MATR Newsletter – May 13, 2023
The state with the best education wins!

Requiem for the Newsroom – By Maureen Dowd — City Club Missoula Presents The edge of the desert: Is Montana in danger of losing its local news? Monday, May 15, 2023 11:30AM – 1PM

I don’t want this to be one of those pieces that bang on about how things used to be better and they’ll never be as good again.

Come Home Montana

• University of Montana Program Trains Montana Librarians to be Resources for Entrepreneurs

  Economic development’ means something highly unique in Montana, due the strong influence of entrepreneurship and heritage of business experimentation. This rich history of entrepreneurial spirit has only continued to grow in recent years.

• Montana Career Opportunity – Director of Philanthropy – Prospera Business Network

  The Director of Philanthropy is a fundraising and business engagement position aimed atgrowing the capacity of Prospera to make a positive impact for our business programs, andemerging strategies focused on…

PFL

• Livingston, Montana’s Printing for Less Rated One Of the Best Places to Get Business Cards

  Printing for Less is a top choice for premium business cards. With templates and custom design options, eco-friendly printing and a 100% satisfaction guarantee, the supplier offers high-quality cards.

Montana Business

• Montana State part of $1 million grant to explore autonomous systems tech

  As part of a new project funded with $1 million from the National Science Foundation, Montana State University will explore ways to leverage its expertise in photonics to grow a regional economy for precision agriculture and other technologies involving autonomous systems.

• Google Is Rolling Out Password-Killing Tech to All Accounts

  The tech industry’s transition to passkeys gets its first massive boost with the launch of the alternative login scheme for Google’s billions of users.

• “…think of the cash in Breaking Bad, but legal and no one dies…” A great Montana success story

  That was our business plan, a 50/50 split of what we thought would probably be nothing.

• Bozeman, Montana Based MagDrive Technologies named as honoree in Fast Company’s 2023 World Changing Ideas Awards – Climate Category

  MagDrive is making great progress in its endeavor to eliminate fugitive
  emissions from oil and gas refinery operations, and commercialize a product that has its research and
  development roots in NASA projects.

The Telecommuting and Gig Workforce in Montana

• Where to Find Remote Work Now: 250 Million Job Postings Paint a Complex Picture

  While many companies let employees work remotely during the height of COVID-19, conditions have since become more nuanced, according to research by Raffaella Sadun and colleagues. What do these shifts mean for talent managers?

Next Generation Broadband in Montana

• Colorado Now Allows Local Governments to Provide Broadband Without a Local Election

  The announcement further notes that local governments have not historically had direct involvement in delivering telecommunications services, but as connectivity is increasingly deemed as essential as a utility like water, the role of local governments is shifting.

Montana Economic Development

• Montana State wins $1 million grant to explore quantum economy potential

  With a new $1 million grant, Montana State University will partner with stakeholders to explore how the region could position itself as a leader in the quantum technology that’s set to play a critical role in 21st century communications, computing and other fields.

MEDA -Montana Economic Developers Association

• Montana’s Dinosaur Trail Takes Visitors On A Prehistoric Adventure

  Winding its way through the state, the Montana Dinosaur Trail takes travelers back in time with 14 locations to learn about Montana’s prehistoric residents.

• Radically Rural: If We Want a Stronger Local Economy, Why Do We Invest in Wall Street?

  Several experts are creating tools and sharing expertise to develop an “ecosystem,” in which investing directly in local small businesses becomes a viable alternative to Wall Street.

Business Plan Forums

• Montana State University alum takes top prize at $75K Venture Competition

  A Montana State University alumnus has won the $75K Venture Competition, taking home $25,000 for his business venture. The remaining $50,000 was split between seven other finalists and seven semi-finalists.

Regional Business News

• Smart Lockers: The Next Breakthrough for Deliveries, the Curbside?

