MATR Newsletter – October 9, 2025
The state with the best education wins!

Join the 9,000+ founders who built their businesses with Techstars – 22 unicorns including DigitalOcean, PillPack, SendGrid, and others – 117 companies valued at $100M+

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The importance of farm succession planning in Montana – How tariffs abroad are impacting farmers at home
“We are going to be holding a succession planning institute,” said MFU Education Director Jodi Koterba. “One of the big issues in agriculture across the country is handing off land from one generation to the next.”
This Week in IEDC News The latest in economic development news, opportunities, and more!
Connecting Dots, Igniting Assets: How Systems Leadership Is Transforming Spokane’s Creative Economy
“Angry August”: Jackson Hole, Wyoming Debates Lodging Tax As Residents Say Crowds Are Annoying
Elected officials in Jackson met Monday to discuss putting a new lodging tax before voters. One councilwoman said she shares concerns with residents who don’t want to promote the town anymore. “I mean, people are angry. August went on longer than normal,” she said.
U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Confirmed for Big Sky, Bright Future Economic Summit – 10/15-16 – Bozeman
The Montana Chamber of Commerce and Governor Greg Gianforte invite you to join us for the 2nd Annual Big Sky, Bright Future Economic Summit Thursday, October 16 in Bozeman, featuring U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright!
Montana West Economic Development October Bulletin
New Masterclass Series Launches This Month!

Powering Savings: Energy Tools and Financial Opportunities for Montana Businesses – 10/28 – Great Falls, Montana
This event is perfect for municipalities, nonprofits, schools, hospitals, farms, and businesses of all sizes. Attendees will gain practical insights and clear next steps to potentially capture long term savings, improve operations, and enhance financial sustainability through energy savings.
GFDA Upcoming Business Trainings and Events
Digital Marketing Essentials for Small Business

Don’t let uncertainty stop your preparation; Montana FAST FY2026 programming; Upcoming Events – the MTIP October 2025 newsletter
Here area some actions you can take now: The following is a linear list but much of these can be worked on in different orders, concurrently, or iteratively.

Trump’s major coal sales flop in Wyoming and Montana
Feds postpone Wyoming coal sale despite promise to ‘revitalize’ the industry. Critics say even the coal industry isn’t betting big on its future.
The future of white-collar work may be unionized
Law firms, banks and tech companies are seeing an uptick in employees choosing to organize.

Join the 9,000+ founders who built their businesses with Techstars – 22 unicorns including DigitalOcean, PillPack, SendGrid, and others – 117 companies valued at $100M+
You can begin an application year-round, and can continue to update it at any time.
Build your company culture on meaningful rituals
“If you put people before tasks, and create rituals around connection, communication and collaboration, you’ll get so much more out of them. This isn’t a cost. It’s an investment,” says Hunkins.

$1.2 Billion Data Center Breaks Ground In Cheyenne, CEO Stresses Low Water Impact
At a ceremony to break ground on a $1.2 billion data center in Cheyenne on Tuesday, the CEO of Related Companies stressed that the 184,000-square-foot facility will have a minimum impact on water. “We only build self-contained cooling systems that do not use water,” he said.
Are data centers worth the investment? What’s in it for the region?
Data centers take up large swaths of land, create a small number of permanent jobs, soak up largely undisclosed amounts of water and zap the energy grid so much that American Electric Power has warned that demand in greater Columbus will be similar to that of Manhattan by 2030. At least one central Ohio local government, Jerome Township, put a moratorium on new data centers as it weighs their effects on the community and local services.

Ignition Schools 2025: The Top 50 Schools for Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Dive into the stories of how these pioneering institutions are driving the future of business and technology worldwide.

Renewable energy outpaces coal for electricity generation in historic first, report says
Renewable electricity use rose to 34.3% of global consumption in the first half of 2025, while coal’s use fell to 33.1%, the energy think tank Ember found. Renewable energies include sources like solar, wind and hydro, as opposed to fossil fuels like coal and natural gas.
Company bids less than a penny per ton in biggest US coal sale in over a decade
At the last successful government lease sale in the region, a subsidiary of Peabody Energy paid $793 million, or $1.10 per ton, for 721 million tons of coal in Wyoming.
New Montana law aims to make crosswalks safer… as long as there’s a crosswalk
Under the law, drivers are required to stop and remain stopped for any pedestrian in a crosswalk — especially when flashing lights are activated.
Inaction On Climate Change Is Equivalent To A Suicide Pact
The authors complain that America is stuck between a progressive movement that is too afraid of growth and a conservative movement that is allergic to government intervention. Their proposed abundance agenda would initiate new economic conditions that blunt both the appeal of the “socialist left” and the “populist-authoritarian right.”

Montana schools to receive free student safety resources
These resources aim to support children’s mental health, teach safe touch and raise awareness about human trafficking and personal safety, the Office of Public Instruction said in a release.