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| MATR Newsletter - Fri Jun 30, 2017 |
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Irony is when someone writes "Your an idiot."
In Montana, Innovation is All Around Us http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html
Gov. Steve Bullock
Montana Business and Govt. Agency Collaboration Success
- Governor Bullock Highlights Montana's Efforts to Ensure Career Readiness
"Here in Montana, we are preparing our students to be college and career ready in today's economy and for tomorrow's jobs," said Governor Bullock. "We are strengthening pathways for students, even while they are still in high school, to explore careers through work-based learning and to get a head start on a certification or degree through dual enrollment."
Montana Politics & Legislature
- MTIP promotes Montana's Growing photonics industry
The Montana Photonics Industry Alliance (MPIA) has just released their first promotional video! MTIP's very own consultant, Christie Bell, was featured in the video which discusses Montana's growing photonics cluster in Bozeman and opportunities in Montana. Watch the video below and give it a thumbs up!
Northwestern Energy
- The Montana Family Foundation wants to see your kid's bathroom pass. You should wonder why.
As a fundamentally good and decent person, I do everything I can to protect children. For example, last weekend I went to a party and ate a whole bag of Cheetos before any other guests arrived, for the children.
Big Sky Code Academy
- NorthWestern : Missoula County Public Schools, City of Missoula Team Up on Renewable Energy Education Projects
The project will likely involve the installation of solar technology, possibly including energy storage, at public school locations in the Missoula area. Schools likely to take part include Hellgate, Sentinel and Big Sky high schools, along with Willard, the district's alternative high school program.
Flathead Valley Community College
- Learn to CODE FROM ANYWHERE in just 12 weeks! Big Sky Code Academy Bootcamp Schedule
We offer in-person classes in Missoula, Bozeman and Billings. Not in one of those cities, you can join online from ANYWHERE with our Online class option.
The MDT Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program
- Flathead Valley Community College Releases New License Plate Design to Support Scholarships
The license plate is available through the Montana Department of Justice Motor Vehicle Division and can be requested when registering a new vehicle or renewing an existing registration.
Montana Ambassadors
- Montana Department of Transportation is currently recruiting businesses for the Small Business Enterprise (SBE) Program Certification
We encourage all small highway, transit and aviation related businesses to participate; however, we will certify any business that meets the eligibility criteria.
Visit Montana
- Arne Siegel - A Montana Legend
Arne skated out of life as energetically as he lived it.
VR/AR, Artificial Intelligence and The Internet of Things
- Voices of Montana Tourism - June 2017 - Monthly News & Views
Reenactment of the Battle of the Little Bighorn took place the third week of June drawing large crowds.
- The Rock Creek Confluence Cabin is Available for Rental From the Five Valleys Land Trust
When Five Valleys purchased Confluence Property in 2012, the cabin property came along with it. Ever since, Five Valleys has worked to restore the land and improve the site, and today the cabin is available for rental by the public.
- Glacier National Park: See its 'shining mountains'
Make this the year you take a trip to the park, or get a virtual look in video and photos.
- In Montana's Missouri River country, a nice chance to slow down
No photos can describe how good it felt to be out in the wide-open country of central Montana on a perfect June morning with the windows rolled down, the better to hear the meadowlarks and breathe in the emptiness.
Energy and Climate Change
- How Artificial Intelligence Will Revolutionize Banking
AI has taken some steps into banking, but it also is poised to revolutionize how banks learn from and interact with customers.
- Blockchain 101: Intro to Blockchain, Cryptocurrencies, and Smart Contracts
We will explore the fundamentals of Bitcoin, blockchain platforms, Ethereum, and build up a framework you can leverage to discover your own use cases. No prior knowledge required!
- How artificial intelligence is taking on ransomware
Ransomware isn't necessary trickier or more dangerous than other malware that sneaks onto your computer, but it can be much more aggravating, and at times devastating.
Come Home Montana
- Tesla Has Reduced Electricity Costs for Homeowners by 92%
Tesla has a vision for future powered by clean energy, and the Powerwall is just part of that vision.
- New, bigger incentives for electric cars could be ahead in California
"Electric cars are the future. We have reached a tipping point and it's time to give the electric car revolution an aggressive boost," Ting said in a statement. "We need an incentive program to get everyone behind the wheel of an electric vehicle."
- Want to be Green? Forget Mass Transit. Work at Home.
The proportion of the labor force working from home continues to grow.
Developing a more Entrepreneurial Montana
- Three Years in Montana, Reflections on a Life Move - Will Price Founder and GP at Next Frontier Capital
Without a doubt, the choice we made to uproot our family of four from the knowns of the Bay Area for the promise of Montana is one of our best ever decisions.
- Montana Talent Available - Communications, Digital Marketing, and Social Media Expert
I am currently looking for opportunities along I-90. Most notably Missoula, Butte, Bozeman, Billings. I am also open to applying for positions in Helena.
