Director, Global & Experiential Education, Graduate STEM Programs
UConn School Of Business
As the Director of Global & Experiential Education for UConn’s three STEM designated master’s programs within the School of Business, Laurissa bridges the gap between academia and industry. She provides exceptional and varied applied learning opportunities for students through industry conferences, international courses, tech demonstrations, leadership and management seminars, company visits and industry panels. Through various roles within UConn’s Finance department, Laurissa oversaw the implementation of risk management programs, including the MS in Financial Risk Management Program and its Accelerated Track. With a keen focus on program management, recruitment strategy, and budget oversight, Laurissa led a team to significantly increase the growth of these programs, leading to a substantial increase in annual revenue and a notable rise in student enrollment. Laurissa holds an M.S. in Management in Higher Education from the University of Pennsylvania and a B.A. in Human Development/Organizational Effectiveness from Boston College.
Kathleen A. Birrane was appointed Maryland Insurance Commissioner in May 2020. Prior to her appointment, Commissioner Birrane was a partner in the Insurance Sector and Litigation and Regulatory Practice Group at the global law firm of DLA Piper LLP (US), where her practice focused on insurance and reinsurance transactions, regulatory compliance and related litigation. Earlier in her career, Commissioner Birrane served in the Maryland Office of the Attorney General in the statutory position of Principal Counsel to the Maryland Insurance Administration. In that role, she managed all of the legal work of the agency, both in its capacity as regulator and as a unit of state government. Commissioner Birrane is very active in the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). She currently serves as Chair of the NAIC’s Innovation, Cybersecurity, and Technology (H) Committee, as well as Co-Chair of the Health Insurance Workstream of the NAIC’s Special Committee on Race and Insurance. She previously served as Chair of the NAIC’s Northeast Zone and Member of the NAIC’s Executive Committee. Commissioner Birrane is also a Member of the EU-U.S. Insurance Dialogue Project’s Steering Committee and Chair of the Interstate Insurance Product Regulation Commission. Additionally, she chairs the Supervisory Forum of the International Association of Insurance Supervisors’ Implementation and Assessment Committee.
Tom is responsible for developing and executing Nassau’s sales strategy for its insurance business, including product development, distribution and marketing. He joined the company as an actuarial assistant in 1999 and served in increasingly senior corporate, product development and operational positions. He worked in strategic development, as chief of staff to the CEO and as chief operating officer. Tom was named to his current role in 2021. Tom is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (FSA) and a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries (MAAA). He holds a B.S. in mathematics and an M.B.A. in management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
As Chief Client Experience Officer, Scott Campbell leads American National’s client experience team, which includes UX/UI, client insights, client journey consulting and the company’s strategic innovation efforts. Additionally, he oversees the company’s corporate communications, PR and brand programs. Scott holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and a Bachelor of Journalism from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He has
been an active member of several insurance industry committees throughout his career and was named by LIMRA as one of the industry’s Rising Stars of Innovation.
Sherry Chan is an award-winning actuary with decades of leadership experience, currently serving as Chief Strategy Officer of Atidot, an insurtech startup that provides state-of-the-art predictive analytics and artificial intelligence to the life insurance ecosystem. Ms. Chan previously served as Chief Actuary for the City of New York and in the State of Ohio. With a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics and actuarial science and an Executive MBA from The Ohio State University, Ms. Chan is on the Boards of the Society of Actuaries, The Ohio State University’s College of Arts & Sciences, and Abacus Actuaries.
Mr. Donaldson serves as Simplicity’s President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Donaldson is responsible for defining the Group’s strategic direction and managing its various operating businesses. Prior to Simplicity, Mr. Donaldson was a managing director at an international investment bank, for which he was responsible for making and managing private company investments. Mr. Donaldson has also led the successful start-up of a national financial guaranty insurance company and a multi-billion-dollar asset management business. Prior to starting the entrepreneurial phase of his career, Mr. Donaldson held various financial, business, and legal positions in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Troy Downing was elected Montana State Auditor in 2020. As the State Auditor and Commissioner of Securities and Insurance, Troy Downing oversees the criminal justice agency protecting Montana’s consumers by ensuring fairness, transparency, and access for two of the state’s largest industries—securities and insurance. Commissioner Downing is committed to consumer education and advocacy, holding bad actors accountable, lowering insurance costs, and reducing unnecessary regulations for Montana businesses. Commissioner Downing, as the elected State Auditor, serves on the Montana Board of Land Commissioners overseeing the management and stewardship of state trust lands for the primary benefit of funding Montana’s public education system.
