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| MATR Newsletter - Tue Jul 29, 2014 |
"Few things are more powerful for changing a decision-making culture than seeing a senior executive concede when data have disproved a hunch." In those organizations, the role of experts will evolve from those providing answers to those adept at asking questions. http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html
This Week!- Rural Roundtable Innovator Events Invitation - Montana Technology Innovation Partnership http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html
IdeaMensch
Montana Data Focused Business Cluster
- Free Webinar - 14 Ways to Thrive in a Day
Our first webinar will be taught by my good friend Kibibi Springs and the topic is 14 Ways to Thrive in a Day - how to optimize your wellness for better performance.
Northwestern Energy
- How Amazon tools are solving Big Data problems with Big Data Analytics
The whole point of amassing data about your users is to intelligently analyze that data and uncover new trends and unforeseen behavior.
Montana Department of Transportation
- NorthWestern Energy's Community Works 2014 Report
Community Works encompasses NorthWestern Energy's tradition of funding community activities, charitable efforts and economic development within its service territory.
TechLink
- The MDT Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program
The MDT Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program encourages and supports the participation of companies owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals in transportation contracts.
Inteneo Systems
- The 50 Most Technologically Advanced Universities - Techlink Plays a Major Role in Helping Montana State University's Ranking #26
Through the program TechLink http://techlinkcenter.org/ , students are given opportunities to develop start-up companies or conduct research with funding from the Defense Department, NASA, and other government buyers.
Come Home Montana
- Intersecting Project Management and Business Analysis - Lessons from 40 PPM Experts on Making the Transition from Project Management to Project Leadership
"Many enterprises may have good data, but because they are working in silos . . . these data are not available to end users when they require it." - Ed Wallington
Montana Business
- Montana Career Opportunities - Multiple Positions - Northwestern Energy
NorthWestern Energy is committed to providing excellent service for our customers. In order to attract the best employees, we offer an attractive salary based on qualifications, a performance-based incentive program, and competitive benefits. We encourage employees to find opportunities to use their leadership skills to contribute to and strengthen the organization.
Montana Economic Development
- Missoula Workforce & Business Growth Survey 2014
Please help us gather information about business growth and job creation in the Missoula area by providing important information about your company.
- Thousands attend Red Ants Pants Festival
"It's been a steady flow of people rolling in and the campground is way bigger than it's ever been," said Sarah Calhoun, founder of Red Ants Pants and producer of the annual music festival.
- Closure of controversial federal bank would impact Bozeman businesses
West Paw's growth is just one example of the importance of the Export-Import Bank to the Bozeman area. According to data released by the bank, businesses in Bozeman and Belgrade rely on the Export-Import Bank more so than anywhere else in the state.
- The 2014 Compete Smart Manufacturing Conference, 10/9-10 ,Billings, Montana
Join us to CELEBRATE MANUFACTURING and the many ways it is MAKING THE MAGIC that enriches our lives everyday.
- Goomzee, a Missoula-based provider of mobile technology services to real estate agents, brokers and Multiple Listing Services, announced sales of its Mobile MLS Apps have exceeded early expectations.
Sparr said. "MLS staff cite the reasons they select Goomzee is because we 'get it,' our solution is 'insanely fast,' and our commitment to data accuracy and rules compliance is second to none.
- Equal pay task force to meet at University of Montana 7/31
"Our job is to really look at wage disparity in the state," Hogan explained. "Then we'll make recommendations to close the gap in state government, and hopefully there are private-sector people that will adopt some of the things we've done."
Careers
- Montana Kickstarter Campaign - Butte, Montana - The ORPHAN GIRL - The story of a frontier city & the pioneers that sacrificed to create a brighter future & fuel America's Industrial Revolution.
As Montana vies to recruit new businesses, our success stories must be told to ensure prospective companies realize the untapped opportunities available in Butte and Montana.
Next Generation Broadband in Missoula
- This guy's standing desk turned computer work into the most exercise-intensive part of the day
We have radically underestimated just how fit it's possible to become thanks to walking desks.
Government
- Competition Pushes Possibility of Ultra-Fast Internet in More of U.S.
