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| MATR Newsletter - Fri Jun 1, 2018 |
"The eventual goal is to relieve the burden from the public of paying for road improvements and shift it to commercial enterprises." -- "Data is the New Asphalt" -- http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html
UM Student-Produced TV Program Completes 25th Season - New Premiere On 6/7 On Montana PBS - http://www.matr.net/ev ... =6950
Gov. Steve Bullock
Montana Department of Commerce
- Montana Governor Steve Bullock - On guns, we're as paralyzed as I was the day my nephew was shot to death
People want action on guns. But arming teachers is absurd and mental health is a separate challenge. We need to focus on what works to make us safer.
- Improving Public Access to the Yellowstone River in Montana
This Plan marks yet another step in the process to return the Yellowstone River and its surrounding ecosystem to the majestic state it was prior to the oil spill.
Montana Economic Developers Association
- New Tourism Marketing Campaign Promotes Indian Country in Montana
"The rich culture and history of tribal nations is an integral part of the Montana experience," said Commerce Director Pam Haxby-Cote. "Marketing campaigns such as this will encourage visitors to bring the positive economic impacts of tourism into tribal communities and reservations."
- Affordable housing project celebrated in Great Falls; housing advocates pushing state workforce housing tax credit
Lt. Governor Mike Cooney said affordable housing is an issue statewide and it affects economic development since employers struggle to recruit and expand if housing isn't available in a community.
Northwestern Energy
- MEDA Reports for May and Calendar of Upcoming Events
Cho teau was Montana's first ever Community Review - and what a success it has been!
PFL
- NorthWestern Finalizes Plans For 2018 Beyond The Dam Events - 6/8-9 - Great Falls, Montana
Proceeds from the Beyond The Dam events will go to the River's Edge Trail, which works to maintain quality recreational trails along the Missouri River.
TechLink
- High Impact, Full Color Plastic Cards from Livingston, Montana Based PFL
Whether you're looking for unique business cards, season passes, loyalty & membership cards or more, plastic cards outlast and outperform their paper counterparts.
Great Falls Development Authority
- TechLink can help you license innovative Department of Defense technology that you can turn into products or services. Have we mentioned that our services are free?
Start by browsing the exciting technology opportunities in our Weekly Tech Roundup series:
21st Century Education Initiative - "You Should Care..."
- Here is our Top 17 for last week, celebrating work and successes to grow and strengthen the Great Falls regional economy.
Average wages in the Great Falls MSA (Cascade County) grew faster than the state and national averages in 2018Q1, the 15th consecutive quarter that we have achieved this, according to data released by JobsEQ.
American Prairie Reserve
- Fixing America's Schools
Philanthropist and education expert Ted Dintersmith hits the road and discovers four new ways educators are inspiring students.
Visit Montana
- The American Prairie Reserve could be economic game-changer for rural Montana
The American Prairie Reserve, in concert with the region's other crown jewels, will help in dramatically redefining this region to the outside world, raising the region’s profile and introducing the region's communities and businesses to more and more visitors each year.
- Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan warn: Beautiful, unspoiled landscapes are disappearing
The APR has reintroduced bison on some of its land, and the herd now numbers nearly 900 -- a far cry from the millions that once covered that section of the Plains, to be sure, but a start back in the right direction.
- Interesting Facts from the American Prairie Reserve in Montana.
Since 2013, we have invested $25M+ in Montana's economy. This does not include land purchases
VR/AR, Blockchain, Bitcoin, Artificial Intelligence and The Internet of Things
- Montana offers farm and ranch tours through a Montana Office of Tourism and Business Development
Walk through amber waves of grain or tag along on a cattle drive.
Energy and Climate Change
- Soooo Cool - TIME's Drones Issue: Go Behind the Cover
One Folsom, Calif., resident interviewed by a local news reporter recounted, "Up in the sky, I saw the future."
Come Home Montana
- Solar is starting to replace the largest coal plant in the western U.S.
On Navajo land in Arizona, a coal plant and coal mine that have devastated the environment are being replaced by solar-with both enormous benefits and local drawbacks that can serve as a lesson for how the rest of the country will need to manage the transition to renewables.
