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| MATR Newsletter - Fri Jan 13, 2012 |
"If you find a job you love, you'll never work again." Winston Churchill
"Get Out West!" - A Governors' Initiative to Promote the West and Bolster Our Economies http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html ---
2012 Elections
Globalization Partners International
- State Chamber Of Commerce Members Defend Montana's Tester From U.S. Chamber's 'Hit' Ads
J.P. Fielder, spokesman for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, declined to say whether member dues were used in the production of the ads.
Montana Department of Commerce
- Global SEO: 4 Top Factors
While content is king for online marketers, there is still something missing.
21st Century Education Initiative - "You Should Care..."
- Montana Technology Innovation Partnership's SBIR/STTR Montana Review A Bi-Monthly Mailer
SBIR HAS NOW BEEN REAUTHORIZED for a period of 6 years, ending September 30, 2017, and that includes STTR, and what was the Commercialization Pilot Program (CPP), now to be known as the Commercialization Readiness Program (CRP).
- Montana Office of Tourism Hosting Tourism and Brand Workshops in Communities Around the State
"Through third-party research we have found that every dollar MTOT invests in tourism promotion returns $104 in visitor spending to Montana."
Great Falls Development Authority
- TED Video - Award-winning teen-age science in action
In 2011 three young women swept the top prizes of the first Google Science Fair. At TEDxWomen Lauren Hodge, Shree Bose and Naomi Shah described their extraordinary projects-- and their route to a passion for science.
- Flipping for Beginners - Inside the New Classroom Craze
Since she began 'flipping' lectures and homework assignments, high school science teacher Shelley Wright has noticed something: the number of students failing her course has dropped from the usual three to zero. Departmental exam scores are higher, too.
- Teaching Students to Ask Their Own Questions - One small change can yield big results
"When you ask the question, you feel like it's your job to get the answer, and you want to figure it out."
- Envisioning A New Path For K-12 Science Education
If students are to truly understand how science works, all three parts of the framework -- the key practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas -- need to be integrated.
- High School students hire 1st-grade assistants
Teaching others requires the high school students to concentrate and really think about each step involved
MSU Leadership Institute & UM Global Leadership Initiative
- Aerospace company EMTEQ to employ 60 in Great Falls thanks to the the Great Falls Development Authority's recruiting efforts
"The three primary reasons we chose Great Falls were the talent pool there, the Great Falls Development Authority's recruiting efforts and the Air Force base, which we think will be a strong recruiting resource for employees," Jendusa said.
Workforce Development
- Gen. Wesley Clark Hosted By The MSU Leadership Institute, 3/5, Bozeman, Montana
"A visionary leader, General Clark has a unique knowledge of globalization, international economics and politics making him a prime candidate to offer insights into the future of our nation," said Carmen McSpadden, director of the MSU Leadership Institute http://www.montana.edu/leadership/ , a key sponsor of the event.
Highway 12 Ventures
- @ Brookings Podcast: Job Training for American Workers Must Change
Too many American workers are ill-prepared for jobs that will provide a path to the middle class.
- Montana CDC Receives Grant from Starbucks and Opportunity Finance Network's "Create Jobs for USA" Initiative
The money will help Montana CDC create and sustain jobs in Montana as part of a national campaign to support community businesses in underserved communities.
Big Sky Commerce
- Rebit Launches New Backup Service
According to the company, the new product combines both local storage with a cloud-based service, making a full, local backup mirrored to the cloud.
- Orbotix Rolls New Demo Apps
The firm has been making its application programming interfaces and SDKs available for third party development, with the intent of allowing people to create games and activities which interact directly with the robot.
- Balihoo Gets $5M More For Local Marketing Tools
The company, which is headed by Pete Gompert, said the round was led by OpenView Venture Capital, and also included prior investor Highway 12 Ventures http://www.highway12ventures.com .
