Santa Cruz Works News — Updates on Events, Community Stories & Local Innovation

INNOVATION NEWS

Check out our news highlights and archive here.

NOTE: Our blogs are typically “assisted by AI”. We use AI to assist us in research and style.

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Neil Erickson 3/10/26 Neil Erickson 3/10/26

Podcars, Robo-Taxis, and the Future of Getting Around Santa Cruz

A March 26 public forum will explore whether emerging transportation technologies could help Santa Cruz County move people more efficiently, sustainably, and affordably

Will Mayall 2/9/26 Will Mayall 2/9/26

Nothing Has Changed, Yet Everything Has Changed

The underlying reality of the Santa Cruz Branch Line corridor has not changed—while the RTC’s available choices finally have.

Doug Erickson 6/30/25 Doug Erickson 6/30/25

ZEPRT: Billion Dollar Dead End

The ZEPRT study deems rail on the Santa Cruz Branch Line costly and unfeasible, sparking interest in a trail-first approach. Railbanking offers lower costs, faster benefits, and aligns with Santa Cruz Works’ goals of sustainability and innovation.

Doug Erickson 11/13/23 Doug Erickson 11/13/23

ChatGPT Truly is Intelligent

There's been some debate over whether "intelligence" truly belongs in the term "Artificial Intelligence." But here's a compelling case for the affirmative.

September 10, 2026

SCWorks New Tech Photos

Thank you to River Row for allowing us to host our New Tech event at their space, and to the six presenters who shared what they're building right here in Santa Cruz! View the photos.

The Ducks of Santa Cruz

A Dutch database, an Amazon acquisition, and a surf town's most improbable export: how Looker's alumni quietly built the strange, tangled, occasionally hilarious family tree behind DuckDB and MotherDuck.

Investment Advice in Troubling Times

Thomas Wynn from Wynn Capital Management, gives his investing advice during a time of uncertainty and all time highs in the markets.

Paystand Rolls Out AI Agents to Automate Finance Teams' Busywork

Santa Cruz-based Paystand launches AI agents that take on accounts receivable, spend management, and reporting for finance teams.

Joby Aviation Kicks Off Texas Flight Campaign as Autonomous Aircraft Crosses the Country

Joby Aviation is running two demonstrations at once this week: electric air taxi flights across Dallas-Fort Worth and a coast-to-coast tour of its autonomous J208 cargo aircraft.

September 9, 2026

Betting Big on AI: Lessons from Omni's 10x Scale-Up

How a scrappy team of ex-Lookers turned Santa Cruz roots into a $1.5B AI-powered data company, and what they learned along the way.

A Different Pace in the Santa Cruz Mountains

Reggiardo Ranch invites Santa Cruz’s tech community to trade constant connection for redwoods, good food, and a slower pace.

September 8, 2026

Santa Cruz HardTech Launches to Support the County's Physical Builders

A new SBDC-backed initiative, Santa Cruz HardTech, is organizing the county's hardware, robotics, biotech, and clean energy founders — offering free advising, capital guidance, and a monthly meetup at Idea Fab Labs.

Westly Prize Now Accepting Applications for 2027

The Westly Prize is an annual award from the Westly Foundation for young social innovators in CA that gives out up to $145,000 total, including three $40,000 Grand Prizes, as unrestricted funding to early-stage founders tackling social challenges in areas like AI, education, health, environment, and youth development.