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| MATR Newsletter - Fri Feb 5, 2016 |
"A lot of people look at us coal miners as uneducated. It’s backbreaking work, but there's engineers and very sophisticated equipment. You work hard and efficiently and that translates right into coding." Appalachian Miners Are Learning to Code http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html
Reserve Your Seat Today - City Club Missoula Hosts - The State of the Community, 2/8, Missoula, Montana http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html
Early Edge Montana
Montana Department of Commerce
- Why Oklahoma's public preschools are some of the best in the country
76 percent of Oklahoma 4-year-olds are enrolled in the state's universal prekindergarten program.
- The Biggest Public Policy Mistake: Not Investing in Early Education
"By not investing in quality early childhood education, we're leaving vulnerable kids behind and lots of future benefits on the table."
TechLink
- Department of Commerce Certifies 11 Development Organizations
"The CRDCs serve a critical role and their teams work hard every day to strengthen Montana's economy," said DOC Director Meg O'Leary.
- Five Companies Ready to Expand After Completing 'ExporTech' Export Assistance Program
ExporTech is a national export assistance program administered in-state through the Montana Manufacturing Extension Center (MMEC) at Montana State University.
Dorsey & Whitney LLP
- 2015 Report: Nat'l Economic Impact from TechLink Activities 2000-2014: $4.4B in Sales & 23,600 Jobs
Companies reported total sales of $1.6 billion from the TechLink-brokered agreements.
Great Falls Development Authority
- EEOC Proposal Seeks to Expand Pay Discrimination Enforcement by Requiring More Data from Employers
Under new rules proposed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ("EEOC"), companies with 100 employees or more would be required to report payroll data on all workers to the federal government along with the demographic data that they now must submit.
Montana Office of Tourism & Economic Development
- Forward Great Falls Investor Development Coffee, 2/5, Great Falls, Montana
Please join us for a cup of coffee and news about Great Falls - Our Investors are moving the Great Falls Region Forward!
- Great Falls Development Authority Top 18 for 1/31/2016
As promised, another announcement to kick-off the new year. The air service partnership, led by the Chamber, GTF and the Tourism Alliance, has notched another victory! United Airlines is starting direct service connecting Great Falls with Chicago.
Montana Ambassadors
- 2016 Invest in Success Conference Presenters
Leading businesses into the future with relevant, on-trend workshops at Invest in Success March 15-16 in Havre, Montana
PrintingForLess
- All Are Invited - 2016 MT Ambassador Annual Conference "Working Better Together For Montana", 3/10-11, Great Falls
Montana Ambassador Conference planners are working to assemble a dynamic two day conference dedicated to the theme: Working Better Together for Montana. Montana is a big state with wide open spaces and limited resources. It is essential that we make the connections to work better together to influence Montana's economy - now and in the future.
- Governor Bullock Announces Montana Ambassador Awards
"Montana's economy is strong and the state's ability to work collaboratively and forge new partnerships between businesses, educators, and economic development professionals has never been better," said Governor Bullock.
Visit Montana - Montana Dept. of Tourism
- The Ultimate Guide to an Effective Every Door Direct Mail Campaign
With 2016 being an election year, it's time to get a jump on the campaigning and get your EDDM program started!
- PFL Newsletter: Leap into Marketing Like Never Before
By now you've gotten your feet back under you, you're a month into your resolutions, and you realize that it's time to get serious about making this year the best one yet for your business.
Big Sky Commerce
- Five favorite stops on a Montana Hi-Line adventure
Seeing the Hi-Line with someone who has never been there before is one of my favorite things.
- The Coolest Ski Town You've Never Heard Of
Nestled among the Beartooth Mountains and the Custer National Forest, Red Lodge is no stranger to gorgeous scenery.
Energy and Climate Change
- "We couldn't run our business without the reliable support of Big Sky Commerce!"
We can always count on Big Sky Commerce!
Come Home Montana
- How to Finance a Trillion-Dollar Climate Change Opportunity
Changing the way the world is powered means big spending -- and huge investment opportunities -- as new clean energy infrastructure is built across the world.
- Solar panel costs predicted to fall 10% a year
Solar power costs are tumbling so fast the technology is likely to fast outstrip mainstream energy forecasts.
- This Ultra-Clean Wood Stove Creates A Cozy Fire That Doesn't Pollute
A startup with a smart stove, powered by electronics, thinks that helping homeowners switch to its product could dramatically lower pollution.
- Solar Net Metering Protection Becomes a National Issue in Congress
The Reid-King amendment would further prohibit regulators from retroactively changing net metering arrangements for existing customers.
- Ravalli Electric Co-op to expand solar project
"We started taking reservations in October and there were definitely a few slow periods, but by the end of the year we had more buyers than the handful of panels we had left," Barnes said.
