Santa Cruz Works welcomes new COO John Tran

John is a venture investor with a strong foundation in physical sciences, deep tech, and software. Over the past few years, he helped build and scale a new venture fund—born from a collaboration between a research foundation and a state economic development corporation—into the most active fund in the Midwest. There, he led investments across sectors including quantum computing, energy storage, eVTOLs, robotics, and aerospace technologies.

Before entering venture, John worked at an early-stage startup backed by Village Capital, where he focused on connecting corporate R&D teams with scientists, startups, and researchers to accelerate technology commercialization. He also earned his PhD at Michigan State University, where he used CRISPR-Cas9 to make plants programmable like software—engineering them for sustainable bioenergy—and trained in AI and machine learning to support his work.

John brings a wide-lens view of innovation, with a deep appreciation for both technical rigor and commercial execution.

In his role as COO, John will be focused on raising corporate sponsorship funds to support the ongoing success and expansion of Santa Cruz Accelerates, our flagship startup program now approaching its 7th cohort with over 60 startup graduates. His leadership will be instrumental in helping us grow our platform and create new, high-impact opportunities for our partners and sponsors.

This role is also a homecoming: John is excited to return to Santa Cruz, where he first began working with nonprofits years ago. That early experience sparked a lasting commitment to mission-driven work—something he now brings full circle as he joins Santa Cruz Works to support the region’s entrepreneurs and innovators.

A longtime Golden State Warriors fan and avid supporter of the Santa Cruz Warriors, John brings that same intensity and belief in homegrown talent to Santa Cruz Works. His focus is simple: help builders build—faster, smarter, and with the support they need to go the distance.

“John’s experience at the intersection of innovation, venture, and impact makes him a perfect fit for Santa Cruz Works,” said Doug Erickson, Executive Director of Santa Cruz Works. “We’re entering an exciting phase of growth with Santa Cruz Accelerates, and John’s leadership will help us scale our support for founders and connect with sponsors who believe in building the future right here in the Monterey Bay.”

We’re thrilled to have him on board.