Santa Cruz Launchpad 2024

Santa Cruz Launchpad, previously known as “Get Hired” features an exciting combination of student business pitch competition plus a community career fair open to the public.

THIS EVENT IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC TO ATTEND. Parking is free and included with your registration BUT you must park in the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk lot across from the Cocoanut Grove/Neptune's Kingdom and hold onto your ticket. Ticket validation machine will be available upstairs in the Cocoanut Grove lobby.

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)

PITCH CONTEST

From 12-4pm, students will compete in a business plan competition for $40,000 in 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 comprised of UCSC alumni and mentors. Check out 2022 and 2023 winners here.

Pitch categories for 2024 include: Social Impact, Mainstreet, Technology, Community Impact, People’s Choice, Climate Action, and Runner Ups. If you are a student and would like to compete, apply HERE by no later than April 26.

JOB FAIR

From 5-7pm, job seekers will have the opportunity to interact with 20+ local companies offering 200+ jobs and internships ranging from aviation, engineering, marketing, healthcare, project management, sales, customer support, and MUCH more.

This event allows students, job seekers, and professionals of all experience levels and backgrounds the opportunity to show off their resumes, find career opportunities, and make new connections. There is no charge for job seekers to attend the job fair. The job fair is open to the public (you do not need to be a student or pitch contest participant to participate). But all attendees must register in advance!

EMPLOYERS

Sign up for your booth by registering for an Employer Table ticket. Fee is waived for Santa Cruz Works Business Partners. For non-profits who are hiring and would like to participate for free, please email malina[at]santacruzwork.org for a discount promo code as soon as possible. If your are not a non-profit but the registration fee is a significant barrier for your company to participate, please reach out to us to let us know and we can offer a discount code. Company registration for 2024 IS CLOSED.

Click here to see which companies are participating this year.

Last year’s employers included Joby Aviation, PayStand, Looker / Google, Cabrillo College, Santa Cruz Bicycles, Ambient Photonics, Cruz Foam, Digital NEST, Bay Federal Credit Union, Unnatural Products, Santa Cruz Seaside Company, Zero Motorcycles, and more.

See prior year information and companies here.

Want to volunteer?

Email malina[at]santacruzworks.org and let her know you are interested in helping us with the event.

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This year’s Santa Cruz Launchpad event is proudly hosted by Santa Cruz Works, Cabrillo College, QB3 UCSC, UC Santa Cruz Innovation & Business Engagement Hub, UCSC Career Success, CIED, Blackstone Launchpad, and the City of Santa Cruz.