Insurtechs.io

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 companies like Zepco reels, Charbroil grills, and Sagic...

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 to LLMs, the challenges of scaling insurance s...

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 developed and eventually led to collaborating with top re...

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 venture capital work focused on transformative te...

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 at the Insurance Rating Bureau to his leadership ro...

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 step into the world of financial advising and entrepr...

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 the insurance industry. David dives into the challe...

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 experiences shaped his entrepreneurial path. Sunil d...

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 omni-channel distribution to achieve capita...

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 creation of Benekiva, a revolutionary claims sol...

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 valuable insights into Oak Street’s unique app...

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 and acquisitions, offering listeners a behi...

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 pandemic, and their success in fostering industry con...

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 professional, navigating early struggles befor...

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 pipelines, the significance of ITC Vegas for students, a...

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 telemarketing roles paved the way for Speed to Contact, late...

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 connections beyond just the convention floor. Jon als...

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 evolution of his podcast, which now boasts over 25,0...

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 major activations for Insurtech Insights, she’s...

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 into the InsurTech space, eventually founding Of...

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 the importance of bootstrapping, the rise of pragma...

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 shift in exhibitor conversations at ITC, and the grow...

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 a high-performance team, and adapting to the evolv...

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 of Weaver Sales Academy. Throughout the episode, Mi...

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 are using technology in insurance. She also opens up...