crowd
Crowdsourcing isn’t just a buzzword –- it’s an effective way for companies to get started fast and iterate quickly with less overhead. All of these companies offer a service with less upfront commitment than traditional outsourcing -– and that advantage really shines when it comes to early stage companies.
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