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| MATR Newsletter - Tue Apr 3, 2012 |
"I make more mistakes than anyone else I know, and sooner or later, I patent most of them." - Thomas Edison
How To Be Creative - Brain Food for Missoula's Soul - BarCamp and Ignite on April 13-14 http://matr.net/articl ... .html
Montana Department of Commerce
Ignite Missoula
- The Western Energy Corridor
“These energy resources, collectively, provide a foundation for regional economic development, including a platform for moving the region’s energy products up the value chain.”
- Montana Superhost! - Bringing valuable customer service training to a community near you.
Call soon to reserve space for your staff.
Dorsey & Whitney LLP
- Have you submitted your proposal to speak at Ignite Missoula? Deadline is April 5!!
What's your passion?
Inteneo Systems
- After Mayo, Patent Office Will Require 'Significantly More' than a Law of Nature for Patentability
The U.S. Patent Office has advised patent examiners that patent claims must amount to "significantly more" than a law of nature, natural phenomenon, or abstract idea.
Highway 12 Ventures
- Show Data With A Meaningful Narrative
Learning from data is a lot different than using data to fit your own narrative.
SRS Crisafulli, Inc.
- Sphero Goes International, Launches New Apps
The Sphero is a robotic ball which can be controlled by a smartphone, and also is designed to interact with software through APIs.
- Highway 12 Ventures - Portfolio News | March 2012
GutCheck changes online market research community landscape with instant consumer insights from Facebook, Twitter and Google+.
2012 Montana Politics and Legislature
- SRS Crisafulli News - One Thing Leads to Another
Energy efficiency, getting resources to the right places at the lowest cost, optimizing flows, as pump people, these are the kinds of issues we at SRS Crisafulli think about.
Come Home Montana
- Max Baucus stakes claim to 2014
"Max is running for re-election as Montana's senator in 2014 because he's dedicated to fighting for Montana and delivering results every day, and that includes getting 600,000 hard-working Montanans a tax break that puts money in their pockets," said spokeswoman Kate Downen.
MEDA -Montana Economic Developers Association
- Montana Career Opportunities - Chief Accounting Officer, Technology Specialist - Great Harvest Franchising (Dillon, MT)
"Baking the Difference - in neighborhoods across the USA"
- Montana Career Opportunity - Chief Executive Officer - AAA MountainWest
Executive Leadership Experience in the Insurance Industry desired.
- Montana Career Opportunities - Sales Support Administration, Software Development Technical Assistant, Project Manager, Software Testers, Software Support and Training Technicians, Professional Sales/Territory Manager - Edulog
Since 1977, edulog has been the most respected and popular choice for school district transportation and planning professionals.
- Montana Career Opportunities - CAD Implementor, Programmer, Software Tester - LogiSYS
LogiSYS started with the idea that advanced computing could help public safety agencies provide better coverage and response while handling their data in a more useful way.
- Montana Career Opportunity - Vice Chancellor for Research/Dean of the Graduate School - Montana Tech
Montana Tech is recognized among America's best values in undergraduate education. Montana Tech possesses an internationally esteemed, century-old tradition of excellence in higher education.
- Montana Career Opportunities - Chief Information Officer, Vice President of Administration and Finance - Montana State University
Montana State University is the State's land-grant university and ranked by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching among the top 96 research universities in the nation.
- Montana Career Opportunity - Director of Development & Marketing - United Way of Missoula County
Responsibilities include directing annual campaign ($1 million plus) workplace/corporate foundation fundraising, major gifts, planned giving, special events, overseeing PR/marketing materials.
