Annual Meeting Highlights: MHTBA Celebrates 10th Anniversary and Looks Ahead to New Frontiers in Tech
Leaders from Applied Materials, Cognizant, and Craton Consulting Discuss Montana’s Evolving Tech Landscape; Montana Jobs Network Seeks Strategic Community Partnerships
In This Issue:
MHTBA annual meeting recap
Montana Jobs Network explores partnerships with Montana’s high-tech and higher-education communities
“What’s next for tech in Montana” roundtable
Montana High Tech Business Alliance members and guests gathered inside Cognizant on October 15, 2024, for the Alliance’s annual meeting and tenth-anniversary celebration, roundtable discussion, and evening networking reception. The MHTBA’s Missoula events were hosted by Kym Corwin, head of workforce development & site strategy, Carey Davis, facilities manager, Jay Allen, senior marketing manager & site operations manager, and the Missoula Cognizant team. Photo by Carey Davis.
October 29, 2024
By Melissa Paulsen
Montana High Tech Business Alliance Annual Meeting Recap
Celebrating a Decade of Innovation and Growth
On October 15, 2024, members of the Montana High Tech Business Alliance (MHTBA) and invited guests gathered at Cognizant in Missoula to celebrate the Alliance’s 10th anniversary and engage in a forward-looking discussion about the state’s tech future. Hosted by Cognizant leaders Kym Corwin, head of workforce development & site strategy, Carey Davis, facilities manager, and Jay Allen, senior marketing manager & site operations manager, the evening began with MHTBA’s annual meeting and roundtable, followed by a networking reception with refreshments against scenic views of Missoula.
Reflecting on a Decade of Impact
Looking Ahead to 2025
During the annual meeting, Alliance members and guests learned about the MHTBA’s exciting plans for 2025, including a High-tech Happy Hour networking tour coming to several cities in the region.
MHTBA board chair Kelly Schwager, and Executive Director Christina Henderson opened the meeting with a look back at the Alliance’s accomplishments over the past ten years, emphasizing MHTBA’s commitment to expanding Montana’s tech ecosystem beyond established tech hubs like Bozeman, Missoula, and the Flathead Valley. Henderson highlighted the Alliance’s plans for 2025, including a new High-tech Happy Hour networking tour across the state, more digital networking tools such as Slack and Discord, and expanding the Local Chapters program to foster community connections.
“This coming year we’re going to add some digital tools … as a way for folks to connect with one another online, ask questions, provide help, and support each other digitally across communities,” Henderson noted.
The meeting also underscored how remote work has transformed tech networking in Montana. High-tech Happy Hours, which include the summer Governor’s Cup event in Kalispell and recent gatherings in Lewistown, Missoula, and Bozeman, have proved invaluable for Montana’s remote tech workers, offering them an in-person way to connect with industry peers.
Expanding Local Chapters for Tech Professionals
In response to increasing demand for local meetups, MHTBA has expanded its Local Chapters program to Billings. With support from the Alliance team for logistics and outreach, volunteer organizers like Derek Eaton, managing director of business development for IIInigence, coordinate these gatherings, ensuring local tech professionals can engage and network regularly.
From left to right: Melissa Paulsen, MHTBA communications coordinator, Christina Henderson, MHTBA & Montana Jobs Network executive director, and Conor Smith, CEO & president of First Call Computer Solutions in Missoula.
Montana Jobs Network: Empowering Montana’s Workforce to Launch High-Paying Careers
The Montana Jobs Network (MJN), a 501(c)3 nonprofit affiliated with the MHTBA, is dedicated to developing Montana’s skilled workforce. With a board of nine recently elected leaders, MJN seeks partnerships with Montana’s educational and business communities to create high-paying, sustainable careers.
Board Chair Kate Pace, COO for Craton Consulting in Missoula, emphasized the importance of leveraging Montana’s greatest resource—its people—by connecting them with the state’s tech industry opportunities across all 56 counties and eight Tribal Nations. “The workforce opportunities in tech are diverse, and the Montana Jobs Network aims to better connect job seekers and employers,” Pace said.
