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| MATR Newsletter - Fri Dec 8, 2006 |
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"It shouldn't be too much of a surprise that the Internet has evolved into a force strong enough to reflect the greatest hopes and fears of those who use it. After all, it was designed to withstand nuclear war, not just the puny huffs and puffs of politicians and religious fanatics." — Denise Caruso, New York Times columnist
Boomtown Institute
Developing Tech Jobs in Rural Communities
- The Agurban Newsletter - O’ The Entrepreneurs You Find Off the Beaten Path
What are you doing to identify the Wombels and potential new businesses in your community? With the right attitude you can foster local “small” successes that will have a BIG impact!
Montana Ambassadors
- New FCC Website for Rural Healthcare Program - Rural health and technology presentations now on MSU's Web
The pilot program will provide up to 85 percent of the costs related to developing broadband networks for telehealth and telemedicine programs.
Montana Education Excellence
- Does your state have an Ambassadors program for the "brain bank" that's available inside and outside of the state?
North Dakota http://www.luvnd.com/ has set one up on a statewide basis. They already have over 1,000 former residents from around the world who are Ambassadors for Economic Development in the state.
Education
- Program helps stem tide of prospective dropouts
This year, the district has adopted NovaNET, a computer-based program that offers students an opportunity to make up lost credits while staying on track with the rest of their courses. The program is offered as a class in all three Billings high schools and was piloted with undeniable success.
- Learning Curve: At-risk students find new routes at school
Counselors and staff have developed "individual learning plans" for each former Crossroads student, which defines what each needs to do to graduate on time. The students are plugged into classes that provide individual attention, and they meet with counselors regularly.
- Good as Gold: International advertising exec, Mike Gold brings global outlook to MSU classes
"I'm teaching a subject I know inside-out and a subject I enjoy," he said. "I do it because I really want to make a difference, somehow. And I think teaching is how I can do it."
- University of Montana Leads Global Technology Development Initiative
"The Community Development Center is good for UM because we’ll be able to implement emerging technologies faster and cheaper than we could if we tried to build them on our own or had to buy from a vendor," Pace said. "This is why we joined CampusEAI – to be part of a community of great institutions openly sharing knowledge and building on one another’s work and innovative ideas."
- Montana State University students engineer their futures
Part of students' graduation requirements, the projects - many funded by private entrepreneurs - are intended to give students real-life experience working in teams, meeting deadlines and staying on budget. The projects also show them the difference between designing something and building it.
2007 Montana Legislature
- It Takes A Planet. The world is filled with great ideas about education. Take a look.
Teaching our children is surely one of humanity's earliest and most fundamental pursuits, and today it's fair to say that education, not Esperanto, is the universal language.
- Google enrolls teachers to spread work online software crusade
As it tries to usher in a new era in computing, Google is promoting its software applications in kindergarten through high school classrooms, where kids who have grown up with the Web are more likely to experiment with different technology.
- High school senior from Oregon, Dmitry Vaintrob wins $100,000 in NYC science competition
A South Eugene High School school senior won a $100,000 scholarship at one of the nation's premier high school science competitions on Monday for his research in a new area of mathematics called string topology.
Montana Business
- Montana Legislature will get a plate full of business-related proposals
When Montana’s state legislators convene the 2007 Legislature in January, they will be confronted with a bewildering variety of proposals that could affect the state’s business environment.
Montana Economic Development
- Nutrition company buys Missoula's Nurture Inc.
GTC Nutrition, based in Golden, Colo., bought the company and seeks to hire 15 skilled workers as it shifts operations in Missoula to focus primarily on manufacturing, company President Patrick Smith told the Missoulian newspaper in a recent telephone interview.
- Billings-based espresso company partners with a Fortune 500 company
CHS Inc., a leading energy and grain-based foods company, announced Oct. 26 it has formed a joint venture with Mountain Mudd LLC, which operates drive-thru specialty coffee kiosks in 22 states.
Funding and Building your Business
- Montana gets $72M to harness wind
Montana will receive $72 million in financing for 34 new wind power projects planned mostly by small cities and counties in northeastern and southeastern parts of the state, Sen. Max Baucus announced Friday afternoo
- Montana World Trade Center Seeks Montana Businesses for Trade Mission to Italy and Greece Feb. 2007
“Montana is not engaged in these markets to the level it could be, so the time is right to explore these possibilities.”
- Gateway Economic Development Corp. business group changes name. Montana Business Assistance Connection (MBAC) charged with creating and retaining jobs in the Lewis and Clark, Broadwater and Meagher county areas
“What we kept hearing was that people were looking for keywords: ‘Montana,’ ‘assistance,’ making a ‘connection,’” she said. “The name isn’t intimidating, and it covers businesses at every level.”
- Masters Group International commits to major distribution center in Butte, Montana
Masters Group has said it will hire 50 people initially, and up to 130 in three years, largely in assembly and warehousing.