Montana Ambassadors
- MEDA April News
Have you registered yet for the MEDA Professional Development Tax Increment Finance Training
Montana Business
- See the photos, video and presentation files from 2012 MT Ambassador Annual Conference
If you had to miss the 2012 "Imagine the Possible" Montana Ambassador Conference, you can view photos and all of the presentation files via the Conference Summary
MSU Leadership Institute & UM Global Leadership Initiative
- Schwarz Custom Boots Opens School Helps Students Learn How to Make Custom Cowboy Boots in Dillon, Montana
Schwarz Custom Boots offers four two-week classes each year and often they fill up quickly. It hosts classes in March, January, August and October. The upcoming August class still has openings.
- HCR Inc. - Business is red-hot for Lewistown, Montana company specializing in doorless refrigeration systems
"Refrigerator doors work well if there isn't a lot of traffic. But, when you're always going in and out, there are problems."
- Red Ants Pants Music Festival names artists for summer event 7/26-29 in White Sulphur Springs, Montana
Mary Chapin Carpenter and Emmylou Harris will perform at the second annual Red Ants Pants Music Festival this summer
- Women-owned businesses flourish, fill niches in Great Falls, Montana
In Montana, women-owned businesses increased by 29 percent in the the last 15 years.
- WGM Group gets into water rights
WGM does more than just transportation work, and it's new water rights and resources team will offer an long list of services to clients, including water rights dispute evaluation and mediation services, and the analysis of legal and physical water availability.
Careers
- Condoleezza Rice to speak at MSU 2012 Freshman Convocation set Sept. 5
A limited number of tickets will be made available to the general public in August. More information, when it is available, will be announced on the MSU convocation webpage: http://www.montana.edu/convocation/
- Award-winning American Journalist And Author Edward Girardet, 4/14, Montana State University
Girardet will tell the story of Afghanistan's resistance fighters, foreign invaders, mercenaries, spies, aid workers, Islamic extremists, and others who have defined the country's last 30 years of war, chaos and strife.
Economic Gardening
- Computer Science for the Rest of Us
READING, writing and -- refactoring code?
- 10 Resume Tips for Technology Professionals - Apply for a Tech Position That Doesn't Exist
Persuading a company that it should open its doors to geek gurus can be a frustrating endeavor, but these tips should help you land your dream tech job, even if your position doesn’t exist yet.
- Desks, Where Creativity Goes To Die
#1 - Leave the office and get out in the real world!!!
Idaho Business
- Update on 2012 FRED Conference
This conference is a peer-supported learning environment that allows Economic Gardening practitioners to bounce their ideas and showcase both successes and challenges of economic gardening system development.
- Don't chase brick and mortar from afar - grow it organically
Well gang, if you cannot draw one of them here, then grow a better version organically right here.
Incubators and R&D
- 6-ton Idaho spud kicks off 32-state road tour
The building-sized potato that was first seen at the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl will be making stops that include Chicago, New York, Washington, Denver and Los Angeles.
- Some Boise round-trip airfares up an average of 20 percent in a year
Customers have noticed, as the number of trips people are taking to destinations where prices have climbed are down year over year
Other Economies
- University of Calgary software detects cancer before tumour forms
Using their newly developed software program to examine the mammograms again, the team was able to identify suspicious areas that were missed the first time -- on average, 15 months before lumps or other signs of cancer were clinically diagnosed.
- National Science Foundation program at Stanford aims to tap into Silicon Valley know-how
Professors kind of sit in their offices and think about what would make an interesting research problem to solve. Stanford faculty, by contrast, have shown a relentless knack for turning ideas into companies.
- University of Utah Brain Institute Research Videos Demystify Cutting-Edge Neuroscience
From Parkinson's disease to adolescent mood disorders to implantable neural systems, these interviews help to demystify brain science for the lay audience.
- Montana Tech College of Technology instructor, John Jackam secures third patent in the area of biodiesel production.
The patent, titled "production of biodiesel and glycerin from high free fatty acid feedstocks," is Jackam's third in the area of biodiesel production.
21st Century Education Initiative - "You Should Care..."