- A Wind Turbine Acting Like a Palm Tree Delivers Five Times the Electricity
If successful, that longshot could propel wind power to grab a 20% share of U.S. production capacity by 2030, one of the goals outlined in DOE's recently updated Wind Vision Report.
Developing a more Entrepreneurial Montana
- Montana Career Opportunity - Director of Development - Great Falls Montana Development Authority
We're looking for a self-motivated, positive leader to join our dedicated, passionate, results-driven economic development team.
- Montana Career Opportunity - Loan Officer - Great Falls Development Authority
Join our fun, creative, fast-paced, results-driven team focused on growing and diversifying the Great Falls regional economy and supporting the creation of higher-wage jobs.
- Montana Career Opportunities - VP of Implementation Management, ECM Perspective Consultant, Microsoft Access Database Developer, Operations Manager and more... - Arrow Solutions Group
At Arrow Solutions Group we're your liaison to the employer and the job you want.
- Montana Career Opportunities: Controller, Business Development Manager, and Project Engineers - Barnard Construction
At Barnard we build the riskiest, most difficult, complex jobs we can find.
- Montana Career Opportunities - Front-end Developer, Full-stack Developer, Developer Student Internship, Head of Marketing, Sales, You Tell Us - Submittable
More than degrees or particular skill sets, we're looking for obsessive, self-motivated people who have done one or two things in their lives that most people would consider exceptional or very interesting.
- Montana Career Opportunities - Product Copywriter, Retail Buyer and more... - North 40 Outfitters
We Outfit Work & Play, Everyday. Join us.
- Montana Career Opportunity - Web Developer - Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks
The Web Manager is the final authority for all web content.
- Montana Career Opportunity - Controller / Finance Manager - Montana Opticom
Currently recruiting for an exceptionally motivated and proven Controller to lead their finance/accounting department.
- Montana Career Opportunity - Network Systems Analyst - Office of Public Instruction
This position installs and maintains the agency hardware and software on the local area network, provides security and backup for all OPI electronic systems and provides technical assistance to agency staff and K-12 school districts.
- Montana Career Opportunities - Electrical Engineer, Firmware Engineer, Mechanical/Electrical, Software Engineer, Sales Engineer, Senior Software Architect - Embedded Linux and many more... - Montana Instruments
Montana Instruments is located in beautiful Bozeman, Montana, a vibrant college town within an hour of three great ski hills, several world class fly-fishing rivers, and plenty of opportunities for adventure.
- Montana Career Opportunities - Construction Management Representative, Transmission Line Practice Leader, Aviation Market Sector Director and many more... - HDR Engineering Inc
Together, we can make modern cities more efficient, improve the quality of healthcare and provide cleaner drinking water. We design solutions to the world's greatest challenges.
Developing Funding Opportunities in Montana
- Rocky business club mixes recycling with job creation
A student group at Rocky Mountain College is looking to turn discarded glass into sustainable jobs.
- Governor Bullock in Bozeman to encourage Web-based toolkit The Montana Business Navigator for entrepreneurs
"We're blessed in this state to have a good business climate, a great place to raise our kids, really quality public schools, and all those are factors that are making not only Montanans want to stay here, come back here, but people from other states look at us with envy," Will Price of Bozeman's Next Frontier Capital
- Tomorrow's Innovators: Missoula tech communities guiding homegrown startups
"The startup community in Missoula is not as big as Palo Alto and Silicon Valley obviously, but we're getting there," said Montana Code School Co-founder Devin Holmes. "We've got some great entrepreneurs."
- 5 Ways to Leverage Community Colleges for Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Development
While there is no magic bullet to creating entrepreneurial ecosystems and revitalizing communities, leveraging community colleges can serve as a "Swiss army knife" in terms of driving entrepreneurial and economic development activities.
Hellgate Venture Network
- Montana Access to Capital Surveys - Please take the 5 minute survey
Please help us collect data about access to capital in Montana by completing the appropriate 5 minute survey below. This data will help us all better understand capital needs and availability.
- Senator Tester To Host 16th Small Business Opportunity Workshop, 2/16, Billings, Montana
Tester's Workshop will focus on helping Montana small businesses maximize their potential by connecting entrepreneurs with the capital they need to start up and grow in the 21st Century.
Montana Business
- Hellgate Venture Network - Erik Guzik, Founder & CEO Of VAST Next Generation Learning, 2/11, Missoula
VAST offers interactive, media-rich software tools to measure and develop higher level abilities like decision-making, creativity, communication skills, and problem solving to improve business, enhance education, and support personal development.
Montana Economic Development
- What's Up for Manufacturers - Check out these MMEC and Partner events
Montana's premier event for manufacturers and allies across Montana. Lots of networking time built into 2 days featuring plant tours, compelling speakers, breakout sessions, exhibitor hall, and a Montana Product Showcase. Be watching for details from the Montana Manufacturing Extension Center.
