Jake Mendel is an accomplished entrepreneur-turned-banker with a passion for helping promising seed-stage startups achieve their fundraising and growth goals. Currently serving as VP of the Early Stage Practice at Silicon Valley Bank, Jake's background includes experience in a variety of startups ranging from retail brands and SaaS platforms to medical devices and IND-stage biotechs. He has also led customer discovery initiatives for Silicon Valley Bank's R&D division in San Francisco. Jake is a problem junkie who thrives on tackling interesting challenges and helping startups succeed. In addition to his work with SVB, Jake is actively involved in social entrepreneurship, including helping launch a philanthropic investment fund as a recipient of the Eileen Granville Fellowship from Pelotonia, a local bike ride that has raised over $130 million for cancer research.