Department of Commerce

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About Entrepreneur Development

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Current Classes & Instructors

FastTrac Courses

Bozeman - Great Falls - Havre - Kalispell - Missoula - Miles City - Victor

FastTrac Listening to Your Business

Bozeman - Butte - Colstrip - Columbus - Great Falls - Havre - Helena - Kalispell - Missoula - Miles City - Victor - Wolf Point

Onaben Indianpreneur, A Native American Journey Into Business

Browning - Crow Agency - Great Falls - Harlem - Lame Deer - Pablo - Poplar

This list is a work in progress. Please call the local contact person for specific information regarding date and cost of the course. If you have difficulty contacting the local agency, please call Philip Belangie, Entrepreneur Development Program Manager, Business Resources, Department of Commerce at pbelangie@mt.gov or (406) 721-3663.

More information is available about the FastTrac programs at http://www.fasttrac.org/. Additional resources on entrepreneurship may be found at the following websites sponsored by the Kauffman Foundation: http://www.eventuring.org/ and http://www.kauffman.org/.

All of the Montana Entrepreneur program facilitators and administrators are certified by FastTrac. Philip Belangie, the Entrepreneur Program Manager for the Montana Department of Commerce, is the Montana FastTrac Program Coordinator. If you have questions regarding FastTrac in Montana please contact Philip Belangie at pbelangie@mt.gov or (406) 721-3663.

Bozeman, Montana
Host Agency: Bozeman Area Chamber of Commerce with Co-host Rocky Mountain RC & D, Inc.
FastTrac GrowthVenture
FastTrac Listening to Your Business
Date: TBD
Contact: Don Pisarcik, Director, Small Business Development Center
Phone: (406) 582-5700
Email: ccrd@nrmrcd.org
Faciliators: Don Pisarcik, SBDC Director
Program Administrator: David Smith, Chief Executive Officer, Bozeman Area Chamber of Commerce
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Browning, Montana
Host Agency: Browning Economic Development Corporation
Onaben Indianpreneruship, A Native American Journey Into Business
Date: Contact Johnel Barcus
Contact: Johnel Barcus, Executive Director, Browning Community Development Corporation
Phone: (406) 338-4015
Email: jbarcusbcdc@yahoo.com
Faciliator: Johnel Barcus and Others
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Butte, Montana
Host Agency: Headwaters RC&D
FastTrac Listening to Your Business
Date: TBD
Contact: Deanna Johnson
Phone: (406) 782-7333 ext. 306
Email: djohnson@bigskyhsd.com
Facilitator: Deanna Johnson, Director, Small Business Development Center
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Colstrip, Montana
Host Agency: SouthEastern Montana Economic Development Corporation
FastTrac Listening to Your Business
Date: TBD
Contact: Blayr Barnard
Phone: (406) 748-2990
Email: sbdc@bhwi.net
Faciliator: Blayr Barnard, Director Small Business Development Center
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Columbus, Montana
Host Agency: Stillwater Economic Development Agency
FastTrac Listening to Your Business
Date: TBD
Contact: Melissa Kramer, Stillwater Economic Development Coordinator Phone: (406) 322 8050
Email: MKramer@stillwater.mt.gov
Faciliator: Melissa Kramer, SED Coordinator
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Crow Agency, Montana
Host Agency: Extension Program at Little Big Horn College
Onaben Indianpreneurship, A Native American Journey Into Business
Date: TBD
Contact: Latonna Old Elk, Extension Director, Little Big Horn College
Phone: (406) 638-3139
Email: latonna@lbhc.cc.mt.us
Facilitator: TBD
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Great Falls, Montana
Host Agency: Great Falls Development Authority
FastTrac Program
Date: TBD
FastTrac Listening to Your Business
Date: TBD
Contact: Rebecca Engum, Director, Small Business Development Center
(406) 454-1934 (phone)
Email: rengum@gfdevelopment.org
Facilitator: Katrina Stark, College of Technology

