In this episode of Insurtechs.io, host Jeff Shi is joined by Theresa Blissing and Michael Waitze to unpack the dynamic evolution of embedded insurance, the strategic role of risk carriers, and what drives the next generation of insurtech innovation. The conversation dives deep into how customer-centricity is reshaping product development, the diffe…

In this episode of Industry Voice, we sit down with Steve Mohr, a seasoned insurance technology entrepreneur and founder of The Insurance Index. Steve takes us through his multi-decade journey in the insurance and insurtech space, from starting out as a producer in Florida’s non-standard auto market, to building revolutionary agency management tool…

In this episode of Industry Voice, host Jeff Shi sits down with Jeff Pireu, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at First Choice, a MarshBerry company. With over 30 years in the insurance industry—spanning claims, sales, and executive leadership roles at Nationwide—Jeff shares his journey from carrier-side leadership to the forefront of agency …

In this episode, host Jeff Shi sits down with Patrick Tullius, Managing Director at INS Capital Group, to dive deep into the evolving world of insurance distribution, insurtech innovation, and the critical role of MGAs in bridging the gap between carriers and cutting-edge technologies. Patrick brings his extensive experience in investment banking a…

In this episode, we sit down with Daniel Metcalf, co-founder of Smart Harbor, to explore the complete lifecycle of building and exiting an insurtech business. Daniel shares the origin story of Smart Harbor, a company born out of the belief that independent insurance agents needed modern digital tools to compete with direct writers. He talks about t…

In this episode, Jeff Shi sits down with Bobby Touran, the two-time founder and CEO behind leading insurtech startups Pathpoint and Rainbow. Bobby shares his journey from building software-driven companies to founding two specialized underwriting and distribution platforms within the commercial insurance space. Hear how Bobby transitioned from the …

In this episode, we dive into the future of underwriting transformation with Steve Reeves, Chief Insurance Officer at Voxel, and Mico Sutika, VP of Sales. Hosted by Jeff Shi, this conversation explores how Voxel is applying advanced AI and machine learning technologies to solve long-standing inefficiencies in commercial underwriting. From automatin…

In this powerful episode of Industry Voice, Jeff sits down with Marcus Ogden — former NFL offensive lineman turned motivational speaker, entrepreneur, and insurtech advocate. Marcus opens up about his extraordinary journey from football stardom to personal and professional rock bottom, and how he clawed his way back through grit, authenticity, and …

In this episode of Industry Voice, Jeff Shi sits down with two industry veterans, Susan Holliday and David Crosbie, for a deep dive into the intersection of crypto, blockchains, and the insurance world. Susan shares her extensive experience leading strategy at Swiss Re and her early encounters with blockchain technology, while David recounts his tr…

In this episode of Industry Voice, Jeff Shi is joined by Caleb Cramer, Chief Revenue Officer of Launch. Caleb shares his journey from traditional B2B sales into the insurance space and discusses how Launch is transforming the producer-client relationship. From his days at AgencyZoom and Ascend to helping agencies improve enterprise risk management …

In this episode of Industry Voice, we sit down with Ira Ziff, a veteran in executive search with nearly three decades of experience. Ira shares his expertise on bringing clarity to hiring strategies in the insurtech sector, offering insight into the challenges of dysfunctional job descriptions, retention issues, and misaligned expectations between …

In this episode of Industry Voice, host Jeff Shi welcomes Josh Hollander, President of Horton International USA, host of the insurtech Leadership Podcast, and co-founder of the insurtech Association. Josh shares his remarkable journey from investment banking and fintech entrepreneurship to becoming a key community builder and talent strategist in t…

In this episode of Industry Voice, host Jeff Shi welcomes Dan Kitajima, founder of one of the largest farmer’s insurance agencies in California. Dan shares his journey from working at a sneaker store in college to becoming a top-performing insurance agent. He opens up about the grind of building his agency from scratch—starting with two people in a…

In this episode of Industry Voice, Jeff Shi sits down with Samantha Ridgewell, Managing Director of Empower Development, to explore how social media—particularly TikTok and LinkedIn—can reshape the way young professionals discover and enter the insurance industry. Samantha shares how her engaging content has influenced over 200 people to find roles…

In this powerful episode of Insurance Dads, hosts Matt Sutika and Jeff Shi sit down with the ever-inspiring Anthony Gruppo—a serial entrepreneur, board chair, author, and philanthropist. Anthony opens up about his incredible journey from blue-collar beginnings and early sales jobs to leading major organizations like USI and Marsh, and ultimately fo…

In this episode of Founders Journey, host Jeff Shi sits down with Charles Merritt, co-founder and CEO of Buddy, to unpack his entrepreneurial path from cinematography and tech startups to founding a pioneering insurtech platform. Charles shares how his curiosity and creativity led him from media production to product innovation, ultimately co-found…

In this episode of Founders Journey, host Jeff Shi sits down with Sivan Iram, Co-Founder and CEO of Flow Specialty. From coding in his childhood bedroom in Israel to navigating the complexities of venture-backed growth in Silicon Valley, Sivan shares a detailed, candid look into his entrepreneurial journey. He talks through his transition from soft…

