August 9, 2018 Member Newsletter

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Montana High Tech News

Montana startups find mentors, new perspectives at Early Stage MT HyperAccelerator

Seven Montana companies participated in the Early Stage MT HyperAccelerator in Bozeman in July. Alosant, Cardsetter, Elation, Elebase, Sellout, Superior Traffic Services, and WebBuy spent one week with mentors and instructors at Montana State University's Jabs Hall. Photos courtesy of Early Stage MT.

By Katy Spence

After seven years in the real estate data industry, Alosant co-founder Mike Swanson was ready for a change. He and his business partner, April LaMon, founded Alosant in Bozeman in 2017.

Alosant is a tech platform to help manage lifestyle and amenities around real estate communities. It uses artificial intelligence to help remove the “burden of choice” from folks looking to get involved in their communities but who may feel overwhelmed by the options.

As Alosant’s founders looked for ways to grow, the Early Stage MT competition seemed like a good place to start.

“I wanted to force myself to do something new,” Swanson said. “Part of it was to get out there and learn more about the tech ecosystem in Montana, and part of it was looking for funding.”

Alosant was named the runner-up in the Early Stage MT Bozeman regional competition on May 22 and became one of seven companies to participate in the week-long HyperAccelerator in July. The other participating companies were Cardsetter, Elation, Elebase, Sellout, Superior Traffic Services, and WebBuy.

For five days, Swanson and other company leaders met with investors and business experts in Montana State University’s Jabs Hall, courtesy of the university. As part of packed curriculum, CEOs worked on their pitches, planned exit strategies, honed their sales and marketing plans, and met with individual mentors to help guide them through each step of the process.

Without a background in marketing, Swanson said learning how to talk about his business to investors was one of his goals for the accelerator. His “Aha” moment came during a presentation from Josh Spitzer, COO & CFO of onX. Spitzer spoke to the entrepreneurs about telling their business’ story through pro forma statements, or using numbers to tell the story and how the business will achieve its goals.

“Telling a story via numbers really resonated with me,” Swanson said.

Swanson said another valuable part of the HyperAccelerator was the opportunity to connect with mentors several times each day.

Read the Story

From the Executive Director:
Let’s Make K-12 Computer Science Education a Priority

Alliance Executive Director Christina Henderson, second from left, and Staff Writer Katy Spence, third from left, attended the TECNA 2018 Summer Conference in Des Moines, Iowa, to meet with other tech councils around North America. Also pictured are Doug Devlin, CEO of Zuman, and Alina Hardy, TECNA Project Coordinator.

By Christina Henderson

Staff Writer Katy Spence and I traveled to Des Moines, Iowa for the Technology Councils of North America (TECNA) Conference July 24-26. We joined about 100 other tech association leaders from across the U.S. and Canada to learn from our peers about topics like the Iowa Caucus system, innovative apprenticeship programs, and providing more value to our members.

My biggest takeaway, however, was from a panel about public policy that featured Sean Roberts, Director of State government Affairs with Code.org, discussing policies to support computer science education in K-12 schools. Code.org’s “Big Three” goals are 1) for every student in every school to have the opportunity to take computer science, 2) getting enough teachers trained to teach computer science, and 3) enacting state standards for CS.

According to Code.org, computer science drives innovation throughout the US economy and is in high demand, but remains marginalized throughout K-12 education. Ninety percent of parents say they want schools to teach the subject, but only 40 percent of U.S. schools teach computer programming.

Solving tech’s diversity problem also begins in K-12. Research shows female students are 10 times more likely to major in computer science in college if they try AP Computer Science in high school. Minority students are seven times more likely.

Increasing the number of CS graduates is essential to filling demand from Montana’s high-tech companies. According to Code.org’s Montana fact sheet, Montana has 712 open computing jobs (2.5 times the average demand rate) and those existing jobs represent a $45,835,000 opportunity in terms of annual salaries. Half the jobs in the Montana High Tech jobs portal at any given time are in programming.