Mr. Egan is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Oceanview Holdings Ltd., parent of Oceanview Life and Annuity Company, a U.S. retail fixed annuity writer, and Oceanview Reinsurance Ltd., a Bermuda reinsurer of asset intensive products. Mr. Egan joined the sponsor of Oceanview, Bayview Asset Management, in 2017 to found Oceanview. Prior to founding Oceanview, Mr. Egan held a number of senior positions in global financial institutions, including a twenty year career in investment banking, serving for 5 years as Global Head of Financial Institutions at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Prior to investment banking, Mr. Egan was a partner in the law firm of LeBoeuf, Lamb, Leiby and MacRae. He holds B.A. and J. D. degrees from the University of Virginia.
Tyler is CEO and a Co-Founder of Retirable, the first-of-its-kind holistic retirement solution making financial management easy for everyday Americans. Tyler has nearly 15 years of experience at leading companies in the insurance and financial management industries. Before Retirable, Tyler worked as Head of Operations Expansion at PolicyGenius, expanding the company’s reach into new products — turning PolicyGenius into an industry-leading disability and P&C insurance distributor. Before working at PolicyGenius, Tyler worked as Wealth Management Advisor at prominent financial services organizations. As an advisor, Tyler played an integral role in helping clients define goals, achieve financial independence and retire with peace of mind. Through this work, Tyler has helped more than 10,000 people find the insurance they needed. Since founding Retirable, Tyler’s expert insights have been quoted in leading news outlets such as FOX Business, NY Business Journal, and MONEY. Tyler’s innovative approach to retirement planning has been mentioned in publications such as AlleyWatch, Forbes, and more.
With extensive experience in corporate law, technology, insurance, and financial services, George oversees Zinnia’s Legal, People & Culture, Corporate Development, Risk, Compliance, and Internal Audit functions. Known for his determination, George leads strategic initiatives that drive transformation, innovation, and success in organizations. He’s a deep thinker who loves to learn about what motivates people and business.He previously served as Deputy General Counsel of Nassau Financial Group, an international insurance holding company, advising on enterprise legal and business matters including M&A, litigation, asset management, commercial contracting, and regulatory affairs.Prior to Nassau, George was a senior associate in the Corporate and Securities Group at Pepper Hamilton LLP and prior to that a senior associate in the Global Corporate Group at Milbank LLP. George holds a B.A. from Boston College and a J.D. from New York Law School where he was a Comments Editor on the Law Review.
Jason J. Fichtner is Chief Economist at the Bipartisan Policy Center. He is also the Executive Director of the Retirement Income Institute, Alliance for Lifetime Income. Fichtner is on the Board of Directors for the FINRA Investor Education Foundation and the National Academy of Social Insurance (NASI), and a Member of the Puerto Rico Pension Reserve Trust, where he serves on both the Pension Benefits Council and the Pension
Reserve Board. Fichtner is also affiliated with Stanford University as a Policy Fellow with the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy (SIEPR) and a Research Fellow at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Financial Security (CFS).
Gene Goddard leads the coordination of new business investment projects for the Hartford Region by working with business decision makers, consultants, and corporate real estate managers looking for project locations within the region. Gene also oversees for the MetroHartford Alliance business lead generation, industry research, and business retention initiatives for small business and large corporate entities.
Daniel Gremmell is the Chief Data Officer at Policygenius and Zinnia, where he oversees the implementation of data science to optimize the consumer experience for both organizations. Daniel also oversees the AI Solutions commercial pillar that is developing insurance based AI technology solutions for insurance carriers and distributors. Daniel joined Policygenius from Plated, where he was the Vice President of Data Science. Prior to this, Daniel was Head of Data Science at John Wiley and Sons. Daniel began his career in operational analytics at companies across the consumer goods, aerospace, healthcare and automotive industries, including Crane Aerospace and Volkswagen. He holds a Master’s Degree in Statistics from Rochester Institute of Technology, a Master’s Degree in Industrial Engineering from Kettering University, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Operations Management from Rutgers.
