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| MATR Newsletter - Tue Sep 6, 2011 |
“I’m just convinced that if we can close achievement gaps before children enter kindergarten, we have a chance to close them forever.” U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, responding to Facebook comments, August 3, 2011
Flathead Valley Community College Seeks to Raise $1 Million for New Nursing Building - Please Donate Now! http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html --- America Needs A Business Plan http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html
Montana Department of Commerce
21st Century Education Initiative - "You Should Care..."
- From Hollywood to Havre - the Film "Winter in the Blood" Shoots on Montana's Hi-Line
"Winter in the Blood" http://www.winterinthebloodfilm.com/ began shooting on the Hi-Line in August, and has already captured the attention of both the national Native American community and Hollywood.
Great Falls Development Authority
- Many U.S. schools adding iPads, trimming textbooks
Apple officials say they know of more than 600 districts that have launched what are called "one-to-one" programs, in which at least one classroom of students is getting iPads for each student to use throughout the school day.
- Learning How to Focus on Focus
Executive function can be significantly improved, especially if interventions begin at an early age.
- A School District Mimics Charters, Hoping Success Will Follow
In the first experiment of its kind in the country, the Houston public schools are testing whether techniques proven successful in high-performing urban charters like those in the Knowledge is Power Program, or KIPP, a national charter chain, can also help raise achievement in regular public schools.
Come Home Montana
- Great Falls Development Authority strategist , John Mack uses varied business experiences to help local businesses
Under Rebecca Engum's leadership, the GFDA's Small Business Development Center has been one of the state's top performers. The SBA recommended that the Great Falls center receive extra funding from last year's Small Business Jobs Act stimulus bill to hire another specialist. Mack will help Engum, freeing her up some for other projects.
Developing a more Entrepreneurial Montana
- Montana Career Opportunity - Executive Director - Montana Board of Investments
The Montana Board of Investments (the Board) directs the investment activity and administration of approximately $13.5 billion in state assets, including pension, trust, and local government funds.
- Montana Career Opportunities - Tech Positions - University of Montana
The University of Montana capitalizes on its unique strengths to create knowledge, provide an active learning environment for students, and offer programs and services responsive to the needs of Montanans.
Montana Business
- Helena teen hones entrepreneurial skills over summer
"Ultimately, I think one of the things that kids often miss in a larger city is the ability to develop some entrepreneurial skills," said Mark, who learned his work ethic growing up on a family farm and now helps run the Veterans Service Center at Fort Harrison. "She learned about controlling inventory, dealing with people and communication skills - both verbal and written.
Regional Economic Development
- Montana Community Development Corporation (MCDC) is New Host to Kalispell Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC)
Located throughout Montana, PTACs help small businesses compete in government marketplaces, offering individual counseling, procurement information and other contracting resources.
- Pacific Steel & Recycling cultivates future leaders from within
"You always have a certain amount of the workforce that comes and goes, but for the most part, we have a lot of longevity, which makes a difference," Wahlert said. "And your employees are vested in making the company succeed. Everyone is accountable."
- Missoula's Blue Marble Biomaterials rethinks petroleum-driven products
"Oil is crude, your products shouldn't be," is one of Blue Marble's slogan.
- Former Smurfit-Stone site in Frenchtown, Montana getting green makeover
An Illinois investment company that bought an old container manufacturer west of Missoula hopes to turn the 3,200-acre site along the Clark Fork River into a magnet for green jobs.
Careers
- Growing companies and jobs through angel investment or venture capital
A variety of different types of companies are finding that an angel investor or those working with venture capital just might be the best way to garner funds to start a business.
Economic Gardening
- Age-Proofing Your Job Application
Those who present themselves as up-to-date on industry trends and fluent with new technologies will have a leg up, regardless of their age.
Funding and Building your Business
- Economic gardening with help from the SBA
To begin an economic gardening program, one must develop an inventory of community and business assets available. What is the "wealth" in (insert your state here)? What organizations can you tap into or partner with?
- Economic gardening' grow is now the way to grow
"Economic gardening is not a quick fix and it is not a silver bullet. It is a long-term strategy," Gibbons said in the 2010 summer issue of the Economic Development Journal. "It is not a fad diet. It is a lifestyle change."
