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| MATR Newsletter - Fri Apr 20, 2018 |
"I haven't been everywhere, but it's on my list." —Susan Sontag
MEDA Spring Conference - Rockin' It Rural: Thriving In Small Town Montana - 4/26-27 - Dillon, Montana http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html
Big Sky Economic Development
Montana Department of Commerce
- This Friday: Talent Attraction And Strategic Placemaking Event 'Better Off In Billings" - 4/20 - Billings, Montana
Come hear how Billings compares to peer communities in quality of life, commute times, outdoor recreation amenities, graduation rates, air quality, cost of living and even social capital.
- The next 18 months will make or break the One Big Sky vision for Billings
One reason, Big Sky Economic Development's executive director Steve Arveschoug told The Gazette's editorial board this week, is attracting and retaining enough workers to replace the 20,000 people expected to retire in the next decade, together with the 8,000 or so additional workers who will join the city's growing workforce during that time.
PFL
- Lt. Gov. Cooney Celebrates the Best of Montana Tourism at Annual Awards
"Tourism is one of Montana's leading industries, and although the landscape speaks for itself, much of the industry's success is because of the men and women across the state who are working hard to develop tourism experiences, provide visitor services, and promote this special place," said Lt. Gov. Cooney. "This is an opportunity to celebrate their work and their many successes."
TicketRiver.com
- Custom Business Cards Get Noticed - PrintingForLess
Dazzle colleagues with foil stamping, stand out with creative 3D die cuts, make an impression with embossed cards.
Early Edge Montana
- Montana's TicketPrinting.com - What's so great about tickets?
At Ticketprinting.com, we believe that there's more to printing tickets than "admit one."
Visit Montana
- Ontario calls for investing $2.2 billion for free child care
"This investment will make life more affordable for families and allow more parents to make the choice to go back to work, knowing their child is safe and cared for."
VR/AR, Blockchain, Bitcoin, Artificial Intelligence and The Internet of Things
- Butte's million-dollar 'destination playground' could be largest in Montana, but it won't cost taxpayers
It will "definitely" live up to its bill as a playground so cool it will -- by itself -- draw folks to Stodden from inside and outside of Butte when it's complete.
- This Montana diner is '20 miles from anything' and still draws a crowd
Even if they're closed and somebody calls and wants to bring in 10 guys or a branding in, they'll open up, Sandy said. "We're pretty lenient here. We only live a mile away. All of our local customers know ... if we're around, we're available."
Energy and Climate Change
- Watch Jordan Peele use AI to make Barack Obama deliver a PSA about fake news
What does the future of fake news look like? No one really knows, but here's a little sampler from Jordan Peele and BuzzFeed, who teamed up to make the above PSA.
- Google's New AI Head Jeff Dean Is So Smart He Doesn't Need AI
Google's CEO says AI will influence everything the company does, a strategy he dubs "AI First."
Come Home Montana
- Today's TED Talk - A printable, flexible, organic solar cell
Hannah Burckstummer shows us how they're made -- and how they could change the way we power the world.
- Public Utilities & the Grid - Non-Wires Alternatives: Emerging, Maturing, Or Stalled? - 4/26 - Webinar
The growing interest on distributed energy resources and business models supporting them has renewed interest in non-wires alternatives (NWAs) as a key planning concept central to the transformation of utilities business models.
- DOE Announces $105 Million in New Funding for Solar R&D
It represents a shift from focusing exclusively on driving down the cost of solar, to improving the affordability, flexibility and performance of solar on the grid -- with the largest portion of funding aimed at solar systems integration.
- Recycle your old electronics to reduce waste in Billings and Missoula
"I found a niche that no one was doing in this region and twelve years ago on Earth Day as a matter of fact is when we started, so it's our 12 year anniversary this Earth Day," adds Fox. "So I'm happy to be a part of that and to save our environment."
Developing a more Entrepreneurial Montana
- Montana Career Opportunity - Executive Director - Montana Outdoor Legacy Foundation
We ensure public lands are cared for, valued, accessible and enjoyed as these wild places are part of our Montana heritage that provides the quality of life and experiences that define our state.
- Montana Career Opportunities - Field Technician/Experiment Maintenance and Ranch Aesthetics, Field Technician, Filmmaker/Photography: Wildlife and Conservation Intern - MPG Ranch
With more than 15,000 acres of conservation property in Western Montana, MPG Ranch https://www.mpgranch.com stewards large, undeveloped landscapes for wildlife habitat and the enjoyment of future generations.
