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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Malina Long 11/26/25 Malina Long 11/26/25

Santa Cruz Works 2025 Holiday Gift Guide

Looking for the perfect gift? Here are some locally made or designed products to check out!

Malina Long 10/27/25 Malina Long 10/27/25

🎁 Call for Submissions: Feature Your Product in the 2025 Santa Cruz Works Holiday Gift Guide!

Are you a Santa Cruz County maker? Share your creation with us and we’ll include it in our annual holiday gift guide!

Malina Long 11/26/24 Malina Long 11/26/24

Santa Cruz Works 2024 Holiday Gift Guide

If you’re looking for a locally-made gift for the loved ones in your life, look no further!

Malina Long 11/4/24 Malina Long 11/4/24

Submit Your Product to Our 2024 Holiday Gift Guide

Do you have a cool product that would make a great gift for someone? Let us know!

Malina Long 11/17/23 Malina Long 11/17/23

Santa Cruz Works 2023 Holiday Gift Guide

Searching for that perfect gift for that special someone in your life? We’ve got you!

Malina Long 11/3/23 Malina Long 11/3/23

Submit Your Product to Our Gift Guide

Do you have a cool product that would make a great gift for someone? Let us know!

Malina Long 12/14/22 Malina Long 12/14/22

Holiday Gift Guide 2022

Having trouble thinking of a gift for your loved one? We’ve got you!

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.