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| MATR Newsletter - Fri Nov 25, 2016 |
"If your dreams don't scare you, they're not big enough." Muhammad Ali
Welcome to the Montana World Trade Center! http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html
Kalispell Chamber of Commerce
Dorsey & Whitney LLP
- Kalispell Christmas Parade Moved To Dec. 10
Businesses, individuals, clubs, and all organizations interested in entering the parade should contact the Kalispell Chamber at (406) 758-2803 or visit http://www.kalispellchamber.com/programs-events/parades.
Artificial Intelligence and The Internet of Things
- Business Law & Beyond: Legal Experts On Growing, Financing & Protecting Businesses In Montana, 12/5, Bozeman
Join nine of Dorsey's attorneys for our annual seminar covering legal issues facing Montana businesses. Presented in both Bozeman 12/5 and Missoula 12/6, take this opportunity to hear our panel of attorneys.
- Business Law & Beyond: Legal Experts On Growing, Financing & Protecting Businesses In Montana, 12/6, Missoula
Join nine of Dorsey's attorneys for our annual seminar covering legal issues facing Montana businesses. Presented in both Bozeman 12/5 and Missoula 12/6, take this opportunity to hear our panel of attorneys.
Energy and Climate Change
- Tech Companies Tap New Talent From Academia For AI
Students in artificial intelligence are "worth somewhere between $5 million and $10 million to a company's bottom line," said Andrew Moore, dean of CMU's School of Computer Science.
Montana Business
- How Electric Vehicles Are Becoming a Tool for Grid Stability
With adequate demand-side planning and active load management, greater EV adoption could prove to be a significant supporting mechanism for overall grid stability.
- The Killer Apps for Batteries: Electric Buses and Natural Gas Peaker Plant Hybrids?
"This is the big one: combine batteries with natural gas combined cycle plants to, essentially, balance the grid as renewable penetration grows higher."
- European Utilities Fight Back Against Threats by Investing in Their Startup Competitors
"New market entrants will be the death of many incumbent participants."
- 3 Vendors Helping Utilities Make the Grid More Customer-Centric
Recent customer analytics deployments and what they mean for the market as a whole
- Flexible supercapacitor process brings phones that charge in seconds a step closer
"If they were to replace batteries with these supercapacitors, you could charge your mobile phone in a few seconds and you wouldn't need to charge it again for more than a week," said postdoctoral associate Nitin Choudhary.
- Swarms of sensor-packed drones may soon be a windfarmer's best friend
The researchers are the first to develop and field test an instrumented drone that can measure, in detail, the airflow near and downwind of a wind farm.
- New technology makes solar panels 70% more efficient
The Technion team developed new thermodynamic tools that work to capture energy currently lost, and convert it to electricity, thereby increasing a solar cell's efficiency to as much as 50 percent.
Montana Economic Development
- Voices of MT Tourism wraps up statewide tour
I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who helped with our successful business education roundtable series. We traveled through September and October and hosted over 700 people who heard the story of tourism in their community and across the state.
- 12 can't-miss Montana-made gift ideas
For those looking for a gift made in our state or hoping to send a uniquely Montana gift to a family member or friend in another state, we have put together a dozen ideas to get that gift list checked off.
- Welcome to the Montana World Trade Center!
Learn about the export training courses we offer via our partnership with the Rocky Mountain Institute.
Government
- Montana & Idaho CDC awarded $90 million in federal New Markets Tax Credits
"Bringing this additional capital to Montana and Idaho is a great win for everyone," said Dave Glaser, President of MICDC. "Through New Markets Tax Credits, we're able to fund projects that create jobs and build economic vitality in areas that really need it. We now have the opportunity to do more."
Idaho Business
- Trump's Immigration Crackdown Could Spark a Tech Brain Drain
Trump has said that he wants to keep highly skilled workers in the US, but also said of the H-1B program during a debate, "It's unfair for our workers, and we should end it."
- 5-year Billings Capital Improvement Plan 'a road map of where we're going'
Billings officials are seeking ideas from the public as they craft the city's next five-year building plan.
Workforce Development
- A professional site selector's advice on how Idaho can lure more well-paying jobs
In an interview, he cited trends suggesting why Idaho -- and especially Boise -- may be a destination for more companies in the coming years.
- How Idaho's lawyer workforce is changing, in charts and by numbers
Idaho's demographics are changing, and so are the demographics of its lawyers.
21st Century Education Initiative - "You Should Care..."
- The co-op approach to creating a workforce - Collaboration between education and business is essential
"My real goal is to have hundreds of students taking this kind of experience," Jones said. "Every student should be able to apply what they are learning in the work environment."
Education
- 10 TED-Ed videos your students can use today
Engaging videos help students learn about STEM concepts with real-world relevance
- 7 elements of successful special education programs
The qualitative study offers new insights into the best ways to serve students with disabilities in all schools, in particular the benefits of inclusive education.
- "Raise.me enables students to earn scholarships throughout high school, starting as early as 9th grade..."
At Raise.me, we're expanding access to higher education so that every student has a shot at the American Dream
- How 3 schools are reimagining learning spaces
Redesigning physical learning spaces can lead to brain-friendly learning and encourage students to become more engaged.
- Arizona Rural High Schools Help Students Identify Paths to Success With Graduation Rates Above 85 Percent
Despite those challenges, all three schools have high school graduation rates above 85 percent and attendance rates above 90 percent, and each school is using a variety of approaches to help students find meaningful and sustainable futures.
