Missoula Event Highlights: Leaders at UM Highlight Tech Education Programs; Submittable Announces Strategic Partnership with Microsoft; The Whole Group Helps Expand Montana’s Technology Workforce
November 29, 2023
Montana High Tech Business Alliance members and guests gathered inside Missoula College on October 26, 2023, for the Alliance’s annual meeting, “Partnerships in Higher Education” roundtable featuring University of Montana President Seth Bodnar, and an evening networking reception. The MHTBA’s Missoula events were sponsored by Public Relations Manager Debbie Dantic and the team at Blackfoot Communications. Photos courtesy of Paige Pavalone, Pistol Creek Photography.
October 26, 2023, Hosted by Blackfoot Communications
By Melissa Paulsen
On Thursday, October 26, 2023, the Montana High Tech Business Alliance hosted its annual meeting and member reception inside Missoula College. The roundtable “Partnerships in Higher Education” featured Seth Bodnar, University of Montana President, as well as leaders at the University of Montana who are helping to build the next generation of the state’s talented tech workforce. During the networking reception the team at Blackfoot Communications provided appetizers and beverages, gave away door prizes, and launched the evening’s lightning talks with remarks from Public Affairs Manager Chris Laslovich. Blackfoot Communications has generously sponsored several events on behalf of the Alliance.
CONNECT: MHTBA Expands Efforts in Workforce Development and Leaders at UM Share Innovative Programs to Prepare Montanans for the Jobs of the Future
From left to right: Christina Henderson, MHTBA Executive Director; Seth Bodnar, President of the University of Montana; Suzanne Tilleman, Dean of the University of Montana College of Business; Aaron Thomas, Director of MT AIMS; Paul Gladen, Director of Accelerate Montana; Michael Musick, Associate Professor of Sound Design and Media Technology in the UM College of Visual Arts & Media; and Michael Cassens, Associate Professor of Game Design and Interactive Media and leader of the eSports team in the UM College of Visual Arts & Media. The panelists discussed ways businesses and higher education leaders can partner to prepare Montanans for high-paying and in-demand tech jobs during the “Partnerships in Higher Education” roundtable.
During the Alliance’s annual meeting, Executive Director Christina Henderson shared how the Alliance has doubled its efforts in workforce development. This year, the Alliance spun-off the Montana Jobs Network, a 501(C)3 nonprofit affiliate, with the goal of helping Montana’s next generation of technology workers launch successful careers.
“We see ourselves as really being able to fill this gap between students and the companies that have these amazing job opportunities,” Henderson said. “We also have been expanding on our partnerships in education, including K-12 education. There are incredible opportunities that we see ahead to help expand Montana’s workforce.”
The Alliance hosted its inaugural “High-Tech Career Expo” in partnership with Missoula College and the University of Montana College of Humanities and Sciences in September to help students connect with potential employers and learn more about cultivating a career in tech. Next spring, the Alliance anticipates hosting a similar event featuring careers in biotech.
Other projects the MHTBA has in the works include a partnership with Missoula County Public Schools to host a tech career expo for high school students, as well as a new internship resource page on its website in recognition of the high demand for workforce seen among MHTBA tech companies. The Alliance also added to its collection of career resources this year by publishing its 31 Hot Jobs for 2023 special report and creating tech career pathways featuring high-paying and in-demand jobs in computer science & IT, STEM, business & finance, entrepreneurship, sales & marketing, media arts & communications, design & construction, and manufacturing.
Additionally, the Alliance traveled around the state to strengthen its connections with local tech employers. At the start of the year, the Alliance hosted happy hours in Montana’s seven major cities prior to the University of Montana Bureau of Business and Economic Research’s annual Economic Outlook Tour.
Montana tech leaders also visited Montana State Prison in Deer Lodge to meet The Last Mile’s first technology training cohort. The Last Mile reduces recidivism by teaching justice-impacted individuals to create websites and full-stack web applications using industry-standard technologies, including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React, Node, Express, and MongoDB as well as employability skills.
2023 marked the pilot year for the MHTBA Flathead Local Chapter program with several events hosted by local organizers David Mayer and Rachel Thompson. The program saw approximately 30 members attending events regularly. Prior to the annual meeting, Mayer and Thompson led a workshop for MHTBA members to learn more about being a sponsor, host, organizer, or participant in a local chapter for tech professionals in their area.
“Our hope is that in 2024 we can expand and have local chapters happening in all [Montana] communities,” Henderson said. “The great thing about [local chapters] is that we can have much more frequent local events to support tech professionals.”
