By Staff Report Monday, April 17th, 2023

Ventech, an emerging venture and technology forum, will be hosting its first panel of the year on April 19.

The event, titled “Getting to Zero: The Path to Carbon Neutrality,” will focus on the impacts of climate change and implementing meaningful sustainability practices to achieve carbon neutrality.

Panelists include Phel Meyer, the director of partner alliances at Salesforce; Owen Barrett, founder and president of Rayven, the world’s first net zero real estate investment platform; and Daniel Howard, the founder and CEO of Quantum Energy, a software platform that supports corporations, utilities and governments to make optimal energy decisions based on cost and impact.

Board member and Director of Product Management at ServiceTitan, Mark Weeks, will be moderating the panel.

The event will run from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. with the panel beginning at 6 p.m. after an hour of networking. Those interested in registering can go to ventech.org/upcoming-events to learn more.

Additionally, Ventech will also be hosting a ‘fast pitch’ segment for the first time ever right before the panel begins.

Startups who sign up will have five minutes to pitch their strategy to all attendees, many of which are in the venture capital space. Those who are interested in signing up can go to ventech.org/upcoming-events.

EARTH DAY PROGRAMS

The American Association of University Women Lompoc-Vandenberg Branch will be hosting an Earth Day inspired event with Land Trust of Santa Barbara County Director, Meredith Hendricks on April 17. This free event will take place in the Grossman Gallery starting at 6:30 p.m.

In honor of Earth Day, SEEAG will be hosting the first annual Plantopia on April 22. For $35 patrons can choose from 12 different seedlings to support SEEAG’s educational programs. The first 100 customers will receive a free bag of potting soil. People can choose from three locations — Santa Maria, Solvang or Ventura. Go to seeag.org/plantopia to learn more.

CYCLING CRAZE

CycleMAYnia is fast approaching, as the county begins its preparations for Earth Day on April 22. The Community Environmental Council Earth Day Festival will be kicking off on April 29 and as part of the celebration CycleMAYnia will begin that day as well. CycleMAYnia, which runs through the end of May, gives people the chance to try out electric bikes and encourages bike riding throughout the month.

JOB FAIR

South County Chambers of Commerce, the regional Chamber of Commerce for South San Luis Obispo County, will be hosting “Passport to Success,” a business resource and job fair on June 1st, at the South County Regional Center in Arroyo Grande from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Local businesses and job seekers are invited to participate.

ETHNIC STUDIES
Cuesta College’s Ethnic Studies Department is hosting the 2023 Ethnic Studies Teach-In on April 21 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Teach-In continues the tradition of student movements advocating for a relevant and inclusive education open to all community members, including students, faculty, staff, administrators, families, and more. The event will be hybrid on the San Luis Obispo campus and online via Zoom and YouTube live stream. The keynote speaker is Dr. Brittany Wiley, Ethnic Studies Professor from Shasta College and Paso Robles High School alumna.

PRESERVING THE PAST

The Museum of Ventura County, with funding from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission, has begun to scan and preserve an extensive set of Ventura County engineering records, the nonprofit said in an April 11 press release. This month marks the halfway point in making a collection of the county’s longest-serving civil engineering firm available to the public. In addition to the federal funding, the Museum is utilizing grant funds from TOLD Foundation to offer paid internships. So far, the funding has supported four interns to help with the archiving project, including students from CSU Channel Islands.

CELEBRATING CREATIVITY

The San Luis Obispo County Arts Council has partnered with Californians for the Arts to support Arts, Culture and Creativity Month, a month-long spotlight on the arts to raise visibility and awareness of the value that artists, culture bearers, cultural organizations and creative workers generate for Californians’ economy and communities. The spotlight is also meant to discourage state lawmakers from continually slashing arts budgets for schools, grants for museums, etc.

PERSON OF THE YEAR

The Santa Barbara Foundation will be hosting the 80th annual Person of the Year Awards luncheon on April 19 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Santa Barbara Hilton Beachfront Resort Rotunda.

STUDIOUS SCHOLARS

The Oxnard College Foundation announced that number of submitted transfer scholarship applications for the 2023/2024 school year set an all-time record as 92 students will be considered for scholarship grants, as compared to 24 completed applications received in each of the previous two scholarship rounds. The scholarship committees have assembled and are reviewing applications in advance of the May 5 Transfer Ceremony, where the scholarship grants will be announced.

FINAL SCENES…

LIGHTING UP THE SKY: The Santa Barbara Kite Festival will color the skies over the Great Meadows on April 16th from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the west campus of Santa Barbara City College.

WHARF WEDNESDAYS: The first Wednesday of every month, Stearns Wharf in Santa Barbara will be hosting free concerts through October. The May 3 concert from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. will feature King Bee.

PROMOTION: CommUnify, a nonprofit in Santa Barbara, announced the promotion of Nuvia Almanza to lead the newly-created position of Clinical Director of Behavioral Health Services for the organization on April 6.