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| MATR Newsletter - Fri Jul 27, 2012 |
If we wanted to give the United States the best chance for a great future, and we were allowed to pick one thing to promote that – I would pick great teaching in America’s classrooms. Bill Gates http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html
Montana's Governor Brian Schweitzer - What's Left as Governor - Reflection - The Future http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html
IdeaMensch
Inteneo Systems
- The Four Rules of #IM48 - We're in week three of our 48-state road trip across America.
Good has to beat perfect any day for us. - Thank Loudly!
Northwestern Energy
- Does Big Data Matter In the Hiring Process in Your Company?
It is amazing what can be found when you look into the data in your company.
- Big Data: What's Next?
Most enterprises have no idea what to do with all of this data that's growing exponentially every second.
- Charlotte, N.C., Taps Into Smart Water Program - Can a Smart Water Grid Save States from Looming Water Shortage?
Government offices and businesses in Charlotte, N.C., are using data-gathering technology to get smarter about water consumption in the city's central business district.
PrintingForLess
- NorthWestern Energy Issues a Call for Company Memorabilia
As part of its year-long centennial celebration, NorthWestern Energy is working with the Butte-Silver Bow Public Archives to organize a large display of Montana Power memorabilia beginning in September, and the company extends an invitation to all retirees, former employees or their family members to consider loaning their personal company-related collections for display.
Arrow Solutions Group
- PrintingForLess.com July Newsletter - Rethinking Presentations and New Hang Tag Strings
How do you grab and hold an audience's attention when you're presenting, say, at your quarterly board meeting or annual industry trade show?
Come Home Montana
- Overfocus on tech skills could exclude the best candidates for jobs
Is the unemployment problem about a lack of qualified applicants in the workforce?
Developing a more Entrepreneurial Montana
- Montana Career Opportunities - Web Programmer, Web Designer - Zee Creative
Interested in joining the pack?
- Montana Career Opportunity - Senior Software Engineer - Sterling Bank Services
Sterling Bank Services is looking for an accomplished developer to join our small corporate development team in beautiful Missoula, MT.
Flynn's Harp
- Have A Wake For Failed Startups
If you are an entrepreneur and observe an entrepreneur in your community failing, do something about it. Organize a group of entrepreneurs to have a wake.
Montana Business
- Flynn's Harp: Start-up's focus is underwear for big guys
Dave Smith's"aha moment" about the unmet need of big-men's clothing came at a Microsoft shareholders meeting at Safeco Field a few years ago when all attendees were given embroidered shirts to mark the occasion. But there wasn't one that would fit Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer's 3X size, Smith recalls, adding "It wasn't pretty."
Montana Economic Development
- Missoula-based TerraEchos Licenses Navy Technology to Enhance Kairos(TM) Security Solution
"The Navy's Bayesian algorithm is a very powerful statistical methodology for classification of digital signals," said Dr. Alex Philp, TerraEchos Founder and CTO. "The BDRA adds tremendous value to our Kairos solution by enabling it to better analyze specific data and determine what it is - instantly."
- Fiber optic installation by Montana Opticom in Gallatin County, Montana creates potentially explosive situation
Residents in western Gallatin County say the local telecommunications company that received $64 million in stimulus money to install fiber optic cable is tearing up yards, destroying property and striking gas lines on digs.
- Vann's loses credit line; bankruptcy filing possible
Just a month after bringing in an outside chief executive officer to help restructure its operations, Vann's Inc. announced Thursday it has lost its credit line from a major lender.
The Missoula Economic Partnership
- Innovate Montana Aims to Bring Businesses to Montana
Gov. Brian Schweitzer unveiled a $150,000 marketing campaign that relies partly on trucks and television commercials to lure new businesses, jobs and visitors to Montana.
- Ravalli County Economic Development Authority holds ceremony to celebrate success of businesses
"This is accomplished by providing education and training, access to capital, networking, mentoring and access to infrastructure. RCEDA also provides education and assistance to local, state, and federal government agencies to better understand the needs of our community, utilize the resources those agencies provide for the betterment of the community and to assist those agencies in providing public awareness on the successful outcomes created through their participation." Julie Foster
- Southwestern Montana Economic Development Survey Underway--Let your Voice be Heard!
"We want to reach out to all residents to better understand what they feel is important to the future of their community and southwestern Montana's economy," said Rick Edwards, Headwaters RC&D Interim Executive Director. "This survey gives us a chance to learn more about what residents are thinking."
- Building the future - New office building will contribute to revitalization of area of Helena, Montana
The Missoula-based Montana Community Development Corp. won the right to participate in the program. It sells tax credits to project investors and uses the proceeds to help provide low-interest loans for projects in low-income areas.
Economic Gardening
- Missoula Economic Partnership - Upcoming Innovation Sessions
The Innovation Initiative is pleased to announce the following upcoming events. All of these sessions are free. Startups and established companies in all growth stages are welcome to attend.
Government
- Rick Snyder Takes a Venture Capitalist's Approach to Governing Michigan
He's focused on growing firms in Michigan rather than recruiting firms from the outside, what he calls "economic gardening" as opposed to "hunting."
Incubators and R&D
- Montana's Governor Brian Schweitzer - What's Left as Governor - Reflection - The Future
If you ask him his greatest accomplishment, he cites two; the first, passing full time kindergarten, "If you want to give each child an equal chance, you've got to start early because children who start out in first grade behind; they never catch up."
Oregon Business
- Chemical Helps Blind Mice See Again
Injections of a recently discovered chemical into the eyes of blind lab mice has restored at least part of the rodents' vision.
