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| MATR Newsletter - Fri Jun 20, 2008 |
"A Life's Lesson" Each year around this time I try to find inspirational commencement addresses to post to inspire and guide. Unfortunately, this year hasn't had a bumper crop of outstanding speeches. That was until Peggy Noonan talked about what our real goals should be as a reflection on the life of Tim Russert. His death deeply moved and inspired many of us. I hope her words will have the same impact. Russ http://matr.net/articl ... .html
Many thanks to all of you who have continued to support MATR and its goals. "MATR Reaches Milestones Thanks to our Sponsors and Supporters" http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html
Developing an Angel Network in Montana
Developing Tech Jobs in Rural Communities
- Forming Angel Organizations, 9/25, Missoula, Montana
“This full-day seminar provides a comprehensive overview of the strategic and tactical steps needed to create the angel group that best fits the characteristics and interests of your community.”
- Forming Angel Organizations, 11/13, Billings, Montana
“This full-day seminar provides a comprehensive overview of the strategic and tactical steps needed to create the angel group that best fits the characteristics and interests of your community.”
- Credit Crunch Angels - The Oregon Angel Fund
Collapsing banks and constricting credit markets have compelled many newly risk-averse investors to scurry for the sidelines. But not Eric Rosenfeld and his merry band of 50 angel investors in Portland, Oregon.
Developing a more Entrepreneurial Montana
- The Renewed Allure Of Telecommuting
Nearly 40% of tech workers would accept a pay cut of up to 10% to telecommute full-time.
- Telecommuting Could Save Gas And U.S. $38 Billion Annually
On average, Americans spend $2,052 annually on gas and an average of 264 hours, or 11 days, commuting each year, the study found. Eighty-nine percent of respondents said they would limit job searches because of potential commuting costs. Twenty-eight percent said they are seeking new jobs to reduce commuting costs.
Leadership Montana
- These high school students have a (business) plan. Welcome to "The Pitch"
In 14 weeks, each team of students has gone from not knowing what a business plan is to creating one and trying to sell it to a panel of professional adults, the hypothetical investors.
- Program readies Montana's Native American youth to become successful entrepreneurs
"The goal is to build entrepreneurship in Montana's Native American communities," said Adam Gill, the program director for Rural Dynamics. "We are targeting this age group, 13- and 14-year-olds, because they have a good sense of the world now and they can take the leadership lessons they are learning here with them into high school."
Montana Biotech
- Eight building-blocks of teams - ‘Ready to Lead?’
Another essential leadership quality discussed in the book is approachability.
- How Silcon Valley got its vision
"David Packard spoke of the importance of industry taking responsibility for things that are happening around them and urged the CEOs to take a positive role in addressing problems rather than to just complain about them."
Montana Business
- Competing for biotechs' attention
States, nations chase prospect of high-paying jobs, revenue
Montana Economic Development
- Montana Manufacturing Extension Center offers free business growth sessions around the State
Now MMEC offers you a disciplined approach to top line growth designed especially for Montana-size companies with Eureka!
- Electric cars from Eco Auto of Bozeman, Montana pique local interest in Nampa, Idaho
“All of us in the electric car business are overwhelmed,” Gompertz, a Miles Electric Vehicle representative from Bozeman, Mont., said. “It’s a dream come true, but we’re not prepared for it.”
- Zoot Enterprises of Bozeman, Montana employees offered environmental incentives
"In terms of other companies potentially adopting a 4 day work week, or things like that, I think the viability that going green has to offer today probably is going to open up more opportunities for companies to start that conversation to really think about it more seriously."
Regional Economic Development
- MATR Reaches Milestones Thanks to our Sponsors and Supporters
If you'd like to learn more about additional supporter openings, please contact me.
- Former Company Town Faces Uncertain Future - Bonner, Montana finds itself on the cusp of major change.
Bonner retains a fierce community pride, but its once bustling character has been replaced by a forlorn air, a near-ghost town where the last few loads of logs outnumbered the few mill workers who remained when the plant shut down last month.
- Triangle Communications Contributes to Communities
As part of its Economic Development Program and commitment to the communities it serves, Triangle Communications (Triangle) is proud to announce that it has recently awarded several grants to area organizations and businesses.