- EVs Could Save California Billions in Energy Storage Investment
Strategic EV charging could ease the "duck curve" more than California's energy storage mandate, according to DOE researchers.
- City of Bozeman to assess the impacts of Climate Change
Starting in June, the city will begin a climate vulnerability assessment to see how Bozeman is impacted by the climate.
- Welcome to Babcock Ranch: America's First Solar-Powered Town
"I want to be driving down the road [one day] in an autonomous vehicle and see people walking, riding bikes, eating at our farm-to-table restaurant, running businesses, kids walking to school."
- Montana Wildfire Potential: 'Very Similar' To Last Year - Houses Can Grow Back After Fire. Lives Cannot.
State Forester Sonya Germann says that during this wet spring far fewer acres have burned at this point than the recent annual average.
- Electric Utility Begins Rolling Out Smart Meters to 590k Customers in Southwestern Oregon
The data from the meters will also be available to customers who want to check on electricity usage, but the meters will have other features that should improve service.
Montana Business
- Montana Career Opportunity - Loan Funds Coordinator - Prospera Business Network
The Prospera Loan Fund s Coordinator is a new full- time position that works with a team of business development staff alon g with area banks to use our local revolving loan funds (RLF) to assist small businesses throughout Gallatin and Park Counties .
Montana Economic Development
- Tivity Studios combine top tier designers, developers, and IT professionals to bring the most comprehensive solution for your needs.
We're a team of creative Web, Graphic, Photo, Video and IT freelance enthusiasts.
- Big Horn Data Hub - Blockchain and data processing interests could take over Hardin, Montana's troubled coal-fired power plant
The amount of electricity already in use by these operations helps to explain why one might acquire its own power plant. It would also allow for more control over the power supply.
- After snubbing TIF request, Missoula county proposes a moratorium on new cryptocurrency mines - It may be just the beginning of a bitcoin backlash.
"You're not good citizens," said longtime board member Jim Valeo. "Let's lay the cards on the table. You're offensive citizens. ... You didn't do your homework to see what could happen here, and now this is the result. And as far as I'm concerned, this is not a taxpayer responsibility. This is your responsibility. I just hope you guys are willing to be man enough to step up and take that responsibility."
- Four Artists provided with operating space in expansion of Red Oxx campus
"I'm always planning and running numbers, and the best use of the property is a cluster of creative people. Believe it or not, creative people generate new income and new money. As a craftsperson, you're adding value, you're creating something, and you're making things." Red Oxx owner Jim Markel
Careers
- How a Virtual Reality (VR) community grew in Northern Ohio
I've written a few times in this newsletter about various "pipelines" for startup activity -- universities, coworking spaces, and local corporations. But one pipeline I haven't touched on yet is local meetup groups.
- A strong handshake, talent and a gut feeling led Israeli tech company to Missoula
The firm plans to open with a handful of employees in June and within four years - if things go as planned - could employ 100 workers in what Titan described as state-of-the-art technology.
- Montana's public lands drive economic growth, give state recruiting advantage
While quality of life means different things to different workers, most agreed that Montana's public lands stand foremost among them, and preserving them is vital to continued economic growth. They serve as a powerful tool for recruiting top talent, and they're closely tied to the unique values fostered by many Montana startups.
City Club Missoula
- Use These Five Tricks To Never Forget Something Important Again
"We all have a good memory; the problem is no one taught us how to use it," says four-time USA Memory Champion Nelson Dellis.
Government
- City Club Missoula - Glacier Country Tourism And Glacier National Park - 6/18 - Missoula
At City Club Missoula's June 18 forum, learn from two experts about the impact of Glacier on the tourism industry, and about challenges and opportunities facing the park -- including as a result of increased tourism.
Idaho
- Senator Jon Tester Calls on Senate to Use Farm Bill to Stop the Spread of Chronic Wasting Disease
"The spread of the disease is rapid, devastating to wildlife populations, and can be almost impossible to eradicate," Tester said. "This serious illness poses a threat to wildlife, the outdoor recreation economy, and human health and safety."
- Teddy's gift: Public lands, not for sale
Teddy's gift is under threat.
