Finding, attracting and retaining world-class talent is increasingly difficult for many of Silicon Valley Bank’s technology and life science clients. In fact, our annual Startup Outlook survey revealed while nine in ten startup executives said they were hiring, an equal number said it is challenging – or extremely challenging – to find workers with the skills they need.

Every time I meet with a group of tech company CEOs they say the same thing: hiring world-class talent is one of their biggest challenges. They struggle to find, attract and retain the engineering, scientific and technical talent they need to grow their businesses.

So when I saw the results of our annual Startup Outlook survey this year, I was not surprised. While nine in ten startup executives said they were hiring, an equal number said it is challenging - or extremely challenging - to find workers with the skills they need.

Listen to our round table discussion of the JOBS Act and its implications for both early-stage and late-stage companies. Our panel, including Bill Hambrecht, discuss crowdfunding, the IPO on-ramp, and options for raising capital in this online webinar.

Have you wondered how many really good life science M&A exits happen every year? Are the big guys even buying? Do these exits actually provide returns that materially affect the venture funds that are investing?

Silicon Valley Bank’s Michael Hanewich, head of life sciences on the East Coast, leads an hour long conversation between entrepreneur John Mendlein, chairman of Fate Therapeutics and former CEO of Adnexus (acquired by Bristol Myers Squibb in 2007 for more