Legislative Newsletters
- Valley's 'Mr. Web 2.0' seeks next big thing. TechCrunch blog ruffles feathers on the Internet beat
Michael Arrington's influential blog TechCrunch -- where startups get pimped and big news sometimes breaks first -- has vaulted him into the post of "Mr. Web 2.0," a kingmaker among Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and a figure of controversy in the media world he is disrupting.
- The Money Connection—Understanding VC Networks
How do networks play into business—particularly the relationship-rich industry of venture capital?
- Rich or Royal: What Do Founders Want?
What motivates entrepreneurs? Money? Control?
- Go-It-Alone Businesses
Think your biz will never succeed if you go it alone? Think again.
- Inside Entrepreneurship: Tackle that mountain of 'due diligence' work
There really isn't any mystery or big "gotcha" about due diligence, unless of course there are a few undisclosed "gotchas" in your company's closets. Entrepreneurs should take it as a very good sign whenever venture funds are asking for more information or spending money on expert advisers.
Regional Economic DevelopmentUtah Business
- State Sector Strategies: Regional Solutions to Worker and Employer Needs
- The National Governors Association (NGA) Announces Innovation America Task Force. Governors, Business and Academic Leaders Focus on Innovation, Competitiveness
"To maximize our strengths in this increasingly global environment, governors must partner with the business and academic communities to ensure state policies complement and reinforce private sector innovation," said Gov. Napolitano. "The Innovation America task force provides an outstanding forum for these groups to work together to enhance our economic competitiveness."
Idaho Business
- Partnership's goal: help moms worldwide build business, home
Moms helping moms grow a business, build a home, raise a family.
Washington State Business
- Company announces intent to build reactor in Idaho
On December 1, 2006, Alternate Energy Holdings (AEHI) announced its intent to construct and operate a 1,500-megawatt light water nuclear reactor near Bruneau, Idaho.
Wyoming Business
- Little City, Big Ideas - Spokane, Washington - "Near Nature, Near Perfect"
The city has an uncanny knack for inspiring local CEOs, business owners, organization leaders and even school administrators to collaborate on making shared civic visions actualities.
- Seattle startup ready to make a splash - Look Ma....no wires!
Freepulse, released last week, is a wraparound headset that weighs just a bit more than 2 ounces. With a 6-hour battery life and a 30-foot range, it cuts listeners loose from cumbersome cords. "It gives you complete freedom of movement," Nault said. "And the sound is as good as on a high-quality corded headset."
Other Economies
- Wyoming Business Council helps entrepreneurs find bearings
The Wyoming Business Council offers any business owner in the state free and confidential assistance with practically any aspect of operating a business.
Incubators and R&D
- Maine Ponders Mega Investments for R&D, Tech - $190 million? $200 million? $250 million?
By devoting $180 million of this fund to research in forest bioproducts, biotechnology, information technology, organic farming and specialty foods, advanced materials, and precision manufacturing, the report argues that Maine can pursue continued growth in industries in which it currently holds a competitive advantage and begin moving into the fastest-growing fields across the country.
Montana Education/Business Partnerships
- Powering forward: MonTEC to become an alternative energy training site
The new Hydrogen and Alternative Energy Training Site at MonTEC will provide hands-on training through working demonstration projects.
The Creative and Cultural Economy
- Montana State University-Billings marketing students tapped to help Zoot
Zoot, founded by MSU-Billings graduate Chris Nelson in 1990, is a leader in the advanced transaction processing systems industry and principally works on developing innovative systems for banks or other financial institutions. It has partnerships with seven of the top 10 banking systems in the country to provide customized instant credit decisioning and transaction processing.
Energy
- Montana Governor proposes $3 million for Virginia City and Nevada City old-town restorations
"Nevada City is an open air museum, a menagerie of historic buildings and the second-largest collection of Western memorabilia outside the Smithsonian Museum,"
City Club Missoula
- Cows power plan for alternative fuel
Marie Audet's cows produce three things: milk, fertilizer and electricity.
- Engineered Microbes Boost Ethanol
Yeast that tolerates more ethanol than usual could bring down the cost of making the renewable fuel.
- State Leadership for a New Energy Future: A Four-Point Initiative for Clean Energy and Good Jobs
Our four-part strategy for state leadership to promote clean energy and create good jobs offers states broad roadmaps on how to address the full gamut of our nation’s energy challenges.
Cool Stuff That's Coming
- City Club Missoula, “The Origins Of Twenty-First Century Montana,” By Harry Fritz, 12/15, Missoula
“The purpose of history is, after all, is to explain who we are, how we got that way, and where we are going. No one can accurately predict the future, but predictions are always based on history.” In his presentation to City Club, Fritz will update his “historian’s view of where we have been and where we may be going.”
- Popular UM prof to address December City Club Missoula forum
Dr. Harry W. Fritz, professor and chair of the history department at the University of Montana, will be the featured speaker at the next City Club Missoula http://www.cityclubmissoula.org forum.
- Ultrastrong Carbon-Nanotube Muscles
Artificial muscles made from carbon nanotubes are 100 times stronger than human muscles.
- Venture Capital: Look, no hands -- voice delivered to text
Jott now works as a new startup that converts your voice and ___ delivers it via E-mail.
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