- Missoula set a record for the number of building permits issued by the city in 2015.
Missoula student housing project moving forward
- Missoula Fresh and Orange Street grocery stores offer free fruit for kids
"Right now we are launching with fruit," Thornock said. "We may at some point, as we get closer to summer, add vegetables."
- North 40 Outfitters adds employees after name change - “Outfitting Work and Play.”
North 40 Outfitters has added well over a dozen people at the corporate office in North Park Industrial Park in the last 24 months, with some joining before the name change to help implement it.
- Open Letter to Sen. Tester and Sen. Daines - Federal Patent Reform Legislation is Essential for the Future of Tech Companies in Montana and Nationwide
Patent litigation rates have skyrocketed over the past decade, even setting a record in 2015 for number of lawsuits filed. Small businesses can spend millions of dollars on the litigation process, money that would be better spent creating jobs to create and promote new products.
- Smith River mine opponents asking people to write to State of Montana
"This is a pro-Smith River display," Bosse said. "Not an anti-mining one."
- Butte's economy sees slow gains
Thanks to this diversified economy, Butte has ridden out the recession relatively unscathed, Kasperick said, but the economic growth has remained flat for the past four years.
MSU Leadership Institute & UM Global Leadership Initiative
- Gazette opinion: Diversify or die, it's our choice
It wasn't a matter of abandoning energy, it was a matter of diversifying the economy to include a strong medical corridor, more tourism, thriving retail and more banking and professional businesses. Strengthening other sectors only buoyed the entire economy and we continued to grow as a hub city.
TEDx Events in Montana
- Why Are American Colleges Obsessed With 'Leadership'?
What's wrong with being a follower? Or a lone wolf?
Careers
- 10 tips on how to make slides that communicate your idea, from TED's in-house expert
Think about your slides last.
- Today's TED Talk A simple way to break a bad habit
Can we break bad habits by being more curious about them?
Business Plan Forums
- A Harvard psychologist says people judge you based on 2 criteria when they first meet you
People size you up in seconds, but what exactly are they evaluating?
- Upcoming Training and Certification Courses from ikuw Solutions
Increase your prospectability with targeted, specific skill certification.
City Club Missoula
- 1st Annual Montana State University Business Pitch Competition
All current enrolled MSU students are eligible.
Government
- Reserve Your Seat Today - City Club Missoula Hosts - The State of the Community, 2/8, Missoula, Montana
Featuring Mayor John Engen, County Commissioner Cola Rowley, and University of Montana President Royce Engstrom
Idaho Business
- Private-Market Misfires and Misconceptions - When government lets the market fix policy problems, it often fails.
The strategy has launched some remarkable policy innovations. But most of the time, it hasn't worked out so well in practice.
Incubators and R&D
- Apply Now for 2016 Emerging Leaders, SBA's Free 'Mini-MBA' for Growing Businesses
Step It Up - Join the Entrepreneurs Shaping the Future of Boise, Idaho
- Idaho doctor: Legislative inaction has killed 1,000 Idahoans
His testimony led the chairman of the Senate Health and Welfare Committee, Lee Heider, R-Twin Falls, to threaten the removal of the next person to "charge the Senate unfavorably."
North Dakota Business and Economic Development
- Montana State University researchers develop new process for discovering viruses
Montana State University professors and doctoral students have published a paper that outlines a new -- and much faster -- methodology for discovering viruses.
- What's happening at MonTEC- Missoula's Startup Incubator
Learn more about MonTEC as well as companies that are taking advantage of what it offers to startups.
Other Economies
- North Dakota's oil bust blows $1 billion hole in state budget
The state is scrambling to come up with spending cuts, and dipping into savings in order to keep its government up and running.
Regional Economic Development
- Data-Driven Strategy Powers Colorado Economic Development
"We are calibrating and refining our strategy in order to adapt with the global economy."
Utah Business
- Home-grown Entrepreneurs and Startups Create More Jobs than Tax Cuts Do
To create jobs and build strong economies, states should focus on producing more home-grown entrepreneurs and on helping startups and young, fast-growing firms already located in the state to survive and to grow ― not on cutting taxes and trying to lure businesses from other states.
- SBA Announces Cooperative Agreements Available for State Trade and Export Promotion
Will Award $18 Million to Promote Small Business Exporting
Workforce Development
- Win $22K in New High School Idea Competition
If you're a Utah high school student with a product or business idea, your lucky day could be coming soon.
Wyoming Business
- Obama's Budget to Boost Funding for Workforce Programs
"The challenge is that if employers are looking for experience, how does a young person convince a company to give her a first shot to show what she can do."
- Appalachian Miners Are Learning to Code
"A lot of people look at us coal miners as uneducated. It's backbreaking work, but there's engineers and very sophisticated equipment. You work hard and efficiently and that translates right into coding."
