Santa Cruz Launchpad is an annual event that combines a student startup competition with a community career fair, all under one roof! This year’s event takes place at the Cocoanut Grove at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk on Wednesday, May 13, 2026.

Santa Cruz Works members and partners now get access to more than $1 million in discounts, credits, subscriptions, and special offers through One Valley Passport. Explore the perks, sign up, or log in to start using the program.

Sol Café supports local teens and young adults who are neurodiverse and have mild intellectual disabilities through training programs and fosters a path toward independence in the community and workforce.

Join new Cabrillo President Dr. Jenn Capps and other key leaders in Workforce & Economic Development at Cabrillo College Career Education Summit 2026, on Friday, April 3, 2026, from 9:30 am -1:15 pm!

Joby Aviation says it could begin early U.S. air taxi operations in 2026 under a White House-backed pilot program, marking one of its clearest steps yet toward commercial launch. For Santa Cruz, the announcement is another sign that one of the region’s most ambitious transportation companies is moving from testing and certification toward real-world service.

A March 26 public forum will explore whether emerging transportation technologies could help Santa Cruz County move people more efficiently, sustainably, and affordably

RentAHuman.ai turns the AI jobs debate inside out: instead of replacing people, bots are now hiring them for real-world tasks, revealing a ridiculous but important truth - the future still depends on human hands, judgment, and presence.

This timely webinar explores how AI is reshaping work, entrepreneurship, ethics, and human agency, while arguing that curiosity, critical thinking, and values will matter more than ever. Watch the recording for a thoughtful discussion.

As AI reshapes the job market, universities must do more than prepare students for employment. They should become incubators for entrepreneurship, teaching critical thinking, curiosity, ethics, and innovation so young people can build the future, not just enter it.

We had a sold out event on March 4 with rapid-fire demos from Innovation Within, BrandCapsule, Radi8, Activity Ally, and The Host Mindset. Sponsored by Comcast Business and Wynn Capital.

Launchpad returns May 13, 2026 at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk, and student teams need mentors now. Share your expertise to sharpen pitches, validate ideas, and build confidence before the live competition and job fair.

The Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History (MAH) invites the community to celebrate three decades of creativity, connection, and community at The Red Ball, the MAH’s 30th Anniversary Gala, taking place Saturday, April 11, 2026, from 6:00–11:30 pm.

Support Santa Cruz’s Hephaestus Robotics team at a 1920s-themed Murder Mystery Party on March 14, 6–9 p.m. at MJA Vineyards. Enjoy wine, bites, and live entertainment while helping local students return to the World Championships. Tickets on Eventbrite.

Santa Cruz doesn’t need to become Silicon Valley to matter. As our startup ecosystem grows, the real opportunity is to build world-class companies while staying rooted in the character and values that make this place unique.

Podcast host Jonathan Hicken and Save Our Shores director Katie Thompson unpack offshore drilling threats, explain California’s “Blue Wall” of local ordinances limiting onshore infrastructure, and share ways communities can comment, organize, and protect ecosystems.

When the city's bridge reconstruction plan threatened to strangle Murray Street businesses with one-way traffic, owner and organizer Patrice Boyle rallied the community, launched a petition, and won — restoring two-way access for the neighborhood.

Anthropic refused to loosen Claude’s military guardrails, so the Trump administration ordered a six-month federal phaseout and branded it a “supply chain risk.” OpenAI promptly landed a Pentagon deal. The backlash boosted Claude to No. 1.

Federal agencies are fast-tracking offshore oil drilling and deep-sea mining, though no commercial DSM exists. BOEM is shortening permits and public input. Santa Cruz should update ordinances to block infrastructure and protect ecosystems and economy.

CarbonBridge is shifting from R&D mode to early commercialization: 2025 ARPA-E reimbursement billing helped fund operations, and 2026 begins with first product sales to Lawrence Berkeley Lab (via BEAM Circular). Fundraising and pilot-site planning remain key bottlenecks.

Joby’s Q4 2025 update shows certification momentum accelerating, manufacturing scaling, and commercial timelines sharpening toward 2026 passenger flights. With strong liquidity and expanding production capacity, Joby is positioning Santa Cruz-built air taxis to move from test flights to real-world routes.