- Montana Career Opportunity - Food and Agriculture Development Center Director - Bear Paw Development Corporation
The position is responsible for the outreach and development of value-added agriculture and alternative energy projects and programs within the region.
Montana Business
- And the best 'small' city in the U.S. for start-ups is ... where? What can your community learn from it?
It's certainly a beautiful place to live. It also beat out 1,260 other "small" cities as the best in the country to start a business. Wait ... what?
Montana Economic Development
- Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani Law Firm Opens New Office in Missoula, Montana.
"It was just making lemonade out of the situation by opening a location there since our clients have needs throughout the country."
Careers
- Israeli Consul General: Strong partnership helped bring Israeli tech firm 4Cast to Missoula
Earlier this week, 4Cast - a spinoff of the Israeli tech firm Eltel - announced it had selected Missoula as the base for its U.S. office, where it plans to develop and sell predictive analytics aimed at homeland security, defense and health care.
- Missoula Economic Partnership Solicits Community Feedback on Missoula Business Climate
Jenni Graff, MEP's Director of Economic Development, added, "This process is really important because it gives us an opportunity to widely solicit input from community stakeholders. Our plan is to use this feedback to inform an equitable and sustainable Economic Development strategy."
Government
- Want to Improve Your Communication Skills? Stop Saying These 25 Words.
For thousands of years, our most powerful tools to change the world and our surroundings have been our words. That's still true today.
- A.I. Researchers Are Making More Than $1 Million, Even at a Nonprofit
Salaries for top A.I. researchers have skyrocketed because there are not many people who understand the technology and thousands of companies want to work with it.
Idaho
- State Revenue Director Mike Kadas stepping down
One of Gov. Steve Bullock's longest-serving cabinet members, state Revenue Director Mike Kadas, is retiring next month, closing out a political and public-service career that spans four decades.
- Take Flight: An aerial tour of two of Montana's Wilderness Study Areas
While the proposals, as they stand now, are pitting Montanans against Montanans, one commonality is found: Montanans must be given the opportunities to come together to determine the best use for 'The Last Best Place.'
Other Economies
- VR & Storytelling (Plus our April Member Meeting!)
"Virtual reality added new possibilities to the visual language of storytelling that we know from movies, video games or animations." Professor Jean-Marc Gauthier.
- Finalists Named for Boise State President
The Idaho State Board of Education has named five finalists for the presidency of Boise State University.
- European Trade Show Yields Significant Results for Seven Idaho Outdoor Recreation Companies
Idaho Department of Commerce exhibited at the IWA Outdoor Classics in Nuremberg, Germany March 9-12 to assist seven Idaho-based outdoor recreation companies specializing in the production of guns, outdoor gear, and accessories.
- Gap between Boise's richest and poorest grows dramatically - #7 in top 100 metro areas
It rocketed Boise from No. 76 on Bloomberg's ranking of disparities in the top 100 metro areas to No. 7.
- In Idaho and across U.S., politicians push to prosecute women over abortions
In Idaho, Republicans competing in a crowded field for governor have made it a major campaign issue ahead of the May 15 primary.
Regional Business
- How do you make an 'innovation district' work?
A successful innovation district is built off of efforts like the Sears building, but it requires lots of moves and lots of components to really fly.
- Rural Iowa does not have a job shortage. It has a people shortage.
If we follow this pattern and places like Des Moines become oversaturated, where will the next generation head? I believe it is rural America, and specifically, rural Iowa. But only if we change our game.
- Vermont wants to turn tourists into workers
"We hear from our employers constantly that they can't find the workers they need to fill the job," said Wendy Knight, commissioner of the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing.
Regional Economic Development
- A personal message from Allegiant CEO Maury Gallagher - Senators demand investigation
Allegiant Air defends safety record after '60 Minutes' report
- Wells Fargo Said to Be Target of $1 Billion U.S. Fine
Federal regulators are poised to impose a $1 billion fine on Wells Fargo for years of selling unnecessary products to customers, the toughest action by the Trump administration against a major bank.
South Dakota
- New USDA Loan Program Helps Maine Nonprofit Invest in Community
Created in 2016, the USDA Community Facilities Relending Program provides long-term, low-cost financing for community lenders like CEI working in impoverished rural and Native American communities.
Wyoming Business
- WalletHub names Aberdeen, South Dakota 3rd best small city to start a business
A new study shows that if you are looking to start a business -- Aberdeen is the place for you.
Education
- In rural Wyoming, economic diversification is more of a challenge
Much of the differences within Wyoming can be explained by jobs.