Following the annual meeting was the roundtable “Partnerships in Higher Education” with University of Montana President Seth Bodar. Panelists included Suzanne Tilleman, Dean of the University of Montana College of Business; Aaron Thomas, Director of the Montana American Indians in Math and Science (MT AIMS) program; Paul Gladen, Director of Accelerate Montana; Michael Musick, Associate Professor of Sound Design and Media Technology in the UM College of Visual Arts & Media; and Michael Cassens, Associate Professor of Game Design and Interactive Media and leader of the eSports team in the UM College of Visual Arts & Media.
The panelists discussed the new cybersecurity bachelor’s degree and BFA in sound design and media technology, as well as UM’s focus on inclusive prosperity to help students of all ages and backgrounds excel in tech careers. Stay tuned for an article recapping the panel in a future newsletter.
PROMOTE: Submittable Partners with Microsoft to Develop New Solutions for Social Impact
Chris DeWitt, Director of Engineering for Submittable in Missoula announces the company’s strategic partnership with Microsoft to further develop solutions for social impact during the reception’s lightning talks.
In 2022, Submittable secured a $47 million Series C funding round to accelerate social impact programs. During the reception’s lightning talks, Chris DeWitt, Director of Engineering for Submittable, updated Alliance members and guests on the company’s recent developments, including a strategic partnership with Microsoft.
Through its new partnership with Microsoft, Submittable seeks to provide public, private, and nonprofit organizations with solutions to accelerate social impact and tools to better serve their communities.
“We've been working with [Microsoft] the last few months on features we started to build since July,” DeWitt said. “From an AI chatbot to help you create different grant programs and translate them into different languages, to ways to import documents that are in the shape of a PDF and put them into a form, we’re really trying to automate a lot of features that our customers and their users need.”
Founded in Missoula over a decade ago, Submittable is a SaaS company that started as a platform to help writers, artists, and publishers connect. In 2020, the company decided to focus more heavily on the grant management and corporate social responsibility space. Since making the pivot into grant management and social impact work, the company has delivered over $2.4 billion through its funds distribution platform. Submittable has offices in both Missoula, Montana, and Bellevue, Washington.
ACCELERATE: Montana Designated as a Regional Tech Hub; The Whole Group Introduces ServiceNow Rapid Training Opportunities
Shibu Arens, Regional Director for Senator John Tester, reads a note from the Montana senator celebrating the state’s allocation as one of thirty-one regional tech hubs recognized by the U.S. Department of Commerce and U.S. Economic Development Administration.
On Monday, October 23, 2023, the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Economic Development Administration designated the Montana Headwaters Technology Hub as a rural Regional Technology and Innovation Hub.
Shibu Arens, Regional Director for Montana Senator John Tester, read a message prepared by Tester in honor of the new allocation. The Headwaters TechHub has already received $450,000 in strategy development funds to help the project get off the ground.
“Securing a tech hub means significantly increased R&D dollars for our universities and businesses, boosted manufacturing capacity, more good paying jobs across Montana, and the opportunity to compete for millions of dollars to bolster our growing technology sector,” Tester wrote.
Holly Colbert, Vice President for Workforce Development and Delivery Excellence for The Whole Group in Missoula speaks about the company’s launch and its goal of creating hundreds of new jobs in Montana.
Holly Colbert, Vice President for Workforce Development and Delivery Excellence for The Whole Group, announced the company’s recent launch and goal of making fast growing and rewarding tech careers available to Montanans.
The Whole Group is a ServiceNow implementation and enablement partner focused on delivering ServiceNow technology solutions to business and government clientele around the world. With a commitment to drive value proposition for its customers, The Whole Group has a specific focus in ServiceNow’s finance and supply chain solutions, which have a market estimate of about $75 billion over the next ten years.
Established by Peter Goodman in London, UK, and Paul Andrew in Charlotte, North Carolina, the startup has a main office inside Missoula College. The two founders selected Montana as its base of operations due to the high-quality of people and impressive startup programs for entrepreneurs in the state.
The Whole Group is working closely with Accelerate Montana, as well as Helena College, Missoula College, and the University of Montana to launch continuing education programs for the ServiceNow platform. The company also has commitments from ServiceNow themselves for teaching the software. Like the Salesforce Trailhead, there is an abundance of free content that eager individuals can consume to start learning about ServiceNow.
“We want to get into the two-year colleges, we want to get into the tribal communities, and we want to be part of the four-year programs,” Colbert said. “We want to create hundreds, if not thousands, of jobs in every part of the state.”
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.
