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

INNOVATION NEWS

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NOTE: Our blogs are typically “assisted by AI”. We use AI to assist us in research and style the way a human editor would.

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Doug Erickson 7/17/26 Doug Erickson 7/17/26

The Clothes We Throw Away Don't Stop Emitting. We Just Stop Counting.

A Scripps master's thesis by Adelka Hancova finds that discarded polyester releases methane, CO₂, and carbon monoxide as it degrades in the sun — emissions no climate inventory currently counts.

Doug Erickson 4/2/25 Doug Erickson 4/2/25

Santa Cruz Ventures Invests in Swellcycle

Santa Cruz Ventures has announced a pre-seed investment in Swellcycle, a Santa Cruz-based startup that is redefining how composite products are made—starting with surfboards.

September 17, 2026

Cabrillo College Joins as Partner for AHSC Internship Opportunity Program Cohort 2

Cabrillo College joins Santa Cruz Works as a parter of Cohort 2 of the AHSC internship opportunity program to open doors for local student internships.

Apple’s New AI Siri

David Pogue tested Apple’s new AI Siri 125 ways and found it remarkably capable. It searches personal data, controls apps, understands screens and cameras, handles complex commands, and could dramatically reduce app-switching, Googling, and everyday phone fumbling.

September 16, 2026

Santa Cruz Can't Punish Joby by Breaking Its Own Promise

A candidate for mayor has told UCSC students the City should walk away from its agreement with Joby Aviation. Here's what the agreement actually says — and why breaking it would cost Santa Cruz, not Joby.

September 15, 2026

Calling Santa Cruz Companies in the Wrigley Building: Help Inspire the Next Generation of Innovators

Do you have an awesome company in the Wrigley building? Help inspire the next generation of innovators!

Help Rename Santa Cruz Works' Titans Event

We’re renaming our annual event and we want YOUR input! Help us rename Titans and you could win VIP tickets to our next event and more!

Behind the Beans: Cat & Cloud Company Spotlight & Roastery Tour

Ever wonder what actually happens between the coffee farm and your coffee cup? Join Santa Cruz Works and Cat & Cloud Coffee for an inside look at their roastery, straight from the source. This is a how-it's-made field trip for coffee lovers, curious minds, and anyone who's ever wanted to take a peek behind the counter.

Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour: Adventure Night Returns to the Rio

Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival is one of the largest and most prestigious mountain festivals in the world! Hot on the heels of the Festival that is held every fall in beautiful Banff, Alberta, the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour hits the road.

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.