Quick Take

A Boulder Creek-based company working to improve wildfire detection and notification is in the spotlight this week for Jessica M. Pasko, whose survey of Santa Cruz County business also includes unionization efforts at Verve Coffee Roasters and a push to better connect rural Central Coast airports.

Each week, we’re taking a closer look at the movers and shakers, the growth of industries and what’s really driving the Santa Cruz County economy. I’ll be spotlighting some of the biggest areas for opportunity, updates on local development and all things underpinning the regional business scene each Wednesday.

Got ideas? Send them my way to news@lookoutlocal.com with “Business News” in the subject line.

Ember Flash Aerospace: From the ashes of the CZU Lightning Complex fire, a new idea takes root

Ember Flash chief science officer and co-founder Lee Kohlman (right) and his team have been conducting field testing in the Davenport area. Credit: Ember Flash Aerospace

What started as just a few neighbors gathering outside the Brookdale Lodge in the aftermath of the CZU Lightning Complex fire has grown into a new effort to harness cutting-edge technology to empower communities with advanced wildfire detection and notification capabilities. 

Ember Flash Aerospace grew out of these casual neighborhood discussions, and now the Boulder Creek-based company is earning accolades as a semifinalist in a global competition focused on promoting new wildfire-fighting technologies. The company’s founders envision a network of connected sensors that communities could install to detect wildfires and send out notifications immediately. One of Ember Flash’s products is Vigilant Detect, which couples sophisticated camera technology with artificial intelligence to monitor for signs of wildfire smoke and then notify neighbors and emergency services upon detection. The company is also using drone technology for rapid fire suppression and monitoring. 

Co-founder Lee Kohlman was living in Boulder Creek when the August 2020 fire broke out, and his experience watching the destruction of so much of his community got him thinking about how to improve wildfire response. In his conversations with fellow residents, local firefighters and friends, the group became convinced that getting community members involved with wildfire detection and response was key to these efforts. 

Now, armed with Silicon Valley technology and firefighters’ real-world experience, Ember Flash is working to create a new approach to wildfires in rural communities like the San Lorenzo Valley where rugged terrain can make firefighting especially challenging. 

Stay tuned for my forthcoming story. 

ICYMI: Verve Coffee workers in Santa Cruz, San Francisco push to unionize on Labor Day

Verve Coffee Roasters employees Sasha Pavy (far left) and Sam Creighton (second from right) stand with other Verve workers seeking to unionize. Credit: Mateo Garcia

Workers at three Verve Coffee Roasters locations launched efforts Monday to unionize, calling for better wages, benefits and more decision-making power. Workers at the cafés on Pacific Avenue and Fair Avenue in Santa Cruz, and one in San Francisco, notified their managers of their intent on Labor Day, a federal holiday honoring the American labor movement. Read Lily Belli’s full story here.

The move comes in the wake of employee pushback over a 5% surcharge being added to customers’ bills that the company says will help cover health benefits for full-time employees. Baristas say the majority of coffeehouse workers aren’t eligible for those benefits, and the surcharge is causing confusion and frustration for customers. 

Verve executives disputed the workers’ claims in an email sent to Lookout, stating that more than 75% of its retail employees are eligible for health benefits and that the percentage is higher companywide.

Verve employees follow in the steps of employees at several other local businesses who have pushed for unionization in recent months, including Woodstock’s Pizza. In 2022, two Starbucks locations in Santa Cruz were some of the first of the coffee chain’s cafés in the state to vote to unionize. In July, a Starbucks in Soquel became the sixth in the county to unionize.

