MATR Newsletter – April 29, 2020
The state with the best education wins!

“The decline in U.S. economic activity is deeper and faster than the Great Recession by several orders of magnitude,” said Patrick Barkey, director of the Bureau of Business and Economic Research. “This will be a very harsh recession — the steepest one we’ve seen since World War II in the national economy.”

Their report also projects more than 50,000 jobs lost by the end of 2020, in addition to an over 7% drop in the income originally expected statewide.

“An earth in crisis is still an earth worth returning to.”

Astronaut on the International Space Station

Corona Virus Information

• Reopening the Economy Under COVID-19: States Plot a Way Back

  (UPDATED DAILY) Governing is building a 50-state map to visualize the changes underway to declare states “Open for Business” even as the coronavirus remains at large across the country.

• Government’s Innovation Surge Shouldn’t End with the Pandemic

  Service improvements that used to take years are now being accomplished in days. The coronavirus crisis has demonstrated that permanent transformation is possible.

• How Universal Basic Income changes the future

  UBI isn’t just a nice-to-have — it’s the only way capitalism is going to function at all in a world of automation.

• University of Montana report predicts larger drop, quicker rebound for MT economy due to pandemic

  Their report also projects more than 50,000 jobs lost by the end of 2020, in addition to an over 7% drop in the income originally expected statewide.

• A look at Montana’s job market as the state gradually reopens – Post your career opportunities or resumes here on MATR.

  One step a job seeker should take, regardless of the job, is clean up your resume and social media accounts, before putting your name out there.

• Montana State University pandemic research receives $2.5 million grant

  “The big picture is that my lab has really been studying pandemics for over a decade,” said Wiedenheft.

• Scientists to Stop COVID-19 put together proposal to curb coronavirus

  A group of scientists, billionaires, and Nobel Prize winners, well-connected to the Trump administration, are secretly researching controversial coronavirus treatments and expedited vaccines

• Mark Cuban: America 2.0 Is on the Other Side of This Pandemic

  Founders can better position themselves if they’re agile and honest about the struggles ahead.

• Missoula historians want your COVID-19 story

  Whether you’re doing it from your couch watching Netflix or out on the front lines, you’re making history.

• Montana Senator Tester Pushes for Local Commerce & Tourism Groups to be Eligible for Paycheck Protection Program

  Senator joins bipartisan push to keep local non-profits afloat amid coronavirus crisis

• 5 Episodes of Some Good News with John Krasinski – Your spirit will be restored.
  I hope he continues this even after this is all over. The world needs more positive energy like this. So much of the internet is trying to tear people down. Thank you, John Krasinski.

Montana Office of Tourism and Business Development

• New Visit Montana Video Shows Travelers Big Sky Country is Worth the Wait

  “Now is not the time to welcome visitors back to Montana, but when the time is right we want visitors to keep us in mind,” Montana Department of Commerce Director Tara Rice said. “There’s no better way to inspire future visitors than by showing off all Montana has to offer.”

Great Falls Development Authority

• GFDA Quarterly Investor Letter

  In addition to helping existing businesses to survive and reposition, we are pursuing five objectives:

The Telecommuting and Gig Workforce in Montana

• FCC Commissioners Sharply Disagree on U.S. Broadband Report

  A new Federal Communications Commission report suggests U.S. broadband deployment is trending in the right direction, despite flawed mapping data and a lack of tech neutrality in the analysis.

Next Generation Broadband in Montana

• Elon Musk says Starlink internet private beta to begin in roughly three months, public beta in six

  Starlink ultimately aims to provide low-cost, high speed broadband connectivity to customers globally, with the specific goal of offering service to customers who don’t currently have reliable or quality access due to their remote location.

Montana Business

• Wonderful Collaboration – Missoula’s Bitterroot Flower Shop promotes other local businesses during reopening

  If you’re buying from the Bitterroot Flower Shop, they’ll spruce up your Mother’s Day arrangement with a coupon from the Big Dipper, the Dram Shop, or a handful of other businesses in town.

Developing a more Entrepreneurial Montana

• ‘LunchPad’ Webinar Series: Entrepreneurs’ Legal FAQs with Dr. Joel Henry – 5/1 – 12 Noon

  Dr. Henry specializes in technology, business, and intellectual property law.

Funding and Building your Business

• Evaluating Early Stage Startups — The Three Metrics that Matter

  The earlier the company, the more important it is to remain laser focused on growing as fast as possible to prove out a market opportunity.

21st Century Education Initiative – “You Should Care…”

• How the Coronavirus Pandemic Has Shattered the Myth of College in America

  I believe that life can never—and should never—be the same after this crisis.

University Business Plan Competitions

• Fourteen ventures selected as finalists for MSU $50K Venture Competition

  Finalists will also gain access to experienced entrepreneurs, investors, mentors and numerous business network resources. In addition to competing for monetary prizes, finalists will receive feedback from judges and may capture the attention of investors.

Careers

• Apprenticeships sometimes overlooked career options

  Apprenticeships can be good opportunities for those looking for a career change or a reentry into the workforce.

Connectivity & Communications

• Google Meet video conferencing is now free for anybody

  People won’t be able to just click a link and join a meeting — they’ll need to be logged in. That is so meetings can be better controlled by their hosts, hopefully eliminating the possibility of Zoombombing.

Energy and Climate Change

• Solar Panels Could Be the Best Fad Ever

  Installing an array on your roof is environmental exhibitionism—and it’s contagious.

TED and TEDX Talks

• Today’s TED Talk – How “policing for profit” undermines your rights

  Law researcher Dick M. Carpenter II exposes how this practice of civil forfeiture threatens your rights and creates a huge monetary incentive for law enforcement to pocket your possessions — and he lays out a path to end “policing for profit” once and for all.

MATR Newsletter Supporters: