Quick Take

In her weekly look at local business, Jessica M. Pasko spotlights upcoming events with a focus on improving high-speed internet access across Santa Cruz County, notes a push make downtown more pedestrian-friendly and compiles 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.

Two upcoming events to focus on region’s broadband expansion efforts

This Friday, local business and community leaders will gather in the rural Santa Cruz Mountains to mark the start of bringing new fiber internet service to residents and businesses in the area. Locally owned Surfnet Communications is providing the infrastructure for the project, funded by $4.3 million state and federal grants aimed at expanding rural broadband access. County Supervisor Monica Martinez will join California Public Utilities Commissioner Darcie Houck, Surfnet Communications CEO Mark Morgenthaler and others at a kickoff event at the Summit Store at 24197 Summit Rd. at noon. 

Meanwhile, the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP) is planning its 2025 Regional Broadband Summit for May 19 at Seascape Golf Club in Aptos. The event will bring together stakeholders in Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey counties – including local officials, representatives from nonprofit organizations and executives from regional internet service providers – to talk about efforts to expand high-speed broadband access to even some of the most rural areas. Santa Cruz County Chief Information Officer Tammie Weigl is set to speak, along with Jacqueline Leon, who runs marketing and programs for Loaves, Fishes and Computers. 

Broadband access has been a top priority for MBEP, and the organization sees it as a key to many of its other initiatives, including educational equity, civic participation, job expansion and more, CEO and president Tahra Goraya told Lookout last year.

It’s also a key focus for state and local officials, with extra emphasis placed on improving internet access in rural areas, where coverage is often spotty, slow or nonexistent. In 2021, state officials approved legislation allocating $6 billion to bring affordable, high-speed broadband services to all Californians.

High-speed broadband internet is coming to underserved parts of the Santa Cruz Mountains with the help of new state funding. Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

The Federal Communications Commission defines broadband internet as a minimum of 100 megabits per second (Mbps) for downloads and 20 Mbps for uploads. That’s the basic speed needed for streaming, online gaming, downloading music and web browsing. That’s more bandwidth than an estimated quarter of Americans in rural areas have access to, according to the FCC. 

The shift to remote work and school during the COVID-19 pandemic-related shutdowns highlighted the inequality in access that exists around the state. In 2022, county officials launched their own broadband master plan, identifying areas within the county where coverage gaps existed and setting a plan to build and/or upgrade the physical infrastructure needed to enable internet connectivity for homes and businesses. Along with Surfnet, local providers Cruzio and LCB Communications have also been heavily involved with access expansion in the county, thanks to a handful of key projects funded in part by the state.

ICYMI: Closing a street to cars may feature in Santa Cruz City Council downtown economic plan later this month

Cooper Street in downtown Santa Cruz. Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

As downtown Santa Cruz continues a period of rapid change thanks to a number of ongoing and planned developments, some residents are imagining what it would be like if the future of downtown didn’t involve cars – or at least, on some streets. 

As Christopher Neely reports, a community group known as Pacific for People is hoping to make the area around Pacific Avenue more friendly to pedestrians, which could mean closing parts of some downtown streets to cars entirely. While variations of the idea have been floated for years, Pacific for the People are hoping to take their idea to the people. While details are still sparse, a new downtown economic development program package spearheaded by Vice Mayor Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson and Councilmember Scott Newsome could include direction to staff about exploring a downtown street closure pilot program.

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

  • West Coast Community Bank hires new executive: West Coast Community Bank, the entity formed by the merger of Santa Cruz County Bank and 1st Capital Bank, has hired Matthew March as its new executive vice president and chief information officer (CIO). March will be based at the bank’s branch on River Street in Santa Cruz, and he will lead the company’s technology strategy, drive cybersecurity efforts and oversee its information technology systems. He previously served as CIO of Sunwest Bank, as well as holding similar roles at Pacific Premier Bank, Colony American Finance and Carrington Mortgage Holdings, LLC.
  • Vintage bridal and party wear store opens in Capitola: Playdate Vintage Party Dress has reopened its doors, this time in Capitola Village. The business was located briefly in the Wrigley Building in Santa Cruz last year; the store has now reopened at 208 Monterey Ave. in Capitola. An opening celebration is scheduled for Friday, April 18, from 3 to 6 p.m. As of April 25, the store’s hours will be Thursday through Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m.

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

Want more? Browse all openings on our job board.

Hiring? Post your job today!

Save the date

  • Thursday, April 17: The Aptos Chamber of Commerce will host its next luncheon with executives from Joby Aviation, who will discuss the company’s efforts and next steps. The event takes place from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Seascape Golf Club in Aptos. Tickets are $35 and reservations are required. Call 831-688-1467. More details available here.
  • Thursday, April 24: Lookout Santa Cruz and the Pajaro Valley Chamber of Commerce are hosting an April business mixer, featuring refreshments and networking. The event takes place from 5 to 7 p.m. at Fruition Brewing, 918 East Lake Ave., Watsonville.
  • Thursday, May 1: The Monterey Bay Economic Partnership will hold the 2025 Regional Economic Outlook from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Seascape Golf Club in Aptos. The keynote speaker is economist Jon Haveman, principal with Marin Economic Consulting, which provides reports for government agencies and economic development organizations. More details here.
  • Thursday, May 1: The Santa Cruz Area Chamber of Commerce will host a “state of the city” meeting with Santa Cruz Mayor Fred Keeley from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the Dream Inn, 175 West Cliff Dr., Santa Cruz. Tickets are $55 and are available here.
  • Thursday, May 1: The Santa Cruz Hostel will host a ribbon-cutting with the Santa Cruz Area Chamber of Commerce to celebrate its recent renovations, made possible by a grant from the California State Coastal Conservancy. The hostel can now host up to 51 guests in dorms, private rooms and private cottages. The event starts at 5:45 p.m. at 321 Main St., Santa Cruz.
  • Friday, May 9: The Santa Cruz County Small Business Development Center will hold its annual Small Business Summit from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Cabrillo College’s Samper Recital Hall in Aptos. More than 200 local small business owners are expected to attend, along with local business leaders and other industry representatives. Registration and additional details here.
  • Monday, May 19: The Monterey Bay Economic Partnership will bring together local leaders, elected officials, community members and tech leaders for the 2025 Regional Broadband Summit from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Seascape Golf Club in Aptos. Speakers include Santa Cruz County Chief Information Officer Tammie Weigl, Etheric Networks CEO and Co-founder Alexander Hagen and Jacqueline Leon, marketing and programs manager for Loaves, Fishes and Computers. Tickets are $49 for MBEP members, $79 for non-members. Register here.
  • Wednesday, May 21: The eighth annual Santa Cruz Launchpad career fair and student pitch competition will be held at the Cocoanut Grove Ballroom. The student pitch competition takes place from noon to 4 p.m., with the job fair following at 5 p.m. to 7  p.m. The event is free and open to the public, but advanced registration is requested. All undergraduate students at Cabrillo College and UC Santa Cruz are eligible to apply for the pitch competition; applications are due Monday, April 21.

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

Business news worth reading

Have something to say? Lookout welcomes letters to the editor, within our policies, from readers. Guidelines here.

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...