- Answer to Montana's economic development is Blowing in the wind
Glacier and Toole Counties will soon be home to Montana's largest wind farm, boasting 140 turbines that will produce 210 megawatts of electricity.
Economic Gardening
- Alberta and Ontario Launch Tech and Venture Capital Initiatives
Last week, Premier Ed Stelmach of Alberta introduced a $170 million suite of initiatives to support high-tech economic development in the province.
- Western Governors’ Association Annual Meeting, 6/29-7/1, Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Joining the Governors will be the Premiers from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia and special guests journalist Tom Brokaw and Jeff Immelt, CEO of GE.
Funding and Building your Business
- Focus on Being a Great Town and Everybody Wins
Our economic future, and specifically, the trend toward economic diversification, needs to be to focus on becoming one of the best small towns in America to live, work and play in.
Incubators and R&D
- I've got angels who want to invest but not lead - now what?
When doing an angel round, you need two things:
- Don't be afraid of maps
To map or not... I bet you can guess which ones have the higher success rate...
- Study shatters myths on personal Net use at work
A new study attempts to shatter perceptions that these Web surfers are just slackers trying to avoid work.
- How did we get our idea for our startup?
Without sounding too glib the answer is "all of the above and maybe more, probably."
- CEO decision making – A key quality investors seek
Good decision making alone is not sufficient to solve business problems.
- Before You Buy That Small Business
Buying an existing business is often safer than starting one on your own. But watch out for these red flags.
- New S Corp Rules May Help Small Businesses Weather Economy
Now, with the economy creating a pressing need to help small businesses weather the downturn, this is the best chance in a decade for Congress to act on significant legislation. Here are some of the changes the group is seeking:
- Attention to Detail—The key to business success
One of the most vexing questions that many business owners have in today’s world of challenging economic times is “How do I do better?”
- After the no
What should entrepreneurs who have built up a relationship with a VC (or Angel Investor(s) over the course of a due diligence process do when that process ends in a "no".
- Starting up: Think like a start-up, even if you are not one
We focused on four areas: People, processes, performance and products.
- How to Build a Successful Mentorship Program
Many people from traditionally underrepresented groups are discovering the benefit of having a mentor when trying to manage their careers. It can be "very critical to the development of one's progress."
- The early days of PayPal: a "four-year boot camp where nothing goes your way"
PayPal, the San Jose company that revolutionized the way payments are made online, marks its 10th anniversary this year.
Montana Education Excellence
- Darpa Brain Drain Costs Agency $32 Million
Money is available, the document adds, because the agency "continues to underexecute its Research, Development, Test and Evaluation programs."
- New Report Ranks States on Technology and Science Assets
Not only are states competing against each other for human capital and resources, but countries like China and India are raising the stakes to a global level.
Montana Education/Business Partnerships
- MSU graduate places among top 50 in Google's Android Developer Challenge
Sharkey's program, dubbed "AndroidScan" or simply "Scan," uses a cell phone's camera to read the barcode on any product. Through the phone's Internet connection, Scan then searches more than a dozen Web sites for information about that product, such as reviews, prices, excerpts, online vendors and nearby stores selling that item.
University TechTransfer
- University of Montana tech transfer success, Montana Renewables of Missoula to create biomass chemicals.
The biomass chemicals, which are derived from plant material, are designed to be used instead of petroleum-based chemicals in an array of industrial and consumer products. Montana Renewables will use a refining process patented at the University of Montana to make glucaric acid, a biodegradable compound, from raw sugars in corn syrup.
Oregon Business
- Seattle high-tech leader, Linden Rhoads selected to head University of Washington TechTransfer
Established in 1982, UW TechTransfer has helped create more than 235 companies, many of them in Washington, and manages more than 2,000 issued and pending patents around the world. In fiscal year 2007 the intellectual property licensed to industry through UW TechTransfer generated $38 million for the university.
Oregon Economic Development
- Intel Spins Off Solar Tech Business. SpectraWatt to open facilities in Oregon
In addition to making photovoltaic cells, SpectraWatt also will focus on improving current manufacturing processes to reduce the cost of photovoltaic energy generation.
