50 guests joined the Montana High Tech Business Alliance at SHINE Beer Sanctuary in Bozeman on Tuesday, August 26, 2025 for a High Tech Happy Hour. The event was generously sponsored by Nick Van Tighem and Jackson Contractor Group, a Montana-based general contractor with offices in Bozeman, Missoula, Miles City, and Eastern Washington (Walla Walla and Spokane). Jackson specializes in commercial, healthcare, education, and multifamily construction projects across the region.

Our lightning talks featured two inspiring local leaders:

Anthony Mitchell, the new Director of IT at Bridger Photonics, shared his journey from Washington, D.C. to Bozeman, bringing deep experience in cybersecurity across industries ranging from entertainment to government. At Bridger Photonics, he is helping advance LiDAR technology that detects methane leaks, improving safety in the oil and gas industry. Anthony spoke about the importance of protecting information, building safe systems, and inspiring the next generation to explore careers in IT.

As a guest of the Montana Jobs Network, Drew Curry, founder of the new Gallatin Valley Robotics Association, introduced students, mentors, and board members working to launch the region’s first FIRST Robotics Competition team. Students have already been gathering weekly in Drew’s garage, nicknamed the “Garage Gang”, to design, build, and demo scaled-down robots. With official nonprofit status now in place, the team is preparing to compete in the 2026 season and is eager to connect with the community for mentorship, support, and business partnerships.

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 newsletter.

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