Blackfoot Telecommunications Group
- The Employers Association of Montana (EAM) selects Montana's Big Sky Commerce as the preferred Merchant Service Provider for its more than 500 members
Kevin Davis of Big Sky Commerce noted that "it's a tremendous compliment from EAM to be the chosen Merchant Service Provider for their thriving member base. Merchant Services, which encompasses the ability for a business to process all forms of electronic payments, continues to rapidly evolve."
Visit Montana
- Board of Trustees Announces Bill Squires as New CEO of Blackfoot Telecommunications Group
"We have every confidence in his ability to direct the affairs of the company with professionalism, vision, personality and while providing a safe and productive work environment for Blackfoot's talented, dedicated and hard working employees."
MEDA -Montana Economic Developers Association
- Glacier National Park's Avalanche Lake discovered anew in podcasts
"It's a very popular stop along the Going-to-the-Sun Road," agreed Melissa Sladek of the National Park Service's Crown of the Continent Research Learning Center in West Glacier. "There's a lot of interpretation already there, with signs and a ranger-guided nature hike."
- Frosty, Classy and Still Wild - It must be Montana
A Rowdy Past, A Wild Present
Montana Business
- GCS Research Announces New Release of Montana Economic Development Site Selector Solution
Choose from several ESRI Business Analyst Online Reports to learn about demographics, employment, wages, traffic, nearby businesses, and many other business factors in a radius around a site of interest, or an entire city or county. The tools on this site help you select the best site for your business in Montana.
Montana Economic Development
- Montana's Senator Jon Tester - Loyal to His 4-Legged Constituents
Montana meat loyalty, the Testers say, is a family and state tradition.
- Montana SBA District Office Facebook Page
We are eager to get social with other great Montana organizations and Montana entrepreneurs.
- Adventure Cycling - Tours filling fast, plus some tools to help you choose your tour
How popular are our 2012 tours? Nine trips are full and many tours have extensive waiting lists.
- Prophets and landlords - Spiritual couple seeks to revive Missoula, Montana's Florence Building as a world class hotel
Elizabeth Anna and Jacob Daniel Okino DeVere have a vision for the 70-year-old Florence Building. The couple, who have an exotic philosophy, see a grand hotel with a rooftop garden atop the historic seven-story structure in downtown Missoula.
- Montana Based Business Intelligence Startup is Looking for Initial Client candidates.
The company provides a complete and economical data analysis solution for organizations that need to integrate, understand, and better utilize the data from its sales, financial, manufacturing, distribution, HR and other areas.
- Gazette opinion: Plain name best for tourism region
Billings and southeast Montana are building momentum to boost tourism. Soon the region will have new name. If it's plain, clear and descriptive, it will be a good change.
Regional Economic Development
- OUTLOOK 2012 37th Annual Economic Outlook Seminar Presented by the Bureau of Business and Economic Research
Hear from Tom Richmond, administrator and petroleum engineer for the Montana Board of Oil and Gas, as he discusses developments on Montana's new energy frontier and our prospects for future growth at the 37th Annual Economic Outlook Seminar.
- Governor Brian Schweitzer: 189 MW of New Wind Energy in Montana - $605 Million Investment by NaturEner in Rim Rock Project
"Without the continued help and work of Governor Schweitzer this project would not have advanced. Specifically, we appreciate his bringing all the parties together in one place for a face-to-face meeting on November 30th to coordinate and secure the major investments needed to get to work. Governor Schweitzer's efforts throughout this process have been instrumental to our project's success," said Jose M Sanchez-Seara, CEO of NaturEner.
- MWED Newsletter, January
7 Critical Points Every Business Owner Must Know BEFORE Selling Their Business
University of Montana & Montana State University Tech Transfer
- Keystone Pipeline Route Has Low Unemployment
The proposed Keystone XL pipeline has been publicized as a major jobs creator, but recent unemployment figures indicate that few of those jobs will go to people who live along the project's route.
Bill Payne
- MSU research leads to new opportunities for commercial licensing
Researchers at Montana State University have developed a system for the removal of radioactive material from porous surfaces, a remediation scenario that had previously required the destruction of the contaminated materials. This low-cost method is now patented and available for commercial licensing.
