Meet inspiring, powerhouse insurance industry innovator, JoAnne Artesani, Owner and CEO of Sproutr, an insurance design-build firm. I had the pleasure of working with JoAnne to redesign and prepare her website for the launch of Sproutr.
JoAnne brings over 25 years of commercial multi-peril underwriting, portfolio management, product, and program design expertise to Sproutr’s insurance design & build practice. She's also a panel speaker, advises a number of insurance and fintech start-up businesses, and participates as a mentor and educator in the InsurtechNY MGA Labs.
I asked JoAnne to share some insight into how she started her business and to share any advice she has for other women in business.
Why did you start your business?
"I believed the process of building new insurance programs and products can be accelerated by crafting the mechanics of each part of this process.
Having built and launched several insurance programs, I know no single recipe exists on how to do this. However, I have a strong conviction that the assets that support any build can be streamlined and developed in a way that decreases the overall cost to build and launch insurance programs.
I am building a firm and method to serve up the tangible insurance materials that will enable a faster path to launch. I started Sproutr to refine that process, commercialize it, and do our part to help propel others' great ideas to support insurance innovation."
What do you love most about your business?
"Being a direct part of the incubation and growth stage of others' companies. Insurance often gets a bad rap for a myriad of reasons, mostly it comes down to a poor experience. It is a product no body wants to buy, and for business owners needing to buy insurance it is really challenging accessing the right coverage, finding the insurance professionals who know your business well enough to help identify the right insurance solutions, and having to navigate a claim can bring on additional negative sentiment.
That aside, I find insurance professionals are passionate about improving every step of this to serve our mutual customers. As an industry, there is a lot of attention being directed to improving every step of the insurance procurement process (access, purchase, and claim resolution).
We can move as fast as we need to when nothing is in our way; and, insurance being a heavily regulated industry creates unique innovation challenges. I love those challenges, there are no walls, just obstacles. Often, these obstacles are overcome by bringing talented insurance and technology professionals together to deliver a common goal."
What is your biggest challenge?
"I am (ironically) helping others build their companies while I too, am building mine. While the challenges show up in different ways, having a crystal ball would make capacity planning easier!"
What advice would you give to other women starting a business?
"Leverage and lean on your network. I have found most people genuinely open and interested in connecting, especially now after we've spent years professionally isolated. The value of even one well-connected professional is priceless."
You can learn more about Sproutr here. Here's to your success, JoAnne! We're so inspired by the business you've built, launched and are continuing to grow.
About Bliss:
We work with female entrepreneurs and women-owned and led businesses, and would love to help you elevate your business online with a modern and engaging website and branding. You can learn more about the services we offer here.
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