Host Agency: Warshield Development Corporation
Onaben Indianpreneurship, A Native American Journey into Business
Date: TBD
Contact: James Parker Shield, Executive Director
Phone: (406)727-7483
Email: jpshield@hotmail.com
Facilitator: James Parker Shield
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Harlem, Montana
Host Agency: Fort Belknap Community College, Tribal Business Information Center
Onaben Indianpreneurship, A Native American Journey into Business
Date: TBD
Contact: Mildred Kinsey, Director, Tribal Business Information Center
Phone: (406) 353-4672
Email: mildredkinsey@yahoo.com
Contact: Dixie Brockie, College Registrar
Phone: (406) 353-2607
College credit available.
Facilitator: Mildred Kinsey
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Havre, Montana
Host Agency: Bear Paw Development Corporation of Northern Montana
FastTrac NewVenture
Date: January 29th, 2008
FastTrac Listening to Your Business
Date: TBD
Contact: Joe LaPlante, Director, Small Business Development Center
Phone: (406) 265-4945
Email: jlaplante@bearpaw.org
Facilitators: Joe LaPlante, Director Small Business Development Center
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Helena, Montana
Host Agency: Montana Business Assistance Connection
FastTrac Listening to Your Business
Contact: Dan Anderson, Director, Small Business Development Center
Phone: (406) 447-1512
Email: danderson@mbac.biz
Facilitator: Dan Anderson, Director, Small Business Development Center
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Kalispell, Montana
Host Agency: Kalispell Area Chamber of Commerce
FastTrac GrowthVenture
Date: March 4-May 27
FastTrac Listening to Your Business
Date: TBD
Contact: Lad Barney, SBDC Director
(406) 758-2802 (phone)
Email: kalsbdc@centurytel.net
Facilitator: Lad Barney, Director, Small Business Development Center
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Lame Deer, Montana
Host Agency: Chief Dull Knife Community College
Onaben Indianpreneurship, A Native American Journey into Business
Date: TBD
Contact: Henry Thompson, Director, Extension Program, Chief Dull Knife College
Phone: (406) 477-6215 ext. 123 or 111
Email: henry@cdkc.edu
Facilitator: Keene Bends
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Miles City, Montana
Host Agency: Miles City Community College
FastTrac Course
Date: Fall 2008
Contact: Blayr Banard, Director, Small Business Development Center
Phone: (406) 748- 2990
Email: sbdc@bhwi.net
Facilitator: Blayr Banard, Director, Small Business Development Center
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Missoula, Montana
Host Agency: Montana Community Development Corporation
FastTrac GrowthVenture
Date: February 23-April 23
FastTracListening to Your Business
Date: TBD
Contact: Dave Glaser, Director, Small Business Development Center
Phone: (406) 728-9234 ext 211
Email: dave@mtcdc.org
Facilitators: Steve Grover, Montana Community Development Corporation
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Pablo, Montana
Host Agency: S & K Holding Company, Inc.
Onaben Indianpreneurship, A Native American Journey into Business
Contact: Carol Cunningham, Program Manager
Phone: (406) 883-4317
Cell: (406) 261-3200
Email: ccunningham@centurytel.net
Facilitator: Carol Cunningham
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Poplar, Montana
Host Agency: Forst Peck Community College
Onaben Indianpreneurship, A Native American Journey into Business
Date: TBD
Contact: Craig Smith, Bookstore Manager, Fort Peck Community College
Phone: (406) 768-3212
Facilitator: Craig Smith
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Victor, Montana
Host Agency: Montana Community Development Corporation
FastTrac GrowthVenture
Date: Late February
FastTracListening to Your Business
Date: TBD
Contact: Dave Glaser, Director, Small Business Development Center
Phone: (406) 728-9234 ext 200
Email: dave@mtcdc.org
Facilitators: Owen Robbins and Tim Schrieber of Farmers State Bank, Stevensville
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Wolf Point, Montana
Host Agency: Great Northern Development Corporation
FastTrac Listening to Your Business
Date: TBA
Contact: Lorene Hintz, Director, Small Business Development Center
Phone: (406) 653-2590
Email: sbdc@gndc.org
Instructor: Lorene Hintz, Director, Small Business Development Center
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