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| MATR Newsletter - Fri Oct 21, 2005 |
"An organization's ability to learn, and translate that learning into action rapidly, is the ultimate competitive advantage." -- Jack Welch
MATR Roundtable"Innovation For All" With Paul Gladen, CEO of muzeview.com, 11/9,Missoula http://www.matr.net/article-16462.html
Come Home Montana
Education
- In Montana's wide open spaces, a nothing town that's really something - Lewistown
"We're 130 miles off the interstate." By which he meant a lot that's good has been preserved against modernity, by virtue of distance.
- Featured "Come Home Montana" Community~HARDIN
Hardin is a small town with a BIG city mentality.
- Montana-Jobs.net Featured Career ~ Economic Development Director- Ravalli County | Hamilton, MT
- Montana-Jobs.net Featured Talent - Desired Field: Accounting / Bookkeeping
Montana Business
- Online Education 101: What To Know Before You Enroll
Despite the Internet's reputation as a cheaper alternative for just about everything, it isn't always less expensive to go to school online.
- University of Montana Math Professor Johnny Lott writes lessons by the 'Numb3rs' - his team boils the complex problems into exercises that can be understood by average seventh- through 12th-graders.
Johnny Lott, a faculty member at UM for the past 31 years, leads a team that designs activities derived from the prime-time CBS program, which airs on Fridays. The lessons for teachers, students and parents are then placed on the "We All Use Math Every Day" Web site at http://www.cbs.com/primetime/numb3rs/ti/activities.shtml.
- MSU administrator, Thomas Gibson accepts position with Commissioner's Office to lead distance education initiative
Improving student access to the MUS through better-coordinated distance learning is a Board of Regents' priority.
- Montana Education group fumes over inaction by State
The Montana Supreme Court set an Oct. 1 deadline for producing a funding formula the Legislature could enact, he said, and that deadline has been missed.
- Microsoft: names UMass its first ''Information Technology Showcase School" in the nation - Company recognizes Amherst campus for teaching innovations
''We see the university as a true pace setter in higher education," said Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer
- Author offers advice to educators at the Montana Education Association-Montana Federation of Teachers annual conference.
“It would be nice if books lived forever,” Yolen told the audience. “But an author who does not learn from each book, who does not grow, is going to become a bad author.”
Montana Economic Development
- NewWest.Net Announces Bozeman Launch, Major Award Nominations
“Bozeman is one the most dynamic towns in the Rocky Mountain region, and we’re delighted to be able to serve Bozeman residents and visitors with our new brand of community journalism,” said Jonathan Weber, founder and editor in chief of New West.
- 1 Montana, 3 Idaho and 9 Utah firms make Inc.'s 500 fastest growing companies in the nation list
Virginia ranked first in the highest number of Inc. 500 companies per capita with 4.5 companies per million residents. Massachusetts ranked second at 4, and Utah ranked third at 3.7.
- Harbert Distressed Investment Sends Letter Regarding Montana Public Power's Plan to Buy NorthWestern
We have discussed the views contained in this letter with other shareholders and believe that they share the views of Harbert expressed herein.
- Hunting means big business for Montana. "Get yer elk yet?"
Two years ago, a FWP survey found that hunters spent an estimated $168 million on their pursuit of big game.
- Fresh taste helps Fort Benton, MT product sell - Elliott's Montana Fresh Products
"The student council members and volleyball team sold frozen cookie dough as a fundraiser, but they were getting complaints about the product," Elliott said. "She asked if I could make a better product in my kitchen." Her test recipes, made without preservatives, were a hit. So, Elliot decided to forgo the corporate world and target sports teams, civic organizations and other groups looking to raise money instead.
