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| MATR Newsletter - Fri Aug 1, 2008 |
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"Somebody should tell us, right at the start of our lives, that we are dying. Then we might live life to the limit, every minute of every day. Do it! I say. Whatever you want to do, do it now!" -- Michael Landon
The times, they are a-changin... "Blue-Staters Run Through It - Newcomers Reshape Politics in Montana; Roast Beef vs. Panini" http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html ---- "Grow Utah Ventures Launches Concept to Company Contest- -One out of state winner will receive grand prize-" http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html ---
Idaho TechConnect
MEDA -Montana Economic Developers Association
- Kickstand Southern Idaho, 8/7, Twin Falls, Idaho
Fine-Tuning your Elevator Pitch/Summer Social
Missoula Children's Theatre
- MEDA August Newsletter
There is an especially long list of “Opportunities for You” section – another indicator that fall and the fall conference season is around the corner.
Come Home Montana
- Proposed performing arts school by Missoula Children's Theatre considers options
The program could quickly grow to several hundred participants based on the high interest from families who've participated in MCT's “Little Red Truck” traveling theater workshops, which have been everywhere in the United States and several other nations.
Developing Tech Jobs in Rural Communities
- Blue-Staters Run Through It - Newcomers Reshape Politics in Montana; Roast Beef vs. Panini
"People come here and they want it to be like where they came from. I say, why don't they stay there? The bad thing is, now they've got you outnumbered, you put an issue to a vote and they'll outvote you."
- Pakistani student coming to Missoula, Montana for high school and he needs a home. Can you help?
Montana mountain climber, Greg Mortenson, is working to fight terror by building schools in Pakistan. Now, a boy from one of the towns featured in Mortenson's best selling book, Three Cups of Tea, is coming to stay in Missoula for one year.
- Artist moved to Montana now living a Disney story beyond his dream job
“Working at Disney was a dream job in a lot of ways,” says Richard. “But I really think we’ve found the right thing for us to be doing, and the right place to be doing it here.”
Leadership Montana
- Bozeman, Montana is #2 in the nation for Dreamtowns that offer refuge from big cities and congested suburbs
This Rocky Mountain community is fast-growing and prosperous. Only four micropolitan areas have expanded more rapidly than Bozeman since the start of this decade. The local poverty rate is the lowest in any U.S. micro, and the unemployment rate is the second-lowest.
Montana Business
- Paul Bentley to teach leadership courses at MSU's Extended University
At MSU's Extended University, Bentley will teach the four-part "Applied Leadership: The Art of Supervision" curriculum that he developed at BSU.
- Nelson Mandela: His 8 Lessons of Leadership
No. 1 Courage is not the absence of fear — it's inspiring others to move beyond it
Montana Economic Development
- Surprised by Criticism, Plum Creek Aims to Shore Up Image. CEO Holley optimistic about Plum Creek's future
For the largest private landowner in the country, volatile real estate and timber industries have taken a toll.
- Goomzee.com Showcases Product at Keller William's "Geek Affair"
Goomzee.com, an innovator in the real estate technology field, was chosen by Keller William’s as the exclusive mobile advertising and lead generation vendor for the event.
- Controlling content — Old Town Creative of Whitefish, Montana finds niche allowing easy management of Web information
"National Geographic was so enamored by what we're doing that they called us and said, 'Hey, we'd like to partner up and use this system as our official tool for all our geotourism projects internationally.' "
Regional Economic Development
- U.S. Commerce Department Releases Updated Trade Finance Guide
This concise and easy-to-understand tool was created specifically to help U.S. small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) navigate the often difficult landscape of trade finance, a topic that is critical for successfully entering and succeeding in today’s increasingly competitive global marketplace.
- Richland Economic Development saluted by state economic office
“We’re very, very thrilled,” Leslie Messer, executive director for Richland Economic Development, said. “I’m just so pleased. It’s quite an honor.”
- Bitterroot businesses have access to capital
“Some of the national workshops I attend are full of economic developers saying that their lenders don’t understand economic development and that is a real barrier to entrepreneurship,” Foster stated. “I feel very fortunate to know that in Ravalli County we can always call on the local lenders to help figure out how to help a business get access to capital.
Business Plan Forums
- SBA - NEWSLINE EIGHT Volume 14 Sept 2008
Worrying about outdated or ineffective federal regulations?
Careers
- Grow Utah Ventures Launches Concept to Company Contest
-One out of state winner will receive grand prize-
Developing Funding Opportunities in Montana
- Five Life-Changing Mistakes and How I Moved On
Mistake 1: I allowed others to define me.
Funding and Building your Business
- Bootstrapping, Montana Style
Greg Gianforte does not believe in raising money from investors to build companies. "The best money comes from customers, not investors," the former Silicon Valley software entrepreneur says.
Montana Education Excellence
- Catching an Angel's Eye: Attracting Angel Investors for Entrepreneurs
In the investment world good ideas are everywhere, while superb execution is a rarity.
- "How Women Work"
Everyone who wants to stay married or market stuff to women should read this.
- Disabilities Act changes studied. Millions of businesses face access-modification rules
The proposed regulations address a wide range of facilities, including access to courthouses, drinking fountains, amusement park rides, stadium and theater seating, fishing piers, boat slips and bowling lanes, and it would establish specific requirements for qualifying accessible designs.
- Voyager Capital expands in Silicon Valley and Portland
Two-thirds of the firm's $107 million third fund will be deployed in the Northwest, a market he describes as one of the top five in the country.
- Google Said to Consider Venture Capital Arm
If Google does indeed forge ahead with the plan, it would follow other tech and media firms, such as Intel, Comcast and Walt Disney, which have launched V.C. units of their own.
- Flyover-land startups must work hard for capital
Venture capital statistics for the first half of 2008 raise some points worth pondering, especially for technology entrepreneurs working in this vast territory known as flyover land.
- Use Your Leadership Style to Make Your Best Business Plan Yet
Find out what kind of a thinker--and business owner--you are by asking these strategic questions.
- Starting up: Plan ahead for success in business
Most people, like me, believe Idaho's economic growth is tied to the start-up and entrepreneur market.
Montana Education/Business Partnerships
- Montana StatCe ollege of Business News Hatchopedia.com: Some Business, All Fishing
Five Montana State University College of Business alumni and one Graphic Design alumnus from Arts & Architecture have developed a website that capitalizes on the collective capabilities and experience of anglers to create a robust catalog of up-to-date fishing information, allowing anglers to become fish smart!
- Montana Tech named ‘among best’ colleges
“Montana Tech is a small school with an excellent curriculum in science and engineering, complete with small classes, lots of personal attention, many internship opportunities, nearby recreation, and post-graduate success.” In Tech’s profile under the “Survey Says …” category, students said Tech has “great computer facilities” and that “career services are great.”
- Program designed to fight obesity in Montana awarded more than $4 million
The program, called the Montana Nutrition and Physical Activity Program to Prevent Obesity and Other Chronic Diseases, is administered by Montana State University.
- Montana State University begins first class to train medical technologists
Medical technologists test blood, grow cultures and do other lab work that lead to diagnoses.
University TechTransfer
- Millions in private funds builds Montana State University bioscience facility
“This is the first time in the history of Montana State University that ranchers, farmers and agricultural businesses have done anything like this,” said Billings farm broadcaster Taylor Brown, an MSU graduate who chairs the development committee that organized the funding campaign for the new Animal Bioscience Facility.
Idaho Business
- Fab Lab brings MIT tech transfer ideas to Wisconsin businesses
Dozens of inventors are using the lab and taking advantage of the mentoring services of a team of engineers with the hope of translating their ideas into business.
- Local Colleges Work to Transfer Technology to Business
"You either have incentives like tax and lifestyle, or infrastructure, other organizations or universities. Incentives are fleeting ways to set up the path. We are trying to build an infrastructure to attract and spin off business."
Wyoming Business
- Idaho Dept. of Commerce launches enhanced website
“Our goal is to get information to people quickly and help them connect to resources they need. We’ve found that many companies and people are looking for a place like Idaho – where it’s easy to do business, find hard-working employees and enjoy wonderful communities.”
- Revenue from Idaho entrepreneurs jumps more than 36 percent since 2001
The significant increase in revenue from these businesses -– entrepreneurs often operating from their homes, small store fronts or their pickup trucks –- came from a combination of rising average receipts and a significant increase in the number.
- For many workers at Hewlett-Packard in Boise Idaho, internships go far beyond the interim
The goal, in a nutshell, is to identify talented prospective employees while they're still in school, give them meaningful work and find out if they're a good fit.
Education
- Cody Labs gets license and $13MM investment for imports
He said only about six other companies have such import licenses, which offer holders a competitive advantage in securing a more steady and affordable supply of raw opium, poppy straw and concentrate of poppy straw.
Community
- How to make your kids’ computer time educational – and fun
The Monitor’s technology columnist gives his educational software “best of” list.
Connectivity & CommunicationsEnergy
- Mourning the Internet Famous: Randy Pausch's Distributed Funeral
Randy Pausch's death on Friday provides an example of how we'll mourn the passing of the internet famous.
- Video search engines help users sort through clips
Search technology can read and analyze text on a website, but the same technology is limited when it comes to video. Google hopes to improve on that.
- It's a bird! It's a plane! It's research! Projects stretch the concept of computing
The alternative user interface is one of the biggest trends in computing – letting people control machines with digital pens, fingers and natural motions. Or by flapping their arms like a bird.
- University of Montana Disability Services To Host Delegation From Japan
Led by Hiroshi Kawamura, president of DAISY Consortium http://www.daisy.org/ , the delegation is part of an international comparative study. At the completion of the study, the delegation will develop and submit a policy proposal regarding individuals with print disabilities to the Japanese government.
Cool Stuff That's Coming
- MIT's major breakthrough: Storing solar energy when the sun doesn't shine
Solar power hasn't been a large-scale energy solution because storing extra solar energy has been hugely expensive and terribly inefficient up until now.
- Cheap Catalyst Could Turn Sunlight, Water Into Fuel
Scientists may have cleared the major roadblock on the long road to fossil fuel independence: Reducing the on-again, off-again nature of many renewable power sources.
Commuter Rail Development
- Study Promises Benefits of Exercise in a Pill
Working out is tough. So why not skip the exercise and pop a few endurance-boosting pills?
Global Telework
- Leaping into Light Rail
The current national interest in light-rail transit is, of course, something of a full-circle return to the approach from more than a century ago.
Non-Profit News
- Report: Telecommuting Presents Privacy and Security Risks to Organizations That Don't Implement Complete Planning
Personal and private information related to both employees and their employers may be compromised by telecommuting staff if privacy risks are not dealt with effectively, according to a new report developed by Ernst &Young LLP and the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT).
- Funding For-Profit Philanthropy
Adam Smith would be proud.
- MBAs lift non-profit sector
As many non-profit organisations strive to make their operations more professional, a growing number of their employees are choosing to take an MBA.
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