Advisors

The AFV
Advisory Network

Startups encounter many challenges that are new to them, but not new to everyone. Through strategic guidance, network expansion, and coaching and mentorship, our accomplished advisors help AFV portfolio founders find solutions, unlock value, and grow.

Our advisors

Filter By Expertise

Christopher Conti

With experience as Chief Claims Officer at American Family Group, Chris led claims consolidation across business units, optimized operating efficiency, improved customer and agent satisfaction, and drove digital innovation. He brings a passion for organizational transformation, technology innovation, and leadership development.

Advisory & Consulting
Customer Success
Executive Leadership
Go-to-Market Strategy
Human Resources
Information Technology
Insurance
Operations
Full Bio

Cory Friedman

Currently a Partner and Senior Vice President at Alera Group, Cory specializes in benefits consulting for growing small and mid-size employers. His focus is group health insurance and benefit programs for start-ups, private equity-backed companies, and healthcare organizations.

Advisory & Consulting
Business Development
Go-to-Market Strategy
Healthcare
Human Resources
Insurance
Sales
Talent & Hiring
Full Bio

Dan Olszewski

As the Director of the Weinert Center for Entrepreneurship at the Wisconsin School of Business, Dan has 18 years of experience teaching. Prior to teaching he was the CEO of Parts Now!, where he increased revenues from $26MM to $400MM.

Corporate Strategy
Education
Executive Leadership
Financial Services
Insurance
Risk Management
Talent & Hiring
Full Bio

Gregg Mellinger

A leader with extensive health and welfare plan experience, Gregg advises PE firms, public, and private clients to manage & reduce costs and drive their employee value proposition. Founder of CFOrward, provides education and mentoring to corporate finance executives.

Advisory & Consulting
Business Development
Executive Leadership
Healthcare
Human Resources
Insurance
Risk Management
Sales
Full Bio

Henna Karna

A Harvard Fellow and C-suite leader in AI, data, and analytics, Henna has pioneered AI-driven enterprise solutions to drive revenue growth. In leadership roles at Google, AXA XL, and AIG, she has led digital transformations that generated billions in impact.

Customer Success
Data & Engineering
Executive Leadership
Financial Services
Go-to-Market Strategy
Information Technology
Insurance
Product Development
Full Bio

Ian Thompson

Ian Thompson is a global insurance and claims leader with over 30 years of executive experience. As Founder of IMT Advisory, he partners with investors, insurers, and innovators to drive strategy, M&A, and growth. Previously, as Group Chief Claims Officer at Zurich Insurance, he led a global team of 8,500, overseeing $20B in annual claims and spearheading AI and digital innovation. Ian has held leadership roles across six continents and serves as a board member and industry thought leader.

Advisory & Consulting
Corporate Strategy
Customer Success
Executive Leadership
Financial Services
Insurance
Network & Community
Risk Management
Full Bio

Jack Butcher

Founder and CEO of Spear Tip Advisors, Jack provides assistance and support to leaders and teams in overcoming organizational growth and performance challenges. Formerly, he served as president at Hagerty, and served over 20 years in executive roles at international insurance brokerage firms. Additionally, he has over 25 years of experience as an advisor, board member, and investor in early-stage companies.

Advisory & Consulting
Business Development
Executive Leadership
Insurance
Sales
Full Bio

Jeff Christian

Jeff Christian is the founder and CEO of Christian & Timbers, a leading executive search firm with over 30 years of experience placing CEOs, board members, and senior leaders in VC/PE-backed tech companies. The firm specializes in software, AI, fintech, cybersecurity, healthtech, robotics, and deeptech, with notable placements at HP, Broadcom, F5 Networks, and Interos. Jeff focuses on enterprise software, fintech, and insurtech, earning a reputation as a trusted partner to founders, investors, and boards.

Advisory & Consulting
Executive Leadership
Financial Services
Go-to-Market Strategy
Marketing
Sales
Talent & Hiring
Technology/SaaS
Full Bio

Jessica Schultz

Excelling in strategy development, relationship building, and tactical project management, Jess has scaled teams at Merrill Lynch and TriNet. She also led investments at Manifold Ventures and serves as a venture partner, angel investor, board member, and startup advisor.

Brand, PR, & Media
Business Development
Financial Services
Go-to-Market Strategy
Insurance
Marketing
Sales
Technology/SaaS
Full Bio

Joan Lamm-Tennant

Joan is a scholar and entrepreneur with over 40 years of experience in academia, corporate leadership, and social impact ventures. She chairs the boards of Equitable Holdings and Alliance Bernstein, advises private equity firms, and founded Blue Marble Microinsurance. Joan holds a Ph.D. in Finance and Investments.

Advisory & Consulting
Business Development
Capital Markets & M&A
Corporate Strategy
Executive Leadership
Financial Services
Go-to-Market Strategy
Insurance
Full Bio

Joan Schmit

As the American Family Insurance Distinguished Chair in Risk Management at UW-Madison for 30 years, Joan T. Schmit is an expert in insurance regulation and enterprise risk management. She has published extensively and is the editor of the Journal of Risk and Insurance.

Compliance & Regulatory
Education
Finance & Accounting
Financial Services
Insurance
Operations
Product Development
Risk Management
Full Bio

Joe Hissong

With over 30 years in financial services, Joe most recently served as President of Essent Reinsurance, where he grew profits from under $2M to over $200M annually. He also led Cartesian Re, increasing assets under management by 6X, and held senior roles at PartnerRe and Swiss Re.

