Through company-to-company mentorships with the Global Insurance Accelerator (GIA) program, FMH supports new startups focused on technology in the insurance industry.
As part of the 100-day program, the cohort of startups receive seed funding, access to insurance industry mentors, and direct support from the GIA.
FindBob is one example of an insurtech company FMH partnered with after working with them in the GIA program. Through mentoring and multiple further interactions with its founder, Roland Chan, FMH was able to eventually offer FMH Bridge, an agency succession planning tool in 2018.
FMH has five employees that provide mentorship to GIA startups including:
Dave DeCapp - Senior Vice President - Marketing
Scott McEntee - Senior Vice President - Accounting
Sheila Backer - Assistant Vice President - Crop Insurance Underwriting
Tracy Klever - Assistant Vice President - Marketing Services
Dawn Stoppelmoor - Business Development Manager - Marketing Services
Hear from a few of our mentors on what they enjoy about working with startups and what they’ve learned in the process.
What Do You Value in Your Role as GIA Mentor?
Tracy Klever: As a mentor, you’re able to share your expertise in a specialty area that fills gaps they have in their business like product pricing or operations.
It’s rewarding to see their growth over the course of the program and that you helped develop a company that will advance the industry.
Scott McEntee: I value the opportunity to see tomorrow’s innovation and be able to help shape it.
I enjoy working with serial entrepreneurs, seeing the world through their eyes, and understanding what it takes to write the future of insurance innovation.
What Have You Learned Through Mentoring Startups?
Tracy Klever: The innovation framework a company uses can be applied to any line of business.
It’s about starting with an idea, talking it out with people who will challenge you, and navigating variations of the idea until you find something that clicks.
Scott McEntee: We all face the same challenges, but it’s how we move the lens we look through, constantly evaluating and asking, “why not?” that produces the innovation needed to compete.