Daniel Mendez
PrincipalDaniel was born in Mexico City and raised in Miami, Florida. He graduated from Boston College Cum Laude with a degree in Philosophy.
Prior to joining Amberstone, Daniel founded Suma Ventures, a syndicate platform investing in early-stage consumer brands, which he continues to run, where he leads sourcing, deal execution, and portfolio company management. He currently serves as a Director on the Board of Javy Coffee. Prior to founding Suma, Daniel was CEO of Daysmith Coffee, a functional ready-to-drink coffee brand. Before Daysmith Coffee, Daniel joined AB-InBev through their Global Management Trainee program, before moving into their Innovation function, where he lead a cross-functional team developing and launching new to world brands. Daniel began his career at the Walt Disney Company, working as an internal consultant focused on research and strategy for the ESPN business unit.
Boston College, BA
Javy
Why are you interested in entrepreneurship?
My father, an entrepreneur who I admire both professionally and personally, had a big influence. While I started my career working at large companies (Walt Disney, AB-InBev), I was always drawn to fast paced, high-stakes working environments of early-stage companies. It was only a matter of time before I pursued earlier stage opportunities, first as a founder and CEO, and later as an investor. As any entrepreneur will tell you, once you’ve got “the bug”, it’s tough to shake – there’s nothing like it!
What are your favorite childhood brands?
There are too many to name, but the first that come to mind are Oreos Cereal, Sunchips, and Rockaletas. To a sugar-crazed kid, this was the height of food. Thinking about these brands today brings back nostalgic childhood memories, whether it was snacking on them at school or after soccer practices. Thankfully, today there is a much wider selection of healthy snack brands that have emerged to meet evolving consumer needs. What makes our job exciting is the opportunity to partner with ambitious entrepreneurs creating this next generation of beloved brands.
