Our New Athlete
Santa Monica just got even sunnier
Welcome to the dream team, DeMarcus Williams.
Casted for The Bachelor, flying with Harrison Ford and doing a Super Bowl commercial. Just a few of the things our new guy, DeMarcus, can claim.
I first met DeMarcus at Starbucks on S Cal Ave, in Palo Alto. I immediately liked this (self-described) “giant by the door”. He almost crushed my tiny hand in his. We were scheduled to chat for forty minutes.
Two and a half hours later, I left Starbucks — knowing we would be seeing each other again.
He has had a really fascinating journey from basketball, to biz dev, to sports and sports entertainment, to finance, to community engagement and activism — ultimately to the nexus of all of these, in his new role with us at SVB focused on early stage technology startups and innovation.
DeMarcus joins Silicon Valley Bank in Santa Monica by way of Zealot Networks, where he was Vice President of Business Strategy.
At Zealot, DeM (as he’s now known) worked closely with the company’s founder on strategic planning, corporate development, M+A diligence, and business development with a focus on media and brand partnerships.
We are excited by the potential in the LA pre-series A ecosystem.
Amplify.LA just released their state of seed report. While deals may be down, there is a lot going on. From VR/AR, to e-commerce, we have seen the scene explode in the last few years, and we opened a new home in Santa Monica. The view does not suck.
Prior to joining Zealot Networks, DeMarcus was a Financial Advisor with the Johnston, Resnick, Mittman Group of Merrill Lynch’s ultra high net worth Private Bank and Investment Group (PBIG).
DeMarcus concentrated his efforts on developing close relationships within Southern California’s entertainment and technology communities resulting in substantial growth of his team’s business. Nationwide, DeMarcus was one of the select few amongst his peers to join PBIG.
Before his journey into finance, DeMarcus served as a senior business development exec for Anschutz Entertainment Group. During his tenure at AEG, DeMarcus led his team’s business development efforts producing record revenues for AEG’s #LAKings entity.
DeMarcus graduated from University of California, Irvine.
Preceding his transfer to UC-Irvine he played basketball for the University of Washington. DeMarcus’ playing days were cut short due to a career ending injury. His experience as a student athlete gave him first-hand insight into the importance of securing a future beyond sports, initiating his curiosity with technology and finance.
DeMarcus is passionate about charitable causes. He has been recognized by the City of Los Angeles Mayor’s Office for his contributions to the community. Since 2006, he has proudly served as an Athlete Ambassador and Steering Committee Member at Cedars-Sinai’s Sports Spectacular.
He has worked with the Challengers Boys and Girls Club, the Brotherhood Crusade, along with various schools in underserved communities, encouraging youth to explore new endeavors and broaden their experiences.
He is an avid sports enthusiast and loyal fan of the Philadelphia Eagles.
To maintain his pulse on the sports industry DeMarcus is actively engaged with a Los Angeles based sports technology startup that has been ranked by Fast Company as one of the “Most Innovative Companies of 2016”.
Welcome to the family, DeM. We are glad you chose Silicon Valley Bank.