The gap between available talent and industry demand is huge. Montana had just 75 computer science graduates in 2015, 11 percent of them female. The pipeline from high schools is not keeping up with demand, either. Only 13 Montana high school students took AP Computer Science in 2017. Fifteen percent were female, and two exams were taken by minority students. Just two schools in Montana offered an AP CS course last year.

Thirteen states have adopted a policy to give all high school students access to CS courses (and of those, only five states give all K-12 students access to the subject). According to Roberts, states that are leading the way in state policy on K-12 CS include Arkansas, Maryland, Virginia, and Wyoming.

Code.org has begun work on this issue in Montana in collaboration with the state and companies like Microsoft. According to an article in the Billings Gazette, in mid-July, the Montana Board of Public Education approved a new subject-area license for coding that would require teachers who already hold a regular license to take 80 hours of training. A program offered by Big Sky Code Academy/Teachers Teaching Tech would allow teachers to meet the new 80-hour requirement at no cost to them or schools.

But leaders from Montana’s teacher training universities and CS professors from UM and MSU laid out a series of concerns regarding the change, including that coding is just one component of computer science and the standards would not produce teachers who are fully prepared to teach the subject.

Expanding access to computer science in Montana’s K-12 schools and increasing participation by women and underrepresented minorities is a priority for the Alliance, and we are eager to work together with stakeholders to enact effective policies in our state to address this opportunity. If you would like to join us in this effort or make us aware of programs, please email me at director@mthightech.org.

Member News:

Big Sky Commerce celebrates 15 years in Montana

By Kevin Davis, Founder/President of Big Sky Commerce Inc.

The U.S. Small Business Administration defines a small business as an independently owned and operated business with less than 500 employees and $7.5 million in annual sales. As such, the small business community comprises the vast majority of businesses throughout the country. It’s an even greater privilege to have operated Big Sky Commerce as a small business for 15 years in the Treasure State, with its myriad of recreation options and vibrant entrepreneurial community.

When I founded Big Sky Commerce in 2003, the financial technology (FinTech) sector was burgeoning with few players on the scene to handle online payment processing.

PayPal and eBay were growing exponentially, while Amazon was still in its infancy. Most every business owner I encountered wanted a web presence and an online storefront. I knew a niche was needed to efficiently provide payment processing solutions to many industries and business types, and at a fair cost while backed by knowledgeable, accessible support. After all, we’re moving payment transactions fast and efficiently, and clients like to know how to connect with their service provider when questions arise!

I had recently been laid off (along with dozens of others) from a struggling Montana Internet Service Provider, and my wife Carolyn and I had two newborns to feed and a mortgage to pay. We knew at the time that starting our own business would allow us to dictate our own career fate while enabling us to raise our kids in Montana- a commitment we made together at the time.

Starting a FinTech company in 2003 wasn’t as glamorous as it is today. We didn’t have the social media tools, fanfare, and resources like the Missoula Economic Partnership that exist today. Frankly, I started the business in 2003 out of necessity and as the ticket for our family to remain in Montana. Fifteen years later, we’re thrilled to have lived that dream so far.

Read more on the Montana Chamber website.

Bozeman Fiber announces free upgrade for small- and medium-sized businesses

Bozeman Fiber is entering the next stage of its expansion and has announced the free upgrade of its broadband connection for small- and medium-sized businesses to 1 gigabit/second, a 4-10x increase in download speeds at no additional cost. This means the 100 Mbps/50 Mbps and 250 Mbps/100 Mbps service now becomes (Gigabit) 1000 Mbps/50 Mbps and 1000 Mbps/100 Mbps service.

To achieve these speeds, your local area network equipment (LAN) may need to be updated. As time progresses, Bozeman Fiber believes these types of products will become the “Gold Standard” as video streaming, data movement, and enhanced communications become required for many business activities.

Bozeman Fiber is a community nonprofit that interconnects Bozeman school, municipal and county buildings. Bozeman Fiber also offers fiber connections between local businesses and partner internet service providers in an “open access network” model. To find out more, read the full press release, visit www.bozemanfiber.com, or contact Greg Metzger at (406) 551-3265.

