By Editorial Board Friday, October 30th, 2026

Ventura County entrepreneurs Dawn and Dave Gross have taken steps to make sure their philanthropic efforts to help high school students in Ventura County will be part of their legacy.

The couple, who graduated from Newbury Park High School in 1987, have designated the Ventura County Community Foundation to steer the assets of their NewCo Foundation. 

They simultaneously designated Intentional Schools LLC to guide their NextGen Ventures operation; both initiatives are part of an effort to capitalize on the entrepreneurial impulses of Generation Z students.

Beginning in 2015, with the funding of California Lutheran University’s entrepreneurship competition, the couple has been providing support for a variety of ventures including the design lab at the Camarillo Boys & Girls Club and over 1,000 scholarships administered by VCCF.  

The moves will help the couple continue to build their Hiatus Craft House venture, with all profits going to the fund, in addition to planned gifts.  

“Our goal is to pay it forward by providing transformative experiences that help motivated young people achieve their potential,” said Dave Gross, co-founder, in a statement. VCCF is one of the largest foundations in the Tri-Counties; it administers the Pacific Coast Business Times scholarship.

Since 2017, NextGen Ventures has partnered with five school districts in Ventura County, providing paid apprenticeships at 10 schools across the county to jump-start businesses and build career awareness.

Dr. Tiffany Morse, a veteran educator who has helped grow NextGen Ventures, will steer the program through Intentional Schools with the goal of growing it countywide, according to a release.  

“The needs and interests of today’s students have changed dramatically over the years,” Morse, founder of Intentional Schools, said in the release.

Research from the Bank of America Institute shows Gen Z contributing disproportionately to the recent rise in new business founders, with Gen Z business applications having climbed 66% year over year in June 2026, according to a BofA study.

We applaud this new endeavor and the effort to encourage free enterprise ideas in a new generation.

KIDSTREAM WELCOMES CEO

We’re excited about the appointment of Carina Reeves, a longtime board member, moving over to become president and CEO of kidSTREAM Children’s Museum in Camarillo.  Reeves is a former chief strategy officer for a technology and engineering command at Naval Base Ventura County. 

She helped build the education department at the Seabee Museum and will bring years of hands-on learning to her new role, including experience at the Reagan Library. Reeves holds a master’s degree from the George Washington University School of Business, and we wish her much success in her new role. 

PG&E DELAYS WILL HURT

Foot-dragging by PG&E on connecting new businesses won’t help the Central Coast economy. A recent letter to customers from CEO Patti Poppe indicated the giant utility will delay $2 billion or more in new projects, and it blames California’s wildfire liability rules.

We can understand that financing costs have gone up due to higher interest rates, but we fail to see the logic for delaying new business connections. As PG&E stated, “Based on our current assessment, the affected new business connections planned for 2027 will be delayed between one and six months, depending on available funding and project prioritization.”

The delays will mean lost tax revenue, work opportunities and less demand for PG&E services.  We urge PG&E to find alternative ways to finance its new business connections and not hold back the economy in San Luis Obispo and North Santa Barbara counties.