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| MATR Newsletter - Tue Aug 19, 2008 |
"The time to stop talking is when the other person nods his head affirmatively but says nothing." -- Henry S. Haskins
There's still time to plan on attending this excellent conference: "Venture Capital In The Rockies, 9/9-11, Sun Valley, Idaho" http://matr.net/events ... =2372
Boomtown Institute
Come Home Montana
- The Agurban from Boomtown Institute - Bringing Jobs Back to America from China: Can It Happen?
The economics of global trade are starting to tilt back in favor of the U.S. to a degree unseen in a generation.
Developing a more Entrepreneurial Montana
- In Montana, a Popular Expression Is Taken Off the Endangered List . "The Last Best Place"
“The Last Best Place” struck a chord in Montana, the fourth-largest state in size but with fewer than a million people and millions of acres of wilderness.
- Chicago couple joins Montana's hospitality industry. Izaak Walton Inn and Eddie's Cafe - Glacier National Park
He came out from Chicago to visit a friend who was going to the University of Montana. "I had a wonderful trip and it just never left my mind," said Kelly, who now calls Montana home, along with his wife and their four children.
Leadership Montana
- You're the boss - Owning a business in uncertain economic times can be tough even on a seasoned professional.
One of the toughest transitions as a business owner is not getting a constant paycheck.
- Perhaps why Dallas doesn’t have many startups!
What if we had an angel group that instead of spending time on the frontend ’screening’ out the bad/unfundable startups, they spent time helping entrepreneurs learn how to pitch their ideas to investors?
Montana Business
- Leadership Bitterroot soliciting new students
People both new and old to the Bitterroot are welcome to sign up.
Montana Economic Development
- MAEDC asks the State for help as Montana's wood products industry struggles
"They're high quality jobs that exist in the wood products industry. So it's important that we not let it go away without a real struggle and a real effort to make sure it survives," said Governor's office of econ, Evan Barrett.
- Bob Rowe an excellent choice for CEO of NorthWestern Energy
His goal, he said, is to foster a utility that “will do it better, more creatively, more responsibly, and (provide) real value to the communities in the state that we serve.”
Careers
- Celebration of life on Aug. 24 for Jon "Tony" Rudbach, Associate vice president for research and economic development at the University of Montana
A celebration of Tony’s life will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 24, at the home of Lucy France. For details please contact Lucy at (406) 829-6512, [email protected]; or Karl at (406) 756-7692, [email protected].
- From Homegrown to Global - Growth rate of Montana’s exports among highest in nation
Montana has benefited immensely from federal free trade agreements, with its number of exports growing at nearly the highest rate in the nation. Tiny businesses and large companies alike are taking advantage of the new markets.
Funding and Building your Business
- Job-hunting boomers face new age
Many baby boomers need to brush up on modern ways to find work, interview and even update their image.
- 30 Skills Every IT Person Needs
An IT manager's guide on how to be better at what you do, no matter how experienced you are.
Regional Business
- Staying Creative: Success on a Shoestring
An entrepreneur explains how his company grew from two to over 50 employees from its inception 15 years ago and doubled revenues every year for the past four—without venture capital
- How Should I Approach a VC I Don't Know?
Every entrepreneur who has raised venture capital has heard it a thousand times—the best way to approach a venture capitalist is via a warm introduction.
- Stop Overplanning and Just Do It
"The difference between an author and a writer is that an author writes."
Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR)
- Real Estate And Development In The Northern Rockies Navigating A Changing Market, 10/23-24, Missoula, Montana
Get the latest intelligence on market trends, hear from innovative developers and investors, learn about the most important new projects and policy developments, and join the conversation about the future of the Rockies.
- Benefits of a four-day work week
Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer's spokesperson, Sarah Elliot, said he has recently spoken with Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman about the new state hours, and "we're definitely interested to see how this works in Utah. We're definitely watching it."
Idaho Business
- Should VC-backed startups qualify for federal small business benefits?
"Thousands of legitimate small businesses across America could be forced to close their doors if the legislation becomes law."
Utah Business
- Nampa, Idaho based MPC unveils grade-school sized laptop
Picking up where the Intel-powered classmate PC left off, the TXTbook uses Intel’s latest 1.6 GHz Atom Processor – specifically engineered for small, economical machines.
- More trade opportunities exist for Idaho in Mexico
Direct sales, infrastructure improvements and mining are three opportunities that Idaho companies could capitalize on.
Utah Economic Development
- Utah Business to Launch New Website
The new Website will be Utah’s one-stop source for business news, offering breaking news stories, daily business tips, blogs written by respected business leaders, streaming videos of events and more!
Education
- Silicon Slopes Initiative Aims to Make Utah the Next Silicon Valley
Silicon Slopes is an initiative, started and funded largely by Orem-based Omniture, to bring attention to Utah’s high tech innovations and companies.
- 16 companies getting funds from rural-aid program
Approved companies can get up to $50,000 under the program to help develop their businesses, or they can get $1,000 to $1,500 per created job, depending on how much over the county average annual wage the job pays.
Community
- For some Harvard Business School professors, the blogosphere is new terrain
Several business professors at Harvard have jumped into the Internet fray recently, opting for immediacy over considered analysis and wrestling with some of the passions and anonymous sniping that are the daily bread of cyberspace.
- How Disruptive Innovation Changes Education
"Our goal in writing this book was to dig beneath the sorts of surface explanations for why schools struggle to improve, and the lenses on innovation, which is our field of specialty, proved a great way to help us do just that."
Connectivity & Communications
- Traffic stoppers
An increasing number of cities are temporarily closing streets to cars and opening them to pedestrians and cyclists. It fosters a greater sense of community.
Energy
- Software firm, 7128 Software, lets disabled get their game on
It creates computer games everyone can play. While 7128 Software did not specifically target the disabled market when it started 18 months ago, the universal accessibility of the company's games has gained it entry into a potentially lucrative niche market.
Cool Stuff That's Coming
- Pacific Gas deal will nearly double USA's solar power
Within three years, PG&E will buy its solar energy from OptiSolar and SunPower, which plan to build the world's two largest solar farms in California as part of the deal.
Non-Profit News
- Military paying scientists to develop mind-reading tech
Armed with a $4 million grant from the Army, scientists are studying brain signals to try to decipher what a person is thinking and to whom the person wants to direct the message.
- Pakistan to honor Greg Mortenson of Bozeman, Montana (Central Asia Institute) for his efforts to educate the children of Pakistan and Afghanistan
“The credit and this (diplomacy) award should go to the incredible, amazing and dedicated communities of Pakistan and Afghanistan, who have the courage to seek out education and literacy, sometimes while even risking their lives.”
- Center helps nonprofits find funds
Funding Information Center's mission: To help nonprofits develop good governance, good management, sustainability. The center provides tools to help people do those things the right way.
- America's 'Philanthropic Divide' isn't getting narrower
The annual report by the Big Sky Institute for the Advancement of Nonprofits documented that the nickname "Treasure State" may once have been appropriate based on the state's resource wealth, but not when it comes to the state's receipt of philanthropic giving.
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