  Peachtree Corners, Ga., is partnering with Smartmile, the maker of technology that helps to integrate retailers and delivery services into smart lockers, to streamline parcel deliveries and free up the increasingly crowded curbside.

• Alberta Burns Due To Climate-Change Fueled Wildfires, Yet Provincial Government & Media Refuse To Mention It

  My heart is with the Albertans who are displaced by these terrible fires. But my heart is not with the fossil industry of Alberta and its enablers.

Come Home Wyoming

• I’m in Wyoming to celebrate the next nuclear breakthrough – Bill Gates

  Kemmerer and Wyoming are focused on the future and welcoming nuclear—and the employment opportunities it’ll bring—in.

Government News & Events

• Parking Reform Bill to be Introduced at Federal Level

  The legislation, which would ban parking requirements near transit to encourage housing development and bring down housing costs, would be a rare federal preemption of local control.

City Club Missoula

• Requiem for the Newsroom – By Maureen Dowd — City Club Missoula Presents The edge of the desert: Is Montana in danger of losing its local news? Monday, May 15, 2023 11:30AM – 1PM

  I don’t want this to be one of those pieces that bang on about how things used to be better and they’ll never be as good again.

  But when it comes to newsrooms, it happens to be true.

Tell Us Something

• 2023 May Tell Us Something newsletter – Missoula Gives and Call for Storytellers

  We are hoping to reach enough donors to become sustainable. We are defining sustainability as being able to pay off our Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), and having 2 months’ worth of operating expenses in the bank.

Careers

• In Retirement, We Have More Time Than Ever. But We Want to Use It Wisely.

  We have fantasized about this moment for decades. The trick is learning how to savor it.

MSU Leadership Institute & UM Global Leadership Initiative

• Leadership and service are a pathway to a meaningful career for Montana State University senior – MSU Leadership Institute

  “We are talking about highly educated students who are not only bringing their student perspectives, their life perspective, but now they’re also bringing to the table their technical knowledge that comes with the mastery of the discipline that they’re part of. It’s huge,” she said.

Transportation

• New Houston Law Requires 10 Parking Spaces For Every Parking Space

  At press time, a second law was passed requiring that 10 parking garages be built for every square inch of green space in the city.

• 3 Resources to Help Abolish Parking Mandates

  Hear from the most effective advocates on how to inspire communities to end parking minimum mandates, remove parking subsidies, and begin building stronger towns.

• Lessons From Norway’s Journey To Becoming The Global Leader In EV Adoption

  To learn from its experience, let’s look back through Norway’s 30-year journey to becoming an EV giant: it all started with a mission to curb the country’s CO2 emissions.

• Electric Vehicles Beat Internal Combustion Engine Vehicles Off-Road

  An EV eats ICE for lunch, even on some of the most challenging trails Moab has to offer.

• Autev robots could bring EV charging to regular parking spots

  As the number of electric vehicles on our roads increases, so does the need for charger-accessible parking spots. Instead of having to create more EV-specific spots, parking garage operators could soon utilize Autev charging robots that come to people’s cars.

• Boulder, Colorado, Buys First Electric Fire Engine

  The newly acquired Rosenbauer RTX fire engine comes equipped with advanced features that prioritize the well-being of firefighters, the community, and the environment.

Energy and Climate Change

• El Niño is coming and it’s HOT

  This El Niño is shaping up to become a potential record breaker – and not in a good way. So, what’s happening and what can we expect?

TED and TEDX Talks

• TED Talk – The disappearing computer — and a world where you can take AI everywhere

  He gives a sneak peek of his company’s new product — shown for the first time ever on the TED stage — and explains how it could change the way we interact with tech and the world around us. Witness a stunning vision of the next leap in device design.

VR/AR, Blockchain, Bitcoin, Artificial Intelligence and The Internet of Things

• ‘Few years’ away from human-like AI, Google Chief makes startling revelation

  Artificial general intelligence was deemed a “nuclear-level catastrophe” by almost 36% of AI professionals in a recent study.

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