The 9th Santa Cruz Launchpad is an annual event that combines a student startup competition with a community career fair, all under one roof

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This year’s event takes place at the Grove at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk (400 Beach St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060) on Wednesday, May 13, 2026.

 

The first half of the day spotlights emerging startups in a live startup competition, with cash prizes. The second half shifts into a job fair featuring 25+ local companies and 300+ opportunities, including part-time roles, full-time positions, and internships.

 

THIS EVENT IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC TO ATTEND. ADVANCED REGISTRATION IS LINKED & REQUIRED

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2026 Schedule 

12-4pm: Student business plan pitches (open to the public)

4-4:45pm: Employer Table Setup

5-7pm: Job Fair + Networking (open to the public)

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Student Startup Competition | 12-4pm

From 1-4pm, students will compete in a startup competition for cash prizes. The pitch competition portion of the event typically includes 12 student teams who each have five minutes each to deliver their pitches to a judge panel. Check out 2025 winners here. This year’s competition is open to both college and high school students in Santa Cruz County. ​

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Eligibility: Open to college and high school students across Santa Cruz County and the Pajaro Valley Unified School District.

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Judges for the 2026 competition include:

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• Ed (Richard) Green – Cofounder Claret Bioscience, Astrea Forensics and Dovetail Genomics, LLC, UCSC Professor. Co-director of UCSC Paleogenomics Institute, and Scientific Director of QB3-UCSC 

• Aims McGuinness –Provost of UCSC”s Merrill College, higher education leader focused on interdisciplinary innovation

• Viil Lid – Director of Research & Strategy at Adobe focusing on AI transition and product strategy Entrepreneur and startup advisor supporting early-stage ventures

• Bindu Gakhar – Cofounder and CPO Paywhere, and leader in entrepreneurship education and student venture development

• Vidya Phake – CEO for Social Alpha Innovation Foundation; Chief Technology Advisor - Social Alpha

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During the judging process, CIED will also recognize the first cohort of students who have earned UCSC’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Certificate. This certificate, which was provisionally approved by the UCSC academic senate last year, acknowledges comprehensive training in entrepreneurship. 

Santa Cruz Launchpad Job Fair - 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Following the competition, the event transitions into the Santa Cruz Launchpad Job Fair, organized by Santa Cruz Works. The

 

Job Fair will feature 25+ local companies offering more than 300 opportunities, including internships, part-time roles, and full-time positions.

 

Attendees will have the opportunity to connect directly with employers across engineering, healthcare, marketing, technology, and other fast-growing sectors. Past participating companies include Joby Aviation, Capstan Medical, and Paystand.

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Businesses can register to participate here: https://bit.ly/sclaunch2026

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Doug Erickson, co-founder of Santa Cruz Works, emphasized the event’s role in strengthening the regional innovation ecosystem:

“Launchpad brings together talent, ideas, and opportunity in one room. It is both a student startup pitch competition and the largest job fair in Santa Cruz County, where bold young founders share what they are building and local employers connect with the next generation of innovators and their next super employee.”

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Manel Camps, Director of UC Santa Cruz’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurial Development, highlighted the importance of experiential learning:

“Launchpad is a signature event that reflects the culmination of our student venture team’s work through the year. Having judges, mentors and an audience from the community reflects the integration of the Santa Cruz entrepreneurship community with our educational institutions."

 

EVENT DETAILS
Date: Wednesday, May 13, 2026
Location: The Grove at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk 400 Beach St, Santa Cruz, CA
Cost: FREE (registration required)
Register: https://bit.ly/sclaunch26

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About the Organizers

Santa Cruz Works is a nonprofit dedicated to growing and supporting the regional innovation ecosystem through events, networking, and programs that connect talent with opportunity.

The Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurial Development (CIED) supports students in developing entrepreneurial skills through experiential learning programs, mentorship, startup competitions, and community partnerships helping cultivate the next generation of innovators and changemakers.

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SPONSORS & PARTNERS

This year’s event is hosted by Santa Cruz Works, UCSC’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurial Development (CIED), and Cabrillo College.

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A very special thank you to our Platinum Sponsors:

QB3-UCSC and the Juei-Ming Ong Computer Center Endowment / Merrill College

- whose extraordinary support helps make Launchpad 2026 possible.

Their commitment to innovation, entrepreneurship, and student opportunity

plays a vital role in empowering the next generation of founders

and creative problem-solvers in our community.

 

This year’s event is proudly sponsored by the following organizations:

• QB3-UCSC

• Juei-Ming Ong Computer Center Endowment / Merrill College

• Pajaro Valley Unified School District (PVUSD)

• Santa Cruz County Office of Education (SCCOE)

• Bay Federal Credit Union

• UC Santa Cruz Innovation & Business Engagement Hub

• UCSC Career Success

• Pleasure Pizza (PiFie)

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