Funding and Building your Business
- A Bubble for Seed Stage Valuation
Entrepreneurs must realize that there is very little valuation consistency across the geographic and business vertical spectrum of this country.
Montana Education Excellence
- Race for new website domain names may end up a marathon
The addition of new domain names -- .shop is among the potential ones -- is part of ICANN's charter to create an open, dynamic Internet. "It's an opportunity for brands to carve their slice of the market," says ICANN spokesman Brad White.
- 5 Tips From an Accidental Entrepreneur - Aeir Talk
Joe Hill never planned to be an entrepreneur. But once he stumbled upon a great iPad app idea for his kids with autism, he didn't look back.
- 8 Ways Leaders Can Motivate Employees Beyond Money
My own experience, and a recent McKinsey survey, leads me to believe that non-cash motivators may be more effective in the long term than financial incentives.
- Pitch Now: Intel Awarding Young Entrepreneurs With $100K For Whizbang Business Ideas
It's a platform built on top of Intel's Facebook community that allows young entrepreneurs (specifically, 18 to 24-year-olds) in the U.S. to share their business ideas, grow a fanbase, and receive realtime feedback.
- This Is Generation Flux: Meet The Pioneers Of The New (And Chaotic) Frontier Of Business
The pace of change in our economy and our culture is accelerating--fueled by global adoption of social, mobile, and other new technologies--and our visibility about the future is declining.
Montana Education/Business Partnerships
- Montana COT's don't fit Community College description
"Rebranding" two-year post high school education in Montana to reflect a 21st century mission as suggested in the Dec. 19 Gazette opinion is not quite as simple as comping up with a new name for the 5 colleges of technology.
- Teachers can apply for free Everest science kit from Montana State University
The kits are part of the Everest Education Expedition, an effort to help classrooms and citizens around the state connect with the science of Everest and the Himalayan Mountains as several Montana climbers set out to commemorate the first American ascent of the world's tallest mountain.
- Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation Grants $450,000 to Support Improving Graduation Rates - Juneau's Graduation Matters Montana Initiative Gaining Momentum
Mike Halligan, executive director of the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation stated, "Investing in community-based efforts focused on improving the achievement of all students is the single-most important investment we can make in our children.
- Montana joins national collaborative on science education for girls
Membership into the NGCP gives Montana the opportunity to host a variety of free or low-cost professional development opportunities for girl-serving organizations, educators, and business professionals in the state.
- MCPS Montana Auto Tech: 1976 GMC pick-up truck remodeled and soon to be raffled
M.A.T. President, Alan Alt says learning in a hands-on professional setting is invaluable for his students, "it's out of the classroom, out of the traditional setting. We're standing here in Town and Country Auto Body. This isn't a classroom."
- University of Montana Launches Searchable Directory Of Social Media Channels
"For incoming students it's a great way to get involved."
Regional Business
- University of Montana Marketing Management Class (MKTG 461) Offering Marketing Plan Development to Montana Businesses and Nonprofit Organizations
If you know of a business or organization that needs to have a marketing plan developed this semester, please have them contact me as soon as possible.
- Thinking B.I.G in Montana's Bitterroot Valley.: Business, industry, government participate in workforce training planning
"We will be meeting with representatives from those three select sectors to consider which courses of instruction would be most appropriate to educate the workforce. Our goal is to identify which jobs are needed, whether it be construction or a specific trade, and to identify a need within that segment, and develop a curriculum of training in that industry."
- 2012 Intermountain GIS Conference Student Scholarships
The Montana Association of Geographic Information Professionals (MAGIP) is pleased to offer student scholarships to the Intermountain GIS Conference to be held in Kalispell, Montana from April 16-20, 2012.
- Invitation: Employer Information Booths at UM Business School for Feb. 16th, March 13th, or April 11th
Info Booths provide employers with access to students in an informal setting for more in-depth information exchange, as well as continually offering different internship, part-time, & career opportunities to students to keep them on track in planning for their careers.