Stevensville Coding Camp teaches kids skills all summer, throughout school year

The Stevensville Coding for Kids program, hosted by the Stevensville Community Center Complex, aims to improve the technical and cognitive skills of students grades 1 to 12 all year round.

The final camp of the summer will be "Maker Space, Create Your Own Device," held August 13 – 17 and taught by GeoFli Co-founder Nick Shontz. Student teams will use versatile Arduino components to build electronic devices of their own design or ones suggested by the teacher. The sky is the limit in this class. This course is appropriate for grade 8 and above, with some programming experience. Learn more about this program and register for camp on the website.

The after-school program will include a beginning programming class, a robotics class, and potentially a digital art class. The classes meet weekly over a period of 8 weeks - typically from 2:30 to 4:30 on Wednesdays.

For more information, email director Loey Knapp at loeyk[at]yahoo.com.

ESMT competitor Cardsetter reflects on starting up in Billings, Montana

Starting up a tech company in Billings, Montana? What?

By Jessica Baldwin, Cardsetter/Robot Snacks

Yep, we are aware that we aren’t located in a technology hub.

But, Billings is a great place to do business and has a strong economic climate (being near all that outdoor recreation doesn’t hurt either). Also, it’s our hometown! We love it here!

Inspiration can strike anywhere, right? Viable ideas aren’t unique to Silicon Valley.

Is it more difficult here? Yes. There are fewer mentors to seek out, fewer potential partners to work with, and limited funding options to take advantage of (if there are and we haven’t discovered them yet, please share with us).

But, all of that is okay. You see, because when you have an idea that you just can’t shake, you’ll find a way to make it happen. And, it’s possible, we believe, that we may be better off for doing it “the hard way.”

Read the full post on Medium.

Discount Extended PLUS Special Guest at ELI Collaboration, Critical Thinking, & Communication Seminar in Bozeman, Aug. 16

What: One-Day Leadership Seminar
Where: Holiday Inn Express – 2305 Catron Street, Bozeman
When: August 16, 2018

Effective communication, critical thinking, and collaboration are essential skills for success in the modern workplace. Studies show these foundational skills benefit nearly every facet of business operation, build trust, and significantly improve engagement, retention, and operational profits.

Here’s what you will take away from this dynamic seminar:

How to communicate effectively with others
Critical thinking skills to increase productivity
Effective reading, writing & presentation skills
How collaboration produces positive outcomes
Rules-of-thumb for negotiating like a pro
How to resolve conflicts early and productively, while building trust and strengthening relationships
Participants will earn 7.5 PDH’s

The seminar will now include special guest Congressman Greg Gianforte, who will join us for a lunch discussion focused on how these skills influenced his success, and why they are essential for entrepreneurs and today's workforce.

This seminar will benefit business owners, leaders, managers, and technicians – essentially anyone who communicates with others. Learn more and register for this event by viewing the invitation.

Montana High Tech Business Alliance, AT&T, ATG, Blackfoot, EDULOG, onX, WGM Group, GeoFli, LumenAd, TOMIS, DermaXon, Inimmune: Missoula companies recognized by High Tech Business Alliance for growth, jobs (Missoulian)

Montana High Tech Business Alliance, Gianforte School of Computing - Montana State University, University of Montana Computer Science Dept., Big Sky Code Academy: Is 80 hours enough? Amid opposition, Montana's education board creates new path for teaching coding (Billings Gazette)

ATG: ATG set to begin office construction in Old Sawmill District, move by January (Missoula Current), Taste of Missoula: International tech leaders to converge for diversified summit (Missoula Current), Missoula’s ATG introduces Big Brothers Big Sisters kids to programming (Missoula Current)

NorthWestern Energy: Holter Dam celebrates 100 years in Montana (KPAX)

onX, Blackmore Sensors and Analytics, Schedulicity, Quiq, Pulsara, Orbital Shift, CrossTx, The Audience Awards: 10 Best Tech Startups in Montana (Tech Tribune)

WGM Group: WGM Group recognized by Engineering Inc for helping to revitalize Old Sawmill District (WGM)

LMG Security: Firth’s take on tech: Cryptojacking the new, insidious online criminal threat (Missoula Current)

Morrison Maierle, Stockman Bank: Moving Helena forward: Here are the IR's 20 Under 40 winners for 2018 (Helena Independent Record)

Pulsara: DFW Airport Emergency Room Takes Off With Innovative Communication Platform (NBC 12)

TOMIS: Missoula tech company aimed at tourism industry opens $3M investment round (Missoula Current)

Big Sky Economic Development: Survey: Montana #34 in top states for business survey (KPAX)

Big Sky Economic Development, Billings Works!: Study: Billings employers looking to hire but struggling to find employees (Billings Gazette)

Frontier Angels, Missoula Economic Partnership, Early Stage MT: With $50K on the line, Missoula tech company hones business plan at accelerator (Missoula Current)

Montana Chamber of Commerce: Montana Leads The Country In Entrepreneurship, UM Study Says (MTPR)

Montana Department of Commerce: Commerce Announces Nearly $795,000 in Grants to Fund Technology Innovation (Montana Dept. of Commerce)

Montana Department of Commerce, DermaXon: DermaXon: Missoula startup receives $99K grant to research med for chronic pain (Missoula Current)

Montana Manufacturing Extension Center, Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering: Montana’s Manufacturing Sector Adding Jobs Faster than Rest of the Nation (Havre Herald)

Big Sky Fulfillment: Missoula businesses fear Sup Court’s sales tax decision could slow growth, cost money (Missoula Current)

Inimmune: UM, Inimmune land $5.4M NIH grant to pursue bacterial fighting vaccine (Missoula Current)

Todd Klassy Photography: Montana Magazine cover (Montana Magazine)

Missoula airport: Access, security and PR set to begin as Missoula’s $67M terminal project nears (Missoula Current)

Welcome New Members:

Alcove Writing Services LLC, Katy Spence, Missoula

CompuNet, Curt Jacobson, Missoula

Upcoming Events:

2018 Economic Update Series, Make Montana Home - Enticing Entrepreneurs - Statewide. August 9 in Missoula. ‘Montana University’ of the Montana Chamber Foundation invites you to participate in the 13th Annual Economic Update Series. This annual series provides brief mid-year updates and economic projections for local, state, and national economies. The series takes place in nine locations across the state, with additional stops in Glasgow and Sidney being added this year. The State of Entrepreneurship study will be released in conjunction with the series. Additionally, a panel of local entrepreneurs will participate, providing reactions to Patrick Barkey’s (Bureau of Business & Economic Research, University of Montana) economic projections and thoughts on entrepreneurs can succeed in Montana.Learn more and register.

Montana Code School Demo Day - Missoula. Aug. 9, 5 pm - 7 pm, Gecko Designs. Join the Montana Programmers for Montana Code School’s Demo Day to meet their talented students who will be available for hire starting in December 2017. Their students have spent the last few weeks in teams developing an app from scratch. For more information, view the Facebook event.

Montana Ambassadors Dinner and Innovate Montana Symposium - Billings. Aug 8 - 9, DoubleTree by Hilton, Billings. The 2018 Innovate Symposium is the first statewide event entirely focused on giving early stage ventures actionable insights to get to market and grow their companies. Every aspect of the day - from the keynote speaker and panelists to invited attendees - will be curated for their ability to create products with a clear market fit, raise investment, and build teams from the ground up. The Launch and Grow tracks will give businesses in diverse fields the steps they need to take immediately, and a plan for scaling in the future. Learn more and buy tickets.

Global Leadership Summit - Billings. Aug 9-10, MSU-Billings campus, Student Union Building, 1500 University Dr, Billings. Join 445,000 of your peers to learn how to maximize your influence with two days of world-class leadership training. Gain exclusive access to the LIVE HD telecast of the Summit at one of 700+ locations. Get a unique blend of vision, inspiration and practical skills you can immediately apply. Learn from a diverse 2018 faculty. Leverage the Summit as a resource to transform yourself and your community. Join a diverse group of individuals from education, healthcare, media, non-profits, government, elected officials, business owners to Military, and more. Learn more and register.

Export Training - Bozeman and Missoula. 8:30 am – 4 pm on Wednesday, August 15, Bozeman, and 8:30 am – 4 pm on Thursday, August 16 in Missoula. Free interactive one-day training in exporting for companies thinking about or already selling outside the US. Learn the riddle of the Exporter, an 8-step process to “conquer the world of exporting," developed by Elyse Eriksson, an entrepreneur who understands just how little time you have in any given day for new things. Deadline to register: August 9. View the flier for more information.

1 Million Cups Bi-Weekly Meeting - Missoula. Aug. 15. Meets the first and third Wednesday each month at 9:00 am at The Loft, Missoula. 1 Hour Free Parking across the street in the city parking garage. Start your morning with coffee and start your business with 1MC Missoula, a place to percolate your startup. Entrepreneurship runs through it. For more information visit the website or Facebook page.

Collaboration, Critical Thinking, and Communication seminar - Bozeman. August 16, 8 am - 4:30 pm. Effective communication, critical thinking, and collaboration are essential skills for success in the modern workplace. Studies show these foundational skills benefit nearly every facet of business operation, build trust, and significantly improve engagement, retention, and operational profits. Learn these skills and more in this dynamic seminar with the Engineering Leadership Institute. Learn more and register here.

HVN Featuring Patrick Claytor of Big Sky Fulfillment - Missoula. August 16, 4:30 - 6:30 PM, Boyle Deveny and Meyer PC, at 305 S 4th St E #200, Missoula, MT 59801. Patrick is the CEO of QuiltyBox and Big Sky Fulfillment, focused on E-commerce, Subscription Box Companies, AutoCAD, and training his dog June. He is interested in partnering with e-commerce brands, providing fulfillment services from Missoula, MT, and networking. HVN facilitates informal networking among entrepreneurs and advisers engaged in building growth businesses in Montana. Future HVN meetings will be held on September 13, October 18, November 8, and December 13. Learn more and RSVP.

Wage & Hour Part II: Non-exempt Employees - statewide. August 22, noon -1 pm. This webinar presented by Associated Employers will define non-exempt employees, discuss the definition of a work week, properly determining and paying overtime, and more. Email reg@aehr.org, call 406-248-6178, or register online.

University of Montana Career Fair - Missoula. August 30, 9 am - 3 pm. University Center. The Student Employment Fair is a great opportunity for employers to connect with students seeking work-study, non-work study, part time, on campus, off campus and volunteer positions while going to school. Register and learn more.

1 Million Cups Monthly Meeting - Bozeman. September 5. Meets the first Wednesday of the month at 7:30 am at Red Tractor Pizza, Bozeman. Creating conversation around Bozeman startups, business development, and economic growth in the most entrepreneurial state in the nation (plus, coffee). For more information and application to present, visit the website.

Town Hall with Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank President Neel Kashkari - Bozeman. Sept. 5, 2:00-3:00pm, MSU, Ballroom A, 211 Strand Union Building, 751 Grant St., Bozeman. President Kashkari is a member of the Federal Open Market Committee, the body of the Federal Reserve System that sets national monetary policy. Since taking over as President of the Minneapolis Fed in January 2016, he has spearheaded several new initiatives, including releasing a plan to end the "Too Big to Fail" problem and launching the Federal Reserve's new Opportunity and Inclusive Growth Institute, housed at the Minneapolis Fed. President Kashkari will give brief remarks, followed by an open-mic Q&A with the audience moderated by Larry Simkins, President & CEO of The Washington Companies. Learn more and register.

Montana Tech Career Fair - Butte. Sept. 13, Career Fair. Sept. 14, 2nd day interviews. Take part in one of Montana Tech's signature events. For more information, email careerservices@mtech.edu, call 406.496.4140, or visit the website.