Regional Business
- Oregon Secretary of State Kate Brown launches new online portal for Oregon business owners
Oregon is the first state to provide a business portal that is task oriented, according to state officials.
21st Century Education Initiative - "You Should Care..."
- Flywheel Ventures Announces Investment in Cinnafilm® to Accelerate Growth in Global Markets
Flywheel General Partner Kim Sanchez Rael added: "Flywheel is very excited to lead this investment in Cinnafilm. This planet has a seemingly insatiable appetite for video content. Cinnafilm is positioned for global leadership in next-generation video content management, enabling better, faster and cheaper solutions for their customers. The team's commitment to excellence in technology leadership, visionary thinking and customer service are unmatched."
Education
- Integrate STEM and Literacy
"Should we invest our limited education resources in teaching critical reading skills or in what's known as STEM -- science, technology, engineering and math?"
- Partnership encourages local districts to launch their own cyber schools
"This is truly a win for school districts," said Heidi Rizkalla, the Learning Lamp's education director. "Not only can schools now control the content and course options for their cyber students, they can save a significant amount of money."
- The Price of Inequality
In 1972, kids from the bottom quartile of earners participated in roughly the same number of activities as kids from the top quartile. Today, it's a chasm.
Montana Education Excellence
- MSU President Cruzado testifies before U.S. Senate Finance Committee
"Overall, a dramatic decline in the finances of students and their families has forced them to borrow more," Cruzado said in her written remarks.
Montana Education/Business Partnerships
- 2012 21st CCLC Summer Conference "Uniting Montana Treasures" 2012, 8/7-9, Missoula, Montana
Learn how students are being prepared for tomorrow's opportunities and are meeting today's challenges through academic, enrichment and parental support.
Community
- Montana Businesses Featured In UM Student-Produced PBS Documentary
"The students show a variety of Montana businesses - some established and some just getting started," said Ray Ekness, faculty adviser and UM professor. "We're glad we can show the wide range of companies who are making products in Montana."
- University of Montana economists schedule seminars in 7 cities to discuss state's energy boom
The seminars kick off in Kalispell on Aug. 2. Other presentations follow that same week in Billings, Bozeman, Great Falls, Helena, Butte and Missoula.
Funding and Building your Business
- The Intersection of Health Philanthropy and Housing
Health philanthropy and community development have historically worked on separate tracks. That's changing.
- FOUR new grant announcements
- Changing Suburban Demographics Collide With Outdated Zoning Laws
"People are occupying housing that is three to four times what they need," said Patrick Hare, a longtime advocate for and author of books about accessory housing. "If you take all that surplus space, it can be utilized for accessory apartments."
- THREE new grant announcements
Energy and Climate Change
- What Founders Wish They Knew Before Starting Companies
Pick the right co-founders. People joke that co-founding is like marriage, but is it ever true.
- Smart startups succeed by focusing on internal and external collaboration
Another opportunity for collaboration that we hope startups will consider more often is to work with other startups.
- Government must help women-owned firms break into contracting market
Based on my own experience in the federal marketplace, the women who take advantage of the WOSB program and go after opportunities under this set-aside develop an invaluable business skill set that will allow them to market and land larger government and commercial contracts.
- Feet on the street
An organization with feet on the street and alert and regular attention to detail can build more trust and develop better relationships than one than hits and runs.
- Small Firms Seek Skilled Workers but Can't Find Any
"We could grow a lot faster if we could find the right people."
- Good Entrepreneur Ethics Increase Business Value
The specifics for business include providing leadership in building the business, but also in contributing to the greater good:
- Entrepreneurs Have Control When Things Work, VCs Have Control When They Don't
It all comes down to two things: 1) How well the Company is performing 2) Whether the Company needs more investment capital and where it is coming from
- What Kind of Story are You Telling?
Here are three videos revealing elegant and innovative ways companies use storytelling to build brands and relationships.
- Six Street Smart Startup Survival Secrets
Every existing and budding entrepreneur should internalize these reality principles:
- Woeful Websites: How to Guarantee Your Startup Won't Get Funding
I've found that these poorly crafted websites generally share at least some of the following unattractive characteristics:
Connectivity & Communications
- President Obama takes step to expedite solar power across West
"Today's announcement is a road map for solar development for decades to come and will help create an enduring and sustainable energy future for America," said Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar.
Miscellaneous Ramblings
- The economics of Google Fiber and what it means for U.S. broadband
Google’s fiber-to-the-home network may look like a loss leader for the search engine company, but its executive teams says it’s profitable. Here are the three ways Google has managed to cut the costs of building out a network and beat ISPs at their own game.
- CenturyLink gets $1.9M for Montana rural broadband service
The Louisiana-based company describes itself as the third largest telecommunications company in the United States.
Cool Stuff That's Coming
- NBC will stream all London Olympic Games events live
For the first time ever, all Olympic events -- including less-popular sports and competition of other countries -- will be available for live-viewing when the London Games kick off today with women's soccer.
- Your Next Car Could Cost $10K and Get 100 MPG
The global, distributed team has plans to make a production car that costs $17,995 or $10,000 as a kit. Currently they're selling copies of their X Prize car for $25,000 each, which is described as having a Roadster body that gets 109 miles per gallon, goes zero to 60 in five seconds, and can reach 149 MPH.
- Never Wash Your Car Again
Catarina Esteves and her colleagues in TU/e's Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry have created a highly water-resistant car coating that not only heals superficial scratches, it encourages specs of dirt to roll off the car in drops of water.
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