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| MATR Newsletter - Fri Dec 14, 2012 |
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"C'est ce que je fais qui m'apprend ce que je cherche." (It's what I do that teaches me what I seek.) Pierre Soulages, French painter
WOW - Springsteen,Stones,Who,Clapton,Joel,McCartney, - The Concert for Sandy Relief http://www.121212concert.org
Montana Department of Commerce
Ignite Missoula
- Montana Technology Innovation Partnership - SBIR/STTR and TBED Newsletter
Among many hot topics discussed at the SBIR/STTR National Conference held in Portland last month, the need for demonstrated successes in commercialized technologies was repeatedly emphasized.
- Montana Film Office News
Governor Brian Schweitzer's efforts to promote Montana as a premier film destination have led to valuable film projects like "Nebraska" starring Bruce Dern and Will Forte.
2013 Montana Legislature
- How to Avoid Power Point Hell - Create Slides People Will Remember
Nancy Duarte, author of the HBR Guide to Persuasive Presentations, explains how to avoid PowerPoint hell.
Northwestern Energy
- Montana state senator outlines sweeping education bill for 2013 session
"It establishes a link between natural resource development and schools ... so that schools recognize that part of their funding is coming from natural resources."
- Montana Governor-elect Steve Bullock touts tax plans - Proposal includes $400-per-homeowner property tax rebate
"I hope you will help me encourage the Legislature to meet these needs and pass a bill that will allow immediate investments through construction, the bonding bill," Bullock said.
- Montana's schools superintendent Juneau outlines Office of Public Instruction goals for next Legislature
She reported Thursday that 65 percent of schools in Montana have signed onto the initiative, including Great Falls Public Schools, and are working on different plans to make sure all students in Montana earn a high school diploma or GED certificate.
Visit Montana - Montana Dept. of Tourism
- NorthWestern Energy marks 100th anniversary with meal
"It's an honor to work for NorthWestern," President and CEO Bob Rowe told the gathering. "Not many companies in the country can say they've been in business for 100 years."
Inteneo Systems
- Montana's 16 Ski Areas
We say: try them all.
Come Home Montana
- Disney World Parks and Resorts mines magic from business analytics
The organisation is using analytics to create targeted hotel offers and deploy the right Disney characters to interact with children.
- Are Big Utilities Ready For Big Data?
"The ones that are going to be successful in this will have a new breed of employee who understands the utility business quite well but also has some solid data management skills," says Williams, a utility industry veteran. "Frankly, utilities do not have that today."
- 10 Takeaways from Our Health IT Forum: Big Data, Robots, & More
Access to new streams of health information--by patients, doctors, and insurers--will help people make new decisions around the cost and quality of healthcare. And, like the red pill, you can never go back.
- 2012 Year in Review: Big Data in Government
From GIS to predictive policing, data streams are being used increasingly to provide better services to communities. Government and law enforcement agencies ramped up their use of big data this year in a number of different ways.
- Does Your Nonprofit Need Data Therapy? "Data is the new sexy"
"Data and reports alone do not produce change," said Charlotte Kahn, Senior Director of the Boston Indicators Project. To create change, data must lead to action. And community organizations can use data to illuminate the challenges they face.
- The Challenges of Linking K-12 and Post-Secondary Data to Improve Education Outcomes
Education leaders across the country are confronting a growing challenge: too many students are not college ready when they leave high school.
- Big Data Means Big Opportunities For Email Marketers
In some businesses at least, customers may even be enthusiastic if the personalized information collected gives them some value in return.
Leadership Montana
- Montana Career Opportunities - Business Analyst, Systems Engineer, Senior SQL Developer and more... - StoneRiver National Flood Services, Inc
The Leader In Flood Insurance Processing and Technology.
- Northern Hotel Starts Hiring As Opening Nears
And, of course, the Zoot Suites, available for rent by business people who need a temporary office space to conduct interviews or talk to clients, in a setting more business-like than the end of a hotel bed, will be equipped with all the latest technology and "cool amenities," such as wet bars, fire places, and someone to wait on them.
MEDA -Montana Economic Developers Association
- Vision Statement are More than Words on a Wall
Too many times the corporate value exercise leads to simply checking a box. Putting 'feet' on values can move an organization to significant productivity.
Montana Business
- Showcasing The Success Of Montana's Key Economic Development Programs And Partnerships, 1/15, Helena, Montana
Join us on January 15th in the Montana State Capital Rotunda to learn more about IMPACT - PARTNERSHIPS THAT WORK
Startup Missoula
- Hurricane Sandy Hits Kalispell, Montana - National Flood Services (NFS)
This private company is based locally in Kalispell and provides all aspects of flood insurance services for insurance companies participating in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) under FEMA.
- ALPS 411 Blog Newsletter
Our Love Affair With Social Media: A Tidal Wave of Evidence
- Mission Mountain Food Enterprise Center in Ronan, Montana
The Mission Mountain Food Enterprise Center (MMFEC)http://www.mmfec.org/ ,37 a division of Lake County Community Development Corporation in Ronan, Mont., has operated a food business incubator since the year 2000.
- PPL Montana's assets for sale, according to reports
"You have to wonder who's going to want these assets, and what they're going to want to do with them, and what that might mean for Montana ratepayers,"
- Schooley Mitchell Telecom Consulting Arrives in Montana - Cost Reduction Overview
Our clients reduce their telecom expenses by an average of 28%
- Muzeview News: December 2012
Does your firm report and manage performance by industry?
- Steel fabrication company ADF outlines jobs, plant information in Great Falls, Montana
With 140 jobs opening in the coming year, ADF is already seeing resumes trickle in, though it may be a little too soon for hires; ADF says they plan to begin with the interviewing processes in the spring of 2013.
Careers
- Startup Weekend Is Coming To Missoula Montana! Jan. 18-19, 2013
Whether entrepreneurs found companies, find a cofounder, meet someone new, or learn a skill far outside their usual 9-to-5, everyone is guaranteed to leave the event better prepared to navigate the chaotic but fun world of startups. If you want to put yourself in the shoes of an entrepreneur, register now for the best weekend of your life!
Government
- Top Ten Takeaways on Innovation From TEDx Women
This TED conference was an exhilarating exercise in thinking differently -- asking new questions, hearing answers to questions you didn't know you had, exploring new possibilities. That is what innovation is all about.
Idaho Business
- Montana Department of Revenue MONTANA TAX NEWS YOU CAN USE
It is designed to keep you posted on what is happening at the department, to let you know about new ways of preparing and filing taxes and to bring you up-to-date on some of the issues and trends popping up during tax season in Montana.
Other Economies
- Two teams win cash in Boise software-startup competition
The b|launched 2.0 competition is a job creation and new business start-up initiative that teaches young professionals how to start companies and expand their knowledge in software company start-up and development.
Regional Business
- Mesa Arizona - Leader in Tech-Oriented Job Creation But Striving for More
Among U.S. cities of 100,000 or more people, Mesa ranked No.8 for high-tech startups in a survey released this fall by a San Francisco business-counseling service.
Regional Economic Development
- Climate Change Threatens Ski Industry, Leaving Slopes Bare
As temperatures rise, analysts predict that scores of the nation's ski centers, especially those at lower elevations and latitudes, will eventually vanish.
South Dakota Economic Development
- 2012 National Awards for Smart Growth Achievement
While communities use smart growth strategies for many reasons--to improve quality of life, to attract new businesses and residents, to use taxpayer money more efficiently, and to take advantage of previous investments in infrastructure--protecting the environment is often one of their main goals.
- Community Health and the Competition for Jobs - Employers look for healthy employees
More and more companies, in their efforts to contain employee health-care costs, are making a community's obesity rate the most important factor in their business-location decisions.
