Santa Cruz Works (SCW) is a leading innovation hub and business community in Santa Cruz, California. With a mission to cultivate a thriving startup ecosystem for startup founders and entrepreneurs, SCW aims to position Santa Cruz as a key player in the business and technology sectors. The organization supports entrepreneurs by providing access to valuable resources, mentorship, and networking opportunities to help them grow and succeed.

One of SCW's flagship initiatives is its startup accelerator program, “Santa Cruz Accelerates,” a non-dilutive, hybrid online/in-person program designed to support early-stage startup founders in scaling their operations. This incredible program has just launched its 6th cohort and is focused on promoting entrepreneurship as a catalyst for solving critical issues, creating opportunities, and increasing employment. It connects startups, experts, and communities to transform businesses and boost economic growth while embracing founders from all backgrounds. Since its inception, it has supported 52 startups (Portfolio Here), of which 28 have had liquidity events.  

Program Overview

In order to streamline the operations of their program, expand their learnings and resources provided, connect their entire community, and provide access to their vast ecosystem of support Santa Cruz Works chose to deploy OneValley's PassportOS platform to power their community and accelerator. PassportOS is a SaaS Application for managing entrepreneurial ecosystems which is trusted by the world's top accelerators, universities, Fortune 500 enterprises, governments and foundations.

How PassportOS is able to support SCW

• Enhanced Program Management: The platform provides robust tools for creating and managing custom courses, a critical feature for SCW's accelerator program.

• Improved Communication: PassportOS enables SCW to engage more effectively with their community through automated messaging, streamlined calendaring and Slack integration 

• Dynamic Event Management: The platform supports private and public events with automated notifications, enhancing community engagement and participation.

• Customizable User Experience: PassportOS allows for creating personalized experiences for different user groups, accommodating the diverse needs of SCW's community.

• Expansion of Accelerator Program: SCW plans to expand its accelerator program, leveraging PassportOS to support more startups and drive economic growth in Santa Cruz.

• Broader Community Engagement: SCW aims to increase community engagement by hosting more events and providing additional resources through the platform.

• Collaboration with Educational Institutions: The ongoing collaboration with the University of Santa Cruz opens the door for further partnerships, enhancing the reach and impact of SCW's initiatives.

• Courses and Resources: In addition to the platform, OneValley has a course library, content library and Perks library that Santa Cruz Works has leveraged to provide additional best-in-class resources to their community of startups  

Powering Entrepreneurs

Santa Cruz Works' adoption of OneValley’s PassportOS marks a significant milestone in their journey to cultivate a vibrant startup ecosystem in Santa Cruz. By integrating this powerful platform into their operations, SCW has enhanced the management of their accelerator program and strengthened their community engagement efforts. The flexibility and robust features of PassportOS have empowered SCW to provide personalized support to their diverse community of startups, driving economic growth and fostering innovation.

As SCW continues to expand its accelerator program and deepen collaborations with institutions like the University of Santa Cruz, PassportOS will be instrumental in scaling their impact. By leveraging the platform's capabilities, SCW is well-positioned to achieve its mission of transforming Santa Cruz into a thriving hub for entrepreneurship and business development.

This partnership exemplifies the power of technology in supporting entrepreneurial ecosystems, and OneValley is proud to contribute to SCW’s ongoing success.