MATR Newsletter – February 28, 2020
The state with the best education wins!

Wash your hands

The handshake is out.  – The elbow bump is in.

MATR has started a news category: The Corona Virus Information

One of the best ways to address this will be through information.   Please share information that may be of help to Montana businesses and individuals so that we can be better prepared.

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Corona Virus Information

• COVID-19 Cases Would Strain Montana Resources, Health Officials Say

  There are currently no reported cases of the new coronavirus in Montana. This, however, may only be temporary. State public health officials say they’re preparing for the worst.

• Bozeman-based author David Quammen: Coronavirus epidemic not a one-time threat – “Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic.”

  No, we’re not ready for this new outbreak, Quammen said. If we do get a handle on this one, he said, “we should get ready for the next one because it’s going to happen again and again.”

• Lights! Camera! Meeting! Videoconferencing Gets a Makeover

  As one venture capitalist inevitably pointed out, the stock price of video tech company Zoom is on the rise because concerns about Covid-19 have put a halt on business travel.

• Billings hospital preparing for possibility of coronavirus coming to area

  Advanced Care Hospital of Montana said the number one defense against the coronavirus is hand washing.

• Worried about coronavirus? Stop touching your face.

  Full disclosure: In the process of writing this, I’ve touched my face not one, not two, but 37 times.

• Yellowstone National Park expected to feel impacts of coronavirus

  According to Yellowstone’s most recent Visitor Use Survey, about a quarter of all foreign visitors coming to the park are from China.

• How scammers could use coronavirus scare to steal your money

  Consumers are warned that they could soon be inundated with fake products, phony stock deals, fabricated emails, texts and social media posts that are designed to steal money and personal information.

Come Home Montana

• Montana Career Opportunity – Executive Director – Foundation for Community Health

  We have a 30-plus year history of engaging western Montanans in health education and support to advance healthy lives through the gifts of donors, partners, and volunteers. Living out our mission now includes leadership of the Safe Kids Missoula Coalition and Safe Kids Montana office, our Be Sun Smart skin cancer and melanoma awareness education,…

• Forest seeking volunteer campground hosts in Montana

  Campground hosts play an important role in assisting with the management of these areas and working directly with the public.

Northwestern Energy

• Affordable, reliable electricity critical to Montana economy – Todd O’Hair, president/CEO Montana Chamber of Commerce, Guest column

  Northwestern Energy has committed to reduce their carbon intensity by 90% by 2045, from a 2010 baseline. Today, over 60% of the energy they produce is carbon free.

Printing For Less

• What is Tactile Marketing Automation? Definition, Best Practices, Real-World Examples

  This article reveals what exactly Tactile Marketing Automation is and does, and how to leverage it for more effective multichannel marketing.

Montana Department of Commerce

• Montana’s Small Business Development Centers Support Statewide Business Growth, Job Creation – Great Success Stories

  New Report Shows Montana SBDCs Across the State Supported Launch of 61 New Businesses, 2,300 Jobs in 2019

• Made in Montana Tradeshow – 3/13-14 – Helena

  Register as a Buyer Early, Start Connecting Now!

• Montana Department of Commerce Announces Second Round of Funding to Promote Tourism Growth in Eastern Montana

  Almost $300,000 will Support Plans in Nine Communities to Strengthen Tourism and Local Economies Across eastern Montana

Montana Office of Tourism and Business Development

• Industry Network Breakout Sessions Announced for Montana Tourism Conference

  See a full breakdown of sessions and topics on our website.

MEDA -Montana Economic Developers Association

• Workforce development key to state economic development initiatives

  Conditions have many states seeking new ways to address the skills gap and develop their workforce to attract or keep business.

• States launching innovation initiatives across the country

  News of these actions as governors, legislatures, and economic development organizations capitalize on proven programs to build out their innovation economies, with several examples provided here.

Visit Montana

• “A Wild Land Ethic: The Story of Wilderness in Montana” explores history, future of Montana wilderness areas

  “We hope they’ll learn that the job is only partially done. That’s the real motivation of the book, is to educate people on what’s been done and what needs to be done.”

Funding and Building your Business

• Dancing to diversity

  “Diversity means inviting people to the dance. Inclusion means asking them to dance.” I don’t agree! Let me explain… 😉

Incubators and R&D

• Is Yours Included? – List of Startup Accelerators, Incubators, and Venture Capital Firms in Montana, USA

  This list of incubators and accelerators in Montana, USA, is compiled by the team at IdeaGist Virtual Incubator to help people in finding support for their startup ideas.

Business Plan Forums

• Casper, Wyoming StartUp Challenge winners pitch for seed fund, move into Wyoming Technology Business Center

  Each company also will receive a year of free rent and business incubation from the Wyoming Technology Business Center (WTBC).

Wyoming Business

• The blue-jeaned billionaires ruining Wyoming

  It’s like “Get Out,” but with cowboys, in the mountains.

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

• Senator Tester Secures Millions for Montana Head Start Programs

  “Head Start and Early Head Start provide Montana families with the care and resources they need to support their children’s early development without sacrificing job security or breaking the bank.” Sen. Tester

• innovateUM 2020: The Future of Work – 4/8 – Missoula

  How can higher education partner with the public and private sectors to foster a resilient, adaptable workforce?

STARS Montana Early Education Program

• To build babies’ brains, invest in the infant/toddler workforce

  “When we provide babies and toddlers with regular access to a sensitively attuned caregiver, we literally feed the growing brain, helping to build the brain architecture that supports everything in life that follows—our learning, our behavior, and even our health.”

Montana Leadership

• Leadership Montana -The Leading Edge, February 2020

  Leadership Montana recently brought together two groups on opposite sides of a polarizing issue for a robust discussion.

Cool Stuff That’s Coming

• Uber launches new translation tool with more than 100 languages

  The feature is coming to all riders around the world where Uber operates.

Energy and Climate Change

• Ameren Missouri Looks to Harness Wind, Solar and Batteries With $7.6B ‘Smart Energy Plan’

  Coal-heavy Midwestern utility’s five-year budget includes $1 billion for new wind farms and a big smart meter rollout.

• The Key to Unlocking 100% Renewables

  we look at the hidden hero of the 100 percent renewable future: power systems modeling.

• Construction to begin on $2.5 million geothermal system at Montana State University

  Montana State University is moving a step further in reducing the use of fossil fuels on campus with the construction of another geothermal energy system.

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