Project Everest: Agile Strategies in Leadership and Time Management with Alan Mallory - Missoula. Sept. 14, 8:30am. Salvation Army, Missoula. Learn tips, strategies, tools and other engaging content relating to human performance, leadership and adventure. Alan Mallory helps develop great leaders and strengthen teams by establishing and reinforcing the professional development skills and mindsets that are essential for success. His engaging presentations and interactive training programs help individuals and organizations reach new heights in the way we think and the actions we take in order to achieve breakthrough performance. Learn more and register.

Montana Code School Courses - Missoula & Bozeman. Full-Time Course Class Dates: Sept. 17 – Dec. 7, 2018. Part-time course dates: Sept. 18, 2018 – March 26, 2019. Financing available. Montana Code School’s full-time immersive program gives you the skills and fundamentals you need to land a job as a full-stack Jr. Web Developer. Contact 406-219-1392 or talk@montanacodeschool.com. Learn more here.

Big Sky Code Academy Full and Part Time Coding Classes - Billings, Bozeman, Missoula. Full-time classes start Sept. 17. Part-time courses start Oct. 1. Learn Full Stack JavaScript and become a Web Developer in just 12 Weeks! In person and online options. Scholarships Available. Accept GI Bill for tuition payment. Job Offer Guarantee. Learn more and register here.

Big Sky Code Academy Full and Part Time Digital Marketing Classes - Billings, Bozeman, Missoula. Part-time course start Sept. 4. Learn Full Stack JavaScript and become a Web Developer in just 12 Weeks! In person and online options. Learn more and register here.

Leadership Training Workshop - Missoula. Sept.19, 2018, First Interstate Bank Training Center, downtown Missoula. The workshop presenters, industry leaders with the Western Montana Manufacturing Partnership (WMMP), will teach participants tools and skills to help improve their business and become better equipped for the challenges faced as supervisors and managers. Learn more and register.

Early Stage MT statewide showcase - Bozeman. Sept. 22, Museum of the Rockies, Bozeman. From each regional ESMT competition, two finalists were selected to advance to the Statewide showcase taking place on September 22, 2018 in Bozeman. There, competitors will have the opportunity to pitch their business to dozens of investors, mentors, and members of the Montana business community and possibly win your share of up to $50,000 in investment capital. Learn more here.

MSU 31st Annual Fall Career Fair - Bozeman. Oct. 4. Learn more and register.

2018 Montana Manufacturing Jobs Summit - Kalispell. Nov. 8-9, Hilton Garden Inn Kalispell. Montana is the fastest growing state for manufacturing GDP in the nation with $3.2 billion in manufacturing GDP in 2016— a $1.2 billion increase from 2011. From high-tech production of parts for Boeing’s newest planes to Montana’s local microbreweries producing high-quality beers, the Treasure State is home to thousands of manufacturing jobs across numerous sectors. The Summit will bring together state and national leaders in manufacturing, trade, and economic policy to highlight Montana’s booming manufacturing industry and share ideas about how to grow economic opportunities in the state. More details to come on the website.

Past Newsletters:

07/26/2018 - Photos: July 5 Member Reception; Top Tech Employers media coverage; Quiq partners with Apple; Next Frontier announces first exit; IT apprenticeships

07/12/2018 - Montana Top Tech Employers 2018; Alliance hits 350 member milestone; Workiva CTO Jeff Trom as new board chair; IronCore receives $1.5M in seed funding

06/28/2018 - Robot Snacks chosen ESMT finalist; New MHTBA jobs board and calendar; Zoot names new President; Big Sky Dreamin' Salesforce conference

06/14/2018 - 5 Advantages to Doing Business in MT; MWTC features GDPR at TechEx; Inaugural Women’s Summit Explores Inclusive Innovation

Click to view more past newsletters.

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Montana High Tech Business Alliance

1121 E Broadway St, Suite 108

Missoula, MT 59802

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Montana High Tech Business Alliance · 1121 E Broadway St, Suite 108 · Missoula, MT 59802 · USA