In her weekly roundup of news and notes from the Santa Cruz County business community, Jessica M. Pasko previews a public hearing on the move to increase what businesses pay to the Downtown Association of Santa Cruz, checks in on the mac & cheese pros at Goodles, rounds up events and more.
Working in Santa Cruz
Posted inBusiness & Technology
This week in Santa Cruz County business: Doug Erickson Q&A, Arrow Surf’s move, Ambient Photonics funding
In her weekly roundup of news and notes from the Santa Cruz County business community, Jessica M. Pasko hears from Santa Cruz Works founder Doug Erickson on the local tech scene, AI and more, delivers updates on a temporary change of scene for Arrow Surf & Sport and what’s new with Scotts Valley’s Ambient Photonics, plus local events and recommended reading.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
Santa Cruz Works’ Doug Erickson on how region’s affordable housing crisis affects local tech economy
The tech sector has been hit hard the past few years, and analysts anticipate that tech layoffs in 2023 will exceed the number in 2022. While recession fears continue to reverberate within the larger tech ecosystem, at the local level we’ve seen some significant growth activity. In an interview with Lookout business columnist Jessica M. Pasko, Santa Cruz Works founder Doug Erickson discusses how the region’s affordable housing woes have affected the growth of the local tech industry — and why AI is about to upend everything.
Posted inUncategorized
How I Got My Job: Gina Occhipinti Borasi on redefining what it means to be a lawyer
Gina Occhipinti Borasi almost quit her pursuit of a career in law after feeling unable to be the shark lawyer she thought it was necessary to be to succeed as an attorney. After finding inspiration with a compassionate mentor, Occhipinti Borasi went on to become a successful personal-injury lawyer who leads with a person-first attitude.
Posted inUncategorized
How I Got My Job: After struggling in school herself, Cristine Chopra now helps students find their path
As a child, Cristine Chopra struggled with undiagnosed dyslexia, receiving a diagnosis only at age 25. Today, Chopra has a Ph.D. and is executive director of the Santa Cruz County College and Career Collaborative, preparing underrepresented students for higher education. She sees a trend of students questioning whether college is worth the cost and the commitment, but says any form of postsecondary education, from a four-year college to technical training, is the key to weathering the ups and downs of modern life.
Posted inUncategorized
How I Got My Job: Case manager Andres Galvan on confronting housing, addiction and mental health crises
Mental health client specialist Andres Galvan works at the intersection of Santa Cruz County’s mental health, homelessness and drug-overdose crises. Now almost 17 years in recovery himself, Galvan understands the importance of counselors and others who work in the mental health and addictions fields treating clients with empathy and compassion. “You can’t just go out there for the paycheck,” he says. “Your heart has got to be in it because you’re going to come across some difficult things. You got to keep that open mind and that’s a difficult task.”
Posted inK-12 Education
Santa Cruz County public school staffing woes ease ahead of start of the academic year
After struggling to fill vacancies for the past few years, several Santa Cruz public school districts say staffing levels going into the new academic year are better thanks to a combination of lower turnover compared to the pandemic years and new contracts that have boosted pay for teachers in some districts. Still, officials say some positions that have traditionally been hard to fill, such as special education workers and bus drivers, continue to pose challenges.
Posted inUncategorized
How I Got My Job: Sandra Renteria turned her passion project into a lucrative career in vintage resale
Sandra Renteria, owner of Angel Aura Vintage in downtown Santa Cruz, loved to thrift-shop as a teenager. When she found herself with extra time on her hands during the pandemic, Renteria dreamed up the company she now calls her career.
Posted inUncategorized
How I Got My Job: Swim school entrepreneur Tiffany Harmon on surviving the pandemic as small business owner
Swim school owner Tiffany Harmon turned her love of the water into a career teaching swim lessons and training others in water safety. Through issues with staffing, COVID-19, and personal loss, Harmon has found support in personal mentors and small business resources.
Posted inUncategorized
How I Got My Job: NOAA fish researcher Tom Laidig on spending 31 days at sea for work
Tom Laidig’s job as a fish researcher at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration takes him out in some of the deepest parts of the ocean to study the ecosystem hundreds — even thousands — of feet underwater. Laidig’s current research involves environmental DNA, where scientists take a water sample and run the DNA to see what is present in the ecosystem at different points along the coast and how it changes, in part to understand the effects of climate change on marine life.