Jason Gross is an award-winning technology, strategy and innovation leader with over 25 years of experience leading insurance and financial services organizations. In his current role as Vice President & Head of Platform for ManchesterStory, Jason is leading efforts to accelerate the engagement between insurance carriers, “insurtech” start-ups and the industry at-large. Prior to joining ManchesterStory, he served as Vice President for a top P&C carrier leading corporate strategy, innovation, and business transformation. He is a former Co-Chair of the Global Insurance Symposium and a former Vice Chair of the Global Insurance Accelerator.
Laura serves as innovation brand director for Nassau Re/Imagine, Nassau Financial Group’s Insurtech and Retiretech incubator. She drives community and industry collaboration and sources innovative partnerships for the company. Her professional experience includes a background in investor relations, economic development, and marketing roles. She also serves as co-organizer of TEDxHartford.
Scott is the head of Conning’s Insurance Research group. Over his 17-year career at Conning he has been the principal analyst for retirement and annuities. Scott is frequently a keynote speaker at major industry and client conferences. Before joining Conning, Scott spent 16 years with Skandia Group in the U.S. and Sweden providing strategic research on the retirement market and business innovation.
Mike Hendy is a Senior Trade and Industry Officer at The UK Department of Business and Trade, based in Boston and working in the Consulate in Kendall Square. Originally from the UK, Mike spent 35 years in Financial Technology sales and services. Now a US Citizen he oversees Insurance and Asset Management export and investment.
Nathan Houdek has served as Commissioner of Insurance for the State of Wisconsin since his appointment by Governor Tony Evers in January 2022. He previously served as Deputy Commissioner of Insurance for three years under former Commissioner Mark Afable. Commissioner Houdek serves as the state's chief regulator of insurance and oversees the operations of the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance. He is also chair of the Injured Patients and Families Compensation Fund Board of Governors and a member of the Wisconsin Insurance Security Fund (the state's guaranty fund) Board of Directors. As a member of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), Commissioner Houdek currently serves as chair of the Financial Condition (E) Committee, the Accelerated Underwriting (A) Working Group, and the Health Innovations (B) Working Group, and as a member of the Life Insurance and Annuities (A) Committee and various task forces and working groups. He is also vice chair of the Governance Committee of the Interstate Insurance Compact Commission. Having spent over 20 years working in state legislative and regulatory affairs, Commissioner Houdek has extensive experience finding solutions to complex public policy and regulatory challenges across all lines of insurance. He has held several senior-level roles in the public and private sectors, including serving as a principal at one of Wisconsin's largest public affairs and business consulting firms and as chief of staff to a former minority leader in the Wisconsin State Senate.
Joe Jordan, is an inspirational speaker, behavioral finance expert, and author of the award-winning book, Living a Life of Significance. The book has sold over 125,000 copies, is translated in five languages and was featured in Nick Murray's The Advisor's Essential Library. He has given hundreds of presentations globally to over 400,000 financial professionals in 28 countries. Formerly, Joe ran insurance sales at Paine Webber and more recently was a senior vice president at MetLife. He is also a founder of the Insured Retirement Institute and has been featured on the cover of Life Insurance Selling magazine. Joe is the recipient of the 2023 John Newton Russell Memorial Award, the highest honor accorded by the insurance industry for outstanding service to the institution of life insurance.
Jonathan Kalman is a Founding General Partner of Eos Venture Partners, an early-stage venture capital firm focused on backing extraordinary entrepreneurs and management teams seeking to leverage data, analytics and technology to re-imagine and re-invent the global insurance industry. Eos invests globally with a focus on North America, UK and Europe. Portfolio companies span cyber, claims, specialty underwriting & distribution, as well as longevity, health & wellness. The Eos portfolio includes such notable companies, as Cygnvs, Fountain Life, Fenix24, Roadzen (NASDAQ: RDZN), Ticker, Champ Title and many others. Mr. Kalman has been a venture capital investor for over 25 years and has private, public and regulatory board experience. He currently serves as a director of Champ Title, Player’s Health, Westhill Global, Family First, Buckle as well as The Institute’s blockchain consortium, RiskStream.
