MATR Newsletter – January 24, 2020
The state with the best education wins!

Scotch has never been recalled because of e-colli.

Suck it lettuce.

Come Home Montana

• Great Falls Development Authority has kicked off our Talent Attraction efforts today with the launch of a new tool – Great Falls Livability Magazine! 

  We will be placing this magazine into the hands of all the recruiters in Great Falls to use as a tool to enhance their current recruiting efforts.

Montana Department of Commerce

• Department of Commerce Announces 29 Montana Communities to Receive Planning Grants

  “These planning grants will help Montana communities develop and preserve affordable homes, plan for community projects, and create and retain jobs.” Commerce Director Tara Rice

Montana Office of Tourism and Business Development

• Destination Missoula; Missoula Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID) Event Grant Fund Application Spring Cycle Open

  The spring cycle for the Missoula Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID) Event Grant Fund is open. This grant provides funding for events that will bring economic benefits to Missoula through spending in the community.

MEDA -Montana Economic Developers Association

• Frontier Communities Get a New Advocate

  Frontier regions constitute nearly half of the nation’s land area but only 2 percent of its population.

Funding and Building your Business

• Leaders At Davos Face $12 Trillion Imminent Economic Disruption

  The question is, who will be the winners and losers in this new ‘Green Gold Rush.’

• Note to future you: These are the skills you’ll need for work in 10 years

  “Lifelong learning”

• MSU Guest Speaker: Scott Marlette, co-founder of GoodRx “Building a Product and a Career on the Fly: Lessons in Failure, Iteration and Perseverance” – 2/3 – Bozeman

  Marlette is expected to discuss his career, which, in addition to GoodRx, also included significant achievements as one of Facebook’s early employees.

• How To Grow Your Startup With The Help Of An Angel Investor

  Angels are becoming more plentiful.

Business Plan Forums

• Montana State University $50K Venture Competition – 4/16 – Bozeman

  This competition is open to all MSU students (undergraduate and graduate), MSU faculty and staff, and recent MSU alumni (10 years or less).

• $50,000 John Ruffatto Business Startup Challenge for All Montana University Students – 3/27 – Missoula

  Occurring every spring, the Business Startup Challenge is open to all students attending a college or university in Montana.

Regional Economic Development

• The Latest Trend in Redevelopment: Parking Lot to Multi-Family Residential

  The rise of autonomous vehicles will transform the way people commute, and have a huge impact on just how much parking is really needed at all.

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

• Bitterroot College gets enough signatures for ballot measure to become independent from the University of Montana

  To detail the next steps, the Ravalli County Workforce Alliance will meet at 4 p.m. each Friday at the Ravalli County Economic Development Authority (RECEDA) office, 274 Old Corvallis Rd. Suite A, in Hamilton.

• University of Montana Western’s Experience One unique in higher education

  The Dillon school made a big change that has paid off

• New fundraising event set for Feb. 13-14 aims to raise funds for more than 60 MSU projects

  Known as MSU Giving Day, the first-ever event aims to raise funds for more than 60 different projects at MSU.

Rural Communities

• As Workforce Shortages Threaten Rural Broadband Progress, Tester Demands FCC Find Ways to Recruit Personnel

  Senator: “If you train kids from rural America, they might actually come back to work there.”

Government Technology

• Icelandic Citizen Engagement Tool Offers Tips for U.S.

  Similar projects are coming to United States cities.

Transportation

• No one should ever buy a car again. Here’s why.

  The driverless car will change society as profoundly in the 21st century as the horseless carriage did in the 20th, in ways we’re only just starting to see.

Energy and Climate Change

• Arizona Utility APS Commits to Carbon-Free Power by 2050

  “We don’t actually know how to get there right now,” CEO Jeff Guldner says of the commitment, which comes in a state without sweeping climate legislation.

TED and TEDX Talks

• Bode Miller among fourth annual TEDxBigSky speakers

  The TEDxBigSky will showcase Olympian Bode Miller, Seattle-based up-and-coming rock stars, a theme of “Connection” will serve as the base for each presentation.

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