"Regardless of what Google ends up doing, what they've successfully done is introduce the idea of gigabit broadband and ask the relevant question of why more of America doesn't have it," said analyst Jeff Heynen at consulting firm Infonetics Research.
Idaho Business
- Hamilton, Montana could see 40% property tax increase over last year
"They come up with these ideas to spend money," said Stevens, "and they don't ask me if it's OK. They just stick it to you and you've got to pay."
Incubators and R&D
- Apple Secretly Acquired Boise Based "Pandora For Books" Startup BookLamp To Battle Amazon
BookLamp's most well-known product was the Book Genome Project, a platform that let users find suggestions for books to read based on natural language analysis of other titles.
- Stanley, Idaho entrepreneurs shoot for an all-season future
A new wave of young, local entreprenuers is making Stanley a better place to visit and laying the groundwork for a year-round economy.
- Boise Airport goes hyperlocal
When it's finished, the airport will look a lot more like Boise.
North Dakota Business and Economic Development
- NY hospital plugs innovation center into Blueprint Health accelerator
"Having an office in an accelerator was part of our innovation road map," said Fleischut. Kotchoubey added, "We always try to build from within, but we also need to build with the local technology community and learn from them...
Regional Economic Development
- North Dakota's Oil and Gas Boom Is Producing Radioactive Waste
To many local and tribal officials, environmentalists and some industry managers in North Dakota, the dumping of the socks and the proliferation of other waste shows the government falling short in safeguarding the environment against oil field pollution.
Workforce Development
- White House to Begin $10 Billion Rural Investment Fund
Investors will be able to make debt and equity investments in individual and bundled projects. They will earn returns on their principal investments along with interest.
21st Century Education Initiative - "You Should Care..."
- "Year Up" trains thousands of disadvantaged youth for internships that often lead to corporate jobs -- jobs that companies have found hard to fill
It may surprise you to learn that even in this time of stubbornly high unemployment there are hundreds of thousands of good jobs available that companies are finding hard to fill.
- Program helps at-risk Montana youth get work experience - Opportunities Inc.
Program Coordinator Diane Willson said the program is intended to help youth who are struggling with school or other issues gain a positive career focus.
Missoula Schools Excellence
- Siblings may be greater influences on childhood obesity than parents: data analysis
The study, based on data from the larger national Family Health Habits Survey, found that kids with obese parents were about twice as likely to be obese themselves, but having an obese sibling raised a child's risk of obesity five-fold or more in some cases. Read more: http://medcitynews.com/2014/07/childhood-obesity-sudy-implies-siblings-may-influential-parents/#ixzz38WbeSPFX
- Margaret Spellings on the Future of Education
From early ages through college, data and information will guide students and parents through this new world. They will look for the best education options like travelers today look for a Trip Advisor rating.
- Lessons that K-12 Can Learn from the Early Childhood Sector
"As education reformers confront the opportunities and limitations of the standards and accountability era of education reform and think anew about what more is needed to close the achievement gaps, early-childhood education may offer guidance that educators and policymakers across the P-16 continuum can use to better develop the potential of every child."
Montana Education Excellence
- 5 Missoula schools to provide free meals for all students
Starting this fall, as many as 1,700 Missoula County Public Schools students will receive free breakfasts and lunches.
Montana Education/Business Partnerships
- Missoula youth want their own teen council
One of our main concerns is the legitimacy and the power that a youth council would hold. And to kind of give it a strong foothold and start in a place where it would be recognized as and start in a place where it would be recognized as something that you could actually make decisions," said Farnum. "We wanted to have it associated with the current city council, sort of as a subcommittee."
- Montana Tech of the University of Montana Ranks 66 In The Best Colleges for Your Money Listings
Using unique measures of educational quality, affordability, and career outcomes, MONEY's new value rankings will help you and your child find the right school at the right price.
Community
- Invitation: Employer Info Booths at the UM Business School
Info Booths provide employers with access to students in an informal setting for more in-depth information exchange, as well as continually offering different internship, part-time, & career opportunities to students to keep them on track in planning for their careers.
