Photo credits: Greg Larson, Doug Erickson, Malina Long. Videos by Kuumbwa Jazz Center.

Last night we gathered for the 9th Annual Titans Awards (Titans 2025) to recognize the people who didn’t just talk about a better future in 2025, they helped build it. Thank you to everyone who joined Santa Cruz Works at 6pm on January 28 at the Kuumbwa to celebrate the leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators pushing what’s possible in the Monterey Bay region. Special thanks to Hilary Bryant for her tribute to Rod Caborn. Pleasure Pizza on Pacific Avenue filled out bellies with delicious pizza!

Special Thanks to our sponsor: Insperity

Ash Robins

Co-Founder & CTO at Immergo Labs and AI Research Scientist at UC Santa Cruz, Ash Robbins sits at the strange (and increasingly important) intersection of living intelligence and machine intelligence. In 2025 he was recognized for first-author research demonstrating “goal-directed learning” in cortical organoids, while also building tools that expand access to physical rehabilitation care, especially for remote communities.

Maggie Nixon

Maggie Nixon is nominated as a rare operator-builder in medtech: a co-founder of Versa Vascular and Capstan Medical, recognized by nominators for co-founding two startups and raising significant venture funding to challenge incumbents. Santa Cruz Works has also profiled her path into medical devices and robotics leadership, underscoring the mix of talent, grit, and execution that Titans tends to reward.

Holger Schmidt

Founder of Fluxus, Holger Schmidt is nominated for pushing diagnostics and life-science measurement forward with technology that can detect tiny amounts of biological signals, including protein and RNA. His optofluidic work traces back to UC Santa Cruz innovation and has been tied to commercialization efforts through Fluxus and broader diagnostics adoption.

David Deamer

A UC Santa Cruz Professor Emeritus of Biomolecular Engineering, David Deamer is widely known for pioneering nanopore sequencing concepts that enabled portable genetic sequencing in the real world. His impact extends beyond the lab: Deamer was also elected a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, with Santa Cruz Works highlighting how his work helped make genomics more accessible and globally deployable.

Dan Haifley

Dan Haifley’s nomination is a reminder that “tech” also includes the systems that protect places and people. A board member of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, he’s credited as a foundational leader in modern ocean protection and environmental policy work tied to the Monterey Bay region’s long-term stewardship.

Sol Lipman

Founder of Pie Fi, Sol Lipman is nominated for investing time, resources, and lived product experience into the next generation of builders, including mentorship in the Launchpad pitch ecosystem and the creation of an AI-focused entrepreneurial hub. His work reflects a core Titans theme: building the pipeline, not just the spotlight moment.

Marcella Gomez

A UC Santa Cruz Associate Professor of Applied Mathematics and Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Baskin School of Engineering, Marcella Gomez is nominated for coupling research (including AI-driven control strategies applied to areas like wound healing and cell-based therapies) with ecosystem-building through programs and mentorship that expand access for local students, including first-generation scholars

Julie Edwards

As PVUSD’s Director of Strategic Educational Options, Julie Edwards is expanding Career Technical Education and work-based learning with a practical, high-ambition edge. Her nomination centers on helping launch an aviation-focused Engineering Technology pathway with Monterey Bay DART and partners (including Joby Aviation), where students will assemble a flyable Van’s RV-12 while working toward FAA-aligned credentials.

Stephanie Sumarna

Stephanie Sumarna is an EdTech and innovation leader who equips educators to integrate technology confidently, meaningfully, and equitably. Drawing on 11 years in the classroom and 5+ years at the Santa Cruz County Office of Education, she has delivered 200+ hours of professional development, guided district digital literacy planning, co-led a computer science community of practice, and built widely used resources and newsletters.

Rod Caborn

Founder of Firstclass Fundraising, Rod Caborn was nominated as a community force-multiplier: a master of ceremonies and professional auctioneer credited with raising more than $25 million for schools and nonprofits, while also building programs that support literacy and community engagement.

2025 Titans Wrap Up (or unwrapped)

Here are a few clips of the fun we had at our 9th Annual Titans event. How was Titans conceived? You won’t believe it, and you won’t be able to chuckle.

Looking for other videos from past events? Check out other event recordings here!