- The Bloomberg Economic Evaluation of States
The Bloomberg Economic Evaluation of States shows energy- rich North Dakota (STOND1) was the top performer in the fourth quarter, compared with the previous three months, followed by West Virginia, Nevada and Oklahoma.
Missoula Schools Excellence
- Investing in early education good for state's economy
A report from the business leaders group America's Edge shows that early learning investments will actually boost sales of goods and services from Montana businesses and create thousands of jobs. In fact, for every $1 invested in quality early learning, a total of $1.61 will be generated in sales from our state's businesses. That is a level of performance that is as high as or higher than investments in manufacturing, construction and transportation.
- Alan November: What's your plan for making every home a center of learning?
South Korea is putting a 1-gigabit internet connection into every home in the country, he said, adding: "That's more capacity than some states have for all their schools."
- Gateway to College National Network Offers Funding for College/K-12 Partnerships to Serve Out-Of-School Youth
Successful applicants for start-up funds will be able to demonstrate flexible systems that allow students to earn a high school diploma (either through the college or in cooperation with a K-12 partner) and provide access to public K-12 education funds for high school completion
Montana Education Excellence
- Keep lifesaving device on hand: Help Missoula County schools put defibrillator in each and every school
MCPS and the affiliated Missoula Education Foundation are asking Missoulians to fund the purchase of at least 19 more devices, including some for schools that have none.
Montana Education/Business Partnerships
- Montana State University chosen as one of America's top universities in environmental studies
Enviance, Inc. and Environmental Leader recently named Montana State University as one of the "Sustainable 16," a group of 16 colleges and universities exemplifying excellence in environmental academics in the first-ever March Madness Tournament for Environmental Studies.
- Montana State University President Cruzado chooses 16 programs to share $1.2 million
A lot of things were great ideas. But when it came to prioritization, a lot (focused) on retention of students or helping them graduate. Those got higher priority.
- University Bashing in Our Resource-Rich State
One can look way back at Montana's gold, silver and copper extraction era for example and learn how much wealth and culture was left behind after those riches were carries off to other places.
Bill Payne
- Shale Exploration LLC gives $130,000 to Scobey, Montana schools for iPads - Sets Example for Other Companies
Shale plans to open an office in Billings within the next few months and will hire between 25 and 40 people. Sallis said he hopes to set an example for other energy companies coming into the region.
Funding and Building your Business
- Top US angel investor, Bill Payne, says size of seed funding rounds need to increase
"I think we are in a time when technology has taken an upswing again and there is a bunch of exciting entrepreneurs out there who are out to change the world - again - and so it is really a fun time to be an angel investor and try to keep your skin on this time."
Energy and Climate Change
- 3 Videos Every Business Should Have: Case Study, Video Blog, Product Demo
The challenge in creating video is that it takes a bit more than a simple blog post.
- New JOBS Act Will Revolutionize Retirement
And now, savvy entrepreneurs will have a huge opportunity to use self-directed IRAs to attract new capital.
- Steve Blank Hands A New Owner's Manual to Startup Founders
No business plan survives its first contact with the real world.
- 5 Ways to See If Your Business Integrity is Showing
It may not be easy to see when you are being blinded by money in closing a deal, but it's easy for everyone else to see it. Here are some specifics that that help team members, investors, vendors, and customers to see a high level of entrepreneurial integrity in you at all times:
- The Jobs Bill - Crowdfunding poses pitfalls for business owners
Business owners also face risks if they choose to raise money this way, including the chance of getting personally sued under securities laws and getting distracted by lots of small investors.
- The Startup Owner's Manual: Your Guide To Starting An Economic Revolution
Steve is one of the most respected names in entrepreneurship his website includes a wealth of information as well, check it out at http://www.steveblank.com.
- 10 Sure Ways to Get Your Plan Trashed by Investors
Here is what I hear from investors that you shouldn't do, and can attest to from my own meager efforts:
- Fall In Love With Your Business, Not Your Business Plan
Every startup should have a blog.
