Rocky Mountain Bank Hosts Tech Leaders in Bozeman Feb. 25, 2020
On Feb. 25, 2020 – a few weeks before COVID- 19 was declared a national emergency and social distancing became the norm – 100+ tech leaders gathered to celebrate Mardi Gras with the Montana High Tech Business Alliance in Bozeman. Attendees donned beads and masks and enjoyed the usual warm hospitality of Rocky Mountain Bank. Scott Sehnert, EVP, Market President (pictured), and the team at RMB provided beer from Bridger Brewing, appetizers, and door prizes from local companies including dog toys from West Paw and backpacks from Mystery Ranch.
Photos by Mallory, 40 Watt Photo. View the photo album on Facebook.
CONNECT: New Alliance members join peers in tackling shared challenges
Carson Monson, Director – Corporate Services for new member Wildfire Defense Systems Inc. in Bozeman, joined peers at member companies like Zoot Enterprises and Workiva in a discussion of ways to engage diverse employees in shaping company culture. Ideas ranged from mid-day lunch-and-learns to ski days and Friday Halo tournaments.
PROMOTE: Vision Aerial and PFL give lightning talks
One of the roles we play at the Montana High Tech Business Alliance is to shine a spotlight on the startups and growing tech companies that are driving Montana’s innovation economy.
Our first speaker on Feb. 25 was the statewide winner of the 2019 Early Stage Montana Showcase. Shane Beams is the founder and CEO of Vision Aerial, a drone manufacturing company based in Bozeman. Vision Aerial was also named a High Growth Company to Watch by the Alliance in 2019. Shane earned his mechanical engineering degree at Montana State University and founded Vision Aerial with a Kickstarter campaign in 2013 that raised 200 percent of its goal.
After its inception, Vision Aerial pivoted from manufacturing top-shelf recreational drones to commercial drones designed for inspecting infrastructure. To examine a wind turbine, for example, an inspector traditionally climbs the mast and turret, sets up rigging equipment to stop the blades sliding while being inspected, and repeats the process for each turret. In contrast, drone inspections are safer, provide data persistence over time, and can be done in as little as 20 minutes.
PFL in Livingston, Montana has been one of Montana’s top tech employers for decades. PFL was one of the founding members of the Montana High Tech Business Alliance and was on our inaugural list of Montana Companies to Watch in 2017. Then in 2018 we watched them raise $25 million in growth capital from Goldman Sachs and surpass 300 employees.
PFL founder Andrew Field gave one of the very first lightning talks five years ago at one of our Bozeman events, so Daniel Gaugler, Chief Product & Innovation Officer for PFL offered a company update. Daniel discussed the ways that PFL develops efficiencies for small businesses to reach through the digital clutter with their trademarked process of tactile marketing automation.
ACCELERATE: Executives discuss employee benefits for a new era of tech
Jann Butler, VP of People, onX; Nate Lampert, Human Resources Business Partner, Figure; Greg Roadifer, President, Associated Employers, and Jen Buchanan, Benefit Broker, PayneWest; discuss their companies’ approach to redesigning benefits for a new generation of tech workers to maximize attraction and retention. The panel also highlighted resources available to Montana employers. The interactive discussion with executives from across the state was held at the Bozeman Event Space downtown. Stay tuned for more details in a future article about this executive roundtable.
