INNOVATION NEWS
We don’t only report the news, we make the news. Check out our news highlights and archive here.
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Murray Street Bridge: Petition and Common Sense Prevail
Community pressure paid off: the Murray Street Bridge moves toward a two-way automated signal. A petition helped common sense win, proving local engagement can change outcomes. More green lights ahead.
BOOM! 9th Annual Titans Celebration
Thank you to all who joined us last night for the 2025 Titans Awards!
ICEout.tech: Tech Workers Condemn White House Compliance
Tech workers are speaking out after deadly ICE actions in Minneapolis, urging companies to end ties with immigration enforcement. Hundreds have signed an open letter calling on CEOs to cancel ICE contracts.
The Power of Productive Conflict
Most people instinctively avoid conflict. We've been conditioned to see disagreement as inherently negative, something to smooth over or sidestep entirely. But this aversion comes at a cost.
6 Ways Nonprofits Can Boost Fundraising with AI in 2026
If you’re like most nonprofit professionals right now, you’re hearing about AI everywhere. Maybe you’re curious. Maybe you’re skeptical. You might think it is another tech trend and it’s not important unless it can help you meet next quarter’s fundraising goals. Well… this article is for you!
7 Affordable Ways Nonprofits Can Use AI in 2026
Nonprofits don’t need big budgets to benefit from AI. This guide shares seven low-cost moves: spot major donors, triage email, draft social posts, personalize stewardship, speed grants, add website chatbots, and auto-summarize meetings. The rule: humans verify, protect data always.
3DE Club Launches New Platform for Young Innovators
The launch featured student Shark Tank–style pitches, a fireside chat, a discussion with panelists, and a digital ribbon-cutting that officially launched the 3DE Club platform.
JoeBen Bevirt to Young Innovators: Build Real Things
In a talk with young innovators, Joby Aviation founder JoeBen Bevirt demystifies entrepreneurship: start with real problems, prototype relentlessly, learn from failure, and build strong teams. His message: curiosity plus discipline turns ideas into impact.
Santa Cruz Board of Supervisors Move Forward With RING Concept
The County of Santa Cruz introduces the county's Regional Inoperable Next Generation (RING) radio system.
Doug Erickson Named Honorary Member of UCSC NAI Chapter
Doug Erickson, Executive Director of Santa Cruz Works, has been invited to become an honorary member of UC Santa Cruz’s National Academy of Inventors Chapter, recognizing his impact on invention commercialization and the regional innovation ecosystem built through Santa Cruz Works’ growth and partnerships.
February 7 is Santa Cruz Works Day
On February 7, Santa Cruz celebrates 18 years of Santa Cruz Works, born as Santa Cruz New Tech Meetup, whose county proclamation turned a monthly gathering into an innovation engine.
Energy Storage Is Coming. Santa Cruz Wants It Safer This Time
Santa Cruz County is advancing a new framework for utility-scale battery storage that strengthens grid reliability while putting safety first. Inspired by lessons from Moss Landing, the plan bans higher-risk chemistries, adds monitoring and setbacks, and treats storage as essential climate infrastructure.
Interview: Doug Erickson
From the Jack O’Neill Lounge overlooking Cowell’s, Doug Erickson explains why tiny Santa Cruz punches above its weight in innovation. From UCSC genomics to Joby aviation, local founders keep building. Santa Cruz Works exists to keep that talent home.
3DE is Betting on the One Advantage That Never Gets Obsolete: Natural Intelligence
3D Entrepreneurs (3DE) Club launches January 25 at the Santa Cruz MAH, raising funds to help kids (8-12) experience ideation-to-commercialization. It’s a bet on natural intelligence: creativity, confidence, and value creation in an accelerating world.
Steve Fortunato: Why Hospitality Might Be the Missing Leadership Skill
Steve Fortunato’s CEO Works talk reframed leadership as hospitality: stop acting like a hero extracting value, start hosting to create it. After decades of keynote speakers, he stands out as the best corporate retreat speaker I’ve ever heard.
CruzHacks 2026: Innovation, Impact, and Ingenuity on Display
CruzHacks’ 12th Annual Hackathon united 300 students across 90 teams for a weekend of innovation and collaboration.
Public Comments Open for Santa Cruz Offshore Oil Drilling Proposal
Public comments close January 23rd, 2026. Share your opposition at Regulations.gov by searching Docket ID: BOEM-2025-0483 and help protect our coast for future generations.
Murray Street Bridge: Two-Way Fix, One-Way Thinking
The Murray Street Bridge crisis isn’t just about traffic, it’s about trust. As the City floated solutions, then reversed course with shifting explanations, residents and businesses were left to chase facts themselves. Transparency failed, and confidence in decision-making collapsed.
CEO Works Luncheon | The Co-Intelligence Era: How Nonprofits Scale with AI
Many nonprofits are held back by stretched teams and disconnected data, but LiveImpact’s "Co-Intelligence" platform is changing the game by embedding AI directly into fundraising, case management, and program delivery. Join us to see how organizations are ditching clunky legacy systems for smart automation and predictive insights that actually scale their mission.
Support of a Temporary Two-Way Signal on the Murray Street Bridge
Murray Street Bridge detours are worsening congestion and hurting local businesses. A temporary automated 2-way signal would restore safer, reliable access for residents, cyclists, workers, and emergency services at a modest cost. Sign the petition.