Montana Education Excellence
- Committee OKs proposal to tighten ABA bar pass standards; some members hope more will be done
The ABA Accreditation Standards Review Committee approved a proposal Saturday to change the requirement so that schools must show that 75 percent of their graduating classes pass a bar exam within two years.
Community
- Proposal to keep the Energy Technology Program thriving at the University of Montana
The Energy Technology Program at the University of Montana is about to enter its second decade. However, there has been pressure from the University administration to remove it as a degree option.
- University of Montana tweeks student marketing strategy - UM's top administrators met with the Missoula City Council and Board of County Commissioners
"The advertising we're trying to run from a digital perspective is very much targeted to prospective students," he said. "If a kid in Iowa is researching wildlife biology programs, they should see our ad. Once they come to our website and browse around the Internet, they should continue to see our ad."
- University of Montana still needs to reduce spending on staffing
The commissioner's office says UM is spending more than 80 percent of its budget on personnel, compared to a university system average of 68 percent.
- U of M School of Business Administration Alumnus Launches Startup to Help People "Delete" Junk
The company's mission is to be the simplest way for people to donate, recycle, and dispose of their unwanted items.
Funding and Building your Business
- What is Neighborland?
Our software empowers civic leaders to collaborate with residents in an accessible, participatory, and enjoyable way.
Connectivity & Communications
- What Makes Great Entrepreneurs Think Differently?
Consider how these four founders think. You may be surprised how a simple change in perspective can open up so many new possibilities
- It Matters That Your CEO Doesn't Know Much About Sales
Sales appears to be getting short-changed in the C-suite, says Frank Cespedes. What's needed are more links between top executives and the customer-facing side of the business.
- How Uber, Airbnb, and Etsy Attracted Their First 1,000 Customers
Thales Teixeira studies three of the most successful "platform" startups to understand the chicken-and-egg challenge of how companies can attract their first customers.
- The 5 Phases of Cash Flow
Getting to "profitable" takes longer than you think. First, you have to suffer a little pain.
- Dorsey & Whitney - Court Halts DOL Rule Set To Extend Overtime To Millions on December 1
While certain to spark ongoing debate, the preliminary injunction provides a reprieve to employers who would have been required to increase minimum salary levels effective December 1, 2016, in order to preserve exempt status for many so-called "white collar" employees.
- Why We Need to Tell Different Stories About Entrepreneurs
The prevailing story we're telling--in our companies, our media, our culture and to each other--does more harm than good.
- Autistic People Can Solve Our Cybersecurity Crisis
There is a massive labor shortage in the vital field of cybersecurity.
Government Technology
- Net neutrality, beloved by Netflix, looks headed for the ax under Trump
While Net neutrality wasn't a constant topic for President-Elect Donald Trump as a candidate, he has been an opponent of the regulations, calling the FCC's adoption "a power grab" by President Obama in a 2014 tweet.
- Russian propaganda effort helped spread 'fake news' during election, experts say
“The way that this propaganda apparatus supported Trump was equivalent to some massive amount of a media buy,” said the executive director of PropOrNot, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid being targeted by Russia’s legions of skilled hackers. “It was like Russia was running a super PAC for Trump’s campaign. . . . It worked.”
Non-Profit News
- Cities Closely Watching Chicago's Version of a Fitbit
The city is installing sensors that could reveal a lot about the best way for governments to use smart technology.
- How L.A. County Is Digitally Transforming Human Resources
Building a reliable data dashboard full of statistics but void of any tools to help make sense of the data won't cut it anymore, he said: Compiling troves of data and dumping it on the public "is yesterday's business intelligence. What we need to get into is forecasting and prescriptive data analysis."
Cool Stuff That's Coming
- Montana's New Nonprofit Solar Initiative First Light Needs Your Help
First Light is a nonprofit team of professional solar energy designers and installers working to bring reliable, renewable energy to communities in need around the globe.
HACKING AND VIRUS ALERTS
- Slanted electrode implant restores movement to paralyzed limbs
The team has demonstrated the electrodes' potential in a cat, which provides hope not only for those with spinal cord injuries, but also people with prosthetic limbs.
- Container farms add local flavor to fresh fruit production
...specialized shipping containers that can be used to grow full-flavored fruit a little closer to home.
- 3D Printing Takes Automotive Design to the Stratosphere. The Divergent is insane.
Divergent's new purple asphalt-eater
Transportation
- Malicious Software Hits Bigfork School District Computer System
Bigfork school officials are restoring their computer system after a malicious software virus infiltrated the district's server.
Events
- A Best Practice for Measuring Transit Performance
You're Measuring Performance Wrong. Here's What to Do Instead.
- Work starts on new autonomous and connected vehicle testing site
It won't just be used to test vehicles, though, but roads, infrastructure and communication systems too.
- Moving walkway networks would be an efficient transport option for car-free cities
Jetson-style moving walkways could not only replace the car, but could each carry 7,000 passengers an hour more energy efficiently than buses.
- Western MT traffic planning focusing on doing more with what we have
"It's not just about the transportation infrastructure, the building of the roads, the trails and the bike lanes. It's also about the decisions that go into land use," said Missoula Transportation Planning manager Jessica Morriss.
- With self-driving cars, Uber and more, traditional transportation planning ‘just falls apart’
While some debate the potential future impacts of mobility technology innovations like self-driving cars, evidence of changing mobility paradigms are already emerging in cities around the United States.
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