- Senator Tester Asks Nation's Cell Carriers to Make Billings, Montana a 5G Pilot City
"Its world-class hospitals and schools, its booming agriculture and refining industries, its expanding direct flights and its revitalized downtown district makes Billings a strong candidate for 5G investment."
- County in Montana Works Toward Mosquito-Fighting Drone Program
Drones might be a better solution for controlling mosquitoes in remote areas that ground vehicles have a hard time accessing.
Incubators and R&D
- Chubbuck, Idaho based Hair Hub owner applies advertising skills to salon
And if any hairdresser knows a great deal about advertising, it's Stacie Campbell, owner of the Hair Hub salon in Chubbuck.
- Idaho, Where Self-Driving Vehicles Aren't Currently Allowed, Forms Committee to Study Them
The Idaho Autonomous and Connected Vehicle Testing and Deployment Committee will hold its first meeting May 30 to begin the process of creating a framework for autonomous vehicle use and testing.
- As dual credit grows in Idaho, will rural students get left behind?
Idaho is desperately trying to boost its college graduation rates, and meet the changing demands of employers.
Other Economies
- Up and running: Blackfoot's innovation lab looks to shape Missoula's technology future
The innovation lab is a place where entrepreneurs, investors and mentors come together in something of an incubator to help early stage businesses achieve success.
- Smoothing the wrinkles in our cells could be a key to reversing aging
The solution could be a novel cellular anti-wrinkle cream, delivered by custom-built viruses.
Regional Business
- The Wisconsin Idea inspiring entrepreneurs beyond the University of Wisconsin
"Universities across our UW System are taking a focused approach to engaging our outstanding faculty and students in entrepreneurial endeavors. This requires collaborative thinking with our state's business community."
- Vermont offering to pay telecommuting workers $10,000 to move to the state
State officials hope Vermont's high quality of life will entice out-of-state workers to swap their office for a Vermont co-working space or home office.
Regional Economic Development
- Internet usage may be nearing peak, says Mary Meeker in annual tech forecast
Internet usage worldwide is slowing while smartphone sales have hit a wall. But people are spending more online, talking to smart speakers more, and shelling out more for subscriptions.
Washington State Business
- Supporting Local Efforts to Create Great Jobs through Entrepreneurship: EDA Launches 2018 Regional Innovation Strategies Program Competition
With up to $21 million available through the 2018 RIS NOFO, this year's program will help spur innovation capacity-building activities in regions across the nation through two separate grants: the i6 Challenge and the Seed Fund Support (SFS) Grant competitions.
- National Funders Say They Hope Rural Groups Apply for $10 Million Challenge
"We're really trying to reach rural communities and encourage them to apply. We want them to know that that their applications will be taken very seriously."
Wyoming Business
- State of Washington businesses beware: misleading letter calls for annual registration renewals
"We're working with the Attorney General's Office - the agency that investigates and prosecutes consumer fraud - to see if further action should be taken to protect businesses in Washington,"
Montana Education Excellence
- Wyoming nonprofit that benefits single mothers receives $1 million grant to share its strategy
The grant will allow Climb to take its method -- providing training and help so single mothers can economically benefit -- to Utah and Colorado
Community
- Carroll College's new data major aims to make students more marketable
The data science major and minor will combine computer science, math, statistics, and business to analyze and understand data in various forms.
- MSU to offer new bachelor of arts degree in computer science
"The motivation is to enable students with almost any interest to benefit -- both personally and professionally - from computing in their lives," said John Paxton
Funding and Building your Business
- Missoula's Beloved Out to Lunch & Downtown ToNight Summer Series Launch 13-Week Season June 6 & 7
"Each week throughout the summer, these weekly celebrations bring our community together in the heart of Missoula for lively conversation, connection, food trucks, fun, live music, local beer, wine and spirits, family activities and the experience of Missoula's culture."
- Helena heating up with return of Alive at 5 summer concert series every Wed starting June 6
"The community events are some of our favorites to play."
- Missoula Children Map Town In Poems And Images - 6/4 - Missoula
On June 4, 2018, the Missoula Writing Collaborative will unveil the Missoula Children's Poetry Map, a digital map of the town that features more than 500 poems written by fourth-grade students about places in Missoula.