- CIOs Reveal First-Quarter Hiring Plans - Highest in Mountain States
CIOs in the Mountain states plan the most IT hiring in the first quarter, with a net 18 percent of executives anticipating adding IT staff.
- How Boulder Grew Into a Hub for Start-Ups - Interview with Brad Feld
"If a company doesn't work, is there another opportunity?" We also used to hear: "We'll fund you if you move to Silicon Valley." Very few people will play that game now.
- Move Your Startup to St. Louis, Get $50,000
"We've also seen a lot of other cities trying to do the same thing now, because they see the power of backing startups."
- SBA and U.S. Labor Department Announce New Website To Help States Implement Self-Employment Assistance Programs
"For entrepreneurs who find themselves unemployed, the SEA website and toolkit will help them turn small business ownership into a reality and possibly put others back to work at the same time - a win-win scenario."
- See Where Residents in Your State Are Moving To, From
Relatively few Americans moved this year, and those who did find new homes didn't travel far.
- Tax Breaks for Sale: Transferable Tax Credits Explained
Over the last decade, states have entered into a fierce competition for the highly mobile movie business.
University of Montana & Montana State University Tech Transfer
- Stats debunk South Dakota's brain drain myth - State attracts more students than leave
In fact, recent trends seem to indicate that South Dakota is doing a better job of luring out-of-staters across our borders to go to college and keeping them here once they graduate.
Utah Business
- New Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM) Survey Reveals University Impact on Economy
Examples of the type of information gathered include the number of patents, the number of invention disclosures, the number of startups created and the amount of licensing income received.
Washington State Business
- Forbes ranks Utah best for business for third straight year
"We have a very fertile environment for entrepreneurs and business," Gov. Gary Herbert said. "Our economy continues to outpace the national trend because we budget on sound principles and maintain a business-friendly environment."
21st Century Education Initiative - "You Should Care..."
- Washington State University launches its own beef brand, Angus, Wagyu cuts
Washington State University is known for its Cougar cheese and Ferdinand's ice cream. Now, it's adding beef to the menu.
- University of Washington Spinout Funded by Madrona To Build Cheap Home Sensor Networks
"That's the real advantage," he says. "You can take a sensor and place it somewhere in a house or a building"--behind a wall, in an attic--"and forget about it."
Education
- The key skills today's employers desire
Shifting workplace structures have led many companies to covet a new kind of employee.
- An Admirable New Startup, Neverware, Has Raised $1 Million To Try And Save Schools A Lot Of Money
It makes old computers run like new. Hefter says schools that use his product, Neverware, will never have to buy new computers again.
- Zappos charter school planning builds 'excitement around education'
“If this is going to be the most community-focused city in the world, you have to walk the walk, you have to involve the community,†he said. “I saw that happening last night. This school will connect with the community.â€
MAPS : Media Arts in the Public Schools
- Luxury student housing hits college campuses nationwide
"Real estate investors and developers, hungry for new areas of growth, are finding a lucrative and previously untapped market in these areas surrounding college campuses."
Missoula Children's Theatre
- MAPS students share knowledge with Bitterroot Youth Home kids
She said that the project is allowing her and other MAPS students to expand their knowledge and see what they have taken from the program. Horlacher said the project will help them further understand what they have learned, by teaching others.
Missoula Schools Excellence
- It's A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, 12/14, Missoula
Bert and Ernie ride again...
- It's A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, 12/21 & 22, Missoula
With theatergoers as the in-studio audience, Joe Martinez's adaptation uses five actors, a sounds effects man and recorded music to bring George Bailey, Mr. Potter and the rest of Bedford Falls to life.
Montana Education Excellence
- Missoula and Montana rank high for Peace Corps volunteers
"We're thrilled to see Missoula continue to set the standard for Americans' dedication to promoting world peace and friendship," said Janet Allen, regional manager of the Peace Corps West Coast Region.
- Montana's 1st school health clinic to open at Missoula's Lowell
While fairly common in urban areas across the country, Lowell's health clinic will be a pilot program in Montana, made possible by a $500,000 federal grant.