Developing Funding Opportunities in Montana
- MSU Billings College of Technology receives Grant of $1.98 Million from the President's Community-Based Job Training Program Competition
"The President's Community-Based Job Training Initiative helps workers get the training they need to access good paying jobs in high growth industries,"
- A return to 'Main Street' in Stillwater County, Montana with help from MEDA
In Absarokee, some people credit a recent Montana Economic Development Assessment for feeding a sense of enthusiasm. Morrison said the assessment process may have helped tip the scales toward future growth.
- UM Business Bureau Wins Publication, Web Site Awards
"We like to have our research available in print and on the coffee tables of business owners, bank presidents and government officials," Furniss said, adding that she also realizes businesses need quick and easy access to BBER information on the Web.
Funding and Building your Business
- Investors take a look at entreprenuers' work - 400 attend the Enterprise Institute Innovation Expo 2005 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota
"We are often the pivot point at the local level," Kasten said. "We need to point local entrepreneurs in the right direction and the programs here provided information about the resources that are available."
Regional Business
- Terminating an employee legally -- and gracefully -- avoids trouble
Preparation is key when firing someone, and careful planning can limit misunderstandings, anger and recrimination.
- Inside Startup School
"To me, goodness is having the fewest parts." In other words, keep it simple. Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple Computer.
- What Would You Do Differently Next Time? A VC Reflects
Local presence matters. Sometimes VCs should keep their mouths shut. Shotgun Weddings Don’t Work. VCs can indeed be very unethical. Never have a VC as an angel investor.
- 6 Sources of Bootstrap Financing
Bootstrap financing is probably one of the best and most inexpensive routes an entrepreneur can explore when raising capital.
Regional Economic Development
- Torrent Technologies Presents at Intermountain Venture Forum
With the 2005 storm season fresh in everyone’s mind, this was a unique opportunity that generated additional momentum in the successful execution of our capitalization strategy.
Utah Economic Development
- Small plant, large potential in North Dakota- Have you had your Cuphea today?
Technology Crops International, which opened an office in Fargo last week, soon will be recruiting North Dakota farmers to grow cuphea, which is being studied as another source for lauric acid, a key ingredient used in hundreds of products. Scientists also are exploring the possibility of using cuphea to make biodiesel.
- Archer Daniels Midland Co. Announces Plans to Build Biodiesel plant in Velva, North Dakota
Archer Daniels Midland Co. says it has chosen Velva, a McHenry County town of about 1,000, for its first wholly owned U.S. biodiesel plant. It is the second biodiesel plant announced in North Dakota this year.
- Plains' high-tech potential hailed
"Today, Fargo, North Dakota is the head of the business information systems of the world's biggest software maker," Slotkin said.
Government Technology
- Film industry ditching Utah for other states - Lack of incentives costs Utah film industry's economic boost
Those lawmakers concurred that a $1 million incentive program approved last session was helpful, but still inadequate to keep Utah competitive with other states for film business.
Idaho Business
- Montana online services win the Best of the Web nationwide competition in two categories with an honorable mention in another
"Montana demonstrated tangible public value with results that make government more responsive to the state's businesses. Business and tax filings with government are now as straightforward and fast as online banking," says Cathilea Robinett, executive director of the Center for Digital Government, "Anytime you streamline a bear of a process from seven months to less than 24 hours, you know you are doing something real and in the public interest."
Incubators and R&D
- Coldwater Creek Changes - Idaho retailer expanding into nearly 200 stores by year's end
Evolve or die. The mantra applies to business as much as nature, and at Coldwater Creek it's a way of life.
Small Diameter Timber Utilization
- Gates' foundation, others give grants worth $13 million to the Institute for Systems Biology to support research that could extend a person's life
In a statement, Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates said his foundation's assistance will support an innovative Northwest organization that has the potential to change the way people think about health and disease.
Careers
- Power plant would utilize singed trees for biomass energy production
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Monday that it will guarantee a $16 million loan to an Arizona businessman who wants to build a biomass electrical generating plant, which will create energy by burning timber and paper.
Energy
- Four Tips for Making the Most Of Mentor Relationships
A trusted mentor can be a source of support throughout your career -- whether you're looking to get ahead, switch jobs or beat any number of professional challenges.