Patrick Kelly is Co-Founder and CEO of Signal Advisors. Previously, he was Co-Founder and CEO of RepPro, where he built software to streamline the sale of annuities and life insurance for financial advisors. RepPro was acquired in 2018 by Annexus, a Blackstone-backed distributor of insurance products. Prior to this, Patrick co-managed an independent financial advisory firm, Kelly Capital Partners and started his career as a financial representative at Northwestern Mutual.
Brian Lucius, a key figure since the 2005 inception of Gradient Financial Group, commands a pivotal role as Chief Distribution Officer. His career launched at a top field marketing organization, where exceptional performance propelled him to leadership. Lucius now steers sales strategies across Gradient's enterprise, enhancing revenue flow and product distribution. Additionally, he shapes the sales teams' growth. His influential ties have positioned him before countless top-tier financial experts, addressing diverse industry matters. With publications in esteemed journals and past media contributions, Lucius has significantly contributed to developing Gradient's multifaceted platforms and business ventures.
David Macchia is an author, entrepreneur, public speaker, and marketing communications expert whose work focuses on improving Americans’ retirement security. David is the founder of Wealth2k Inc, the nation’s leading provider of advisor-centric retirement income planning solutions. He is the creative force behind the popular, Income for Life Model®. David has written dozens of articles on the topics of retirement income planning, macroeconomics, and Ai. He is the author of two books, Lucky Retiree and Constrained Investor: How to Avoid a Devastated Retirement. David earned an MBA, with Honors, from Boston University Questrom School of Business. He holds the RMA and CBBP professional designations.
Andrew N. Mais, Connecticut’s 33rd Insurance Commissioner serves as the 2024 National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) President. Mais also serves on various NAIC and International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS) committees and task forces. Mais has led discussions in several forums on race, diversity, and inclusion at the state level and within the insurance industry and in insurance practices. Mais previously was a member of Deloitte’s Center for Financial Services. Prior to that, he was a Director at the New York State Insurance Department. Mais has dedicated much of his life to public service including serving on numerous councils in his hometown of Wilton, Connecticut.
Branislav is an established thought leader specializing in annuities and retirement income planning. He joined The Index Standard after a decade at Cannex Financial Exchanges, where as Vice President of Research he was instrumental in extending Cannex’s strong presence in the retirement income space. Branislav holds a Masters degree in probability and financial engineering and a PhD in applied mathematics from York University in Toronto, where he is also a lecturer in finance and mathematics. Branislav holds the designation of Financial Risk Manager (FRM). He is a prolific author for business and trade publications and a frequent speaker at insurance seminars.
Sean O'Donoghue is a distinguished technology leader whose expertise spans a diverse range of industries, including insurance, real estate, media, entertainment, and professional sports. Holding pivotal roles as Chief Information Officer and Chief Technology Officer, Sean has been instrumental in crafting digital strategies that drive industry innovation and operational excellence. With a notable tenures at DreamWorks Animation and Madison Square Garden, he was pivotal in developing comprehensive platforms that not only enhanced performance but also cultivated the exceptional experiences for which these companies are celebrated. His strategic vision enabled the seamless integration of technology with business goals, leading to significant performance breakthroughs. In the insurance sector, Sean adeptly played the roles of Chief Financial Officer and Chief Technology/Operations Officer. His leadership was characterized by the introduction of pioneering commercial agreements and the development of cutting-edge customer engagement platforms, positioning the companies at the forefront of the industry.
