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| MATR Newsletter - Tue Nov 15, 2011 |
“The best way to be boring is to leave nothing out.” Voltaire
Inspirational startup story "Starting (Up) in the Big Sky: Fund Raising Outside Silicon Valley - Missoula's Submittable.com" http://matr.net/articl ... .html --- Great Upcoming Events: SBA's Region 8 Administrator, Dan Hannaher Listening Session, 11/15, Missoula, Montana http://matr.net/events ... =3908 --- Car Sharing In Missoula, 11/16, Missoula http://matr.net/events ... =3909 --- Hellgate Venture Network - Jim Bowman, Missoula Economic Partnership , 11/17 Missoula, Montana http://matr.net/events ... =3903 ---
Northwestern Energy
21st Century Education Initiative - "You Should Care..."
- NorthWestern Energy Reaches Stipulated Agreement with Montana Consumer Counsel Regarding the Proposed Spion Kop Wind Project in Central Montana
If approved by the Montana Public Service Commission (MPSC), the proposed $86 million project is to be developed by Compass Wind and placed into utility rate-base for NorthWestern's Montana electric retail customers.
Arrow Solutions Group
- District-created app improves the home-school connection - eBackpack
RSD uses the eBackpack as a comprehensive approach to communications and parent involvement, which promotes student learning.
- New Website Allows Educators to Share Online Resources - "The Learning Registry"
"The Learning Registry addresses a real problem in education, by bridging the silos that prevent educators from sharing valuable information and resources," Education Secretary Arne Duncan
- Hands-on science project pairs high school, elementary students
"When you understand it enough to teach somebody, that's when you know you're learning something."
- Federal Office for Early Learning Planned
There is little question that those with a strong, evidence-based pre-k experience are far better prepared for hitting early reading proficiency rates.
- Web app aims to help teachers act on classroom data
The Kickboard web-based software helps teachers and school administrators "collect and analyze academic and behavioral performance efficiently and in real time so that they can make appropriate and timely interventions," in the company's own words.
- K-12 STEM Educational Outreach Opportunities. SAE/AWIM Joins Forces with Montana Office of Public Instruction STEM Program
It is our goal to ensure every child in every school in Montana, has the opportunity to discover and engage in AWIM. As with any initiative, we cannot do this alone. We need the support of business and industry leaders to champion their community of schools and as a result guarantee a workforce with a solid foundation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
Great Falls Development Authority
- 13 Insanely Cool Resumes That Landed Interviews At Google And Other Top Jobs
"Your resume has to dress the part," says career counselor Lynn Berger. "Just like you wouldn't wear a miniskirt to a job interview, you need to match the resume to the job you're looking for."
- 14 Of The Coolest Resumes Ever
A creative resume isn't for everybody, or every job, but for the people we talked to, their innovative approach paid off.
City Club Missoula
- The Great Falls Development Authority works to help aviation company come to Great Falls
"Initially they would employ 25 to 30 workers and then grow to 50," said Brett Doney, president of the GFDA.
Visit Montana
- City Club Missoula - Poverello Building Choice Expected In Weeks - Daytime Salcido Center won't be part of new Poverello
"We haven't had a firm deadline set," said Fowler Pehan. "We're working with them, really on a week to week basis, and we have no benefit from delaying this decision any further."
Come Home Montana
- Big Sky Resort offers big skiing in Montana
Standing near the 11,000-foot pinnacle of Lone Peak, seemingly halfway between the base of the Big Sky Ski Resort and the actual big sky of Montana, I looked down at the rocky chutes of Big Couloir and the Gullies and had one thought: "No way."
Developing a more Entrepreneurial Montana
- Montana Career Opportunity - E-Business Solutions Architect - Northwestern Energy
Ideal candidate will have strong conceptual, technological and analytical skills in order to solve complex problems and successfully complete strategic projects.
- Montana Career Opportunity - Entry Level Programmer/Software Engineer - SameSky Systems, Inc.
It is desired that applicants have at least a BS degree in Computer Science, have class or real world experience programming in PHP, web development (HTML5 experience is a plus), mobile application SDK knowledge is a plus, Linux experience is desired, and experience utilizing the Eclipse IDE and Subversion code control is a plus.
Montana Business
- Drive to succeed: Billings entrepreneurs say SBA class in Helena was worth the trip
"We were looking at companies that had the opportunity to grow and grow exponentially," said Tom White, a lender and relations specialist with the SBA, who organized Montana's first class. "By getting a good cross section across the state, it was like planting small economic development seeds."
Montana Economic Development
- Montana program looks to get hurt workers back on the job
The Montana State Fund recently launched its statewide Work Heals campaign to highlight the benefits of having an injured employee return to work more quickly.
- Starting (Up) in the Big Sky: Fund Raising Outside Silicon Valley - Missoula's Submittable.com
"Write as much code as humanly possible before raising any capital. If you're not a seasoned entrepreneur with a track record of success, don't waste your time asking anyone for money. Get your hands dirty. Create a product. Get one customer." Michael FitzGerald
Careers
- SBA's Region 8 Administrator, Dan Hannaher Listening Session, 11/15, Missoula, Montana
The Missoula Chamber of Commerce is hosting Mr. Hannaher's meeting with business people on Tuesday, November 15th from 4:00 to 5:30 PM at the First Interstate Bank downtown.