Advisory & Consulting
Compliance & Regulatory
Corporate Strategy
Executive Leadership
Financial Services
Insurance
Legal
Operations
Full Bio

Kartheek Mulpuri

A finance and strategy executive with experience at ClickUp, MediaMath, b8ta, and Brickwork, Kartheek runs The Brazen Path, advising early and mid-stage startups. Previously a venture capitalist and investment banker, he has worked on $2B in transactions and holds degrees from Stanford and Cornell.

Advisory & Consulting
Capital Markets & M&A
Corporate Strategy
Finance & Accounting
Go-to-Market Strategy
Real Estate
Technology/SaaS
Full Bio

Matthew Anarde

With over 20 years in tech and VC, Matt Anarde has led large-scale projects across healthcare, education, and financial services. As a founding partner at Manifold and Founder Equity, he excels in managing startups and investments, including successful turnarounds.

Advisory & Consulting
Data & Engineering
Finance & Accounting
Fundraising & Investor Relations
Information Technology
Operations
Product Development
Technology/SaaS
Full Bio

Michael Leonard

Co-founder and Partner of Klein Hersh’s healthcare practice, Mike Leonard excels in recruiting top executives for innovative insurance, provider, and VC/PE-backed companies. With 15 years of experience, Mike has an extensive network and facilitates introductions to investors and advisors.

Executive Leadership
Healthcare
Insurance
Network & Community
Talent & Hiring
Technology/SaaS
Full Bio

Mike Rome

With over a decade of experience scaling startups, Mike has helped companies grow from $1M to $50M+, acquired millions of customers, managed 8-figure budgets, led teams, and developed growth playbooks. He also teaches at top MBA programs and accelerators.

Advisory & Consulting
Financial Services
Go-to-Market Strategy
Marketing
Product Development
Technology/SaaS
Full Bio

Nate Akers

A Sr. Partner at HealthScape Advisors, Nate leads value-based care and network solutions. He serves on a medical group board in Florida, advises early-stage healthcare entities, and has extensive consulting experience. At HCSC, he led network and value-based care strategy.

Advisory & Consulting
Business Development
Corporate Strategy
Executive Leadership
Go-to-Market Strategy
Healthcare
Insurance
Network & Community
Full Bio

Nathan Linsley

As a former senior executive at HCSC, Nathan led Government and Individual Markets, generating $30 billion annually. With expertise in strategy, finance, and operations, he excels in leveraging data for performance and has served on several healthcare IT and tech boards.

Advisory & Consulting
Business Development
Capital Markets & M&A
Corporate Strategy
Executive Leadership
Go-to-Market Strategy
Healthcare
Insurance
Full Bio

Naveen Agarwal

A serial entrepreneur and C-suite executive, Naveen advises boards and CEOs on business growth and go to market. He led digital, AI and marketing at Prudential and held senior roles at E*TRADE. He serves on the board of Ascension Health and is on CNBC Council of Advisors.

Brand, PR, & Media
Capital Markets & M&A
Data & Engineering
Financial Services
Fundraising & Investor Relations
Go-to-Market Strategy
Healthcare
Technology/SaaS
Full Bio

Nick Gerhart

Chief Operating Officer at Homesteaders Life Company, Nick oversees sales, ventures, and strategy. Previously, he was Chief Administrative Officer at FBL Financial Group and Insurance Commissioner of Iowa. He advises startups and is active in community leadership.

Advisory & Consulting
Compliance & Regulatory
Corporate Strategy
Executive Leadership
Financial Services
Fundraising & Investor Relations
Insurance
Legal
Full Bio

Richard LaVoice

Spanning three decades of expertise in financial and insurance services, the former Executive Vice President at Symetra Financial advises insurtech startups on business development and sales coaching for senior executives, driving revenue growth and innovation.

Advisory & Consulting
Business Development
Corporate Strategy
Executive Leadership
Financial Services
Insurance
Product Development
Sales
Full Bio

Robert Fletcher

Robert Fletcher is an entrepreneurial leader with 30+ years of experience across industries and company stages. He has deep expertise in business growth, M&A, and insurtech, having played a key role in Duck Creek Technologies’ IPO. A former investor and strategy executive, he enjoys helping early-stage companies build standout products and brands. Robert holds an Electrical Engineering degree from Clemson and an MBA from Harvard.

Brand, PR, & Media
Fundraising & Investor Relations
Go-to-Market Strategy
Healthcare
Insurance
Product Development
Sales
Technology/SaaS
Full Bio

Sam Broomer

Sam Broomer is a leader in (re)insurance and InsurTech with over three decades of experience in underwriting, operations, and innovation. As President, Embedded Parametric Solutions at NormanMax, he focuses on integrating parametric solutions into digital ecosystems. Previously, he was EVP & Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer at W.R. Berkley, leading new product development and InsurTech integrations. Sam is also actively involved in industry leadership, advisory boards, and mentorship.

Business Development
Corporate Strategy
Executive Leadership
Financial Services
Insurance
Product Development
Risk Management
Full Bio

Thomas Weist

As EVP and CFO at Tokio Marine HCC, Tom oversees finance, investments, tax, and internal audit, and has held key roles at Chubb, Munich Re, and Tokio Millennium Re. A former U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant, he mentors startups and contributes to industry thought leadership on climate risk and ERM.

Capital Markets & M&A
Data & Engineering
Executive Leadership
Insurance
Product Development
Risk Management
Full Bio

Tish Squillaro

The founder of CANDOR Consulting, Tish specializes in strategic talent management, organizational dynamics, and business mediation. With expertise in change management and multicultural dynamics, she helps companies build effective teams and leaders, addressing core business challenges for long-term success.

Advisory & Consulting
Corporate Strategy
Executive Leadership
Go-to-Market Strategy
Human Resources
Talent & Hiring
Full Bio