Incubators and R&D
- Introducing the Cap Table and Hiring the CTO
Jane and Dick, our fearless cofounders of SayAhh, have set up an accounting system and created their first set of financial statements. This week they set out to create their cap table and hire a CTO.
- 7 Startup Co-Founders That Can Lead to Conflict
If you think about it, you should realize that not everyone is 'ideal partner material.'
- It Takes a Customer Sale to Prove a Business Model
"Will the dogs eat the dog food?"
- As workforce ages, industries struggle to prepare for wave of retirements
Human resources experts, workers and executives from a range of industries say businesses are largely unprepared to accommodate an aging workforce or to cope with its eventual retirement.
- How To Sell Your Company
Negotiation is worthless. Sales is everything.
- Do we need defined hours of work any more?
If you can work any time, you can work all the time
- 8 Key Questions to Break Thru Entrepreneur Hype
What is your burn rate and runway today?
- What To Look For In A Company Board
As opposed to ten years ago, there are many more outside individuals involved in a startup's progress from an idea to an actual company, and Clavier advises entrepreneurs to create a support network with a board. For example, many startups have created both boards of advisors as well as boards of directors.
- What I Learned After 3 Years Mentoring Over 80 Startups
Sell your project to your relatives.
- Do You Have the Mentality to Manage a Startup?
After working with entrepreneurs for almost a decade now, I have developed a good "radar" to quickly recognize mentalities that will likely pass the test of investors, employees, and customers.
Montana Education Excellence
- Boise State University redirects its research ambitions
"How are we going to dedicate precious resources in ways that relate most directly to the economy?"
Montana Education/Business Partnerships
- National Science Foundation Awards UM $250,000 Research Grant to provide middle school classrooms with an authentic, user-centered and collaborative learning experience.
Students will learn to use cyber-based tools to conduct scholarly research, collaborate effectively with peers and communicate professionally with their intended audience.
Regional Business
- Flathead Valley Community College Seeks to Raise $1 Million for New Nursing Building - Please Donate Now!
Flathead Valley Community College began a campaign last week to raise $1 million for a new $5.75-million nursing building on campus, with the bulk of the cost covered by a $4 million private donation.
Missoula Children's Theatre
- Social media connect farmers with local customers
Michele Payn-Knoper, who founded the AgChat Foundation, has been helping raise Holstein and dairy cattle since she was 9 years old. She believes that consumers should have accurate sources of information about where their food comes from and cares deeply about helping eaters connect directly with producers.
- Funding, staff shortages threaten national parks
Reports of climate change harming parks from Montana to Southern California have also come from the U.S. Geological Service, the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Park Service itself.
Government
- New artistic director Joe Martinez, takes reins at Missoula Children's Theatre
Here at MCT, for these people who come through our doors, it's a passion and they're finding time to make it happen as a community member. The kids that come to the summer camp, they came and paid because that's what they want to do. "That's one of the major reasons I decided to come back and what excited me about it."
Other Economies
- America Needs A Business Plan
A national strategic narrative must be a story that all Americans can understand and identify with in their own lives.
Community
- New economic development agency aims to avoid pitfalls
"The intention right now is for the Economic Development Corp. to create a for-profit arm that will set up a $100 million seed capital fund for early stage start-up businesses."
Connectivity & Communications
- Sunday Streets Missoula, 9/11, Missoula, Montana
Bike and walk downtown, without the threat of auto traffic
- McKinstry's new Spokane headquarters may become a model to spur historic preservation
There is also a sense on the part of family-owned McKinstry's leadership that exposure for the building may help advance the firm's conviction that conservation should be treated as a renewable-energy source, bringing tax credits that would spur a broader look at restoring historic buildings.
Non-Profit News
- Microsoft and IBM are at work developing software so companies can run secure in-house social networks
Both are creating social networks that companies could own and use within their offices, rather than have employees chatting with each other on the uncontrolled online landscape that Facebook has become.
- Addicted to 'Stumbling'
For Prine and millions of other "stumblers," San Francisco's StumbleUpon Inc. provides an addictive daily habit that they say is better than Facebook or Twitter for discovering interesting, helpful or inspiring topics to share with friends.
- Adventure Cycling expanding in downtown Missoula despite recession
This fall, it's also embarking on a $400,000 expansion of its downtown Missoula headquarters, a project estimated to bring a 50 percent staff increase, although not all at once.
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