In a commitment to Gen Z’s priorities of financial stability and impactful work, MJN is aligning resources and outreach to spotlight high-growth tech roles that align with these values. The organization welcomes community partnerships to increase access to tech education and workforce opportunities, ensuring Montana’s future is one of prosperity and growth.
Support Our Work: Consider a donation to the Montana Jobs Network to help further the mission of empowering Montanans through tech. For more information or to discuss a specific project, contact Christina Henderson at director[at]mthightech.org.
Creating Pathways to Success with Strategic Workforce Development
As part of its mission to empower Montana’s workforce, MJN has spearheaded multiple workforce development initiatives across the state. Throughout 2024, MHTBA and the Montana Jobs Network collaborated on workforce development initiatives, including the first Biotech Career Expo with the University of Montana, partnering with educational leaders at the University of Montana College of Business, University of Montana College of Humanities & Sciences, and Missoula College. The event helped students identify skills necessary to pursue roles in Montana’s fast-growing biotech industry. Henderson also presented at the 30th annual Optec Conference at Montana State University to introduce students to opportunities in Montana’s burgeoning photonics sector.
Montana received a $41 million federal grant in July 2024 to further develop the state’s smart sensing industry, adding momentum to the state’s tech expansion.
MHTBA and MJN also connected with K-12 educators at the STEM Summer Institute in Bozeman, building bridges to connect classrooms to tech careers.
At the Lewistown Workforce Expo, co-hosted by Allied Steel and the Montana Department of Labor & Industry, MJN’s “Hot Montana Jobs Showdown” game engaged students from Lewistown, Stanford, Winifred, and Fort Belknap. Through interactive learning, students discovered the high-paying jobs emerging in Montana’s tech industry, based on the Alliance’s 31 Hot Montana Jobs for 2023 report.
Publications and Resources for Montana’s Tech Community
The Alliance released several reports and guides this year, including 10 Hot Montana Photonics Jobs for 2024, published in partnership with the Montana Photonics & Quantum Alliance.
Additional content the Alliance published includes:
Updates to the “Great Places for Tech in Montana” series
An online Professional Services Directory highlighting MHTBA members and the work they do throughout the state
Montana Biotech and Phonics & Quantum sector resource guides
A “Communities of Interest” resource guide spotlighting diverse stories of Montanans leveraging opportunities in the tech industry
Features covering the Alliance and Montana Job Network’s support of the The Last Mile program and Natives Rising to introduce opportunities in tech and entrepreneurship to justice-impacted individuals and Indigenous Montanans.
Check out the Alliance’s news blog for a comprehensive library of educational content.
These efforts are part of a broader strategy to empower Montanans across all 56 counties and eight Tribal Nations, ensuring that high-paying tech opportunities are accessible to people statewide.
“What’s Next for Tech in Montana?”
The “What’s next for tech in Montana?” roundtable featured insights from industry leaders Brian Aegerter, general manager of Applied Materials in Kalispell, Kym Corwin, head of workforce development & site strategy for Missoula’s Cognizant, and Tom Stergios, founder of Craton Consulting in Missoula. The panel explored current trends shaping Montana’s tech landscape, from AI and remote work to training programs that address workforce needs.
A full recap will be available in a future newsletter.
Looking Ahead
As we move into 2025, MHTBA and MJN are excited to continue building Montana’s tech landscape with innovative programs and resources. Stay tuned for upcoming events, new reports, and more ways to connect and support Montana’s future.
About the Publisher: Launched in 2014, the Montana High Tech Business Alliance is a nonpartisan nonprofit association of more than 200 high tech and manufacturing companies and affiliates creating high-paying jobs in Montana. For more information, visit MTHighTech.org or subscribe to our biweekly newsletter.
About the Author: Melissa Paulsen is the communications coordinator for the Montana High Tech Business Alliance. She graduated from the University of Montana in 2022 with a BFA in creative writing and a minor in history.