The County of Santa Cruz is hiring a County Legislative Affairs Officer, a high-impact role leading State and Federal legislative efforts and advising leadership on issues that affect the community.

Santa Cruz Works is hosting an invitation-only luncheon on May 13 at the Cocoanut Grove, bringing together restaurant leaders for a private introduction to AIO, an AI platform built specifically for restaurant operations. Guests will also learn about Launchpad 2026, offering an added opportunity to connect with local talent at Santa Cruz County’s largest job fair.

Join visionary entrepreneurs, investors, and sustainability experts for an interactive panel exploring the intersection of environmental stewardship and cutting-edge innovation. Stay after for a networking reception to connect with industry leaders and fellow changemakers. Hosted in partnership with the UCSC Innovation & Business Engagement Hub. Virtual attendance available — panel begins at 4:45 PM.

In this optimistic reflection on AI, Isaac Dye argues that technology should deepen human expertise, not replace it, opening new possibilities in science, business, and creativity while challenging us to keep learning and imagining futures.

The MATE Monterey Bay Regional ROV Competition will be Saturday, April 25 from 10:00 to 4:00 PM at Watsonville High School pool where students across the region will showcase their remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) performing real-world mission tasks.

UC Santa Cruz has named its 2025 Chancellor's Innovation Impact Award recipients — honoring breakthroughs in coastal climate resilience, brain-computer interfaces, forensic genomics, and regional entrepreneurship. Among the honorees is Bud Colligan, a founding board member of Santa Cruz Works.

Santa Cruz Works New Tech Meetup returns May 6 to the rooftop at Anton Pacific — stunning views, food & drinks, and six founder presentations from some of the most exciting startups in tech. Don't miss it.

Join us for an afternoon at the cutting edge of conservation genomics as we explore everything from de-extinction to searching water samples for viral genomes, with researchers from the UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute who are turning DNA into a tool for protecting life on Earth.

NorCal SBDC and Roadmap 4 Innovation are offering two no-cost cohort courses to help manufacturing businesses sharpen strategy and strengthen supply chains, from May-July.

Santa Cruz Launchpad 2026 is looking for volunteers to help support its student startup competition and community job fair on May 13 at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. It’s a chance to build community, meet local employers and innovators, and play a hands-on role in one of Santa Cruz’s biggest workforce and startup events.

Santa Cruz Works is thanking the local businesses that donated giveaway prizes to support the 2026 Work-Life Survey and help drive community participation. The article highlights each sponsor and prize, gives special thanks to Mission Hill Coffee & Creamery and Woodstock’s Pizza Santa Cruz as recent additions, and notes that it is still not too late for other businesses to join as sponsors.

Santa Cruz fintech, Paystand, just became a premier partner to the network controlling 69% of global corporate Bitcoin — offering the first full-stack financial operating system built natively on Bitcoin.

Santa Cruz Works is now accepting applications from local employers to hire a paid intern at no cost. The AHSC program reimburses up to $5,000 for a 10-week internship — spots are limited.

An AI-powered Steve Jobs answers our burning questions about the afterlife, Apple's 50th, and whether God's UI needs work. Watch it. You won't regret it!

The April 1st Santa Cruz Works New Tech meetup delivered an unforgettable evening. Six remarkable teams tackled some of today's most pressing challenges — from AI-powered crime prevention and conversion optimization to Parkinson's therapy, organoid research automation, a needle-free brain-computer interface, and a fascinating neuroscience talk fresh from UCSC Grad Slam. Local innovation at its finest, and every presentation was worth the wait. Watch all six recordings!

OpenRoad Technologies won a $500,000 CalSEED Prototype Award to build and pilot GridConnect, a product that helps more energy devices connect to California’s clean energy grid. The Santa Cruz company plans to manufacture locally, add jobs, and pilot the technology in 2027.

UC Santa Cruz is among the world’s leading research institutions identified in Clarivate’s latest analysis of the 70 organizations most frequently home to Highly Cited Researchers for 2025.

On Thursday, April 30th from 5-7 p.m. Santa Cruz Hardware Meetup will gather at Idea Fab Labs for a behind the scenes tour with IFL founder Jordan Layman, at their Mission Street location.

Drew Baglino’s article, Power Electronics: The Hero the Grid Needs, is really about one of civilization’s weirdest habits: building dazzling futuristic technology on top of infrastructure that often feels like it was last upgraded when people still trusted fax machines.

Santa Cruz Works is inviting members and partners to complete a short survey to help shape future programs, events, benefits, and community offerings. Everyone who participates will be entered into a free giveaway featuring gifts from sponsors including UpperCrust, Merge4, Laili, Pleasure Pizza, Big Basin Vineyards, Humble Sea, and Chaminade Resort and Spa, with winners announced on May 7.