Idaho Business
- "Get Out West!" - A Governors' Initiative to Promote the West and Bolster Our Economies
The Get Out West! initiative is working with federal, state, private and non-profit groups to encourage kids and families to explore the great outdoor places the West has to offer.
- Vestas to lay off more than 2,300 workers
The company is preparing for further cuts if the U.S. doesn't extend its Production Tax Credit for renewable energy, which expires at the end of 2012.
Oregon Economic Development
- Nampa, Idaho business incubator to expand - The TECenter
TECenter officials are looking for older, fast-growing small businesses with at least five employees to fill the space. About 7,500 square feet is still available. For information, go to http://www.bsutecenter.com or call Glerum at 208-562-3600.
- Involta LLC Announces Acquisition of SolutionPro of Boise Idaho
SolutionPro is a top-tier provider of data center and managed services in the Rocky Mountain region.
South Dakota Economic Development
- Portland Seed Fund could hit $3 million mark with Portland Development Commission vote
The Portland Seed Fund invests $25,000 into a handful of promising startups and advises them for three months.
Wyoming Business
- South Dakota governor proposes bonuses for top teachers
"Now we're back and saying we want the best teachers to teach our children."
Education
- Workshop for early childhood educators
The programs are national, multidisciplinary resources and environmental education curricula for early childhood through 12th grade. This workshop will focus on ages 3 through 7.
Community
- University of Utah and Google Team Up to Help Families with Children on the Autism Spectrum
They have published a study about these findings in the December issue of Family & Consumer Sciences Research Journal. The study focuses on the effects of the workshops on individual students involved as well as on multiple generations within their families -- an uncommon opportunity in the research on social interactions of people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).
Connectivity & CommunicationsEnergy and Climate Change
- New Hanover County, N.C., First in Nation to Deploy 'Super Wi-Fi' Network
"As more and more people carry smartphones, tablets and things, we want to provide them some high-speed access like we do indoors now at our libraries."
Miscellaneous Ramblings
- Cities Extract Energy from Everyday Activities
Could one answer to energy independence lie in our own movements or in the momentum of the vehicles we drive? Maybe someday. That's the premise behind an emerging category of energy-harvesting technologies.
- EPA: Power plants (mostly coal) are main global warming culprits - Colstrip in Montana is No. 8
Other states with high-polluting power plants are Texas, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Wyoming, North Carolina, Kansas and Kentucky.
- Global warming: Researchers document profound cascading ecological effects as Rocky Mountain snowpack diminishes
"This study demonstrates that the indirect effects of climate on plant communities may be just as important as the effects of climate-change-induced mismatches between migrating birds and food abundance because plants, including trees, provide the habitat birds need to survive."
- MotionPower technology converts energy from slowing cars into electricity
If the energy expended by cyclists and pedestrians can be harnessed and used for other purposes, it stands to reason that cars can be similarly productive. Enter Maryland-based New Energy Technologies, whose MotionPower technology can generate electricity from the motion of slowing vehicles.
Cool Stuff That's Coming
- So you're too lazy to turn the page?
How awesome would it be to have a newspaper turn itself? Pretty awesome.
- Zero Population Growth = Healthier Planet?
Dealing with population increases while improving the living standard of the world's poor, yet avoiding environmental degradation, is like juggling chainsaws, said Seager. It's possible, but very difficult.
Non-Profit News
- Discovery Could Lead to an Exercise Pill
Researchers have discovered a natural hormone that acts like exercise on muscle tissue--burning calories, improving insulin processing, and perhaps boosting strength.
The Creative and Cultural Economy
- 2012: Nonprofits, Elections and an Economic Revolution
We must elect leaders who do not question this new equation, but who seek it out from day one of assuming office.
- Artrepreneurs: Bitterroot Valley artists learn art of entrepreneurship and marketing - Montana Arts Council's Montana Artrepreneur Program
Designed to help artists create sustainable businesses by marketing their artwork, the MAP program provides artists willing to commit 40 hours to workshops over a 7- to 10-month period a chance to network with others and develop a toolbox that makes them ready to take their work to the marketplace.
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