Montana Business
- Global venture capitalist meets with Missoula startups on national tour
"This is a good opportunity for Missoula," said Andy Gordon, a self-proclaimed "technofile" who has started several businesses and works as the marketing manager for Clearas Water Recovery in Missoula. "It allows us to leverage outside networks, and certainly outside interest in Montana. We've got momentum in the ecosystem here."
- Second Annual Last Best Conference, 8/2-4, Missoula, MT
It is designed to be similar to SXSW in Austin or World Domination Summit in Portland: featured speakers, music and performances, films, and breakout discussions and workshops all over the community.
- Half of Millennials Want to Start a Business: Here's How to Get Going
If you were born between 1977 and 1995, there's over a 50 percent chance that you would start your own small business if you knew where to get help to make it happen.
Careers
- In Montana, Innovation is All Around Us
Montana is also the home-base for a growing parenting media company. What started as a local magazine, Mamalode http://www.mamalode.com has turned into a national resource for parents. Its founders credit our state with inspiring the authentic company that reaches parents in all 50 states and 10 other countries.
- Lights, camera, lasers: Could Montana's photonics industry, 30 years on, be the answer to the low wage puzzle?
"When you have a cluster, it helps spur support organizations, whether they be marketing consulting firms, machining shops or all those people that support the business," Johnson said of the Montana Photonics Industry Alliance
- Clocking In with Adam Sklar, owner of Sklar Bikes in Bozeman, Montana
Sklar, a soft-spoken Boulder, Colorado, native, is the founder, owner and sole worker at Sklar Bikes, a custom bicycle manufacturing operation that, in its third year, has garnered a national award and stirred the interest of enthusiasts from California to London.
- MT small-business lobby supports repeal of 'Obamacare'
"They're at a disadvantage in hiring," Johnson said. "What happens is, we bring them in, we train them for a year or so, and then they immediately go off to larger companies or state government or whatever is offering health insurance."
- Missoula production studio, Synema Studios looks to grow services, add jobs
Over the coming years, according to CFO Michael Morgan, Synema plans to create as many as 18 new jobs and push into new markets with its digital productions.
Rural Communities
- Breakthrough Leadership Program, 9/17-22, Missoula, Montana
This is a one-time offering of the Breakthrough Leadership Program designed to support Montana and Regional Organizations in the private, public and non-profit sectors to drive innovation, lead change and influence strategic action for their organization
- How To Get Fired From Microsoft | Part 1
In spite of what their careers site may lead you to believe, our "ultra modern office" was just a humped out server room with all of the racking equipment, UPS and cooling systems in place, keeping us at 60 degrees year around; because everyone wants to wear layers in August.
Canada Business & Economic Development
- Montana Senator Jon Tester Secures Over $2 Million for Rural Montana Water and Wastewater Infrastructure
"Clean, reliable water is critical to a healthy economy," Tester said. "These resources will help Montana communities make essential infrastructure upgrades, support good-paying jobs, and increase access to clean drinking water and wastewater.
- Rural America's image problem
Rural America has a problem with its image, one that may come to haunt both the Trump administration and the Democrats as they try to address the region's problems and promote economic development.
Government
- A Canadian venture capital firm is funding entrepreneurs to relocate and become citizens
Ray Sharma loves Toronto, and he's willing to bet entrepreneurs around the world will love it, too.
Idaho Business
- Jeff Bridges takes chilled approach to politics during speech in Whitefish at Western Governors' Association Conference
"The health of our children is a wonderful compass that can tell us if our country is going the right direction," he said. "That means we're off course, so I'm rooting for the president to get on course."
- Interior Secretary Zinke calls for fewer barriers to development on public land
"Jobs matter. There's a social cost of not having jobs. And we love environmental regulations fair and equitable, but it takes wealth to make sure that we can maintain those regulations and improve," Zinke said.
- Bullocks, Bridges enlist Western governors in fight against childhood hunger
“How can we have a strong country if we have hungry kids?” Bridges said, addressing the audience and panel of nine governors at the Western Governors Assocation meeting in Whitefish.
Incubators and R&D
- Belly up to the HandleBar. New Boise bicycle-themed pub is open
Time to work up a thirst for beer. And pedaling.
- Idaho leads U.S. in personal income growth
Idaho's seasonally adjusted personal income grew 1.6 percent from $66.5 billion in the fourth quarter of 2016 to $67.6 billion in the first quarter of 2017.
Oregon Business
- How long can humans live?
"Average human life span keeps increasing dramatically and maximum human lifespan seems to follow. I see no statistical or demonstrated biological reason how we would know that this must stop."