Community
- Finalists For UM VP Of Administration And Finance To Visit Campus
The vice president for administration and finance oversees departments including the Adams Center, Business Services, Facilities Services, Montana Island Lodge, Human Resource Services, Public Safety, and Planning, Budget and Analysis.
- Bozeman High students excited to learn computer code, app creation
Fifteen Bozeman High School students spent their free lunch hour Thursday getting their hands dirty under the hood of the computer revolution.
Funding and Building your Business
- Cities With Denser Cores Do Better
Density is a key factor in both the growth of cities, the happiness of cities, and the wealth of nations. And cities and regions where density is more concentrated near their urban cores -- appear to gain the biggest economic advantage.
Connectivity & Communications
- Finding Big Start-Up Ideas, Even in Small Cities - Startup Weekend Is Coming To Missoula Montana!
Business incubators, conferences and accelerators, or entrepreneurial crash courses -- mainstays of start-ups -- are increasingly appearing beyond San Francisco, Boston, New York and other hubs.
- Kauffman paper details new Startup America model, highlights Iowa
StartupIowa, along with the other 28 startup regions, follows a new grassroots model that was instituted by the Startup America Partnership (SUAP) earlier this year.
- 5 Mentors Every Entrepreneur Should Have
Asking for advice and bouncing ideas off of others is essential to the success of an entrepreneur's journey.
- The 7 All-time Greatest Ideation Techniques
Which brainstorming techniques should you use to attack your next innovation challenge?
- 10 Phrases That Can Resolve Any Conflict
Through the process of "productive conflict," companies can grow and become more profitable. The key is to be able to resolve them effectively.
- Are You Managing Penguins or Polar Bears?
In your individual and team meetings with your employees and others, are they leaving the meeting as penguins or polar bears? And how are you showing up?
- Software Patents Have Become a Startup Nightmare
The bad news is that patent trolls (non-practicing companies that make their money from licensing patents) can squeeze the lifeblood out of unsuspecting entrepreneurs.
- VC in 2013: Norwest Venture Partners' Promod Haque on the Resurgence of Enterprise
We're particularly bullish on the ongoing innovation we're seeing in a number of startups and growth-oriented companies focused on Big Data/analytics, software-defined networking, storage, health-care IT and the social enterprise.
Government Technology
- Qualcomm CEO Envisions Cell Base Stations in Your Home
You plug it into your Ethernet or hook it up to your Wi-Fi and that is going to give you very fast data rates for doing whatever it is you want to do with your cellular phone.
- Ohio Launches State's New Ultra-Fast Broadband Network
"This is an ability -- think about 4G -- this is like 4G times a billion."
- Eric Schmidt Says Google Fiber Won't Stop With Kansas City
"It's actually not an experiment; we're actually running it as a business," Schmidt said.
- It's Time to Fix the Pitifully Slow, Expensive Internet Access in the U.S.
Internet access in America remains relatively slow - particularly when it comes to upload speeds, the very feature necessary for cloud computing and creating user-generated content.
- Seattle Announces Broadband Partnership
Service plans will start at 20 megabits per second up to 1 Gigabit per second.
Non-Profit News
- State of Montana purchases software to determine eligibility for children into the National School Lunch Program
"The Direct Certification project demonstrates that Policy to Practice has application not only in Health and Human Services, but also in Education."
Cool Stuff That's Coming
- Montana State University Extension to help grow community foundations in Montana
In Montana, community foundations have over $80 million in assets under management and collectively grant more than $4 million each year to charitable organizations across the state.
Transportation
- Mashable Announces the 2012 Innovation Index Winners
We created Mashable's Innovation Index to celebrate recent tech, digital and social innovations that have redefined your world.
- 2030: Megahumans, Megacities, Megatrends
"We are at a critical juncture in human history, which could lead to widely contrasting futures."
- Why Frontier Airlines chose Bozeman over Billings
"What frontier is really trying to do is transition into a low cost carrier."
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