A Look Back at Santa Cruz Works’ Most Popular Events of 2025
Santa Cruz County continues to shine as a beacon of innovation, and in 2025, Santa Cruz Works continued to be a catalyst for connection and growth within this vibrant ecosystem. Through a dynamic calendar of events, both annual and new, our organization successfully brought together researchers, entrepreneurs, investors, and community members, driving collaboration and tangible economic impact. This year's most popular gatherings—the UCSC Genomics Rooftop Mixer, the Santa Cruz Works Summer Rooftop Mixer, the 8th Annual Titan Awards, and Learn to Vibe Code—stand out as key milestones.
Let’s go back to the beginning…
Celebrating Achievement and Leadership: The Titan Awards
We kicked off the year with the 8th Annual Titan Awards and continued the tradition of honoring the individuals who have made significant contributions to the region’s tech and entrepreneurial landscape. This event recognizes leaders whose innovation, vision, and dedication have uplifted their teams and the community. See the speeches from those who were awarded last year and check out who has been nominated for this year.
The Titans Awards serve a crucial role in validating the local ecosystem. By spotlighting success stories, this event not only reminds us of the amazing talented humans in our region, but also inspires the next generation of founders, proving that world-class impact can be achieved without crossing the hill to Silicon Valley.
Save the date for our next Titans event: January 28, 2026!
Santa Cruz Launchpad 2025 Organizers
Fueling Innovation and Careers: Santa Cruz Launchpad 2025
The Santa Cruz Launchpad 2025, held in May, was a vibrant, all-day event that powerfully blended academic innovation with professional opportunity. Hosted at the Cocoanut Grove, the event featured two major components: a high-stakes Student Business Pitch Competition and a robust community Job Fair.
The Student Pitch Competition showcased the region’s emerging entrepreneurial talent, with twelve teams from UCSC and Cabrillo College competing for over $27,000 in cash prizes across categories like Technology, Social Impact, and Main Street. Winning concepts, such as Tesphase (overall winner for renewable energy optimization) and Razemath (Social Impact winner for AI-powered tutoring), demonstrated how local students are developing viable solutions to real-world challenges. This competition provides crucial mentorship, funding, and validation, rapidly advancing ideas from concept to market-ready startups.
The Job Fair, which followed the competition, was equally vital, connecting job seekers with over 20 local companies offering more than 200 open positions and internships. This event allows employers direct engagement to emerging and top talent in Santa Cruz County, ensuring that innovative startups and established businesses can recruit the skilled workforce necessary for continued growth. By bringing together fresh ideas, capital, and career opportunities, Santa Cruz Launchpad acts as a single, powerful hub that secures the future vitality of the local innovation ecosystem.
Summer Rooftop mixer attendees
Reaching New Heights of Connection: Summer Rooftop Mixer
The Santa Cruz Works Summer Rooftop Mixer, held in June 2025, launched as an exciting new, high-energy event that we hope will become a staple for the community. Held at the stunning Anton Pacific rooftop with panoramic views of Downtown Santa Cruz, it served as a lively social hub for over 250 community members, students, professionals, and entrepreneurs.
This mixer was specifically designed to celebrate and spotlight the brightest student-led companies emerging from programs like CruzHacks 2025 and Santa Cruz Launchpad 2025. Attendees had the unique chance to meet the founders of climate tech, AI, and social impact startups firsthand, experiencing their innovations while networking with seasoned professionals.
Embracing the Future of Development: Vibe Coding Webinar
In a nod to the rapidly shifting landscape of AI, the Learn to Vibe Code clinic proved to be one of our most attended online events. Based on the concept of "vibe coding"—relying heavily on Large Language Models (LLMs) to generate working code from natural language prompts—this clinic featuring Craig Vachon and Ian McHenry radically lowered the barrier to entry for innovators.
This virtual session empowered non-technical founders, students, and creative professionals to go from a mere idea to a working prototype without needing extensive programming skills. This event introduced a new philosophy of development, one where an individual can focus on the idea and the user experience while leveraging AI as a tireless co-founder. By demystifying cutting-edge AI tools, Santa Cruz Works is ensuring that the local community remains at the forefront of technological change, fostering a new wave of high-impact, quickly-developed startups.
Last but not least…The Genomics Mixer
The UCSC Genomics Rooftop Mixer exemplified the power of connecting world-class academic research with local industry and investment. Hosted in collaboration with the UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute, the event offered a rare glimpse into world-changing science happening right in our backyard. Attendees, including entrepreneurs, city leaders, and investors, witnessed lightning talks and hands-on demos showcasing advancements in fields like RNA biology, AI-decoded disease, and public health solutions. This gathering was more than just a networking reception; it was a fertile ground where translational research could meet the market. The connections made here are essential for transforming campus discoveries into real-world biotech startups and ultimately, global impact. And it was by far the most complimented event we have hosted by far!
Huge shoutout to all who were involved in each of these events and for those who attended. We appreciate each and every one of you for showing up and supporting our organization and the innovation happening in our region. Let us know if you attended any of these and what kind of events you would like to see this upcoming year by commenting below!
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