Government Technology
- How to Position Your Business for a Strategic Acquisition
Start early, and don't limit who you will sell to.
- 27 Tech Entrepreneurs and How They Grow Their Companies
Pick one and put it to work on your idea.
- How Disney is turning women from across the company into coders
"You're about to learn what it means to be a software engineer. You're about to learn a lot about this company, and how technology is used to make the magic. But I think the biggest part is, you're going to learn a lot about yourself."
- Valuing a business: a guide for small business owners
It's often said that a business is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it, but there are several methods you can use to reach a sensible figure.
- These are the three things to invest in to build employee loyalty
Before you consider a new benefit or program, think seriously about these three key areas.
- Why Building a Company to Last and Building a Company to Sell Are the Same Thing
Building a company to last forever means you don't take shortcuts.
Miscellaneous Ramblings
- How to Reap Millions in Cost Savings from a State-Sponsored Hackathon
In the case of the Aloha state, Hawaii CIO Todd Nacapuy says the Hawaii Annual Code Challenge (HACC) clearly has yielded tangible results, in the form of millions of dollars saved and hundreds of worker hours shaved.
- Montana's New Chatbots Built By Levi Worts Provide Major Benefits to Residents, Government
Levi Worts set about creating his own helpers in the form of chatbots.
Transportation
- 9 clever ways to re-purpose your old cell phone
A smartphone is really just a computer.
- See inside this Montana man's collection of 16,000 shed antlers
Jim Phillips picked up his first antler in 1958 when he was 10 years old, discovering the weathered set of elk antlers along a creek.
Events
- BMW i launches wireless charging for plug-in hybrids
The factory-fitted, fully-integrated inductive charging system is a world-first.
- Self-driving scooter to save riders from self-driving cars
It's all about improving the safety of driverless cars.
- Some Fire Departments Are Supporting Change for the Sake of Safer Streets
A few pioneering fire departments are making room for safety (while demanding less space) on city streets.
- Save The Date - Cycle Down Reserve Street -Let's Improve Reserve Street - 9/10 - Missoula, Montana
Sept. 10 at 4PM starting at North Reserve St at I-90. All are invited to bike Reserve. Let's make Reserve safer.
- "Data is the New Asphalt": Why Colorado Decided to Become an Early Smart Pavement Tester
"The eventual goal is to relieve the burden from the public of paying for road improvements and shift it to commercial enterprises."
- Magnax prepares to manufacture radically high-powered, compact axial flux electric motor
With a bit of luck, the rubber will hit the road soon and we can see if this truly is the electric motor of the future.
- Elon Musk Offers Perspective on Traffic Deaths in Response to Tesla Police Car Crash
When discussing the first Autopilot crash in Utah, Musk said that "it's super messed up that a Tesla crash resulting in a broken ankle is front page news and the ~40,000 people who died in US auto accidents alone in past year get almost no coverage."
- Energy revolution: California approves $768 million for electric vehicle charging infrastructure for electric cars, trucks and buses
California's electric utility companies will spend nearly $768 million on charging infrastructure for electric cars, trucks and buses, under a series of proposals approved Thursday by state regulators.
- Waymo's self-driving car service to include 62,000 minivans
The technology will initially be deployed in a ride-hailing service in the Phoenix area before the end of this year and then expand into other U.S. markets.
- This Tiny Country Knows the Future of Driverless Tech
One tiny country has put the whole autonomous vehicle industry on a track to make money in real life.
- Will Self-Driving Vehicles Finally Bring Broadband to Rural America?
Autonomous vehicles will need ubiquitous connectivity, and there's a role for government and industry to finally make it happen.
- UM Student-Produced TV Program Completes 25th Season - New Premiere On 6/7 On Montana PBS
- Finalists For Museum Of The Rockies Executive Director To Hold Candidate Forums June 4-11 - Bozeman
- The Changing Landscape Of America Invents Act AIA Proceedings - 6/20 - Webinar
- Management Fundamentals For Professionals In Science & Technology - 6/10-11 - Bozeman, Montana
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