Titans of Tech Finalists: Know Your Titans

Santa Cruz Works and Monterey Bay Economic Partnership invite you to the 4th Annual Titans of Tech event: our most celebrated event of the year! Join us as we celebrate people who have lifted us with their challenges, their successes, their character, and contributions to our community. Tickets go on sale 12/9 here

Learn about our Titans below:

Marc Randolph, co-founder of Netflix and our recent guest at the Impossible Possible needs no introduction. He defines the spirit of entrepreneurial thinking in Santa Cruz shared with us in his tale of Netflix, “That Will Never Work”. As a board member of Looker and a beacon in Santa Cruz’s tech scene, Randolph has left a lasting influence on our tech community and he is far from finished.

Nina Simon is a figure whose positive impact on our community precedes her. Through her work with the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History, Simon played a foundation role in establishing Abbott square, the bustling center of our downtown tech scene. Now she has moved on to expand her impact with OF/BY/FOR ALL.

David Haussler, director of UCSC Genomics Institute, is a world renowned bioinformatician and biomolecular engineer uniting tech and science. Haussler’s lab was the first to publish a draft of the Human genome on the internet, accelerating world-wide science in the field. The institute has only been growing, finding new statistical and algorithmic methods to explore the molecular function and evolution of the human genome and putting Santa Cruz on the map in the process.

Alexandra Navarro, director of bizzNEST drives strategic initiatives for young technology/digital creative teams to provide economical web design, graphic design, video, and marketing services using the latest technology. Navarro has had a long history of supporting youth and offering leadership training and consulting.

LeBaron Meyers, President and Chief Business Officer at NotMeSolutions defines the Santa Cruz business spirit. With over 15 years of experience in connecting, communicating and closing to grow brands, build partnerships and create revenue, Meyers is applying her skillset to make even more of a social impact with her new venture.

Jason Borgen, CTO at the Santa Cruz County Office of Education has done great work to support innovation in the classroom. With a background in science, Borgen has devoted the last few years to establishing an educational system in our area that imparts technical literacy and provides the skills necessary for the 21st century.

Sam Paschel, CEO of Zero Motorcycles has 20+ years of experience in building innovative consumer brands. With past roles at Giro, Skullcandy, and Burton Snowboards, Paschel is now at Zero Motorcycles on a quest to provide the market with superior electric machines. Paschel has driven each business to new levels of innovation and profitability, and has supported the Santa Cruz tech community as a result.

Aaron Huang, President of SCEE (Student Creativity and Entrepreneurial Empowerment) saw an opportunity at UCSC to provide a platform for entrepreneurship. With the help of a team of students and local mentors, Aaron has helped facilitate a new movement of entrepreneurship on campus with noble events such as the Slug Tank providing an outlet for innovative ideas.

Brad Barbeau, Executive Director of the CSU Monterey Bay Institute for Innovation and Economic Development combines experience in both academic and entrepreneurial environments. He has been a university professor, entrepreneur, and advisor to multiple startup companies and has used his expertise to uplift the entrepreneurial environment around Santa Cruz and Monterey. In his current role, Barbeau is imparting his knowledge on up-and-coming business leaders in our area.

Iris Kavanagh works with shared workspace organizations to streamline operations and develop dynamic communities. She fell in love with coworking when, as a member of NextSpace Santa Cruz in 2009, she then recognized the power of real, in-person community, and quickly started thinking of ways to change the world through the coworking model. Iris led the NextSpace team during initial expansion from 1 location to 9 and co-founded various industry groups.