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| MATR Newsletter - Fri Jun 12, 2009 |
"If I have ever made any valuable discoveries, it has been owing more to patient attention, than to any other talent." -- Isaac Newton
I get lots of e-mails and phone calls about stories on MATR but I wanted to highlight this comment that was recently posted as an example of our outstanding education system in Montana: ""BRAVO, FVCC! You gave me my start. With that start, I went from earning $6.00/hr as a computer illiterate to a Masters of Computer Science from the University of Montana. The encouraging environment of FVCC helped this mother of 5 get off food stamps!--Nora McDougall-Collins " Study: Flathead Valley Community College has brought in millions of dollars in regional income to Northwest Montana. http://www.matr.net/ne ... 34654 -- I'm currently attending the MEDA Spring conference where we're learning about the wide array of stimulus funding that's available to businesses. Here's just one example from Keith Kelly, Commissioner MT Department of Labor & Industry that will have a major impact on business and workforce training in Montana: "American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Competitive Grants for Green Job Training in Montana" http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html
Dorsey & Whitney LLP
Highway 12 Ventures
- Vanity Web Addresses Available to Facebook Users: The Latest Trend in Online Social Networking May be the Next Big Challenge for Trademark Owners
In an effort to make it easier for people to find and connect with one another online, social networking provider Facebook, Inc., is offering its users the opportunity to create custom usernames to identify themselves in the URLs for their profile pages.
Boomtown Institute
- Stop Listening To The “Experts”
So which is it? Light at the end of the tunnel or doom & gloom?
- Good books for entrepreneurs?
There are business books that really taught me something (even though I didn’t read them cover to cover).
MSU Leadership Institute
- Boomtown Institute - Making Buy Local Work in Small Towns
I would encourage all small town chambers of commerce or merchant associations to order this guide. It will point you in the right direction to making buy local work in your small town!
Come Home Montana
- Study finds lack of leadership training programs keeps women executives from advancing
"What our data showed is that they are stacking the deck against women right from the start."
- Everybody Knows About Your Weaknesses – Do You?
We tend to get more objective feedback on our technical skills (test scores, metrics, instant results) than we do on the “soft stuff”.
Come Home Wyoming
- Montana Career Opportunity - Director-Technology Transfer - University of Montana
Primary responsibilities are to (1) identify and protect intellectual property; (2) encourage and facilitate invention disclosure reporting, (3) market, commercialize and audit UM technology, and (4) foster local, state, and regional economic development.
- Montana Career Opportunity - Certified Regional Development and Economic Development District Director - Northern Rocky Mountain Resource Conservation & Development
This position will focus on development and management of revolving loan funds, promotion and implementation of state and federal economic development programs, local and regional planning and business retention, expansion, and recruitment programs in Gallatin and Park Counties.
- Montana Career Opportunity - Program Coordinator II (Local Government Coordinator)
MSU Extension community development program provides resources and expertise to help Montana's communities envision, create and sustain successful economic, social and environmental development efforts.
- Montana Career Opportunity - Executive Director - American Indian Business Leaders (AIBL)
AIBL serves a national student membership comprised of K-12 and post-secondary students nationwide. We promote future business leaders who will utilize their education to improve tribal economic environments.
Developing a more Entrepreneurial Montana
- Wyoming Talent Available - Software architect with extensive biotechnology and medical domain experience - Todd Guion, Ph.D.
I am an experienced software architect with extensive biotechnology and medical domain experience.
Montana Business
- Survival rates for Montana's startups
The statistics on survival rates by size and industry may suggest targets for specialized technical assistance from government or private programs that work to provide information and help for entrepreneurs in order to improve Montana’s new business survival rates.
Montana Economic Development
- Headwaters Floating Island, a Montana company donates floating islands that fight polution to Denver parks.
"They're the coolest thing I ever saw in my life," said Laurie Rossi, a New Mexico resident who is visiting her 14-year-old granddaughter, Bowie. "They're floating gardens, for heaven's sake."
- June 2009 EYE on Business-Montana Chamber of Commerce newsletter
There’s so much more to what the Montana Chamber is doing and will be doing. As one of our Chamber Choices consultants is fond of saying – “you ain’t seen nothin’, yet!”