- Power-sharing key to success, women attest
Being called a "powerful woman" can take on a negative cast, but it's good to get a reputation as being tough but fair
Making the Most of the American Prairie
- University of Colorado team again shines in solar home building competition
The Colorado team, which won the 2002 inaugural event, used materials such as corn, wheat and soy in the walls. The house has two types of solar panels and a removable roof.
- Montana Gov. Schweitzer: "States, industry must solve energy crisis"
“There’s no vision in that energy bill,” Schweitzer said. “There’s no future.”
- Space Geeks Seek Wireless Power
Proponents hope that at least in the United States, the post-Sept. 11 desire to wean the country from foreign sources of energy could renew interest in alternative concepts, including wireless power.
- Initiative Funds UM College of Technology Project On Benefits Of Bioenergy
The goal of the project is to create awareness of the environmental and economic benefits of bioenergy through educational and research programs and a series of outreach initiatives that aim to expand the use of the technology.
Connectivity & Communications
- Conservation groups, American Prairie Foundation and The Nature Conservancy get genetically 'pure' bison
"They're an important tool for grassland conservation in this part of the world and are part of the original ecosystem,"
Space and Zero Gravity Research
- Is 'Wi-Fi on steroids' really the next big thing?
With WiMAX, people in locations where broadband was previously unavailable will be able to ditch their old analog modems for an antenna and receiver.
- Cities Unleash Free WiFi
As the chief information officer in Philadelphia Mayor John Street's Office of Information Services, she heads a $49-million project -- known as Wireless Philadelphia -- to blanket the city in a broadband wireless network.
- Wikipedia founder admits to serious quality problems - Yes it's garbage, but it's delivered so much faster! - Creator of 'wiki' alters course, exits Microsoft
Meanwhile, criticism from outside the Wikipedia camp has been rebuffed with a ferocious blend of irrationality and vigor that's almost unprecedented in our experience: if you thought Apple, Amiga, Mozilla or OS/2 fans were er, ... passionate, you haven't met a wiki-fiddler. For them, it's a religious crusade.
- The Death of Television - Will the Internet replace the boob tube? & Black and white and read by fewer
The best advice for now: Study the music industry and do the exact opposite.
- Balloon beams broadband internet from stratosphere at thousands of times the capacity of a home broadband internet connection
"You could rapidly put communications infrastructure where it doesn't exist,"
- Creating the Global Hot Spot - "The network will cover 88 percent of the globe's landmass,"
While Sea Launch wouldn't disclose the exact launch date for the satellite, Korn offered a time frame. "It'll be early November," she said. "We'll be announcing it on our website."
- Cliff Notes From the Blog World
It attempts to solve the problem of information overload with a few smart algorithms that constantly track the hot topics in tech and politics blogs.
Transportation
- Opportunity for U.S. firms to go to Asian Aerospace 2006 by participating in our Aerospace Executive Service (AES) on February 20-21, 2006.
The AES affords lower-cost access to small and medium-sized businesses by allowing them to participate in Asia's largest aerospace exhibition without taking on the enormous expense of purchasing and staffing booth space.
Community
- Delta cutting Butte flights
“All of the airports in Montana have been cut back by Delta at least two or three flights,” Griffith said. “They’re saying it’s for the winter, but I would expect it to be a long winter.”
- Delta to trim flights to Helena - Southwest Airlines announces its return to Denver
Mercer said he’s heard no plans yet to eliminate Helena’s lone daily flight to Minneapolis on Mesaba Airlines, a regional carrier that recently filed for bankruptcy, as did Northwest, the airline that contracts with Mesaba.
- Florence, Montana opens door to community development
Organizers visualize Florence with an impressive community building - complete with meeting rooms, an amphitheater, and a place for children to hang out and play games. But first, they want to find out if folks in Florence are imagining the same thing.
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