Santa Cruz Works welcomes John Tran as COO. A seasoned venture investor, John will lead corporate sponsorship efforts to grow Santa Cruz Accelerates, now nearing its 7th cohort with 60+ startup alumni and counting.

Robotics Cats makes Disaster Tech Awards finals.

Invest just $100 in Mynt Systems’ EV charging project in West Sacramento. Earn 9% interest, support clean tech, and help build the future—funding closes May 28 on Climatize.

Join Santa Cruz County’s top business leaders on May 22 for updates, networking, and light bites—plus insights from Supervisor Kim DeSerpa on the county’s economic future.

Explore how technology can spark social change. 

H.R. 9495, dubbed the “nonprofit killer,” could let the federal government revoke tax-exempt status without due process. Critics warn it threatens free speech and civil society, giving unchecked power to silence advocacy under vague claims of “supporting terrorism.”

Sequoia Olson of Salinas placed in the Top 20 nationwide in the 2025 Math Kangaroo competition, showcasing exceptional problem-solving skills. Their achievement celebrates curiosity, hard work, and a love for math—proving that brilliance adds up at any age.

Santa Cruz Works is excited to welcome Tavleen to the team!

Santa Cruz Launchpad 2025 employers announced. 

Craig Vachon, a Santa Cruz Works member, has joined the Human Rights Foundation to lead its new AI for Individual Rights initiative, using open-source AI tools to fight authoritarian control and empower global activists through education, grants, and hands-on training.

Jimmy Panetta welcomes middle and high school students to participate in the Congressional App Challenge.

Joby shared a recent milestone that has double the fun!

Want to make a difference in your community? Come volunteer at Santa Cruz Launchpad!

Joby Aviation reported major Q1 2025 milestones, including record certification progress, pilot-on-board flights, a UK partnership with Virgin Atlantic, and strong financials. The company also named Rodrigo Brumana as CFO and advanced production at its Marina, CA facility.

Santa Cruz Launchpad 2025 brings together Santa Cruz’s brightest startups and talent for a dynamic pitch competition and job fair at the Cocoanut Grove on May 21—where innovation meets opportunity, and the future is built on local ideas.

At Blue Innovation Day, a chance meeting between Soren Larsen and CarbonBridge sparked a groundbreaking AI partnership. What began as a casual conversation became a capstone project connecting UCSC NLP students with climate tech innovation — a perfect example of how Santa Cruz Works events transform networking into real-world impact.

Reservoir has launched Reservoir Farms, the world’s first AgTech robotics incubator on a working farm. Located in Salinas Valley, it offers startups a real-world environment to solve real-world challenges in specialty crops at the heart of one of the world’s most important agricultural regions.

UC Santa Cruz’s 2024 Chancellor’s Innovation Impact Awards celebrate groundbreaking research and community-driven change. From sustainable AI to youth empowerment and personalized medicine, these honorees exemplify innovation with purpose. Watch their inspiring stories—and remember, in 2022, Santa Cruz Works proudly received the Community Changemaker Award for Transformative Impact.

How do you know when to pivot your business and go from catching the small fish to the bigger ones?

Are you a team with a groundbreaking technology-based idea or engaged in translational and use-inspired research? The Innovation & Business Engagement Hub is excited to announce an upcoming I-Corps workshop series designed to propel your innovations forward!