Founder & Executive Director

Jacob Angel is a cancer survivor, right leg amputee, seasoned political operative and staunch advocate for health care parity. In 2019, Jacob founded the Beyond A Buddy Foundation because “everyone needs a friend, a buddy who is there come hell or high water”. Mental health care and access to it, has always been a passion for Jacob, that passion born from the pain and perplexity of his childhood moments spent with his mother, who lives with bipolar disorder.

Aside from his work with his own organization, Jacob serves as a Policy Advisor to the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives on matters relating to mental health parity and health care. Currently, he is working on the Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Expansion Act with a broad coalition of organizations and the office of Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), to push it toward passage. Jacob was actively involved with the preceding legislation to this bill, the Excellence in Mental Health Act which was adopted and signed into law in 2014. It created federal guidelines for Certified Community Behavioral Health Centers (CCBHC) and a demonstration program intended to radically improve quality and expand access to mental health and substance use treatment services.

Previously, he created the Military Health Project & Foundation an organization that was dedicated to providing financial aid and service dogs to the military and veterans community. Additionally, the organization fought to change federal policy to enhance and expand health care benefits to active military personnel and veterans. Over the six years that Jacob served as President of the Board, the organization was successful in passing legislation, protecting existing benefits and enhancing programs for the military community.

Jacob credits his Grandmother as the inspiration for the work he does, saying "she taught me that is was duty and service that came before self, through actions big and small, we must give of ourselves without reservation or expectation, I strive to continue her legacy of kindness." Service to others and willing charity has been at the core of Jacob’s professional and personal life since childhood. Raised Catholic, with the strong guiding hand of his Grandmother and the “work like a dog” ethic of his father, he seeks to leave this world better than he found it.

In November, 2021 he had his right leg amputated below the knee and Cash became crucial to his recovery. “Cash was my reason to get up every morning, she was much of my strength when I did not have any of my own. I thought my life was over, but this wet nosed and goofy puppy needed me and turned out I needed her”. He has shared his story here, and hopes that everyone can benefit from learning about the power of canine companionship.

A lover of the performing arts, he is actively involved with organizations like the San Francisco Symphony and Ballet, in addition to a variety of philanthropic endeavors both within and outside of San Francisco such as, the American Red Cross, UNICEF and the Alzheimers Association. He has previously served on the Board for the Women’s Museum of California, Military Spouse Behavioral Health Clinicians Network and the Independent Living Resource Center of San Francisco.

For his time and community service, Jacob has received numerous awards and citations of recognition including, the United States Army’s Public Service Commendation Medal (2019), the President’s Gold Volunteer Service Award (2018 & 2019), a San Francisco Mayoral Proclamation of “Jacob Angel Day” (2018), California Legislature Joint Resolution No. 162 (2019), the United States Navy’s Meritorious Public Service Medal (2020), the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Volunteer Service by President Biden (2021)and the United State Army’s Civilian Award for Humanitarian Service (2022) for significant humanitarian support of Department of Defense COVID-19 operations from Nov. 2020 - Jan. 2022.

Professionally, Jacob has worked for political campaigns and government at the state and federal levels, most often as a consultant. He enjoys reading, knitting and watching classic film noir with a cup of Earl Grey, made “just so”. His favorite quote comes from Winston Churchill "we make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give". Jacob resides in San Francisco, with his own service dog Cash, and they continue to train puppies to become future service dogs together.