Happy Holidays from Santa Cruz Works
It has been a heart-warming and prosperous year for Santa Cruz Works. We are so proud and thankful to you our community for helping us reach new heights. We could not have done this without your participation and support.
2019 Achievements
Achieved a successful merger of Santa Cruz New Tech with Santa Cruz Works
Tripled the number of monthly events
4 of our New Tech events were SOLD OUT!
Tripled our newsletter readership
Added 20 new partners
Distributed 12 subsidized internship fund awards
Assisted with the successful exits of three (3) SCW Accelerator companies: Jane Tech, Buoy, YaDoggie
Accolades
We are very thankful for the kind comments and accolades you have sent to us. Keep’em coming!
Ted Holladay, Creative Director, Studio Holladay
Of all the meetups, groups, and events I’ve been able to attend and be part of in the area, Santa Cruz Works is hands down the most valuable to my studio. Networking is the key. It’s the best local rolodex for thought leaders and potential talent. Every meetup I attend, I end up walking away with several emails of people I want to stay in touch with. I can’t think of another local group that provides as much opportunity to connect with, and learn from our community, in the way SCW provides.
Sara Isenberg, Founder & Publisher, Santa Cruz Tech Beat
I have attended the monthly tech meetup since inception and — all these years later — I still consider it to be the best regular networking event in Santa Cruz. Many valuable connections have been made there.
Anna Lee-Poll, President, Owl Eye Media
As a business new to Santa Cruz, we've already benefited from our quickly expanding network, thanks to Santa Cruz Works. Doug and his team have managed to create a real sense of community that we never felt when we were based over the hill. The work they do for businesses like ours is indispensable.
Aaron Huang, UCSC student
SC Works has been instrumental to the local Startup scene here in Santa Cruz. As a UCSC student, my friends and I got attracted to entrepreneurship by attending the monthly, high quality new tech meetup events. Later on, SC Works became a firm supporter of the entrepreneurship club at UCSC. Their commitment to building and supporting an innovative community cannot be overstated.
Suzanne Wouk, CEO SellHound
As a mentor at Santa Cruz Works, I was thrilled to work with new, up and coming local startups and innovators. It was during this time I met my current co-founder who was also a mentor there. We ended up starting a company together called SellHound. We're in our second year now and the support from SCW has been wonderful! We've partnered together at events, made new connections and have been promoted in ways we never expected. It's been a fantastic experience to be involved in all these aspects of Santa Cruz Works and to benefit from the vibrant entrepreneurial community they've built.
Socrates Rosenfeld, CEO Jane Technologies, Inc.
SC Works has been nothing but supportive of Jane Technologies since Day 1. From hosting events to sharing resources -- SC Works has opened their network of local tech influencers, investors, executives -- and we feel so grateful to be a part of the growing tech community in Santa Cruz. SC Works symbolizes what Santa Cruz tech is all about: openness, innovation, and the ability to dream BIG. We look forward to growing our partnership with SC Works, and to be a part of the growing Santa Cruz tech community for years to come.
Anne Scholz, COO RealSeq Biosciences
We are especially excited about the funding from Santa Cruz Works to support a summer intern at RealSeq Biosciences. Internships are a great way to get local, younger students interested in the sciences and without the extra funding we would not have been able to initiate a summer intern program.
Pat Reilly, IP Society
Santa Cruz Works powerfully nurtures tech community building through a spectrum of beautifully coordinated and continuous series of planned events, open forums and informal introductions that enable local entrepreneurial talent, tech expertise, design practitioners and funding entities to more rapidly meet, coalesce and engage to initiate new ventures. I have never seen a small group of enthusiasts so effectively do so much for so many ventures founders as I have seen in my experiences with Santa Cruz Works team.
Thomas Wynn, Wynn Capital Management
Santa Cruz New Tech is a win/win for my business, and the community. 22% of my clients are from your events. It is my #1 referral source. The value is priceless!
Cindi Busenhart, Owner MERGE4
We presented MERGE4 when Guy Kawasaki was the keynote speaker. Guy has helped us open doors we never thought we would open!
Thomas Wollenberger, CEO Aeroasis
Through SC Works, I have been been able to increase the presence and reach of our localized food autonomy mission at Aeroasis to the Santa Cruz Community. I’m looking forward to further opportunities to engage with SC Works!
Lara Bezich, Founder Pretty Boxes
Santa Cruz Works has been instrumental in helping my business move to the next level. The support and resources they shepherd for the good of this community is invaluable.
Ronnie D. Lipschutz, President & Co-director, Sustainable Systems Research Foundation
Santa Cruz Works has been of inestimable in getting our operations off the ground.
Nancy Faulstich, Project Director Regeneración
For small community-based organization such as Regeneración - Pajaro Valley Climate Action, every gift really makes a difference. The award we've received (from Santa Cruz Works) will be dedicated toward hiring a new staff member in early 2020, who will help us protect our community from extreme weather and mobilize action to reverse global warming.
Kenji Tabery, Co-Founder, Urbavore
Santa Cruz Works helped us refine our pitch and validate our ag-tech business model, which helped us secure new business partnerships. We are grateful for the mentorship support SCW cultivated from the coastal tech community.
Jay Hurley, VP of Engineering, Ringo AI Inc.
As a new technology startup in Santa Cruz, out first outreach step was a Santa Cruz Works event. We met candidates, learned a lot about the subject, biotech in this case, and had a great time. No doubt Santa Cruz Works will be part of our future growth story.
Kara Meyberg Guzman, CEO/co-founder Santa Cruz Local
At the last several New Tech Meetups, I've made dozens of valuable personal connections with local professionals. Also, we received a subsidized internship from Santa Cruz Works, which allowed us to revamp our website to prepare for our official launch.
Jamileh Cannon, Co-Founder of Workbench
As we are newer business to the area, Santa Cruz Works has played an integral role for us in meeting fellow entrepreneurs and community members. They are a relevant, in touch and indispensable network for the local business community, both inside and outside the tech industry.
Kelly Harkins Kincaid, CEO of Claret Bio
Through Santa Cruz Works, we have made connections with industry folks outside of our area of expertise, which has been valuable to us as we commercialize our DNA technology. More recently, SCW membership benefits have helped us with CRM and marketing our newly launched product. We are also excited to receive a subsidized internship awards and look forward to putting it to good use in the community!