- Workforce Solutions Begin Here! Montana's SWAMMEI Project
The SWAMMEI project is a $25 million grant-funded initiative to create cost-effective training programs, accessible from anywhere in Montana, that link low-skilled workers with jobs that enhance our manufacturing and energy workforce and bolster the state's economic opportunities.
Funding and Building your Business
- Competition Addresses the Design Challenges of Placemaking in Rural Communities
Information on the communities, their design challenges, and projects.
- City of Missoula Listening Sessions - Your turn to be heard.
They range from natural resources to utilities an d include other topics such as housing, economic development, real estate, education, culture, arts, and history, etc.
- The Infrastructure the Next Generation of Cities Will Need
To begin with, Cities 3.0 will be built on ubiquitous and untethered world-class broadband.
Energy and Climate Change
- Coaching For Leaders: A More Human Way To Fire People
It takes preparation, courage and self-awareness, and effective communication.
- Entrepreneurs Today Don't Need A Big Budget To Start
Almost anyone can start a company today on a shoestring budget, following these cost-cutting recommendations:
- Failed Entrepreneurs Find More Success the Second Time
Failed entrepreneurs are far more likely to be successful in their second go-around, provided they try again.
- $7.5M pledged via Kickstarter for Helena native's "Coolest Cooler" idea
Grepper, a Capital High School graduate who now lives in Oregon, was featured on CBS This Morning last week to talk about the Coolest Cooler, an invention that includes speakers, a rechargeable blender, and an LED light among other high-tech features.
Government Technology
- Q&A: WaterSmart CEO Peter Yolles, on tracking your water conservation
It's a good time to be in the business of promoting water conservation.
- Not in my backyard: US sending dirty coal abroad
American energy companies are sending more dirty fuels than ever to other parts of the world, exports worth billions of dollars every year.
Non-Profit News
- Indianapolis Modernizes Parking, Adds Millions
Indianapolis created ParkIndy, a pay-by-phone meter system and app that's using predictive analytics to make parking more convenient and boost infrastructure revenue.
- How 'Identity Proofing' Saved New Jersey Millions
The Department of Labor has taken note of New Jersey's recent success, and some of its strategies are beginning to attract notice from other states.
The Creative and Cultural Economy
- Request from MT Nonprofit Association re: Government Contracting Complexity
If your nonprofit has contracts or grants with the State of Montana, will you take a moment to fill us in?
Cool Stuff That's Coming
- Kickstarter Campaign - "Clay Montana, Is it the water?"
"Clay Montana, Is it the water?" is a documentary, a cinematic portrait about the world-class ceramic arts community in Montana: the artists, the studios, the galleries & museums, the history, the earth, fire and the water.
Transportation
- Personalized medicine for kids: A 3D printing company could disrupt medical device sector
"There's a lot of low-hanging fruit in this area, such as customized prosthetics... The challenge is not about using the printer, but having the knowledge and expertise to know what the needs of each specialty are.
- Bozeman, Montana Tesla charging station in the works - Is Missoula next?
Bozeman is set to become one node in a network of Tesla Motors Supercharger stations that will allow Tesla sedan owners to travel across the country for free.
- Gas price equivalent for electricity? 75 cents.
Some states are even mandating EV-friendly rates from utilities - Minnesota recently became the first to require preferable rates for those charging off-peak. In addition, the state requires that customers have the option of a zero-emissions tariff, making charging even greener, as well as cheaper.
- Montana needs to carpool more - 6 Free Apps to Organize a More Efficient Carpool
We need to think about ways to help fill fewer cars going to the many events and conferences throughout Montana each year.
- Utah Transit Authority eyeing electric bus options
Executives with Proterra demonstrated the company's second-generation, 40-foot, zero-emission battery electric bus Monday. The vehicle uses technology that allows it to run 24 hours a day without refueling, eliminating all liquid fuel and tailpipe emissions.
- Suburban sprawl and bad transit can crush opportunity for the poor
For a city to boost opportunity by boosting transit, the answer is a complicated mix that also includes zoning and picking the right type of transit -- perhaps at the risk of displeasing its wealthier residents.
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