Chris Orestis, CSA President of Retirement Genius, is a nationally recognized financial, health/LTC, and retirement issues expert. He has over 25 years’ experience in the insurance and long-term care industries and is credited with pioneering the Long-Term Care Life Settlement over a decade ago. Known as a political insider and senior issues advocate, Orestis is a former Washington, D.C. lobbyist who has worked in both the White House and for the Senate Majority Leader on Capitol Hill. In 2007 he founded Life Care Funding, in 2017 he founded the LifeCare Xchange, and in 2020 he founded Retirement Genius. Chris Orestis is author of the books Help on the Way and A Survival Guide to Aging—and is the author of numerous published white papers over the years. He has been speaking for two-decades across the country about senior finance and the secrets to aging with financial and physical health and dignity. He has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, NBC News, Fox News, USA Today, and AARP, and has been a guest expert on over 100 radio programs and TV appearances.
Marie-Christine (MC) is a Principal at Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures. Marie-Christine focuses on deal sourcing, due diligence, and portfolio monitoring for NMFV. Prior to joining NMFV Marie-Christine was a Scouting Manager for State Farm Labs in Silicon Valley. Here, she was responsible for identifying relevant startups for partnership opportunities. While there she co-founded Insurtech SVSF- an insurtech networking group. She started her career in Catastrophe Insurance, where she spent 7+ years as a Property Underwriter and Catastrophe Modeler, underwriting commercial deals ranging from $1M-$16B. Marie-Christine graduated from McGill University with a B.S. in Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences.
Srinivas D. (Sri) Reddy is senior vice president, Retirement and Income Solutions at Principal Financial Group®. He is responsible for the Income Solutions businesses, which includes Pension Risk Transfer, Defined Benefits, Retail Annuities, Principal Bank and our Principal Trust and Custody Solutions business. Prior to joining Principal, Reddy was the head of the investments and retirement income businesses for Prudential Retirement. Before that, he led all the product lines for USAA’s investment management and life insurance companies and held several roles at ING where his experience ranged from managing wholesale and direct distribution groups to product development in both the defined contribution business as well as the rollover & retirement income business. Previously, he served as a consultant with Ernst & Young. Reddy has a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Baylor University and a master’s degree in International Management from Thunderbird, The American Graduate School of International Management and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation. He has also completed his coaching certification through the NeuroLeadership Institute. Reddy is a frequent contributor to national media outlets and an expert resource on a range of retirement and financial security topics. He has served on various industry and regulatory groups including as the chair, vice-chair and council member of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) Advisory Council at the United States Department of Labor from 2017 to 2019 and currently is on the board of directors of the Insured Retirement Institute.
Douglas is responsible for sourcing new investment opportunities, conducting due diligence, serving on boards of directors, and supporting the growth and success of portfolio companies. Before joining CII, Douglas gained extensive experience with early-stage businesses as both an operator and adviser. He founded a consulting firm to assist early-stage companies identify and assess growth opportunities, generate sustainable revenue and manage intellectual property. As a senior consultant at a boutique management consulting firm, Douglas was a strategic adviser to companies in the software, telecommunications, information technology and medical device industries. He advised investors in early-stage businesses, representing more than $250 million in invested capital. Earlier in his career, Douglas spent more than a decade as an operator in the telecommunications industry, primarily focused on building international voice, data and IP networks.
Bobby is the Executive Editor of The Life Product Review, the industry’s best source for independent and objective life insurance product intelligence. He regularly presents at major industry events and has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal.
Bobby is also the President and CEO of Life Innovators, an independent product development firm helping life insurers create and implement unique life insurance and annuity products. Previously, Bobby was the Senior Vice President and Head of Product Development and Pricing for life insurance and annuities at Brighthouse Financial, formerly MetLife US Retail. Prior to joining MetLife in 2013, he published The Life Product Review and was an independent consultant to life insurers, distributors and advisors. He is the third generation of his family to work in the life insurance industry.
Wes Severin is Executive Vice President of the Retirement Division for Symetra Life Insurance Company. Mr. Severin has assumed multiple roles within Symetra over the last 12 years. As EVP, Mr. Severin has profit-and-loss responsibility for Symetra’s annuity products, including strategy development, product design and innovation, product marketing, market research, sales, distribution, service, and operations. Mr. Severin earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from Colorado State University. He currently serves on the board of Insured Retirement Institute and LIMRA’s Annuity Advisory Committee.
