Business and Economy

• Billings faces $6.5M shortfall under property tax bill, officials warn

  Montanans are looking to lawmakers this session to deliver property tax relief after sky-rocketing bills, but it could come at a cost for the state’s largest city

• GFDA Top Ten for 3-23-25

  $1.94 million is the amount GFDA’s Food and Ag Development Center has helped clients across North Central Montana receive in loans, grants, and investment in the past two years. GFDA’s Food and Ag Development Center works with clients to reach and exceed their business goals. We wouldn’t be able to provide this direct assistance without the Montana Department of Agriculture’s funding of $52,500 each year for the past two years. Anna Flies of our team shared this story and some of GFDA’s Client success stories with state representatives in Helena during Ag Week’s Rotunda Days.

• Dorsey – EEOC and DOJ Issue Joint Press Release and Technical Assistance Documents on “Unlawful DEI-Related Discrimination”

  On March 19, 2025, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) and the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) issued a joint press release announcing the release of two technical assistance documents designed to educate the public on “unlawful discrimination” issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (“DEI”) in the workplace. Consistent with Trump administration executive orders and other directives, the guidance indicates that the EEOC and DOJ will be placing greater scrutiny on employers who engage in DEI-related practices at least to the extent such practices may constitute illegal discrimination.

• Montana finds gold in film – Please Support Senate Bill 326

  Many worry that the state will lose out on productions in the future unless lawmakers increase and extend the tax credit to keep pace with states like Texas that have larger tax credits. Lynn-Wood Fields, a filmmaker and president of the Montana Media Coalition, an industry group, said she hoped lawmakers would raise the $12 million cap next year.

• Montana Career Opportunities – Engineering Opportunities at onX

  Engineering 8 open roles Android Engineer – Backcountry Bozeman, Montana, United States iOS Engineer – Backcountry Bozeman, Montana, United States iOS Engineer – TroutRoutes Bozeman, Montana, United States Principal Data Engineer Bozeman, Montana, United States Senior Data Engineer Bozeman, Montana, United States Senior Full Stack Engineer Bozeman, Montana, United States Senior Full Stack Engineer – Mountain Project Bozeman, Montana, United States General Consideration – Engineering Missoula, Montana, United States More opportunities in: Business Development Business Intelligence Customer Experience Geospatial Marketing Product Design Product Management

• Yes, the Red Cross now accepts blood donations from individuals who lived in the U.K., Ireland, or France

  Individuals who lived in the U.K., Ireland, or France between 1980 and 2001, or who received blood transfusions in those countries during that period, are now eligible to donate blood, as long as they meet all other donor eligibility requirements.

• The Missoula Economic Partnership March 2025 Indicator

  When Hank Donovan set out to build the perfect guitar cable, he wasn’t thinking about launching a business, he was chasing a sound. As a guitarist and longtime electronics enthusiast, Hank had spent years tinkering with pedals, repairing instruments, and diving deep into the mechanics of music gear. But cables? They always fell short.

• Great Falls, Montana Based Cliniphai Creates AI-Powered Clinical Trial Localization and Translation Technology of the Future Designed for the Life Sciences Industry

  Named Athena, it combines multiple LLMs with human-in-the-loop control

• Montana Nonprofit (NEW WEBSITE) Career Opportunities – Executive Director Writing Coaches of Montana, Chief Operating Officer American Prairie Foundation, President/CEO United Way of Yellowstone County and more….

  Montana Non Profit Association’s New Website –  Providing leadership for Montana’s nonprofits to promote a sustainable, networked, and influential sector.

• Amazon Opens 40,000 square foot Delivery Station in Billings – Another planned for Kalispell

  County Commissioner Mark Morse noted that the city, Big Sky Economic Development and the county partnered in the development of infrastructure that facilitated the new addition to Billings.

• First satellite for detecting wildfires is now in orbit

  The FireSat constellation, which will consist of more than 50 satellites when it goes live, is the first of its kind that’s purpose-built to detect and track fires. It’s an initiative launched by nonprofit Earth Fire Alliance, which includes Google and Silicon Valley-based space services startup Muon Space as partners, among others.

• Next Frontier Capital 2025 Market Commentary, Thoughts On Our 10th Anniversary

  Over the last ten years, thanks to your capital, NFC’s invested in sixty companies across MT, CO, UT, WY, ID, WA, and NM. These firms have raised $1,056M to date, hired hundreds of people well above the median State wage, and created a flywheel with exits and successfully follow-on financings fuelling future growth and opportunity.

• 2025 BSPRA Annual Conference September 8-10 Livingston, MT

  Our Mission is to provide for the reestablishment of safe, reliable, and sustainable passenger rail service across southern Montana that increases opportunity and contributes to the health and well-being of people across the state and beyond.

• Bozeman B Corp-certified companies to speak at Montana State on April 2

  According to the nonprofit B Lab, Certified B corporations must meet high standards of social and environmental performance, public transparency and legal accountability. The organization says there are more than 6,000 Certified B corporations in more than 80 countries.

• Missoula College launches Jobs for Montana Graduates chapter

  “Our goal is to establish a JMG chapter in every Montana middle and high school because we know this program works,”

• 7 Deadly Pitch Deck Sins, According To A VC

  VC firms receive thousands of pitch decks a year and a typical investor will spend no more than two to three minutes assessing each one, according to data from DocSend. Ultimately, only 5%-10% of decks turn into meetings while the rest fade into a rejection pile.

• Conflux Brewery in Missoula listed for sale

  “SterlingCRE Advisors is pleased to present a rare opportunity to acquire a fully equipped restaurant and brewery in the heart of downtown Missoula,” the listing reads. “This turnkey property includes an all-beverage license with catering, in addition to furniture, fixtures, and equipment, making it a seamless choice for operators looking to establish or expand their presence in Missoula’s thriving food and beverage scene.”

Energy and Transportation

• Senate Joint Resolution 19, brought by Sen. Andrea Olsen, D-Missoula asks for interim public transportation study into trains, buses, air traffic

  “What I really want to get out of this study is the opportunity for us all to look at public transportation as true infrastructure that does so much for Montana,” Olsen said in an interview with the Daily Montanan. “I want people to see the connections between rural prosperity and the infrastructure that we make happen, like we used to make happen.”

Education

• MSU Presidential Finalists Named, Campus Visits Scheduled

  The candidates in order of their campus visits are Kurt Schnier, PhD, and Brock Tessman, PhD.

The Future

• How to select a hobby that will make you happier

  Research suggests that different activities affect your happiness in different ways.

• Nearly 100% of cancer identified by new AI, easily outperforming doctors

  “We evaluated the model on several histopathology image datasets. It diagnosed colorectoral cancer with 98.57% per cent accuracy, breast cancer with 98.20% accuracy, and oral cancer with 97.34% accuracy.”

• Breakthrough stroke drug heals the brain to restore movement

  “These findings identify brain circuits that mediate rehabilitation-recovery and the possibility for rational selection of pharmacological agents to deliver the first molecular-rehabilitation therapeutic.”

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