News Highlights
We don’t only report the news, we make the news. Our news highlights and archive here.
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That Time We Bought a Pizza Shop
Sol Lipman, a successful tech entrepreneur known for ventures like 12seconds.tv and DRIVR, made an unexpected pivot from Silicon Valley to Santa Cruz’s downtown pizza scene. Alongside his wife Erica, Sol purchased Pleasure Pizza Downtown with a mission to reconnect with community in a tangible, day-to-day way.
The Rising Demand for Electricity
AI, advanced manufacturing, climate change, and electrification are driving global electricity demand. In the U.S., data centers and new factories are key contributors, though most new power comes from renewables.
Immergo Launches Alpha Program
Immergo Launches Alpha Program inviting Occupational and Physical Therapists to revolutionize rehab.
Goodles Makes "Most Innovative Companies in Food for 2025" List
Goodles makes Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies in Food 2025 list.
Ambient Photonics and Verdagy Listed on America's Top Greentech Companies of 2025
Ambient Photonics and Verdagy Listed on America's Top Greentech Companies of 2025.
Joby Aviation Plays Key Role in NASA Wildfire Airspace Management Tests
With the help of Joby, NASA has successfully tested a new portable airspace management system (PAMS) designed to enable 24/7 aerial firefighting operations, even in low-visibility conditions.
MAH and American Museums and Libraries Need Your Voice
The Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History (the MAH) faces potential significant challenges due to a recent Executive Order issued by President Trump on March 14th. This order proposes the elimination of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the sole federal agency dedicated to supporting American museums and libraries.
Everything Everywhere All at Once
We are entering even harder times but we must continue taking deliberate action to reduce the use of fossil fuels and eliminate them as quickly as possible to prevent continued warming of the atmosphere and eventual collapse of Earth’s ecosystems that have supported life as we know it for thousands of years.
Santa Cruz isn't Denmark, and That is Exactly the Point
A recent commentary in Lookout Santa Cruz reads like a eulogy for a progressive era its author helped define. But let’s be honest: that era was never as pure or effective as its champions like to remember.
How Budget Cuts will Impact Santa Cruz and Research
In a powerful letter to the community (Santa Cruz Sentinel, March 20, 2025), UC Santa Cruz faculty members Needhi Bhalla, Susan Carpenter, and Nobel Laureate Carol Greider raise urgent concerns about recent cuts to federal biomedical research funding by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk
SwellCycle Demo Day March 28, 2025
Ready to test ride a SwellCycle board? Sign up fast for this amazing new experience in surfing.
How Santa Cruz's Rail Trail Reflects a Broader Democratic Problem
A decade-long rail trail project in Santa Cruz has spiraled into a costly, unrealistic infrastructure fiasco. With $1 billion needed just for bridge repairs and a final price tag nearing $5 billion, it exemplifies how progressive ideals without pragmatic governance fuel public frustration — and inadvertently, MAGA’s political momentum.
Emergency Fundraiser for Human Trafficking Survivors
Hope is more powerful than fear –– That’s why Rising Worldwide, Santa Cruz’s international anti-human trafficking organization is hosting Rising at the Rio, a night of entertainment to fundraise emergency support for local and global survivors of human trafficking.
Beaches, Books, Budgets, Bots – A Must-Attend Event on April 2!
Join us on April 2 at the stunning Chaminade Spa & Resort for an evening of cutting-edge insights, dynamic discussion, and top-tier networking at Beaches, Books, Budgets, and Bots. This exclusive event brings together leading innovators and thought leaders to examine how political instability is shaping our communities and the world at large.
New Santa Cruz Works Partnership Unlocks Exceptional Benefits at Chaminade Resort & Spa
Santa Cruz Works is thrilled to announce an exciting new partnership with the renowned Chaminade Resort & Spa, offering exceptional benefits exclusively for our valued Santa Cruz Works Partners.
Savor the Benefits: Santa Cruz Works & Woodstock’s Join Forces!
Santa Cruz Works and Woodstock's Pizza are thrilled to announce a delicious new partnership, serving up exclusive perks for our valued Business Partners.
No Sunscreen Needed: Sunburn Schematics Lights Up Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz Works warmly welcomes Sunburn Schematics to our thriving innovation community! Founded by Danny Andreev, an accomplished electrical engineer and passionate kite surfer, Sunburn Schematics is an electrical engineering services company proudly rooted in Santa Cruz.
Purcell Achieves Major Milestone, Expands Manufacturing to Meet Growing Demand
Purcell, a sustainability-driven company focused on reducing food-related waste, has reached a significant milestone by selling out its first manufacturing run of 1,000 bulk food dispensers.
Bay Area Riders Want to Disrupt How Mountain Bikers Shop
After months of teasing a mountain biking startup on social media, Bay Area riders Nic Bean and Michael Sikand are excited to unveil RECON: a fresh new take on MTB shopping.
Gas to Gold: CarbonBridge's Bioreactors Set New Industry Benchmark
CarbonBridge, a standout graduate from Santa Cruz Works Accelerates, is kicking off its seed funding round to scale its groundbreaking bioreactor technology. CarbonBridge's bioreactors uniquely tackle a critical industry bottleneck: the efficient delivery of gases to microbes, enhancing microbial performance dramatically.