Farooq Sheikh is the Global Head of Banking, Insurance and Healthcare at Unqork and serves global clients on industry leading technology transformation. Unqork is the leading codeless platform which enables large complex clients to digitize customer experiences, create leading edge buying journeys and automate internal processes. Unqork has pioneered the codeless architecture approach, which allows clients to accelerate the speed of digital transformation focused on areas that require leading edge presentation, orchestration, and integration capabilities. Before Unqork, Farooq was at Oliver Wyman, where he was a Partner in the Financial Services and Digital practices. At Oliver Wyman, Farooq served global financial services clients and led go-to-market for multiple platforms including Reinventing Insurance and Legacy Migrations.
Jay drives product innovation, strategy, and vision at Hedgeness. He brings more than two decades of financial services and technology development experience combined to Hedgeness. He joined Olde Investments in 1999 and had a ten-year financial services career culminating at Morgan Stanley with a focus on retirement planning. After that, he spent time consulting with technology and finance strategy for startups and mid-sized companies. He has a BA with Honors in Political Science from Belmont Abbey College, NC. Prior to moving to the US, he lived extensively in Europe, Asia, and India.
Alison Susko is VP of Community and Partnerships at Asset-Map, a financial technology firm dedicated to creating engaging visual communication tools used throughout the customer and advisor journey. Alison has been working in the financial technology industry for over 15 years specializing in Account Management, Training and Partnership Development/Growth. Before joining Asset-Map in 2018, she worked at eMoney Advisor where she oversaw Account Development and Enterprise Relationships and Docupace Technologies where she created and ran their Training Department.
Tamiko Toland is principal at Toland Consulting, LLC, where she shares her insights, experience, and strategic analysis with clients. She is an expert and thought leader in retirement and
annuities in the individual and institutional markets. For more than two decades, Tamiko has tracked trends and key issues on retirement income, addressing all audiences. She has held leadership roles at TIAA, Cannex, the annuity data and
analytics firm, and Strategic Insight. Tamiko’s introduction to annuities began as a trade reporter for Annuity Market News. She regularly shares her perspectives for the news media and speaks at industry conferences and webinars.
Michele Trogni is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Zinnia, a leading life and annuity insurance technology services company. Zinnia simplifies insurance, offering comprehensive solutions for the insurance industry's most critical needs. Zinnia's offerings better enable clients to build, sell, and service insurance, and ultimately help more people get the coverage they need. As a global business leader in banking and financial services, Michele is a recognized technology innovator and agent of change. She is currently a member of the Deutsche Bank Supervisory board where she advises on technology, innovation, and risk. Michele was Executive Vice President of Consolidated Markets and Solutions for IHS Markit, where she led a portfolio of businesses that deliver data insights, analytics, and technology solutions to financial markets, engineering, and technology companies. Michele spent the majority of her career at UBS, where among other roles, she served as the firm’s Group CIO and Head of Operations.
Paul Tyler serves as Chief Marketing Officer for Nassau where he leads the marketing and innovation strategy. Paul drives the branding of the insurance companies and affiliated asset management companies. He built an affiliate sales channel for Nassau Financial Group. In addition, he launched Nassau Re/Imagine, an Insurtech-focused incubator based in Hartford. Prior to his role at Nassau Financial Group, he worked at Fidelity & Guaranty Life and MetLife in a variety of roles in strategy, marketing, operations, technology, sales, and compliance. He earned his A.B. from Princeton University and his J.D. from Cornell Law School.
Alexis Cierra Vaughn is a 16 time Award-Winning Insurance Expert and the Founder & CEO of Off Course, an Insurtech Consulting Firm, dedicated to providing strategy consulting for Insurtechs, Fintech, RetireTechs, Carriers, MGA's, Accelerators, insurance agencies and Brokerages. Alexis is a 14 year licensed Insurance and Insurtech Executive, with a strong reputation as an Insurance Innovator within the industry. Her company Off Course was created due to her strategic and creative approach to innovation being in high demand within the industry and agent & broker distribution. Alexis decided that instead of just impacting one InsurTech, she would use her company Off Course to impact them all. Alexis is also the Producer and Host of the Insurance Unicorn podcast where she interviews insurance innovators in the InsurTech and Insurance industry. Off Course has helped Insurtechs and innovation labs in the areas of Distribution, Cyber, Parametric flood insurance, agency management
systems,technology, claims payment systems, and digital distribution for MGA’s. Alexis’ Co-Founder & COO is her husband Marvin Vaughn, who leads the strategy practice,
talent advisory, and operations advisory verticals of their firm, he brings 20 years of Operations strategy experience to the practice from leading insurers and management consulting Big 4 firms.