Ch-ch-changes: Openings, closings and other developments

  • Regional nonprofit secures $7.5 million to connect Central Coast airports: A new state grant is aimed at helping the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP) expand the region’s air mobility ecosystem. The $7.45 million grant from the California Jobs First Council will help support creation of the state’s first Federal Aviation Administration-compliant flight corridor network, linking together the region’s rural airports in Watsonville, Marina, Salinas and Hollister. This integrated corridor will help support testing, certification and commercialization of clear-energy aircraft, including locally based companies working in this space. That includes companies like La Selva Beach-based Parallel Flight Technologies, which is developing drones for firefighting, disaster relief and other uses, and Santa Cruz-headquartered Joby Aviation, which is working to establish commercial service for its electric air taxis. MBEP executives say these efforts will help accelerate competitiveness, create quality jobs and attract more investment in the region.
  • UC Santa Cruz-led program to fund paid internships for local students: The Central Coast K-16 Regional Collaborative, led by UC Santa Cruz’s Educational Partnership Center and Uplift Central Coast, will fund close to 100 paid internships for high school and college students in Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. The program will provide close to $500,000 for internships and apprenticeships aimed at giving students hands-on experience in fields like health care, engineering and computing. Internships are being offered through eight partner organizations, including Hartnell College in Salinas and Community Memorial Healthcare in Ventura.
Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz
  • Santa Cruz’s first luxury, oceanfront hotel to welcome first guests next week: Four decades in the making, the La Bahia Hotel & Spa is set to officially open Monday, Sept. 8, with 155 guest rooms, two restaurants, a spa, a rooftop pool and more. City leaders and business officials gathered last week at the Beach Street hotel for a ribbon-cutting, praising the project as a tourist draw and economic boost for the region. Read more here.
  • West Coast Community Bank named to top 25 U.S. banks list: Santa Cruz-based West Coast Community Bank ranked No. 4 on a new list of the top 25 banks in the country from Bank Director magazine, a leading industry publication. California banks dominated the list, accounting for seven of 25 slots. Banks are rated on criteria that include profitability and capital adequacy, which looks at whether a bank has enough capital to absorb potential losses from its assets. West Coast Community Bank, founded as Santa Cruz County Bank in 2004, rebranded earlier this year following a merger with Salinas-based 1st Capital Bank. West Coast Community Bank now has 10 branches in four counties: Santa Cruz, Monterey, Santa Clara and San Luis Obispo. See the full list here.

Got hires, promotions, or departures to report? Send them to news@lookoutlocal.com with the subject line “Career changes.”

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Looking at the numbers

  • 77.6% – That was the hotel occupancy rate for Santa Cruz County in July, a slight rise from 75% in June. That was slightly down from 79.4% July 2024, but occupancy for short-term rentals was up compared to last year, according to the latest statistics from Visit Santa Cruz County. Also of note: The average length of stay for visitors was 3.7 days in July 2025, compared to 2.5 days in July 2024. 

Save the date 

  • Saturday, Sept. 6: The Santa Cruz County chapter of the American Association of University Women is hosting a free panel discussion on Watsonville women’s leadership at the Watsonville Public Library from 1 to 3 p.m. Panel participants include Watsonville Mayor Maria Orozco, Cabrillo College professor Ekua Omosupe, Pajaro Valley Unified School District trustees Joy Flynn and Jessica Carrasco and Watsonville City Councilmember Vanessa Quiroz-Carter, among others.
  • Tuesday, Sept. 16: The Santa Cruz Area Chamber of Commerce, Dientes and Santa Cruz Community Health will host the next business after-hours event from 5 to 7 p.m. The event takes place at the outdoor plaza between the new Santa Cruz Community Health Center and Dientes clinic at 1500 Capitola Rd. The CEOs from both organizations will speak at the event, which also includes networking and refreshments. Register here.
  • Wednesday, Sept. 24: Santa Cruz Works hosts its next CEO luncheon with Becca Davis, an organizational communications expert. The event takes place from 11:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. at productOPs, 110 Cooper St., # 201, in Santa Cruz. Tickets and registration are here.
  • Saturday, Sept. 27: El Pajaro Community Development Corporation will hold Mujer al Mando, a business and leadership conference for women from Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Benito counties. The event includes interactive workshops, panel speakers and networking opportunities. It takes place from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the community room of the Watsonville Civic Plaza. Tickets, which are $30 in advance or $40 at the door, are available here.
  • Friday, Oct. 17: Registration is now open for the 2025 State of the Region event, hosted by the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership. The event takes place at the University Center at Cal State Monterey Bay in Seaside from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event focuses on economic opportunities and challenges in Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Benito counties. This year’s speakers haven’t been announced yet. 
  • Thursday, Oct. 30: The Santa Cruz Area Chamber of Commerce will hold the Women’s Leadership Summit at Mission Springs Conference Center in Scotts Valley from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Speakers include state Assemblymember Gail Pellerin, Santa Cruz Regional Transportation Commission Executive Director Sarah Christensen, Capitola Police Chief Sarah Ryan and Judi Oyama, Hall of Fame skateboarder, among others. Tickets are $125 for chamber members and $150 for non-members. More details here.

Add your business or networking events to Lookout’s free public calendar, BOLO. Click here to add your event.

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Jessica M. Pasko has been writing professionally for almost two decades. She cut her teeth in journalism as a reporter for the Associated Press in her native Albany, New York, where she covered everything...