For the fourth consecutive year, the South Coast Business and Technology (SCBT) Awards ceremony has grossed record proceeds on behalf of the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara.
Seven standout organizations and individuals were honored at the 2026 ceremony, held recently at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort.
The annual awards recognize innovation, leadership and success in the area’s business and technology sectors.
This year’s event grossed $361,050, with net proceeds benefiting the Scholarship Foundation.
This year’s honorees included architect and real estate developer Trudi Carey (Pioneer Award); the Department of Technology Management at UCSB (Excellence in Service); AppFolio President and CEO Shane Trigg (Executive of the Year); Mission Wealth (Company of the Year); ChipAgents CEO and founder Dr. William Wang (Entrepreneur of the Year); and Dimer Instruments and Unwrap (Rising Stars).
“Each year, the South Coast Business and Technology Awards ceremony showcases this community’s remarkable capacity to produce and attract high-caliber business talent, while underscoring the Scholarship Foundation’s undeniably important role in educating the workforce of tomorrow,” said Tim Dougherty, interim president and CEO of the Scholarship Foundation.
“We are grateful for our enduring partnership with local business leaders in presenting this unique awards program,” he said.
Proceeds from the South Coast Business and Technology Awards have benefited the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara since 2001, resulting in just under $3.7 million in scholarships to date.
More than 500 people attended the ceremony. Danna McGrew, partner at Bartlett, Pringle & Wolf, and Matt Rowe, branch manager and vice president for wealth management at Raymond James in Santa Barbara, served as event co-chairs and emcees.
The ceremony included remarks by former scholarship recipient Erik Holliday, an award-winning architect and a graduate of Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.
“My hope in sharing a bit of my story tonight is to give you one real-life example of how your participation in tonight’s event in support of the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara can directly shape young lives and family histories,” Holliday said.
“I express my heartfelt gratitude for your generosity and for the generosity of the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara and the South Coast Business and Technology Awards,” he said.
The Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara is the nation’s largest community-based provider of college scholarships, having cumulatively awarded in excess of $175 million to more than 66,000 county students since its founding in 1962.
For more, visit www.sbscholarship.org.