Andrew Wegrzyn invests in early stage companies at the intersection of digital health, fintech, and insurtech at SixThirty Ventures. He previously led teams innovating new treatments in neuro and genitourinary oncology at the Washington University School of Medicine. He subsequently served as Vice President of Strategy and Partnership at Citi Ventures and consulted at Edward Jones, connecting data science and advanced analytics to business growth and insights.
John is an in-residence faculty member in the UCONN School of Business Graduate Program and is the Academic Director of the MS – Financial Technology (FinTech) program. He previously served as Director of UCONN’s Center for the Advancement of Business Analytics. As a faculty member at UCONN, he teaches a variety of graduate business courses including Visual Analytics, Advanced Project Management (Capstone) and Global Technology Management. He has also taught Predictive Modeling, Process Modeling and SQL, Management Information Systems, Engineering Management, and Cost and Risk Management. In 2017, 2018, and 2019 John was recognized as outstanding OPIM- Analytics faculty member in UCONN’s MBA program. In 2019, John received the prestigious UCONN School of Business Excellence in Graduate Teaching Award and in 2020, the AAUP – Early Career Teaching Award. He was also a 2020 CETL nominee for Excellence in Teaching. In January of 2020, he was named Academic Director and tasked to lead the formation and implementation of a new MS program in Financial Technology (Fintech). He is also a member of the UCONN School of Business Hall of Fame.
Ms. Winkler represents the workforce and business interests of 25 major insurance and financial services [IFS] companies in Connecticut, including P&C, life/retirement, and health insurers as well as financial services companies and service providers. Ms. Winkler provides strategic direction and management to a Board of Directors across the common goal of economic development including major initiatives in workforce development, public advocacy, and business attraction. As an industry leader, she manages strategic, public-private, high-priority projects of business recruitment, selling the strengths of Connecticut’s IFS industry, and the Insurance Capital of the U.S., to bring net new jobs to the economy.
Doug Wolff is the CEO of Security Benefit and oversees the company’s vision, mission, strategy, and culture. He also serves as Chairman for Everly, the company's life insurance subsidiary. Prior to being CEO, Wolff was President of Security Benefit Life managing product development and operations and spearheaded innovative retirement solutions that made it an industry leader. Before joining Security Benefit, Wolff worked at Allstate Life Insurance and began his career as an actuary with Ernst & Young. Doug earned his Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Illinois and is a Fellow in the Society of Actuaries and a Chartered Financial Analyst.
James Wong is the visionary founder of The Founder’s Chair. With over two decades in the financial services industry, specializing in insurance and technology distribution, James has been an entrepreneurial force. His track record of successful startups and expertise in mergers and acquisitions sets him apart from other consultative providers. Renowned for building strong connections, James empowers his clients with his profound insights into insurance distribution. Founders seeking to occupy The Founder’s Chair and funders looking for lucrative opportunities to invest and mentor will find James a trusted ally on their journey to growth and success.
Sam Zimmerman is currently the COO of NCD. Prior to this, Sam was the co-founder of Freebird, a General Catalyst backed consumer fintech startup acquired by Capital One, CTO of PathCheck Foundation, the world’s largest nonprofit open-sourced project for COVID-19 contact tracing which was the official app in five US states and territories and is used by millions around the world, and the CEO of Sagewell – the only digital bank built specifically for 55+ Americans. Since 2011, Sam’s roles have consistently involved successful commercial applications of research technologies in financial services and computer science. Sam is a graduate of Duke University. In his spare time, Sam enjoys running, wrestling, animals, poetry, and eviction research.
