Monterey Bay Economic Partnership

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Monterey Bay Economic Partnership Serving the Monterey Bay Region including Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties.

MBEP’s mission is to improve the economic health and quality of life in the Monterey Bay region. Launched to brand the Monterey Bay Region as a top tier location for economic development and investment in order to create new business opportunities and a dynamic job base. The partnership consists of public, private and civic entities located throughout Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties, united in the vision to increase prosperity and enhance the quality of life for all citizens.

10/23/2026

A few extra days to save! ⏰

We're giving you a little more time to take advantage of early bird pricing for MBEP's 2026 State of the Region! Register by Monday, October 26, to secure your discounted rate.

Join us on Friday, November 6, at CSU Monterey Bay as leaders from business, government, education, and community organizations come together to explore the challenges and opportunities shaping the Monterey Bay region.

This year's conversations will cover:

🔹 Economic Outlook
🔹 Post-Election Landscape
🔹 Healthcare at a Crossroads
🔹 Regional Economic Development
🔹 And more...

📣 More speaker announcements and agenda details are coming next week!

Don't miss your chance to save—register by October 26!

🔗 https://ow.ly/Fyjt5100J91

Creativity thrives through connection. Our “Building a Stronger Regional Ecosystem” panel at today’s Creative Economy Su...
10/22/2026

Creativity thrives through connection.

Our “Building a Stronger Regional Ecosystem” panel at today’s Creative Economy Summit brings together perspectives from museums, film, community arts, and creative enterprise to explore how we can strengthen support for our region’s creative sector.

Moderated by Jim Brown of Arts Council Santa Cruz County, the conversation features Corey Madden of the Monterey Museum of Art, Jesus Espinoza of Deadend Worldwide, Yesenia Molina of Arts Council Santa Cruz County, and Annette Caton of the Carmel International Film Festival.

How can we connect people, resources, and opportunities across the Monterey Bay region so artists and creative organizations can thrive? That’s the question at the heart of this conversation.

How can creative talent become a sustainable career right here in our region?Our “Creative Talent, Creative Pathways: Ca...
10/22/2026

How can creative talent become a sustainable career right here in our region?

Our “Creative Talent, Creative Pathways: Careers in Our Region” panel at today’s Creative Economy Summit explores the connections between arts education, opportunity, and making a living through creative work.

Moderated by Erik Cushman of Monterey County Weekly, the conversation features Sarah Brothers Bot of Arts Council Santa Cruz County, Jesus and Roberto Muñoz of Muñoz & Sons, Consuelo Alba of the Watsonville Film Festival, and Kathleen Crocetti of Community Arts & Empowerment.

From classrooms to community projects and creative businesses, this conversation puts a spotlight on pathways that can help local talent build a future in the Monterey Bay region.

What does it take to build a thriving creative economy? A roadmap shaped by the people and communities who make it possi...
10/22/2026

What does it take to build a thriving creative economy? A roadmap shaped by the people and communities who make it possible.

Our “Building Creative Economy Roadmaps” panel opened with moderator Jacquie Atchison of the Arts Council for Monterey County highlighting the sector’s economic impact: the arts contribute $1.17 trillion to the national economy, with California alone accounting for 25% of that total.

Joining Jacquie were Nick Calubaquib of the City of Watsonville, Salvador Acevedo of Scansion, and Valeria Miranda of UCSC’s Mary Porter Sesnon Art Gallery to explore how we turn creative strengths into strategies for regional growth.

A key takeaway: bring artists in early as partners and thinkers who help shape programs, solve problems, and imagine possibilities. Their role extends far beyond being invited at the end to paint a mural.

In a closing lightning round, each panelist shared advice on taking the first steps:

• Pay artists for their work and expertise.
• Give students a seat at the table—their contributions matter.
• Build a strategic plan. Clear priorities and actionable goals build funder confidence and open doors to additional investment.
• Be informed by hard data while also recognizing the human impact of the arts, including mental health, connection, and belonging.

“Arts education teaches you to be flexible and make something out of nothing. And that’s very valuable.” — Colleen Baile...
10/22/2026

“Arts education teaches you to be flexible and make something out of nothing. And that’s very valuable.” — Colleen Bailey, Salinas Valley Chamber of Commerce 🎨

During the opening panel at today’s Creative Economy Summit, Colleen also highlighted a challenge: too many students don’t see a path to making a living through art.

Her remarks underscore why arts education and visible career pathways matter. Creativity builds skills that businesses need—and young people deserve opportunities to see where those skills can take them.