Washington State Business
- Oregon sets new high school diploma requirements
Beginning with the class of 2012, students must meet state standards in reading, math, writing and speech to graduate
Education
- New China Center Means More International Options for Washington State University Business Students
The new agreement means that the college will have a permanent presence at SWUFE with office space and a program director on-site.
- Gregoire And Sims To Address Green Jobs Conference, 6/21, Seattle, WA
Union leaders, environmentalists and members of the low-income community will discuss ways to build a green economy while bringing 25,000 new, family wage jobs to Washington state.
Other Economies
- Governors Submit Comments to Department of Education and Explore Strategies to Make the United States a Global Leader in Education
The Governors Education Symposium brings the nation's governors together to engage in candid dialogue about improving education in the United States.
- 2 School Entrepreneurs Lead the Way on Change
Ms. Kopp and Mr. Barth are a power couple in the world of education, emblematic of a new class of young social entrepreneurs seeking to reshape the United States’ educational landscape by creating new schools, training better principals and getting more smart young teachers into needy classrooms.
Community
- State attracting more early-stage business investments
"Wisconsin's early-stage capital market is growing at a rate that exceeds the U.S. average, which speaks to the tremendous strides being made by Wisconsin start-ups and those who help those companies grow."
Connectivity & Communications
- Seven New Community-Friendly Grant Opportunities
"Facilitating Community Renewal & Transformation: from Striving to Thriving"
- Top 10 Most Livable Cities
While Portland, Oregon; Antwerp, Minneapolis, Lisbon, Rome and Wiesbaden offer great quality of life, they didn't quite make it.
Energy
- Intel Corp. starts site to link 50M caregivers nationwide - ConnectingForCare.com
The site is designed to help family caregivers, nurses, social workers and others both share information and give each other emotional support, "filling a void in today's healthcare system."
- Internet-a-Gogo: Airlines to Offer In-Flight Access
On these Internet-equipped planes, any passenger with a Wi-Fi enabled laptop -- or a cellphone with Wi-Fi -- will be able to do almost everything he or she could do online at home or at the office.
Miscellaneous Ramblings
- Hawai'i algae may be biofuel source
"We have good confidence that it's very viable," said Ed Shonsey, chief executive officer of HR Biopetroleum, a company that is partnering with Shell on the project. That includes believing the processes can eventually produce oil for $30 to $50 a barrel.
- MIT team plays with fire to create cheap energy - starts new company - Raw Solar Solutions
New solar dish harnesses power from heat – at a size and cost that make soaking up the sun even more attractive.
- Geothermal energy meetings set in West
Meetings in July on a plan to speed development of the West's geothermal energy resources are planned for 12 states.
GIS Technology
- A Life's Lesson
In a way, the world is a great liar. It shows you it worships and admires money, but at the end of the day it doesn't. It says it adores fame and celebrity, but it doesn't, not really. The world admires, and wants to hold on to, and not lose, goodness. It admires virtue. At the end it gives its greatest tributes to generosity, honesty, courage, mercy, talents well used, talents that, brought into the world, make it better. That's what it really admires. That's what we talk about in eulogies, because that's what's important. We don't say, "The thing about Joe was he was rich." We say, if we can, "The thing about Joe was he took care of people."
Non-Profit News
- State Of Montana Signs ESRI Enterprise License Agreement for Unlimited GIS Software for State's 26 Agencies
"Despite Montana having a small population in a large area, our GIS community is very active, progressive, and forward thinking; this effort exemplifies the spirit of this community," said Bryant Ralston, ESRI's strategic account executive for Idaho and Montana.
The Creative and Cultural Economy
- Montana Wilderness Association funding work trips in Bob Marshall
Volunteers are still needed to make these projects a success.
- Nonprofits grow in Wyoming
To be better educated and trained to run these nonprofits, more than 200 participants are attending “Wyoming Philanthropy Days” at the University of Wyoming Conference Center in Laramie.
- Missoula, Montana among the top 10 towns nationwide for professional artists
Missoula is in the top 10 cities nationwide, behind Santa Fe, N.M., San Francisco, Boulder, Colo., New York, Bloomington, Ind., College Station, Penn., Los Angeles, and Stamford-Norwalk, Conn.
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