Think Big Wrigley: High Schoolers Explore Innovation at Santa Cruz's Old Wrigley Building
What does it look like when over 100 high school students spend an afternoon with some of Santa Cruz's most innovative companies? On May 1st, Santa Cruz Works and the Santa Cruz County Office of Education answered that question with Think Big Wrigley — a hands-on career exploration event hosted at the historic Old Wrigley Building on Mission Street.
“We have a robust, innovative, and entrepreneurial community here in Santa Cruz County,” claims Jason Borgen, CTO at Santa Cruz County Office of Education (SCCOE). “We, at the Santa Cruz COE, want to be able to create transparency and enable students and our next generation workforce to see and experience the local ecosystem. By engaging with today’s workforce students can glean a better understanding of the skills needed to be successful as well as to understand they do not have to drive over the hill to engage with innovation locally”.
From 11 AM to 3 PM, students from across Santa Cruz County moved through the building in small groups, sitting down with entrepreneurs, scientists, designers, and engineers for candid, interview-style conversations about career paths, company missions, and what it actually takes to build something from the ground up. Students arrived prepared with thoughtful, interview-style questions and — by all accounts — a genuine curiosity about the world of innovation waiting just outside their classrooms.
The range of companies on hand made for a genuinely eclectic and inspiring experience. At Santa Cruz Bicycles, students got an inside look at how world-class mountain bikes are designed and built right here in Santa Cruz — from frame geometry to trail-ready components. At Swellcycle, they discovered that 3D printing a surfboard is not only possible, it's happening locally, blending surf culture with cutting-edge fabrication and low waste technology in only the way Santa Cruz can.
Capstan Medical gave students a window into the precision world of medical device engineering, while Open Culture Science introduced them to the fascinating and important world of organoids — lab-grown tissue models that allow researchers to test new drugs safely and effectively, without relying on animal testing. For many students, it was their first encounter with a biotechnology that is quietly reshaping how medicine is developed.
Beyond Circuits offered a peek into electronics and hardware development, and Geopulse Solutions along with the US Geological Survey showed students how earth science and geospatial data power real-world decision-making — from natural disaster response to land use planning. The presence of a federal science agency alongside scrappy local startups underscored the diversity of career pathways available right here in Santa Cruz County.
On the creative and design side, Lumber & Pixel Co, Steamer Lane Design, Visual Endeavors, R Blitzer Gallery, and Wonderfil demonstrated the many ways that art, design, and fabrication intersect with entrepreneurship. Visual Endeavors in particular delivered one of the most visually stunning experiences of the day, leaving students with a vivid impression of what's possible when creativity meets craft. These conversations helped students see that creative careers and innovation careers aren't separate paths — they're often the same one. Idea Fab Labs rounded out the day with its hands-on maker culture ethos, giving students a tangible sense of what it means to build, iterate, and create.
“When Santa Cruz Works and SCCOE approached me about the Wrigley Building and its business to participate, I knew the project would be unique, but I didn’t realize how truly special it would become,” said William Ow, Ow Family Properties. “I am incredibly grateful to the businesses that participated and donated their time and attention to the students. This collaboration provided students with invaluable exposure to the entrepreneurial spirit and the cutting-edge technology currently emerging in Santa Cruz. I believe this was an exceptional initiative that will help spark and motivate the students involved.”
A pizza lunch mid-event gave students and professionals a more relaxed setting to keep the conversations going — and by all accounts, those informal exchanges were some of the most valuable of the day.
Think Big Wrigley is exactly the kind of event Santa Cruz does well: grounded in community, rich with genuine expertise, and designed to show young people that innovation isn't something that happens somewhere else. It happens here — in a repurposed chewing gum factory on Mission Street, surrounded by the people building the next chapter of the Santa Cruz economy.
Here's to more of it!