About us
A family-run agency that has been looking after employers since 2004.
We are a local, family-owned brokerage helping businesses across California, Texas and Florida make confident decisions about benefits and coverage — and we stay close long after those decisions are made.
Our story
Built on relationships
Since 2004 we have worked with business owners on employee benefits and business insurance across California, Texas and Florida. Most of our clients have been with us for years, and most came to us because someone they trust told them to call.
We are the people you call when an employee cannot find their ID card, when a renewal looks wrong, or when you are hiring five people and need to know what it will cost.
Strata Shield is the current name for the practice founded as J.D. Van Nest & Associates — the same family, the same team, and the same way of working.
The name
Strata means layers
Our shield stands for the four layers of protection most employers need.
Commercial Property & Casualty
The building, the equipment, the vehicles — the things your business runs on.
Employee Benefits
Health, dental, vision and more, built around the people who do the work.
General Liability
Cover for the everyday risks that come with serving customers and the public.
Workers' Compensation
Protection for your team, and for you, when someone gets hurt on the job.
How we work
What it is like working with us
We ask before we recommend
We want to understand your team, who handles the admin, and what has annoyed you in the past — before anyone mentions a product.
We explain the trade-offs
Every plan trades cost against coverage against paperwork. We put that in writing so you can talk it through with your partners.
We pick up the phone
Enrollment questions, mid-year changes, claims, renewals — that is the job, not an extra.
Who we work with
Growing businesses with 2 to 100 employees
Helping businesses throughout California, Texas and Florida — employers frustrated with the benefits they have, and companies trying to attract and hold on to good people.
- Professional services firms
- Construction and trades
- Manufacturing and distribution
- Healthcare practices
- Nonprofits
- Technology and creative businesses
We work with employers across California, Texas and Florida, and in additional markets where we are properly licensed.
The team
The people you will actually talk to
A small, family-run team. The same advisors handle your plan year after year, and your employees can call them directly.
When you call the office you reach the advisors who look after your account — not a call center and not a different person each time. Between them, our team handles benefits strategy, business coverage, enrollment and the day-to-day service questions your employees bring.
- Jonathan Black · CA License #4515324
- Bethany Black · CA License #0F61711
Licensing
License and disclosures
CA DOI License #OE36371
Van Nest Ventures Inc. · 14985 Bowden Ave, Morgan Hill, CA 95037
Information on this website is general in nature and is not a complete description of any insurance policy or benefit plan. Coverage availability, eligibility, terms, conditions, limitations, exclusions, pricing, and carrier participation may vary. Actual coverage is governed solely by the applicable policy, certificate, contract, endorsements, and carrier documents.
Insurance coverage cannot be bound, changed, renewed, or cancelled through this website, email, or a website form unless expressly confirmed in writing by an authorized licensed representative.
Come and talk to us.
Tell us what is going on with your benefits or your coverage, and we will tell you honestly whether we can help.