This week in Santa Cruz County business: Climatize’s first local fundraising project; Aptos' egg shortage answer

Quick Take

In her weekly roundup of local business, Jessica M. Pasko reports on Climatize working with fellow Santa Cruz-based company Mynt Systems on an electric vehicle charging hub, local food businesses' egg go-to, the status of the Chamber of Commerce's CEO search and names, numbers and dates to know.

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.

Climatize partners with Santa Cruz-based Mynt on Central Coast project

Credit: Climatize

Santa Cruz-based Climatize, which helps crowdsource funding for renewable energy projects, has launched its first funding opportunity on the Central Coast.

The proposed project is an electric vehicle charging hub within the Windmill Market shopping center in San Juan Bautista, in San Benito County. It’s spearheaded by another Santa Cruz company, Mynt Systems, which specializes in renewable energy development. Once built, the Windmill Market EV Hub could help reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 6,850 tons annually, or the equivalent of 700,000 gallons of gasoline avoided yearly, according to Mynt Systems. That’s based on having six DC fast chargers, also known as Level 3 chargers, which are high-powered EV charging stations that use direct current electricity to charge vehicles quickly. These devices can charge an electric vehicle to 80% in about 30 minutes.

Mynt Systems hopes to raise $1,380,000 in investments toward the project, which aims to add charging capacity along Highway 156, a key route between the Monterey Bay region and the Central Valley. As of this week, it’s raised about $60,000, according to the listing on the Climatize platform. According to Mynt’s chief development officer, Robert Hymes, the project is set to begin construction in June, with a goal of being operational by October.

Hymes said raising the funds is “pretty critical,” and the company is really hoping that the Climatize raise pans out. Otherwise, Mynt will need to find alternate sources of funding, such as looking to private capital partners.

Hymes said Mynt chose to work with Climatize on this project because of the company’s easy-to-use process for enabling direct investments.

“Electric vehicles are a crucial part of our collective efforts to reduce emissions and combat the negative impacts of climate change,” he said. “In order to make the transition possible, we need to provide much broader access to charging – it needs to be as easy and accessible as Climatize’s investment app.”

Founded in 2023, Climatize identifies renewable energy projects like the Windmill Market EV Hub and lists them on its platform. Any investor over age 18 with a U.S. bank account can fund a project with an investment of as little as $10. So far, the company has helped secure more than $6 million in funding for 16 different projects, including solar panel installation for a small grocery store in Florida, a solar storage project at a regenerative farm in North Carolina and a solar energy transition at a Shakespearean theater in New Jersey.

In other Climatize news, the company is working to boost its marketing and customer engagement by hiring Barcelona-based Chris Medina, previously senior marketing manager for European crowdfunding platform Crowdcube. The company also is donating 10% of January’s revenue to the California Fire Foundation, a nonprofit working with local fire agencies and community organizations to provide direct financial support to residents affected by the fires in Los Angeles and throughout the state.

ICYMI: National egg shortage hits some stores, but local businesses sourcing from Aptos’ Glaum Egg Ranch “fully stocked”

Glaum Egg Ranch's barn store in Aptos. — Glaum Egg Ranch’s barn store in Aptos. Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

Local businesses that rely on Aptos-based Glaum Egg Ranch are in luck amid an egg shortage that’s left grocery store shelves around the country empty. As Lily Belli reported last week, buying local is paying off for area grocery stores as national egg distributors grapple with egg shortages due to an avian flu outbreak.

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

Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce launches search for next executive director: The Santa Cruz Area Chamber of Commerce is seeking its next leader, replacing Casey Beyer, who stepped down in November after seven years. Applications are due by Jan. 25, and interviews will be held in early February, with a goal of having a new executive director start March 1. The salary for the position starts at $105,000 to $112,000 annually based on experience and qualifications. Applications should submit their résumé, cover letter and a one-year business plan to administration@santacruzchamber.org.
Granite leader elected president of state’s largest construction trade association: Pat Kelly, vice president of operational excellence for Watsonville’s Granite Construction, will serve as president of the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of California for 2025. Kelly has worked for Granite for over 40 years. In his AGC role, he’ll lead the organization’s efforts to advocate for the construction industry both at the local and state level, including helping companies navigate regulations and workforce challenges.
Watsonville Community Hospital adds new board member, new position: Alexandra Friel is the newest member of Watsonville Community Hospital’s board, replacing Marcela Tavantzis, whose term expired at the end of 2024. Friel is the daughter of John Friel, a previous board chair who also served as the hospital’s CEO in the early 1990s. Additionally, the hospital has hired Allyson Violante as director of government and community relations. She previously served as former County Supervisor Zach Friend’s chief of staff. Read more from Tania Ortiz here.
State designates new Economic Development District for Central Coast: The region consisting of Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Benito counties is now officially designated an Economic Development District (EDD). It marks the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s first new EDD designation in California in 15 years. EDDs are essentially economic development agencies, which are eligible for grant and loan funding opportunities, among other resources offered through federal economic development programs. It’s a formalized way of bringing together public, private and nonprofit sectors in a more cohesive manner to collaborate on plans to drive the region’s economy and apply for certain types of federal funding. There are more than 400 such districts in the U.S. Efforts to secure the designation were led by Monterey Bay Economic Partnership, a member-supported nonprofit representing the three counties. President and CEO Tahra Goraya said the move will help the region advance its economic development goals and increase regional coordination and funding opportunities.

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

What’s new on the Lookout Job Board

Housing Programs Supervisor at Housing Authority of The County of Santa Cruz
Dining Senior Cook at UC Santa Cruz
Lead Payer Analytics Consultant at Central California Alliance for Health
CalAIM Case Management Supervisor at Stepping Up Santa Cruz
Development & Communications Manager at Gateway School

Want more? Browse all openings on our job board.

Hiring? Post your job today!

Looking at the numbers

$19.5 million: That’s the size of a federal grant recently awarded to the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission, the City of Santa Cruz and Santa Cruz County. The U.S. Department of Transportation grant will help fund construction of 8 miles of the Coastal Rail Trail between Pacific Avenue in Santa Cruz and Rio del Mar Boulevard in Aptos.

Save the date

Wednesday, Jan. 15: Santa Cruz Works has rescheduled its eighth annual Titans Awards ceremony, celebrating individuals who have significantly contributed to Santa Cruz, Monterey or San Benito counties through their innovation, leadership and dedication to making a positive impact. The ceremony is at Kuumbwa Jazz, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. Tickets and details here.
Thursday, Jan. 16: Business leaders are invited to learn more about how fostering LGBTQ+ inclusive workplaces can drive profits and loyalty. Speakers include workplace inclusion expert Sharon Papo and Dusty Colyer-Worth, equity and tourism expert and outreach manager for the Diversity Center. The event takes place from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Hotel Paradox on Ocean Street in Santa Cruz. Register here.
Thursday, Jan. 23: The Santa Cruz County Chamber of Commerce hosts its first business after-hours event of 2024 at the Marriott Courtyard hotel at 313 Riverside Ave. in Santa Cruz. Details and registration for the event, which runs from 5 to 7 p.m., are here.
Thursday, Jan. 23: The Aptos Chamber of Commerce holds its next chamber luncheon at Seascape Golf Course from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Karley Pope, director of marketing and sales for the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, will present on the past, present and future of the boardwalk. More info here.
Thursday, Feb. 13: The Santa Cruz County Chamber of Commerce will host its annual members meeting at the Dream Inn in Santa Cruz from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Details and registration here.