- Cheyenne, Wyoming ranked one of best small cities in nation for starting a business
"I don't necessarily find it surprising," said Stephanie Meisner, vice president of the Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce. "We really do focus here on having a positive and friendly business environment."
- Wyoming ENDOW Community Engagement Survey
The ENDOW Executive Council is asking for your participation in this strategic process and requests your candid feedback and thoughtful guidance to help shape Wyoming's future.
- Diversifying Wyoming's Economy Through Aerospace
"Our focus is on enabling our existing businesses to create primary jobs,"
Montana Education Excellence
- California community college students will be guaranteed admission to UC -- if they meet requirements
UC President Janet Napolitano said in a statement that collaborating with the community colleges "will not only make it easier for qualified students to transfer to the university, it will help ensure that they excel once they arrive."
Montana Education/Business Partnerships
- UM President Announces Preliminary 'Strategy for Distinction' Plan
The plan offers everything from a refreshed institutional mission statement to key strategies. It also suggests programs for reorganization, discontinuance and potential faculty member reductions.
- University of Montana Launches Effort to Redesign Missoula College, Extended Learning Offerings
The search for the next dean of Missoula College will commence after the redesign and resulting recommendations are completed.
- Campus and community encouraged to comment on University of Montana budget changes
Now is the time for the campus, and the broader community to say what they think.
Community
- Pearl Jam's Jeff Ament premieres new video directed by University of Montana professors
Ament, a part-time Missoula resident, reached out to Greg Twigg in the School of Media Arts about the project. Twigg's wheelhouse is motion graphics, so he brought in cinematographer Mark Shogren, the school's director.
Funding and Building your Business
- Mapping Bozeman's future: City creates first strategic plan
"My hope is that even long after I'm gone, we continue to have a strategic plan for this community," Andrus said. "And that this one is malleable enough to change with the community."
Miscellaneous Ramblings
- 9 key mistakes organizations make when analyzing data
Unfortunately, the accessibility and ubiquity of data has led to an increased number of amateur mistakes made in analyzing it--so if you want to improve your own analytic abilities and guard against these mistakes, you need to understand them.
- How To Increase Angel Funding For Women Entrepreneurs
"Instead of seeking unicorns, we're looking for zebras."
- Podcast: How Big Data Can Make a Big Difference in HR
Failure to incorporate data into the HR function can be costly to managers and the company.
- How Companies Can Instill Mindfulness
The benefits of mindfulness are both clear and proven. Mindfulness is perfectly suited to counterbalance the digital-age challenges of information overload and constant distraction.
Cool Stuff That's Coming
- Scientists just learned what makes Yellowstone's supervolcano tick
"This is the nursery, a geological and petrological match with eruptive products."
Transportation
- Today's TED Talk - We Are Getting Closer To Transplanting Pig Organs Directly Into People
Scientists using CRISPR to edit pig organs so they'll be accepted by human bodies think a breakthrough is coming that will end the organ-donation waiting list.
- "Suicide Machine" That Lets You Experience Death Is Now Available For The Public To Try
You can try it out for yourself - at least, in virtual reality - by stepping inside a full-size depiction of the euthanasia capsule. VR glasses give the user a glimpse into how the death machine operates.
Events
- Volocopter shares its vision of skyport networks for flying taxis
With so much money being poured into the industry from the likes of Boeing and Airbus, along with countless smaller startups, it's certainly a good time to start thinking about how our cities would function with fleets of flying taxis zipping around overhead.
- These Standing-Up Airplane Seats Are Designed to Make Flying Cheaper
The seats would allow budget airlines to fill planes with even more people and less luggage, as the new design does not look like it accommodates any bags that could slide under the seat.
- 6 surprising ways driverless cars will change our world - Are you ready?
"I think we're going to be really surprised by how many things change,"
- Ducati to fit front and rear radars (and adaptive cruise control) to motorcycles by 2020
The times sure are a-changing, and it'll be interesting to see how these features fit in with the motorcycling experience.
- Tesla Starts Collection of Location and Video Data From Model 3 Autopilot Cameras
We are working hard to improve autonomous safety features and make self-driving a reality for you as soon as possible.
- A Proven Track Record for Reducing Traffic Fatalities
The Strategy: Link Road Safety to Other Issues People Care About
- Business Block Party - 5/4 - Boise, Idaho
- Idaho Global Entrepreneurial Mission (IGEM) Investment Subcommittee - 4/23 - Boise, Idaho
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