In this episode of Industry Voice, host Jeff Shi sits down with analytics and insurance veteran Martin Ellingsworth. With a career spanning over four decades—from the Air Force to corporate America to startup culture—Martin shares invaluable insights on transforming the insurance industry through data, ai, and human-centered innovation. The convers…

In this episode of Industry Voice, Jeff sits down with Mick Hunt—consultant, serial entrepreneur, and founder of Premier Strategy Box and Mic Unplugged. Mick shares his incredible journey from a promise he made to his mother at age 10 to building and selling his insurance agency for $16 million by age 32. The conversation dives deep into lessons in…

In this episode of Founders Journey, host Jeff Shi sits down with Timon Gregg, co-founder of a cutting-edge claims technology company. Timon shares his journey from Oxford to launching an AI-driven third-party administrator (TPA) in the U.S., tackling inefficiencies in the insurance claims process. He breaks down how AI-powered automation is transf…

Welcome to another insightful episode of Founders Journey! In this episode, Jeff sits down with Michael Malfa, the co-founder of BoardWalk Insurance, a leading Canadian property and casualty brokerage specializing in commercial P&C. Michael takes us through his journey into the insurance industry and how he co-founded BoardWalk with a vision to bri…

In this episode, Jeff sits down with Zachary Townsend, co-founder and CEO of Meanwhile, the world’s first bitcoin-denominated life insurance company. Zach walks us through his journey from working in government and fintech to building a YC-backed startup acquired by Silicon Valley Bank, and now pioneering in insurtech. He dives deep into the origin…

In this episode, host Jeff Shi sits down with fintech innovator Timothy Li to explore the evolving intersection of financial services and insurance. With a background spanning consumer lending, banking, and tech startups, Timothy brings a deep understanding of how fintech infrastructure can revolutionize traditional insurance operations. The discus…

Welcome to this insightful episode of Founders Journey! Today, Jeff is joined by Lauren Ybarra, an accomplished legal expert specializing in insurance law. Lauren takes us through her career, from her early ambition to become a judge to her eventual transition into the complex world of insurance law. She shares her work experiences with major compa…

In this episode of Founders Journey, Jeff sits down with Matthew Black, founder of Mav AI, to explore how AI is revolutionizing sales and lead management in the P&C insurance space. Matthew shares his journey from a tech-obsessed teenager to building cutting-edge AI solutions for agencies and brokers. They discuss the evolution of AI from chatbots …

Welcome to another insightful episode of Founders Journey! In today’s episode, Jeff interviews Josh Crumbaugh, an influential figure in the ethical hacking world and the founder of PhishFirewall. Josh shares his inspiring transition from a marketing career to becoming a leader in cybersecurity, recounting how his passion for ethical hacking develop…

In this episode of Founder Journey, host Jeff Shi sits down with Elnor Rozenrot, a seasoned entrepreneur with deep experience in corporate leadership and venture capital. Elnor shares his unconventional path to entrepreneurship, driven by his passion for innovation and disruption. He reflects on his time leading innovation at LG Electronics and his…

Welcome to another insightful episode of Founders Journey, where host Jeff is joined by Joseph Petrelli, the founder and CEO of DemoTech. In this engaging conversation, Joseph reflects on his remarkable career in the insurance industry, starting in 1969, and how a Reader's Digest book ignited his passion for actuarial science. From his early days a…

Welcome to this episode of Industry Voice with Jeff! Today, Jeff is joined by Sam Robinson, co-founder of an innovative financial advisory company that’s transforming the industry through AI. Sam’s journey into financial services began after a deeply personal experience—the cancellation of his father’s insurance policy in 2015—motivating him to ste…

Welcome to this episode of Founders Journey! Join us as David Watson shares his inspiring entrepreneurial path in the world of insurtech. David recounts his journey from working at Chick-fil-A to founding Blue Lake Insurance and developing the innovative platform Risk Advisor. His story illustrates the dedication and vision required to succeed in t…

Welcome to another exciting episode of Founders Journey! In this episode, host Jeff sits down with Sunil Madhu, a seasoned entrepreneur and founder of six successful companies, including the $5 billion giant, Socure. Sunil shares his incredible journey from systems architect to startup founder, with a focus on IT risk and security, and how these ex…

Welcome to this episode of Founder's Journey! Join us as Taylor Mobley, the CFO of Bamboo Insurance, shares insights into the company's innovative strategies and evolution in the insurance market since 2020. With a rich background in public accounting and experience at Ernst Young and Kemper, Mobley discusses how Bamboo prioritizes technology and o…

In this episode of Founder's Journey, Bobbie Shrivastav shares her remarkable transition from technologist to a prominent founder in the insurtech space. Starting in 2015 with her first startup, Doxmore, Bobbie was inspired to digitize documents after experiencing the inefficiencies of paperwork during her maternity leave. Her journey led to the cr…

