A teacher once told us her biggest worry was the kids who stayed off camera because their connection couldn’t handle video. When those families finally got a stable line, a parent said, “At least now my child can see you.” That simple moment captures why digital equity isn’t abstract—it’s about face‑to‑face learning, access to care, and a fair shot at opportunity.

On the latest episode of Cruzio Stories, hosted by James Hackett, COO at Cruzio, we bring together the leaders behind Equal Access Santa Cruz— Dr. Faris Sabbah from the County Office of Education, Susan True, CEO of Community Foundation Santa Cruz County, and Peggy Dolgenos, CEO of local ISP Cruzio—to share how a community moved quickly from crisis to action. You’ll hear how schools discovered more than a fifth of students without workable internet, why quality broadband matters far more than a checkbox on a coverage map, and how fixed wireless hubs, power redundancy, and smart upgrades pushed reliable connectivity to roughly 97 percent of students. We explore the ripple effects too: telehealth that saves time and expands behavioral health options, course access beyond district borders, and teacher‑guided, ethical use of new AI tools that prepare students for the future.

We also tackle sustainability. Early philanthropy and public grants lit the fuse, but federal subsidies have lapsed. Cruzio’s $5.65M “Summits to the Sea” project extends and upgrades service across San Mateo, Santa Cruz, and Monterey Counties, yet affordability pressures remain. We talk candidly about funding gaps, why a weak link isn’t good enough for modern school or healthcare, and how local giving and customer micro‑contributions can keep families online. If you care about digital equity, community resilience, and practical ways to help your neighbors thrive, this conversation is a field guide to building and sustaining quality broadband where it matters most.

Enjoy the episode and help us keep the momentum: subscribe, share with a friend who cares about connectivity, and leave a review telling us where access is still falling short in your neighborhood.

Behind every cup of coffee is a story waiting to be told. For Amelia Loftus of Hidden Fortress Coffee, that story begins in a Vermont hippie commune and weaves through fashion design school, Greenpeace activism, and a transformative 10-month journey around the world.

"It was on a veranda in Bali, looking over rice fields," Amelia recalls about her coffee awakening moment. "Just some fresh coffee...sitting there and enjoying that cup for like an hour." This simple yet profound experience, coupled with witnessing coffee roasting at an organic farm in Australia, planted the seeds for what would eventually become Hidden Fortress Coffee - a small, all-organic roasting company now celebrating its 13th season at Santa Cruz farmers markets.

The path wasn't straightforward. Amelia's journey included running an organic homebrew supply company where she first introduced coffee roasting, before eventually establishing Hidden Fortress at her North Monterey County farm. The pandemic dealt a devastating blow - a 70% loss in business when their Watsonville café's nearby office park emptied out. Yet that challenge led to their current downtown Santa Cruz location, where they continue to uphold extraordinary standards despite facing doubled coffee prices from tariffs and the challenges of a hidden storefront. What truly distinguishes Hidden Fortress is their commitment to organic processes and traditional methods - like their signature chai that takes three days to make from whole organic spices, using techniques passed down from Amelia's mother.

Discover the difference that passion, global perspective, and organic principles make in every cup. Follow Hidden Fortress on Instagram @farmfreshcoffee or visit their downtown Santa Cruz location to experience coffee with a story as rich as its flavor.

Episode 1: Connecting People, Not Just Cables
Guests: James Hackett (COO) & Chris “Frost” Frost (CTO)

We’re kicking off Cruzio Stories with the people who helped build it — literally.

In this first episode, we sit down with James Hackett and Chris “Frost” Frost, Cruzio’s longtime COO and CTO. Both of them started at the front desk more than 20 years ago and worked their way into leadership, helping shape Cruzio into what it is today: an independent internet company that’s been serving Santa Cruz since 1989 — and still going strong.

But this podcast isn’t just about Cruzio or tech. It’s about Santa Cruz.

Cruzio Stories is a bi-weekly look into the people who make this place go — the creatives, builders, founders, and community voices who share space inside the Cruzio building. The coworking space is our nucleus, but the stories are bigger than that. These are Santa Cruz stories, told one short conversation at a time.

This first episode goes deep — from Cruzio’s early days as a dial-in bulletin board to the wild moment in 2008 when a fiber line got cut and disconnected the entire county from the outside world. James and Frost talk about what it took to build new infrastructure, transform an old newspaper building, and stay fiercely local in an industry dominated by giants.

At the heart of it, it’s a story about connection — not just cables and bandwidth, but people and purpose.

Subscribe now and stay tuned. The next story could be from the business next door, the artist at the hot desk, or the nonprofit building something big — all right here at the Cruzio hub.