Economic Gardening
- Quitting tips: How to leave a job you hate
Hitting the send button on scathing, company-wide e-mail is far from the best way to resign.
Funding and Building your Business
- FRED - Focus On Rural EntrePreneurial Development, 5/3-5, Fairfield, Iowa
How to Turn Your Town into a Rural Renaissance City through Asset Quilting and Economic Gardening
Incubators and R&D
- Managers need to throw the time clock out
Imagine unlimited paid vacation and sick leave, with no mandated office hours. Chaos, right? Not according to a handful of award-winning employers profiled in a new report on effective workplaces.
- Is venture debt the new venture capital?
Equity is permanent and debt must be repaid, right?
- And the Most Innovative Entrepreneur Is...
Messrs. Shafrir and Swarztrauber credit the turnaround they pulled off to constantly keeping an eye out for new business opportunities. While they say it's important to focus on proven models of success, it's also critical to regularly set aside time to investigate potential alternative sources of revenue.
- Five key elements to managing your online brand reputation
#1 Start at the beginning
- 25 Must-Haves for a Remarkable Website
This is why having an effective website that contains key elements for driving more traffic, leads, and sales is so crucial.
- 10 Clues That It's Time to Start Your Own Business
It's like starting a personal relationship, if you wait for exactly the right time, you'll never do it.
- Reinventing the Board Part II: The Role of the Chair in Increasing Board Effectiveness
A big reason a lot of board meetings stink is they focus on the wrong things.
- Looking To Hire Top Talent For Your Startup? Here Are Five Things You Should Know.
"What are the attributes of a killer job posting?"
Montana Education Excellence
- Douglas Kondo, M.D.: Helping Kids Beat Depression, University of Utah Brain Institute
"Think of a water tower," explained Kondo. "If the reservoir is full, you can turn on the faucet in your house. But if it's too low, there is no pressure in the system and you're out of luck." Kondo's work will determine whether creatine works in depressed adolescents as it does in adults.
South Dakota Economic Development
- International Education Week Nov. 14-18 At UM - All events are free and open to the public.
The opening ceremony is at noon Monday, Nov. 14, in the University Center Atrium. Speakers include Associate Provost for International Programs Mehrdad Kia, Director of Foreign Student and Scholar Services Effie Koehn and International Student Association President Grecia Pacheco. Cultural performances by Chutzpah and the Rocky Mountain Ballet Theatre will be held before and after the address.
Washington State Business
- The South Dakota Economy: 'It's turning around'
"As leaders in your community it's your job to find ways to make your community more presentable to prospects."
Education
- Is Seattle the center of supercomputing?
The SC'11 organizers have an initiative called "Broader Engagement" to address the missing middle. These are the companies and technical professionals on the margins of supercomputing. Organizations that could benefit from supercomputing but just don't know it.
Government
- UMBC Highlighted on CBS' 60 Minutes - UMBC President Freeman Hrabowski tells Byron Pitts that well-educated people don't just perform better in jobs - they also help create new ones.
Freeman Hrabowski, president of the University of Maryland Baltimore County, has an unusual name - and an even more unusual approach to education.
- A Cure for the Community-College Blues
A rural community college helps its students learn the financial skills to stay in school.
Other Economies
- "60 Minutes" - Congress: Trading stock on inside information?
Insider trading laws on the stock market are deemed not to apply if you are a member of Congress.
Community
- Study looks at how to improve economic diversification in Nevada
The 178-page report, from the Brookings Institution's Brookings Mountain West division and its Metropolitan Policy Program, features an exhaustive accounting of Nevada's past efforts at diversification, and how the state can do better.
- An engine of innovation - The Nebraska Business Development Center
The Business Development Center has similar relationships -- some more heavily involved than with Bast Labs, some less -- with thousands of Nebraska businesses each year. In 2010, the development center worked with 3,090 businesses in 200 Nebraska communities. Five years earlier, in 2005, 2,231 businesses in 210 Nebraska cities and towns. And so far this year, 1,598 firms in 200 locations. This year's total will include $100 million in government contracts for Nebraska businesses.
- State equity investments program might draw private capital
A proposal approved by the Legislature this year allows Marshall's office to invest up to $50 million from the state's Permanent School Fund into private-equity investments
Connectivity & Communications
- Foundations empower Montana communities to solve problems
Montana has more than 75 foundations, which collectively have kept wealth in our state and granted millions back to their communities.
Energy and Climate Change
- Gig.U - Seattle and University of Washington look to light up 500 miles of fiber to help solve broadband woes
The plan is part of Gig.U, an initiative supported by 37 universities to accelerate broadband access in the communities in and around universities.
Cool Stuff That's Coming
- Flathead Electric Cooperative to Begin Exploratory Geothermal Drilling
The cooperative is also looking into a biomass project at Stoltze Land and Lumber Company.
Transportation
- Roger McNamee: Six ways to save the internet
The next big shift is now, and it's not what you think: Facebook is the new Windows; Google must be sacrificed. At TEDxSantaCruz, tech investor Roger McNamee presents 6 bold ways to prepare for the next internet.
- App works as a super-fast grocery self-checkout
It enables you to scan and bag your groceries as you shop, whip through the checkout by basically waving your phone at the register. It reads, you pay, you go.
- Car Sharing In Missoula, 11/16, Missoula
I know some of you have looked into this in the past and it would be great to have that input at this meeting. For those that can't make the meeting please try to have a representative there and bring any and all info you might have.
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