Education
- Federal Agencies Award in Excess of $274 Million Dollars in Wyoming
Attend the 2016 GROBiz Conference and Idea Expo February 17-18 in Gillette, Wyo. Join co-hosts U.S. Senator Mike Enzi, Governor Matt Mead and the Wyoming Procurement Technical Assistance Center at this event at the Gillette College Tech Center.
Montana Education Excellence
- A case for the liberal arts
There is a real danger that as a society we are throwing out the baby with the bathwater.
Montana Education/Business Partnerships
- University of Montana Ranked No. 8 Great Value College with Beautiful Campus
"We were particularly impressed by [UM's] naturally beautiful setting at the foot of Mount Sentinel," wrote Gabrielle Gibeily, editor of Great Values Colleges.
- University of Montana President Royce Engstrom to give raise to leadership scholarship
Engstrom said Wednesday during his midyear update to the campus that he will dedicate the $6,093 difference between his current salary and his approved raise to helping a student.
- Missoula's Big Sky students gain job skills in health, science academy
The schools pays 70 percent of the costs for each student through a $50,000 grant from St. Patrick Hospital, which is renewable for three years.
Community
- Graduation Matters Montana, Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation and AT&T Launch 2016 Challenge Fund
"Montana businesses continue to step up and provide critical support to make sure more of our students graduate from high school prepared for their next steps in life," Superintendent Juneau said. "The 2016 Challenge Fund will go a long way in boosting the success of our students and schools."
- Bozeman's Tim and Mary Barnard pledge $6 million to Montana State University
"Montana is an integral part of our history, formation and culture at Barnard," Tim Barnard said. "Living, working and studying in Montana usually requires a strong work ethic, treating people with dignity and respect, being friendly, honest and open-minded to others and their ideas, promoting teamwork, and being prepared to travel. Many of our leaders at Barnard learned these values from their educational experience at MSU and, therefore, supporting MSU is important to Barnard."
- University of Montana School of Business Administration Students Work With Partners Creative to Use Big Data and Business Skills to Aid Libby Rebranding
"Working as a representative of a public institution in partnership with a public relations firm as a professional data analytics consulting team was a highlight of my education."
Funding and Building your Business
- Bozeman mayor: City facing challenges, opportunities
"It's therefore no wonder, that people want to live here and stay here," said Taylor.
- THREE New grant announcements
- In a Year of 'Healthy Growth,' Kalispell Commercial Construction Spending Spikes
Flathead County residential sales surged last year to highest level since 2006
Connectivity & Communications
- Sales Basics And Best Practices For Small Business Owners, 3/1-8-15, Missoula, Montana
This course teaches the basics and best practices of how to make sales a deliberate, systematic, and professional process.
- 2015 saw the Most Patent Disputes in History
The report shows that the High Tech sector continues to be a prime target for NonPracticing Entities
- Why performance reviews like Yahoo's are out of favor
Gregory Anderson, a former editorial director at Yahoo who was terminated in 2014, alleges that top managers manipulated employee ratings and specified the percentage of workers who should receive low performance scores.
Government Technology
- Google Fiber's plan to give free Internet to the poor
Starting with its Kansas City market, Google Fiber eventually plans to wire "select" public housing buildings in all of the cities where it operates, the company said.
- FCC chief: Internet subsidies for poor coming in 'not too distant future'
Wheeler also said the FCC would have to make it easier for Internet service providers to join the program and would need to encourage low-income individuals to actually sign up.
- Congressional Rural Broadband Caucus Launches - Competitive Carriers Call It 'Important Step'
The FCC has made it clear that it will not consider that broadband is being deployed on a reasonable and timely basis until everybody can get it.
Cool Stuff That's Coming
- Los Angeles Turns to Mapping to Break Data Silos, Improve Efficiency
'Wow, this is really interesting. We could put our base maps and our science stuff into this for things like earthquakes' ... and suddenly we've got geographic knowledge coming together through an open and accessible portal for everybody,"
Transportation
- AI Is Transforming Google Search. The Rest of the Web Is Next
A momentous shift in the way things work inside Google--and across the tech world as a whole.
- Google: big bets on future tech are sign of an empire bidding for immortality
It may be the observation that no civilisation, industry, technology or firm has dominated indefinitely that drives co-founder Larry Page to acknowledge that there is no blueprint, no precedent for the kind of business that Google is trying to become.
- Southern California Utilities to Deploy 5,000 EV Chargers in First-of-Their-Kind Pilots
Covering costs is a big reason why the CPUC decided to allow utilities to enter the EV-charging infrastructure business in the first place.
- University of Montana Orders Zero-Emission Electric Buses for UDASH Fleet
Proterra is the only company that offers the fast-charging electric bus, and ASUM is its first university client to make a purchase.
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