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.

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Malina Long 12/7/23 Malina Long 12/7/23

AI Horizons Part 2 in Photos

Did you attend AI Horizons Part 2 last night? Here are some photos from the event!

Doug Erickson 11/22/23 Doug Erickson 11/22/23

AI Horizons Part 2

We’re diving even deeper into the future of artificial intelligence and its transformative impact on a variety of industries. And because our November event was overbooked with standing room only, we will meet at the Cocoanut Grove where half of Santa Cruz can attend.

Doug Erickson 11/15/23 Doug Erickson 11/15/23

AI Horizons Part 1: Fireside Chat

Video recording of the Fireside Chat at AI Horizons with Guy Kawasaki, UCSC Chancellor Cindy Larive, and Boaz Askenazy

Doug Erickson 11/9/23 Doug Erickson 11/9/23

AI Horizons Part 1 in Photos

AI Horizons (part 1) experienced a night to remember on November 8, with tickets completely sold out and attendees filling every available space. A comprehensive report, a gallery of photographs, and video footage will be shared in the following week

Doug Erickson 10/19/23 Doug Erickson 10/19/23

AI Horizons

Join us at AI Horizons to explore how AI will transform education, government, careers, and energy, followed by a Fireside Chat with industry luminaries, including Boaz Ashkenazy, CEO of Simply Augmented!

September 10, 2026

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.

NPS to Showcase Five Breakthrough Technologies at Reverse Pitch Event

Investors and industry leaders get an exclusive look at Navy-born innovations ranging from artificial muscles to satellite-free data transfer.

Building Belonging: Four Highlights From Cabrillo's Fall 2026 Semester Kickoff

Cabrillo College's fall semester opened with a burst of momentum, from new collaborative student support spaces to the leasing launch of Costa Vista, its groundbreaking student housing project with UC Santa Cruz.

September 4, 2026

GOODLES Just Beat Barilla at Its Own Game — And Barilla Had to Buy It to Find Out

A Santa Cruz mac-and-cheese startup just got acquired by a 149-year-old Italian pasta giant. The real story isn't the deal, it's what it says about legacy brands, category disruption, and why $88 million buys you something money can't build.

High School Robotics Club Open Houses — Students & Mentors Wanted!

The High School Robotics Club is opening their doors! Students, mentors, and innovators are invited to explore hands-on robotics, meet local teams, discover opportunities, and learn how to get involved.