- How to set up a board that really works for your startup
It's important you get this right.
- The JOBS Act: How Business Should Get Done in Washington, DC
The American public should be proud of how functional Washington was these past few weeks.
- Abolish The Reference Check
Reference checks don't accomplish the job we intend them to do.
- Crowdfunding Back On Track -- As Milk Train, Not TGV
As I wrote last week, an economics professor could hardly dream up a better textbook example of guaranteed market failure.
Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR)
- General Motors Decides Climate Change Is Real, Pulls Support From Heartland Institute
"We applaud GM's decision and the message it sends -- that it is no longer acceptable for corporations to promote the denial of climate change and that support for an organization like Heartland is not in line with GM's values."
- Missoula leaders tout new federal limits on carbon pollution - Mayor Engen says emission-cutting plan in works
The effects of carbon emissions are far-reaching, but Monday a group of Missoula leaders in government, health care, economics and even spirituality came together to tout the first federal limits on carbon pollution.
Non-Profit News
- Massachusetts Technology Development Corporation Launches New SBIR Targeted Technologies "START" Program to Help Fuel Innovation Economy
Massachusetts has long been a national leader in SBIR grants and dollars received; ranked second in the nation in dollars received, first in dollars received per capita and more than $3 billion in commercial sales of SBIR technologies generated to date.
Miscellaneous Ramblings
- The State Employees Charitable Giving Campaign in Montana
The State Employees Charitable Giving Campaign is recruiting non-profits around the State and especially in the rural areas and small towns to be included in this campaign. State workers are spread across Montana and this would enable them to donate to their communities and causes that are important locally.
Cool Stuff That's Coming
- Google - Bringing self-driving cars to NASCAR
Larry and I have always believed in tackling big problems that matter, and we're surer than ever that self-driving cars are one of them, capable of changing the world in all kinds of truly important ways, like reducing traffic and accidents by driving more efficiently, making correct split-second decisions and never shifting their focus off the road to check a map, text a friend, apply rear-view mirror mascara or dip a piece of tekka maki into a lid of soy sauce jostling over on the passenger seat. I hope that today's announcement of Google Racing will mark another step along this path, and spur innovations that improve the daily lives of people all over the world. Or at the very least offer us a few cool new thrills on hot weekend afternoons.
- Lacking Funds for Bike-Sharing, City Launches Bike-Stealing Program
With unexpected reductions in the budget, the bike rental plan has been altered to a theft-based system.
HACKING AND VIRUS ALERTS
- LED Handlebars Illuminate Bike Safety
"My idea was to create a bicycle light that could be easily used, and offer the same user friendliness of integrated bicycle lights, while remaining at a significantly lower price point."
- Now that you have a smartphone, it's time for a smart home
The "smart home" is a catch-all term for a collection of technologies designed for a broadband-connected house. They allow consumers to monitor and control appliances and locks, and to automate particular tasks, such as controlling the temperature.
Montana Chamber of Commerce
- The Verdict: Hang Up Don't Fall for Jury Duty Scam
The phone rings, you pick it up, and the caller identifies himself as an officer of the court. He says you failed to report for jury duty and that a warrant is out for your arrest. You say you never received a notice. To clear it up, the caller says he'll need some information for "verification purposes"-your birth date, social security number, maybe even a credit card number. This is when you should hang up the phone. It's a scam.
Transportation
- Montana Small Business Development Center Network Network Highlights l April 2012
The Montana Small Business Development Center (SBDC) was established in 1989 as part of a nationwide network created to improve the success of small businesses in Montana. The SBDC program is funded through the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Montana Department of Commerce, and local economic development organizations.
- Frontier's new flights help push fares down in Great Falls, Montana
Faulkner said Great Falls now has some of the best rates in the state, about 10 percent less than Billings and Bozeman, with even better savings for flights out of Missoula, Helena and Kalispell.
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