First Interstate Bank welcomed more than 130 guests to their downtown branch for the Montana High Tech Business Alliance's reception in Missoula on October 22, 2015. Sue Larew, Vice President at FIB and member of the Alliance Board of Advisors, gave the opening remarks. One third of Alliance member firms are located in the Missoula area.

In December 2014, the Alliance Board met for an extended strategy session to set our mission and goals for 2015. Our mission for Montana's High Tech and Manufacturing companies is summed up in three verbs: Connect. Promote. Accelerate. Here are some of the ways the Montana High Tech Business Alliance is delivering on that mission so far this year.

Running a ranch with vast landscapes and numerous livestock can be complicated, but University of Montana student Walker Milhoan has a technology that he thinks will make ranching more sustainable and profitable.

Executive Director Christina Henderson was invited to promote Montana jobs and internships with Alliance member companies to more than 80 Computer Science majors - from Freshmen to Grad students - in three different classes.

More than 100 guests turned out for the Montana High Tech Business Alliance's second member reception in Missoula on November 13, making it clear Montanans are willing to brave cold weather and travel long distances to network with other leaders in high tech and manufacturing.

When we launched in April 2014, the MHTBA board and I set a goal to sign up 50 members by January 2015. I am an optimist, and I always believed we would meet our goal. But the Montana High Tech Business Alliance has grown faster, and bigger, than I ever imagined.