Welcome Mash: Santa Cruz Works Accelerator Director
Santa Cruz Works is excited to welcome Michael Ashley, aka Mash, as the new Director of the SCW Accelerator, where he will lead Cohort 7 this Spring. Mash brings a deep track record in entrepreneurship, startup coaching, and program-building, paired with an energetic, community-first approach that has helped hundreds of founders grow, refine, and launch their ideas.
For the past three years, Mash launched and led SpartUp - the SJSU Incubator - building it from scratch into a thriving hub of student, faculty, and community innovation. During his tenure, he personally mentored more than 300 startup teams and helped launch over 30 new ventures across a wide range of industries. His work centered on giving founders clarity, confidence, and a structured path toward early traction, while cultivating a high-trust, collaborative culture that continues to shape SJSU’s entrepreneurial landscape.
Mash also serves as faculty in the College of Business at San José State University, where he has taught operations management, international business, and entrepreneurship since 2018. He is known for his practical, hands-on teaching style, blending real-world experience with frameworks that help students quickly validate markets, understand customers, and build meaningful early momentum.
Before SJSU, Mash spent over a decade in Silicon Valley advising and operating within series-stage startups. His experience spans go-to-market strategy, product positioning, and early revenue generation. He has worked with multiple companies that achieved meaningful outcomes—including one IPO, one acquisition, and one private equity exit. Earlier in his career, he founded his own startup, which was acquired in 2012, giving him firsthand insight into the emotional and operational realities of the founder journey.
“I’ve lived in Santa Cruz for the last 37 years, I’m a proud Slug class of ‘93 and I love this community. I’m thrilled to join Santa Cruz Works and lead the next evolution of the SCW Accelerator,” Mash says. “Santa Cruz is an incredibly unique innovation ecosystem—combining UCSC’s research excellence, programs, and student entrepreneurs, with our passionate and creative community, and our rare proximity to Silicon Valley. My goal is to build on the amazing foundation already set in place by the SCW team, and to deliver a world-class accelerator that elevates founders and showcases the breakthrough companies emerging from Santa Cruz.”
Outside of work, Mash loves golfing with friends, water sports, and making an annual escape to his casita in La Ventana, Baja, where he recharges and reconnects with the lifestyle that keeps him grounded.
With Cohort 7 approaching, Mash is eager to meet founders, partners, and community members who want to help shape the next chapter of innovation coming out of Santa Cruz. You can contact him via this form: Contact Us
Meanwhile, please welcome Mash to Team Santa Cruz Works! (leave your Comment below)