MATR Newsletter – February 25, 2019
The state with the best education wins!

See Trailer for NEW Netflix Movie Set in Butte Montana

I bought wine & a bag of avocados so I’m pretty sure I’m totally prepared for the blizzard.

Today’s MATR Newsletter is sponsored by:

Protect our future with pre-K legislation in Montana
The Montana constitution says, “It is the goal of the people to establish a system of education which will develop the full educational potential of each person. Equality of educational opportunity is guaranteed to each person of the state. The Legislature shall provide a basic system of free quality public elementary and secondary schools.”
Pre-K education too important for Montana politics
There’s plenty of time left in the legislative session to put money for pre-K education back in the state budget.

Despite Economic Growth, Governors Worry About Skills Gap and Unemployment
Montana Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock, who has made “good jobs” the focus of his NGA chairmanship, said a witches’ brew of technology and automation, globalization and middle class stagnation will continue to threaten the jobs and livelihoods of millions of Americans over the next decade.

How Outdoor Recreation Supports Rural Economic Development
Investing in outdoor recreation is one of several strategies that can help rural communities thrive in a changing economy.
Silicon Valley or New York: for Many Israeli Startups This Is No Longer the Question
Israeli startups find attractive landing pads in the U.S. outside the major tech hubs

Suzanne Miller of Dunrovin Ranch Montana Pitches ‘DaysAtDunrovin – A Place-Based Online Community’ at 1 Million Cups Missoula
Enjoy full access to all 4 cameras with ambient microphones and infrared night lights to immerse you in the sights and sounds of Dunrovin Ranch 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Have fun socializing with others in a kind and caring community centered on the ranch.
How to ski the off-the-radar steeps of Missoula, Montana’s Snowbowl ski resort
Snowbowl’s two lifts blew Engerbretson away. “You can get to the top of this mountain and ski down one of the longest, steepest, most fun runs you’re going to find anywhere,”

Clean-Energy-Based Economic Development: Parallel Tracks for State and Local Policy
Clean energy can support state and local economic development. Leaders can follow five tracks to leverage clean energy to accelerate economic growth.

GFDA Top 10 – Here is our Top 10 for this week, celebrating work and successes to grow and strengthen the Great Falls regional economy.
We are HUNGRY to Grow the Great Falls regional economy, create higher wage jobs, build our tax base, improve our market competitiveness, and enhance the quality of life and economic opportunity for residents of Great Falls, Cascade County, and the entire 13-county Great Falls trade area.

TechLink Weekly tech roundup: photonics technology special edition
This week’s tech roundup includes just a few of the latest photonics technologies available at the moment. All of them are opportunities for entrepreneurs and businesses to license and bring to the commercial market.
9 pyrotechnic inventions the US Army is licensing out
Businesses and entrepreneurs can commercialize federally owned technology

Workism Is Making Americans Miserable
For the college-educated elite, work has morphed into a religious identity—promising identity, transcendence, and community, but failing to deliver.
Six Driving Forces of Innovation for 2019 and Beyond
Do you feel your organization is being disrupted right now, and if so, by whom?
Kauffman Indicators of Entrepreneurship
The Kauffman Indicators of Entrepreneurship offers in-depth measures, reports, and accompanying interactive data visualizations that present entrepreneurial trends in the United States.
How to Write a Business Plan
An effective plan should outline financial projections and a strategy for achieving future goals.
Who Should be on Your Startup Board?
Do you need a board when you first start your company?
10 Questions to Ask Before Committing to a Business Partner
Here are some questions to ask before deciding if partnering is a good idea:
New on TED – What is the meaning of work?
Roy Bahat was worried. His company invests in new technology like AI to make businesses more efficient — but, he wondered, what was AI doing to the people whose jobs might change, go away or become less fulfilling?

See Trailer for NEW Netflix Movie Set in Butte Montana
“Juanita” is the story of a woman from Columbus, Ohio, who wants change in her life. She randomly picks Butte on the map, and makes the leap. The story follows her quest for love, and her love of cooking.

Council members agree: Cars are not the solution
If the Thursday meeting was any indication, every member of City Council believes that the key to fixing Austin’s transportation problems is reducing the population’s reliance on automobiles.
Everywhere, Signs of Demise for the Planning Status Quo
Spokane, Washington is considering changes to its zoning code that would allow taller developments and fewer parking regulations in parts of its downtown.
Economic development: ‘A marathon, not a sprint’
While expansion tends to get more attention, Knight said retention, or work with existing industries, plays a more significant role in economic development.

Utilities are starting to invest in big batteries instead of building new power plants
We believe that utilities should prepare for the advent of cheap grid-scale batteries and develop flexible, long-term plans that will save consumers money.
The next money crop for farmers: Solar panels
The earnings, he said, would be about three times what an average harvest would yield there.

Bozeman, Montana has fourth-highest property taxes per capita, fourth-lowest median household income
“You can’t keep going to the well and not dry it up,” said Mehl. “It’s not fair and it’s not right, so it is a lot to put on one tool. So if you can diversify that, I think it is fair but it is also more stable and frankly, there is gonna be more acceptance over the long run.”

Building a Career, One Academic Step at a Time
“The idea of getting that one degree and you’re set for life doesn’t really hold water anymore. Then the question becomes, ‘how do we make it easier for working adults and people who need to pick up new kinds of tools and technologies?’”

MSNBC’s Chuck Todd: Don’t sell Montana
Chuck Todd has a message for Canada: Montana, and it’s table-side mermaids, are not for sale!

CBS 60 Minutes – China’s drive to dominate the electric car industry
Holly Williams reports on China’s challenge to the rest of the world’s carmakers, as they will build more than a million electric cars this year
How Self-Driving Cars Can Help Make Cities Better
“Data is really powerful if you collect it the right way, but there’s a bunch of baby steps that need to happen before we can get there.”

New process converts unrecyclable glass into saleable product
Although glass is recyclable, the recycling process is generally limited to large pieces that can be easily sorted by color. Because it’s not worth the effort to sort smaller fragments, they tend to simply be discarded. A new process, however, can convert them into a useful substance.
Let’s improve Billings, Montana’s energy conservation
Since Councilmember Penny Ronning introduced the idea to the council, we have met with numerous city department heads and community leaders. Here is a sample of our findings: