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| MATR Newsletter - Fri Nov 2, 2007 |
"An apple a day keeps anyone away if you throw it hard enough." Stephen Colbert
Several stand-out stories and events this week: "Kentucky Launches Statewide High-Speed P-20 Education Network to Support Lifelong Learning." http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html (Why shouldn't we think about a similar effort here in Montana?) --- "New Income Tax Credit Designed to Fund Oregon Public Universities" http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html (This sounds like an outstanding program! See previous comment...)--- "Verne Harnish's Famous Rockefeller Habit Seminar , "Build A More Effective Management Team", 11/8, Bozeman, MT" http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html -- "Scholarships Available for Community College Professionals for Building Bridges through Entrepreneurship Conference" http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html
Missoula Children's Theatre
Developing a more Entrepreneurial Montana
- "The Little Red Truck" is coming. Are you ready??
A movie about the magical tale of the Missoula Children's Theatre International Tour!
Developing Tech Jobs in Rural Communities
- Verne Harnish's Famous Rockefeller Habit Seminar , "Build A More Effective Management Team", 11/8, Bozeman, MT
Here's a rare opportunity to build a more effective management team. Verne Harnish's famous Rockefeller Habit seminar is coming to Bozeman, Montana sponsored by the Big Sky Young Presidents' Organization chapter.
- 'Indianpreneur' winners honored
"Sharing knowledge, failures and successes with each other is how to continue to move our region forward and build economic stability in our communities."
- Scholarships Available for Community College Professionals for Building Bridges through Entrepreneurship Conference
Who Should Attend? Persons interested in sharing/discovering funding sources to increase the quality and quantity of entrepreneurship education programs on their campus
Montana Ambassadors
- Finding Rural America's Prosperous Communities
What if we didn't assume that growth was good? What if we looked for rural places that were prosperous instead? What would we find?
Funding and Building your Business
- The Northwest Chapter Of The Montana Ambassadors, 11/20, Seattle, WA
Do you dream of moving to Montana, running an exciting business and selling to the world? Andrew Field did.
Education
- Comparison of Angels to Venture Capitalists
Despite the similarities between venture capitalists and angel investors, significant differences abound.
- Inside Entrepreneurship: No need to pay to find free money
Are any of these resources worth my money?
University TechTransfer
- Kentucky Launches Statewide High-Speed P-20 Education Network to Support Lifelong Learning.
"Technology is the foundation upon which today's global economy is built," said Governor Fletcher. "This new program helps prepare the students of Kentucky for the demands of a high-tech world by making technology a part of learning."
Connectivity & Communications
- New Income Tax Credit Designed to Fund Oregon Public Universities
The program allows individuals or corporate donors to make unrestricted gifts of cash or publicly traded stock to one or more of the selected universities. The fund will enable $14 million to be provided to the universities in aggregate, with each institution’s allocation formulated by its annual income from research grants and contracts.
Cool Stuff That's Coming
- States Step In to Close Broadband Gap
Kentucky has been so successful -- the state says 95% of its households can now buy broadband service if they want -- that federal lawmakers and regulators want to replicate its program nationwide.
- Privacy Groups Call for Creation of "Do Not Track List"
Intended to protect consumers from having their online activities unknowingly tracked, stored, and used by marketers and advertising networks.
Regional Business
- E-Paper Displays Video
The display employs microscopic mechanical switches that turn pixels on and off at rates more than fast enough to display video.
- Cal physicists make a radio 10,000 times thinner than a human hair
The first song it played? "Layla" by Derek & the Dominos. Eric Clapton's unmistakable guitar riff can be heard on a scratchy recording of the nanoradio's output posted by Zettl online.
The Creative and Cultural Economy
- Small Business Growth: Searching for Stylized Facts
Theoretically, existing firms could live forever, and they could grow and shrink as necessary to meet competitive conditions. But firms do not survive forever, very few last 100 years or more.
Montana Business
- Art looms large in Bigfork economy
“They find Bigfork refreshing,” he said. “We’ve been discovered but we’re not overblown.”
Legislative Newsletters
- Bozeman, Montana based Corbond Corporation competes with the big brand names of the building insulation industry
Corbond Corporation, based in the heart of “Big Sky Country” in Bozeman, Montana, develops, manufactures, and markets spray-in-place polyurethane foam insulation products for the U.S. market.
- Montana companies recognized for business excellence at Prospera Business Network event.
Thomas McCoy, vice president for research at Montana State University, was given the first-ever “economic leadership award,” which recognizes a government or nonprofit leader who has spurred economic development.
- Designers, builders and banks set briskpace for GE center in Billings, Montana
3 partnerships bidding to win $8M to $10M project
Montana Economic DevelopmentOregon Business
- Joe McClure resigns from Big Sky EDA-EDC
“Joe has provided the organization with tremendous leadership, and coalition building. He has brought not only new jobs through recruiting companies such as Bresnan, Ernest Health and GE, but put retention and expansion programs in place to retain and strengthen our existing businesses.
- Commerce Director to Present Economic Analysis of Montana at MEDA in Great Falls
“Montana’s on the move,” said Governor Brian Schweitzer. “I am proud to say that Montana’s business climate is one of the best in the nation. We’re working to keep this economic momentum strong in every part of the state.”
- Amtrak to study possible route Chicago to Seattle through Missoula, Montana
“I think it's going to be a benefit to the citizens of the whole state of Montana.”
- Liberty Medical Center in Chester, Montana seeks support to win an MRI. “Now we need everyone to visit this Web site and vote for our video.”
“This new MRI system could really improve the level of care we’re able to offer this community,”
- Health care system is unsustainable, says Committee for Economic Development president
“We don’t think the business sector is going to be able to come together and do what’s necessary to save the system,” Kolb said. “What we are recommending is the transition to a market-based, incentive-oriented system of universal health insurance through a network of regional exchanges paid for with mixed dollar credits.”
- Montanans Invited to Help Frame Montana’s Brand Through Public Workshops in November
Through a series of seven public workshops scheduled throughout the state in mid-November, Montanans are being asked to share their insights about what they think makes Montana special and unique.
- Airport is key to Cutbank, Montana area's economic development
The 1,900-acre Cut Bank International Airport is one of the most viable economic development sources in Glacier County right now and the Cut Bank Airport Authority is quietly going about its business to develop this resource.
- Bozeman, Montana cost of living higher than national average
"In Bozeman, the overall composite cost of living index is above the average, but that does not mean each focus area is also high,"
- Butte-Silver Bow County’s economic programs to operate under one umbrella
“It makes more sense for all those entities to work under one department because they all have the same goals and missions.”
- Montana Commerce director: State's 'on the move'
There are more than 30 wind farms proposed in the state
Regional Economic Development
- Startups step out of the shadows in Oregon
Record cash - Venture capitalist investments in Oregon companies are their highest since the dot.com flame out
Idaho Business
- Confab in Seattle: cities on the carbon-cutting edge - Forum focuses on energy efficiency
Within a 24-hour period starting Thursday, Nov. 1, three national figures will speak in Seattle: Bill Clinton, Al Gore, and Michael Bloomberg. The audience will be the same: the U.S. Conference of Mayors. And so will the topic: global warming.
Washington State Business
- Idaho businesses get tips for making the best better
"Don't tell me how big you are, or how long you've been doing this, tell me what you're going to do tomorrow."
- SuperValu will outsource 180 technology jobs to India, including some from Boise
SuperValu, which bought most Albertsons grocery stores a little more than a year ago, is shipping about 180 information technology jobs — including some in Boise — to India.
- Starting up: New column to tell you stories of Idaho's entrepreneurial spirit
It's tough to launch a start-up. Dreaming about launching a company is the fun part.
Other Economies
- Seattle Region making the grade on education
Education, education and education. Often cited as the most important aspect of economic development, the topic comes up repeatedly when area business leaders gather at luncheons, breakfasts and forums.
- Seattle VCs missing clean tech boom
Despite an environmentally conscious citizenry and a reputation for cutting-edge technologies, the Emerald City was hardly "green" when it came to new company formation.
Careers
- Lack of urgency to reinvent economy has Phoenix trailing other cities, losing quality of life
Phoenix has settled into a trajectory of rising costs and reduced opportunity, riding an economy singularly dependent on the ability to build and sell homes.
Energy
- Second Life Becomes First Job for Adventurous Few
People get married, start businesses, build homes, travel and hold down jobs just as they do in their "first life." They buy and sell and start businesses.
Transportation
- Clean coal plant tabled, would have been a first
Although Xcel is convinced the technology will work, the $1 billion-plus plant would be too costly to build without a partner and the utility doesn't need the extra power, chief executive Dick Kelly said.
- Vroom, Vroom: Formula 1 Orders Teams to Go Green
Kinetic-energy recovery systems, which make their F1 debut in 2009, are one area where F1 is already advancing green car technology.
- 'Crowd Farm' looks underfoot for renewable energy source
Crowds of people — the next renewable source of energy? OK, it's not likely to happen in the immediate future, but it's a feasible prospect, say two architecture students who have a prize-winning plan to turn human power into electricity.
Montana Education Excellence
- Vicious Cycle Portland is not so bike-friendly—But it could be. Here’s how.
Being more bike-friendly than Albuquerque is one thing. Being on par with Amsterdam is another.
- What It Looks Like When Bikes Are Part of the Transit System
"It's not about the money," Gil told us again and again. "It's about the vision and it's about political will. The politicians can always find the money."
Leadership Montana
- Montana university system pledging to cut achievement gaps
Montana is among 19 systems across the country that have committed to halving two key achievement gaps by 2015. One is the rate of low-income and minority students attending college; the other is their graduation rate.
- New round of commercials for University of Montana
“President Dennison and a number of others realized it’s kind of a new day, that we have to go out and tell people our story,” he said. “That’s what we did.”
VIRUS ALERTS
- Leadership, Patagonia-style: Changing the Criteria for Success
People who can manage "the tough decisions and incorporate" difficult issues into their lives, she said, "are the future leaders."
- Federal agency warns against fraudulent e-mails
An attachment to them includes a virus that, if opened, will install a program that can steal passwords and account numbers from receiving computers.
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