Welcome to another insightful episode of Insurance VC, PE, and M&A with Jeff, where we delve into the complexities of insurance lending with Scott Stars, a key figure at Oak Street Funding. Scott discusses his transition from a successful career at HSBC to his current leadership role in the specialized world of insurance loans. This episode offers …

Welcome to another insightful episode of Insurance VC, PE, and M&A. Today, host Jeff sits down with Grant Griffin, Vice President of Investment Banking at Sherman Company, to delve into his transition from retail insurance to leading M&A efforts in the insurance sector. Grant shares his expertise in navigating the intricacies of insurance mergers a…

In this episode of Founders Journey, host Jeff Shi sits down with Tony Lew, co-founder of insurtech New York, to discuss his journey from software engineering to building one of the most influential insurtech communities. Tony shares how he and his partner David Gritz started insurtech New York, their challenges in pivoting through the COVID-19 pan…

Welcome to this exciting episode of Founders Journey, where host Jeff interviews Wade Millward, a pioneering entrepreneur in the insurance industry. Wade recounts how he and Jeff first connected at an insurtech event in New Mexico three years ago, bonding over their shared passion for innovation. Wade's story starts as a third-generation insurance …

In this episode of Post-ITC Reflection, we sit down with Laurissa Berk, Director of Global and Experiential Education at the University of Connecticut. Laurissa shares insights into how UConn is bridging the gap between academia and industry, particularly within the insurtech space. She discusses the university’s approach to fostering talent pipeli…

Welcome to this episode of Founders Journey, where Jeff dives into an inspiring conversation with Beau Bratton, a pioneering entrepreneur in CRM solutions. From his Santa Barbara roots to building a game-changing CRM tool in the insurance industry, Beau’s journey is one of resilience, innovation, and adaptability. He shares how his early telemarket…

In this episode of Post-ITC Reflection, we sit down with Jon Spaugy to unpack his experience at ITC Vegas. Jon, a seasoned industry professional and event organizer, shares his first-time experience attending the conference as a registered participant. He reflects on the sheer scale of the event, key takeaways on networking, and how ITC fosters con…

In this episode of Industry Voice, host Jeff welcomes Nick Hoadley, founder of Insurance Search and host of the Insurance Coffeehouse Podcast. Nick shares his journey from law to insurance broking, and how his experiences led him to build a successful executive search firm specializing in the insurance and Insurtech industries. He dives into the ev…

In this episode of Industry Voice, host Jeff Shi sits down with the powerhouse behind some of the biggest events in Insurtech, Thien Palmer. Known for her ability to create high-impact experiences, T has been shaping the industry's conference landscape for years—often behind the scenes. From orchestrating the first offsite event at ITC to leading m…

In this special episode of the Post-ITC Reflection series, Jeff Shi is joined by Alexis Vaughn for an engaging discussion about her journey in the insurance industry, her experiences at ITC Vegas, and the impact she's making through Offcourse Consulting. Alexis shares how she transitioned from being an insurance agent to a corporate broker, then in…

In this episode of Post ITC Reflection, host Jeff sits down with James Benham, CEO of JBKnowledge and Terra, to break down key takeaways from ITC Vegas. James, an entrepreneur, investor, pilot, and InsurTech thought leader, shares his perspectives on AI trends, the future of InsurTech, and the evolving venture capital landscape. He also discusses t…

In this episode of Post ITC Reflection, host Jeff Shi sits down with Kyle Geoghan to discuss the biggest trends and insights from ITC Vegas. Kyle, co-founder of Indem, shares his journey from growing up in a family insurance business to launching an InsurTech startup powered by generative AI. They dive into how AI is reshaping the industry, the shi…

In this episode of Industry Voice, host Jeff Shi welcomes the legendary Troy Korsgaden to discuss his extensive career in the insurance industry. Troy shares his journey from building one of the largest Farmers agencies in America to becoming a sought-after consultant and speaker. He reveals key strategies for scaling an insurance agency, building …

Welcome to another episode of Industry Voice with Jeff! Today, Jeff interviews Michael Weaver, founder of Weaver Sales Academy and a prominent figure in the insurance industry. Michael shares his journey from an internship at an insurance agency during college to launching his own scratch agency with his wife, which ultimately led to the creation o…

In this special episode of our post-ITC Vegas reflection series, host Jeff Shi sits down with InsurTech veteran Bobbie Shrivastav to break down the key moments, trends, and takeaways from ITC Vegas. Bobbie shares her thoughts on how ITC has evolved since 2018, the importance of industry connections over content, and the innovative ways companies ar…

In this special ITC Vegas Reflection episode, host Jeff Shi sits down with Bryan Falchuk to unpack their experiences at Insurtech Connect 2024. They discuss the overwhelming presence of AI at the event, how companies are racing to integrate AI into insurance, and whether this technological shift is truly revolutionizing the industry or just the nex…

In this episode of ITC Vegas Reflections, host Jeff Shi sits down with Nichole Peck, the mastermind behind ITC Vegas 2024, to discuss the incredible effort that goes into creating the world's largest insurance innovation event. Nicole shares insights on the event’s evolution, the strategic planning behind its success, and the exciting new segments …