The timeless charm of the Santa Cruz Roller Palladium remains a strong pull as it hits a milestone, Jessica M. Pasko reports in her weekly look at local business. She’s also got news on Joby Aviation, a labor deal in Watsonville and names, numbers and dates to know.
Jessica M. Pasko
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 from plane crashes and arts & culture to state politics, including assisting with the coverage of former New York State Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s resignation. After getting her master’s degree at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, she moved to the West Coast and covered crime and breaking news for the Santa Cruz Sentinel. She has also worked for KION and written for a variety of local, regional and national publications on both coasts, including Evanston Patch, The Good Times, Santa Cruz Waves and many others.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
Santa Cruz’s Joby Aviation sues main rival Archer, alleging corporate espionage
Air taxi company Joby is suing rival Archer in Santa Cruz, alleging a former Joby employee leaked confidential terms of a real estate deal when he joined Archer earlier this year. Archer has denied the allegations. The case is unfolding as both companies rush to pursue FAA certification for their electric aircraft and launch commercial air taxi services.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
This week in Santa Cruz County business: Midtown business improvement district on pause; Santa Cruz city workers OK deal
A business improvement district for Santa Cruz’s Midtown area is on hold to allow for more discussion, Jessica M. Pasko reports in her weekly look at local business. She’s also got an update on a new contract for some unionized city workers, a deal for the Santa Cruz startup that appeared on “Shark Tank” and plenty more.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
This week in Santa Cruz County business: Local fintech company’s latest acquisition; startup pitches surf helmet on ‘Shark Tank’
In her weekly look at local business, Jessica M. Pasko reports on Paystand expanding payments to include some types of cryptocurrencies, previews a local startup’s appearance on “Shark Tank” and notes the debut of the Lookout List.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
With Pie Fi, Pleasure Pizza owners seek to build local hub for AI development
Having navigated the restaurant business after buying Pleasure Pizza in 2023, Sol and Erica Lipman opened Pie Fi around the corner in downtown Santa Cruz, a physical location for working, learning and meeting, a digital platform for building artificial intelligence projects and an accelerator program all in one.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
This week in Santa Cruz County business: Pie Fi aims to be local AI accelerator; Cruzio completes high-speed internet project
In her weekly look at local business, Jessica M. Pasko reports on an artificial intelligence incubator the owners of downtown Santa Cruz’s Pleasure Pizza are cooking up, an internet accessibility milestone for Cruzio, September’s hotel occupancy numbers and more.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
This week in Santa Cruz County business: Capitola Mall redevelopment inches forward; Driscoll’s pledges $5M for new campus farm store in SLO
The Capitola Mall’s future as a housing development is on the agenda for the city’s planning commission this week, Driscoll’s invests at Cal Poly and a commercial crabbing delay are all in focus in Jessica M. Pasko’s weekly survey of Santa Cruz County business.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
This week in Santa Cruz County business: Business owners’ input sought ahead of 2026 sporting events; Seabright Social files for bankruptcy
In her weekly survey of local business, Jessica M. Pasko notes Santa Cruz County’s efforts to attract some of the visitors headed to nearby Santa Clara for next year’s Super Bowl and World Cup, bankruptcy for a business affected by the Murray Street Bridge closure and much more.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
This week in Santa Cruz County business: Zero Motorcycles to move headquarters abroad; Windmill Cafe’s owner prepares to pass the torch
In her weekly look at local business, Jessica M. Pasko reports on Scotts Valley pioneer Zero Motorcycles moving its HQ to the Netherlands and why the owner of Live Oak landmark Windmill Cafe is moving on, plus numbers, names and events to know.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
Pending development prompts longtime Windmill Cafe owner’s retirement as she prepares to put business up for sale
“It’s with a heavy heart that I leave,” says Mary Apra of putting the Windmill Cafe on the market. The major development planned for the Live Oak property aims to maintain the historic building as a cafe.