Other Economies
- Legislature pushes for more higher education funding to keep Oregon tuition hikes down
"The proposed higher education budget would bring critical tuition relief to the students of the University of Oregon, allowing us to reduce next year's tuition increase by more than a third," UO President Michael Schill said in a statement.
Regional Business
- A One-Woman Education Start-Up Machine in Small-Town Iowa
In small towns, when there's a need, it's often up to the community to come up with a solution.
- Why France Is Taking a Lesson in Culture From Silicon Valley
One thousand start-ups in a refurbished train depot as long as the Eiffel Tower lying down. Rooms scattered with Legos and beanbag chairs. Elevated walkways bridging cargo-container offices and open-air desks. Graffitied railway cars transformed into cafes.
Regional Economic Development
- Are you a CenturyLink customer? This lawsuit says the company may have defrauded you
A class-action lawsuit filed in Idaho accuses telecom giant CenturyLink of defrauding its customers of millions, possibly billions, of dollars.
Workforce Development
- Trump election fuels tech momentum in Midwest - Global venture capitalist Paul Singh meets with Missoula startups on national tour
The election of Donald Trump laid bare the growing disillusionment of everyday Americans in the nation's heartland who have watched the gains of the economic recovery pass them by while the tech industry, clustered in coastal hubs like San Francisco and New York, grew wealthy off technology that has radically transformed, even obliterated, jobs and industries.
Wyoming Business
- A New Kind of Tech Job Emphasizes Skills, Not a College Degree
"We desperately need to revive a second route to the middle class for people without four-year college degrees, as manufacturing once was," said Robert Reich, a labor secretary in the Clinton administration who is now a professor at the University of California, Berkeley. "We have to move toward a system that works."
- WWAMI medical students must work in Montana or pay higher fees
The new law, Senate Bill 341 passed by the 2017 Legislature, will require WWAMI medical students to promise they'll return to work in Montana within a year after finishing their training, or else pay higher fees.
Montana Education Excellence
- Californian selected for Wyoming travel adventure
"Wyoming fits my lifestyle and combines two of the things I love most -- adventure and serenity in nature," Schrock said in a release. "For me, this is a chance to put myself out of my comfort zone and into the heart of a place I love -- a place that's still wild, free and off-the-grid in the best way possible."
- Jackson Hole's quality convenience store worth a stop
Whether you visit Jackson for the eclipse, its twin national parks, its myriad outdoor activities and many golf courses, or wait until winter to hit the slopes at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, repeatedly voted the nation's best ski resort, you should know about Bodega, one of the area's newest eateries.
Montana Education/Business Partnerships
- Montana Gear Up Summer Camp for Young Native American Students at the University of Montana - September 2017
Montana Gear Up is an organization that promotes a higher education for all students despite their economic background.
Funding and Building your Business
- University of Montana, Wildlife Friendly Enterprise Network Launch Elephant-Friendly Tea
Over the past 75 years, the Asian elephant population has declined more than 50 percent and only 40,000 to 50,000 remain, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.
Non-Profit News
- CoWork Bozeman provides shared workspace for entrepreneurs or work-from-home professionals in beautiful downtown Bozeman, Montana.
We all work better together. That's why collaboration is at the core of CoWork Bozeman.
- How Crowdfunding Will Make You a Better Entrepreneur
"It really is an emotional rollercoaster... but then again, I happen to like rollercoasters."
- Too few assets to secure a bank loan for your business? The Montana & Idaho Community Development Corp. might be your answer
We provide capital to small businesses that are nearly bankable. These are businesses that banks wish they could finance. We provide the loan, then we make them bankable and move on to the next business. We also provide large-scale loans for large manufacturing projects or hospitals.
- What Leaders Gain by Listening Closely to Employees
"The hard part is that you can't be everywhere at once. So you need to spend all of your time and all of your waking hours out there. It's very time consuming. But it has to be done."
- How to Create a Great Product Without Hiring a Team
Hiring a prototype contractor can be a cheaper and easier way to design your product. Use these tips to start building.
Cool Stuff That's Coming
- Missoula's arts and culture nonprofits generate $54M in annual economic activity
The report places Missoula well ahead of the national average, both in the money spent by local arts and culture nonprofits, and money spent by the residents who support the organizations.
Transportation
- Laser as bright as a billion Suns alters fundamental physics of light and matter
Physicists from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln have created the brightest light ever produced on Earth, and it could be the first step towards more powerful X-ray technology.
- Steve Case: 'Third wave' of Internet will help Middle America business
Just as the technology boom lifted the economies of Silicon Valley, New York and other coastal cities, its latest iteration will benefit the Midwest and other pockets of the U.S. as health care, energy, agriculture, education and other industries become ripe for disruption.
Events
- Tech Showcase Conveys that Sacramento, Calif., Is Not All Talk When It Comes to Autonomous Vehicles
Sacramento is intent on positioning itself as a major player in the AV game.
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