- Plum Creek Montana News - Challenging times for wood products industry
We are committed to maintaining a Montana manufacturing presence and remaining a major employer in the northwestern part of the state. Once again, the public is invited to recreate on our lands this summer.
- IRS adds new car break to Montana, other states with no sales tax
Officials hope the tax break will increase demand.
Business Plan Forums
- Leadership Redefined: Montana Embraces Smart Growth
Through its Legislature, the state has taken some positive steps in responding to public demand for smart growth policies.
- The Pew Charitable Trust Finds Clean Energy Economy Generates Significant Job Growth
Elizabeth Andrews is the Montana representative for the Pew Environment Group. She says, "So far, Montana has missed out on the explosive job growth and venture capital investments in the clean energy economy happening across the country."
- American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Competitive Grants for Green Job Training in Montana
As you will note in the Training Notice, $500 million of Recovery Act money will be made available for grant projects that prepare workers for careers in the energy efficiency and renewable energy sectors – aka Green Jobs. I am sending a copy of this grant notice to the workforce system partners, and encourage you to consider applying for grant funding.
Funding and Building your Business
- Eso-Technologies, a Waukesha County, Wisconsin startup wins Governor's Business Plan contest
The Hartland-based company won $50,000 in cash and services for capturing the grand prize in the sixth annual contest.
Montana Education Excellence
- Survey: Venture capital firms look outside U.S.
Only 17 percent of venture capitalists expect to increase their investments in the United States over the next three years, while more than half are investing in companies outside the country, according to a new survey.
Montana Education/Business Partnerships
- Miles Community College in Montana offers In-state rates for some non-residents
The program, known as "Grow Eastern Montana," will be offered on a two-year trial basis.
- Helena's ExplorationWorks gets $499,000 NASA grant
NASA has given Helena's museum of science and culture an almost $500,000 grant. That's to build space-related exhibits, bring astronauts to town to speak, and develop a curriculum for schools across the state.
- Montana University Students Win Support for Community Service - The Montana Campus Compact Receives $758,333 Grant
“This is a great honor for our organization—a testament to the great service students in Montana have done and will continue to do,” said Dean McGovern, Montana Campus Compact executive director, “this funding will help more students gain access to higher education and increase their civic involvement.”
- State law librarian details plans for Montana Indian law portal
Montana's state law library is preparing to unveil the first and only comprehensive Internet portal on statewide Indian law in the nation.
- Bozeman High School and Stevensville High are included in "The complete list of the 1,500 top U.S. high schools" by Newsweek Magazine
Bozeman High is ranked at No. 585. Stevensville High is No. 659.
Regional Business
- Montana Secretary of State Linda McCulloch to host Press Conferences to Discuss U.S. Election Assistance Commission Grants to Support Student Service in Upcoming Elections
"Poll workers help secure successful elections, and it's important to engage young adults in the process. Our democracy depends on active citizens, and I look forward to working with President McDonald, President Dennison, their students, and local elections offices on this project," says McCulloch.
- Taylors donate family home and property to Toole Co. Education Foundation to provide student scholarships
They have donated their family home, located at 735 2nd Street South in Shelby, with adjoining lots.
University TechTransfer
- Survey gauges challenges to wood industry
"This information will be useful to strengthen the existing (wood industry) and help build the 'right-sized' wood industry needed to complete restoration treatments and utilize wood material by these treatment projects."
- Fab firm moving to Post Falls, Idaho from Washington state
Burly Products is the latest company to ride the wave across the border to soak in Idaho's better business climate.
Idaho Business
- UW Spinout, Beat BioTherapeutics, Aims to Make Stem Cells for Damaged Hearts
University of Washington scientists have formed a new company that hopes to make cells that can replace pacemakers, and someday rebuild damaged heart tissue that people are left with after heart attacks.
Oregon Business
- Alternate Energy Holdings Inc., based in Eagle, Idaho could get $70M for licensing funds for a proposed 1,600-megawatt nuclear power plant
The developer of a proposed 1,600-megawatt nuclear power plant in Elmore County says it has secured more financial help for the project.
