Come Home Montana

• 10 new Montana nonprofit jobs

  We invite you to join MNA’s growing membership dedicated to strengthening the nonprofit sector in Montana! MNA has two types of membership; Nonprofit and Affiliate. Nonprofit membership is limited to 501(c)(3) organizations. Affiliate membership is for all other exempt organizations, governmental entities, businesses, consultants, and individuals.

• Montana Ambassadors Colorado Speaker Series – 10/16 – Denver

  Join us for a discussion by a leader on the front lines of this important work in designating Montana as a Tech Hub under the CHIPs legislation. It has the potential to supercharge Montana’s economy, while ensuring the United States is a global leader in this important area of technology.

• Montana, Idaho pass Cal as most unaffordable states for homebuyers

  Since the pandemic, two states, Montana and Idaho, have surpassed California as the most unaffordable states for local homebuyers, according to the analysis. Hawaii and Oregon round out the list of the five least affordable states.

• 10 Best Small Towns In Montana To Visit In 2024

  While big towns such as Billings, Missoula, and Bozeman have their enticing appeals, small towns like the ten described below often give a more intimate and authentic experience.

Eventgroove

• How To Involve Young People In Your Nonprofit

  6 Ways to Inspire Young People to Join Your Cause

MEDA -Montana Economic Developers Association

• Americans Are Lonely and Disconnected. Better Civic Spaces Can Help.

  We need more welcoming public places where people can connect in person — high-quality, well-maintained parks, trails, libraries and community centers. Investing in them is good for us and good for democracy.

• Why autonomous AI “agents” will be so important to your business

  As these programs evolve from tools into teammates—creatively fulfilling mission-critical tasks with minimal supervision—they portend a change in how firms should invest in the technology.

• 7 ChatGPT Prompts To Scale Your Business

  Two-thirds of the value created in new businesses happens during scale-up. Companies that nail their scaling are three times more likely to succeed.

• Montana lawmakers zero in on education funding, OPI spending

  As the 2025 session draws near, lawmakers discuss potential changes to Montana’s school funding formula and concerns over a negative audit of federal spending.

• Which Generative AI Model Is Right for Your Business? We Tested 4 Top Providers to Find Out

  OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and Meta all offer free AI services, but we found that one of them worked best for our needs.

• Strong Towns Cohort Applications Open

  Are you an active community leader who wants to connect with other Strong Towns advocates and learn from Strong Towns experts? Is there a specific challenge facing your community that you’d like help addressing? If so, Cohort is the program for you!

Montana World Affairs Council

• Eligible U.S. citizens who want routine service can now renew their passports online. 

  If you do not qualify to renew online, you may also renew by mail.

• Last day to purchase tickets, Friday, September 20th at midnight! Global Gauntlet – A Trivia Competition of Global Proportions – 9/27- Missoula

  This MWAC “signature” fundraiser is a team trivia competition like no other. Modeled after our Academic WorldQuest competition, teams of community supporters vie to test their knowledge on global events. Funds raised from this evening event support the Council’s ongoing efforts to increase global awareness and understanding in Montana’s classrooms and communities and especially supports our Global Education Initiatives.

Montana Business

• 10 ways AI can make your sales job way easier—and more lucrative

  How AI can find prospects, automate and create pitches for your sales team.

• Climate intelligence for construction

  This AI platform makes it easier to track the impact of building materials

Montana Business and Govt. Agency Collaboration Success

• Missoula advisory board to address community inclusion and equity Thursday 9/19 at the Missoula Public Library at 4:00 p.m.

  The board focuses on representing voices often missing from community discussions.

Senator Jon Tester

• Senator Jon Tester Leads Bill to Lower Montana Housing Costs by Cracking Down on Hedge Fund Ownership

  Senator leads End Hedge Fund Control of American Homes Act to stop hedge funds from buying up Montana residential homes and jacking up costs

Housing

• How you can make housing more affordable in your place. – 11/15 – Online 10:00 MST

  This presentation introduces a first-of-its-kind discussion of the tension between housing as a financial product and housing as shelter. These insights will help local communities fight back against the current affordability housing crisis and opt out of the boom-and-bust cycles that have typified housing in postwar America.

Funding and Building your Business

• Applications Are Open for the Techstars Spring Programs!

  At Techstars, we’re committed to helping founders scale their startups into world-changing businesses. We provide founders with a 3-month, mentorship-driven accelerator program, a $120K investment, and access to the Techstars network for life.

Incubators and R&D

• World-first ADHD headband treats symptoms in 20 minutes per day

  An innovative start-up is out to change how attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is managed, bypassing the traditional route of medication to instead use non-invasive light electrical brain stimulation delivered by a headband worn for just 20 minutes a day.

• What if everything we know about autism is wrong?

  It’s hoped these findings will lead to better therapy strategies for neurodivergent people.

Regional Economic Development

• Could Tiny Nuclear Reactors Solve AI Energy Needs? Microsoft and Google Seem to Think So

  An AI search takes up to ten times more power than a traditional search engine.

Idaho News & Events

• Idaho National Laboratory, Colorado School of Mines forge partnerships that benefit the next generation of scientists

  Under an agreement signed last fall, the collaboration aims to bridge the gap between students and potential career opportunities at the laboratory. The kickoff event, held on the Mines campus, provided educational and networking opportunities for students looking to embark on a career with the Department of Energy (DOE).

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

• In its first year, program teaches Idaho, Montana youth how to backpack, clear trails

  Selway Bitterroot Frank Church Foundation Youth Wilderness Program exposes next generation to nature

2024 Montana Legislature and Politics

• The Session Live at Free Press Fest: Looking ahead the 2025 Montana Legislature

  The Session podcast team took some time at the inaugural Montana Free Press Fest, held in Missoula Sept. 6-8, to sit down and discuss what we can see about next year’s legislative session from here in front of a live audience.

Hellgate Venture Network

• Hellgate Venture Network – 9/19 – Missoula – MonTEC

  Networking at its finest in Missoula with an interesting program. See you there.

Careers

• These career break coaches help people quit their jobs to figure out their next step

  Career breaks are rising in popularity, opening up doors for career coaches who specialize in helping workers temporarily leave the workforce.

• Want a new job? Get some ‘green skills,’ stat

  A new report from LinkedIn shows a demand for climate-change-related skills that far outpaces supply.

• 7 Ways to Use ChatGPT to Land Your Dream Job

  ChatGPT can provide personalized advice for skill development, job roles, and career progression.

Transportation

• The Moonshot Plan to Eliminate Deaths on America’s Roads

  The US Department of Transportation is pushing wireless “vehicle-to-everything” technology to cut traffic fatalities. But the path to so-called V2X adoption isn’t clear.

• Whoever Created The EV Leasing Loophole Subsidy Is A Clever Genius

  In other words, with leasing, it’s a free for all! You can get the $7,500 federal tax credit applied to any EV you can lease.

Energy and Climate Change

• Touring Bradford White’s Heat Pump Water Heater Factory Was a Dream Come True For This Efficiency Nerd

  The first stop of my heat pump water heater tour across America was an incredible experience that allowed me to see every step of how my favorite technology is made. A lot of magic happens at the Bradford White factory, from metal sheets arriving on pallets to packaged cardboard boxes leaving on trucks with heat pump water heaters inside and everything in between.

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