“Art is a binder that brings people together.” — Terence Concannon, Visit Santa Cruz County 🎨Our first panel at today’s ...
10/22/2026

“Art is a binder that brings people together.” — Terence Concannon, Visit Santa Cruz County 🎨

Our first panel at today’s sold-out Creative Economy Summit explored why the creative economy matters—from supporting local businesses and jobs to strengthening community connections and a shared sense of place.

Terence joined Lavera Alexander of MBEP, Jennifer Laine of the San Benito County Arts Council, and Colleen Bailey of the Salinas Valley Chamber of Commerce for a conversation about the value creativity brings to our region and the opportunities to help it thrive.

It’s a full house at today’s sold-out Creative Economy Summit in Watsonville! 🎨✨MBEP Chief Growth Officer Lavera Alexand...
10/22/2026

It’s a full house at today’s sold-out Creative Economy Summit in Watsonville! 🎨✨

MBEP Chief Growth Officer Lavera Alexander kicks things off by welcoming attendees and highlighting the creative economy’s vital role in supporting jobs, growing local businesses, and shaping vibrant communities across the Monterey Bay region.

We’re excited to bring together artists, business leaders, educators, and community partners to explore how we can strengthen our region’s creative economy—and turn ideas into action.

What if the future of aviation isn't just about how we fly, but how we respond to the challenges facing our communities?...
10/21/2026

What if the future of aviation isn't just about how we fly, but how we respond to the challenges facing our communities?

From flooding and road closures to power outages and emergency medical response, advanced aviation technologies have the potential to address real-world challenges across the Central Coast.

In the latest installment of The CAAMCI Chronicles, MBEP Chief Growth Officer and CAAMCI Director Lavera Alexander explores how drones and emerging aircraft could help strengthen disaster response, improve infrastructure resilience, and expand access to critical services.

The key question: How can we connect emerging aviation technologies to the needs of the communities they are meant to serve?

Through the California Advanced Air Mobility Corridors Initiative (CAAMCI), MBEP is working to identify practical applications that can deliver meaningful benefits to communities throughout the Monterey Bay region.

Read Volume 4, What Is Your Use Case? https://mbep.biz/caamci-chronicles-vol-4-what-is-your-use-case/

CEO Works Luncheon | Asking the Right Questions: User Research on a Startup BudgetYou're already talking to your users. ...
10/21/2026

CEO Works Luncheon | Asking the Right Questions: User Research on a Startup Budget

You're already talking to your users. The question is whether those conversations are paying off. Research doesn't get expensive because of a vendor, a tool, or even the hours you spend talking instead of building. It gets expensive when you ask the wrong questions. UX Research Strategist Kelea Liscio shares the two most important questions for each stage of product development, how to answer them on a startup budget, and how to avoid the biggest trap in research: hearing only what you want to hear.

Join this CEO Works luncheon hosted by and learn:

Which questions matter most at each stage, from idea to scale.
Practical ways to answer those questions on a startup budget.
How to spot and avoid confirmation bias so you hear what users actually say.
How to turn the user conversations you're already having into decisions that pay off.

Register to attend at: https://ow.ly/scKw50ZZyaE

About Kelea Liscio:
Kelea Liscio is a UX Research Strategist with 12 years of experience helping teams build emerging technology. From leading research strategy on 100-person teams, to advising startups from 0 to 1, to designing for AI trust on Gemini at Google DeepMind, Kelea has deep expertise driving transformative impact through research at all stages of product development.

MBEP recently had the opportunity to attend the 3rd Annual Co-op Day, hosted by Ventures, celebrating the power of wor...
10/16/2026

MBEP recently had the opportunity to attend the 3rd Annual Co-op Day, hosted by Ventures, celebrating the power of worker-owned cooperatives and collective ownership models to build economic opportunity and strengthen communities.

The event featured keynote speaker Mayra Alvarez, President of The Children’s Partnership and former Obama administration appointee, who shared valuable insights on health equity, community resilience, and supporting working families.

A highlight of the gathering was Futuro, a worker-owned cooperative network creating pathways to economic mobility and wealth-building for working-class families in the Salinas Valley, particularly women and immigrant workers. Through collective ownership, Futuro is helping expand access to living wages, more flexible work opportunities, and greater financial independence.

MBEP is proud to support initiatives that foster inclusive economic growth, empower local workers, and create pathways to shared prosperity across the Monterey Bay region.

Address

3180 Imjin Road, Suite 153
Marina, CA
93933

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