- Not extinct yet: Boise company's Pleo lives on
Jetta Company Ltd, which had been involved in manufacturing the robotic dinosaur before Eagle company UGOBE's slide into Chapter 7 liquidation, bought the intellectual rights for Pleo at a bankruptcy auction, said Steve Ohler, Jetta's U.S. liaison.
- The Idaho Department of Labor is seeking comment on proposed changes to its Workforce Investment Act and employment and re-employment services programs for 2009-2010. Public Input Due June 22
The programs are aimed at training and employing dislocated and at-risk workers.
- Idaho Innovation Council Wants To Hear From You
If you have any experience with tech transfer the Idaho Innovation Council wants to hear from you.
- Idaho leads the nation in green job growth
The clean energy work force in the state grew 9 times faster than overall employment from 1998 to 2007.
- Boise Valley, Idaho getting another startup incubator
MDC will lease the entire ground floor for $2,725 a month. It will then lease space to entrepreneurs who now have to work out of their homes or coffee shops, said administrative director Shaun Wardle.
Utah Economic Development
- Bend, Oregon solar company, PV Powered Inc., gets financial boost, plans to grow fast
Bend-based PV Powered Inc., which makes key components for solar panels, has received a multimillion dollar investment from a Vancouver investment group that could help triple the company's size in two years.
Wyoming Business
- eBay accepts incentive to expand in Utah
Since opening a customer-service location in Utah in 1999 with 200 workers, the facility has grown to a 1,100-employee operation.
Education
- Open spaces, internal conflicts: Wyoming values center on ag land
"Are we going to act, or let things happen to us by default?" Freudenthal asked participants in the second annual "Building the Wyoming We Want: Values and Vision" conference at the Gertrude Krampert Theatre at Casper College.
Community
- Connecticut District Tosses Algebra Textbooks and Goes Online
“In America, we run through chapters like a speeding train,” said John Dodig, the principal of the 1,728-student Staples High School here. “Schools in Singapore and India spend more time on each topic, and their kids do better. We’re boiling down math to the essentials.”
- California's Classrooms Going Green
With what some are calling the worst classroom conditions in the nation, California is trying to solve the problem by replacing all of its portable classrooms with green buildings.
- Kids reap benefits of long school year
Pallante calls the 11-month school year a "blessing for these urban school kids and their parents.
- Push is on for a ‘common’ education standard for US schoolchildren
“Teachers have been really positive on this idea of common standards,” he said at a Monitor-sponsored breakfast for reporters. “That has played much better with teachers than I thought it would.”
- Schwarzenegger seeks online revolution in schools
The governor recently launched an initiative to see if the state's 6 million public school students can use more online learning materials, perhaps saving millions of dollars a year in textbook purchases.
- What Makes A Good Rural School
Gerald Carter, Larry Lee and Owen Sweatt did find ten outstanding rural schools that were thriving in small communities despite troubled economic times.
Connectivity & Communications
- Not Enough Chairs in Times Square
Less than a week after Times Square became an outdoor lounge, it is already hard to find a seat there.
Energy and Climate Change
- Online businesses oppose '10 worst' proposed Net laws
NetChoice, a group backed by AOL, Yahoo, eBay, Oracle and other online companies, launched a campaign Tuesday against proposed laws across the country that it says would harm e-commerce and consumers.
Cool Stuff That's Coming
- Reinventing Cellulosic Ethanol Production - HCL-Cleantech
An Israeli startup, HCL-Cleantech, says that it has a cheap process to make biofuels from cellulosic materials.
- Not so windy: Research suggests winds dying down and the reason is very ironic.
A first-of-its-kind study suggests that average and peak wind speeds have been noticeably slowing since 1973, especially in the Midwest and the East.
- City of San Carlos, Calif., Wins Award For Climate Action Plan
More than 100 measures were considered, then 21 goals and 39 measures were selected which include:
- University of Washington Extracting Meaning from Millions of Pages
"Automated information extraction" will likely form the basis for far more intelligent next-generation Web search.
- Solar Powered Blue Car Hitting the Streets in 2010
A fully-electric vehicle with solar panels by 2010? Count us in!
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