FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: : Marina Glagolev –  mglagole@ucsc.edu Santa Cruz, CA – May 2026 – The 10th annual Santa Cruz Launchpad returns to the Grove at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, bringing together the region’s most promising student innovators, entrepreneurs, employers, and community leaders for an afternoon celebrating innovation and opportunity.  Co-hosted by Santa Cruz Works, UC Santa Cruz, Cabrillo College, and the Center for Innovation and...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 12, 2026 CruzHacks Leadership Transitions to UC Santa Cruz CIED as Doug Erickson Steps Down; Nada Miljković Named Board Chair Santa Cruz, CA —  After years of dedicated leadership and service to the student innovation community, Doug Erickson is officially stepping down from his role overseeing CruzHacks . Under Doug’s guidance, CruzHacks grew into one of UC Santa Cruz’s flagship student-led hackathons, bringing together hundreds of students annually to build,...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 2, 2026 UCSC’s CIED Launches Studio and Community Partnership with City of Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA  — The Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurial Development (CIED) at the University of California, Santa Cruz has launched the CIED Studio, a new initiative developed with GetVirtual, designed to connect students with community-based projects while supporting local economic resilience. The Studio’s inaugural project is a collaboration with the City of Santa...