About

Silicon Valley Insurance Accelerator, Inc. (SVIA)

Our mission is accelerating innovation in the insurance industry. We produce the Innovation Trailblazers Webinar Series and our annual InsurTech FUSION Summit. We are in a pre-launch beta with NewTech Match our global innovation community and marketplace. NewTech Match facilitates dialog and connections between innovators and provides a marketplace where companies can quickly find, trial and purchase innovative solutions. We also provide Innovation Jumpstart Programs and Consulting for companies who wish to accelerate their innovation journey by developing next-gen strategies, solutions, products, and services and bringing them to market.

SVIA is recognized as a driving force and one of the top influencers in InsurTech, accelerating the dialog, connections, and solutions shaping the digital future of insurance. We are located in Silicon Valley, the epicenter of the InsurTech revolution and home to InsurTech startups, technology companies and innovation outposts serving the insurance market.

Founders

Mike Connor
CEO / Co-Founder
Blog,Twitter, Amazon, Udemy
mike@sviaccelerator.com

Mike Connor is CEO and Co-founder of Silicon Valley Insurance Accelerator (SVIA). He is recognized as one the top 25 influencers in InsurTech as well as Chair of InsurTech Silicon Valley Summits and SVIA LAB Blockchain BootCamp.

Mike has always been at the forefront of digital innovation, starting one of the America’s first computer stores in 1976. That led him to being called by Apple to join as employee #72 where he led Product Management Teams and worked directly for Steve Jobs. He has been a senior leader in numerous Silicon Valley startups and companies including Apple, Silicon Graphics, and Adobe. Mike was also a founding member in several startups – including SpatialKey, a cloud based geospatial data visualization and analysis solution used extensively in the insurance industry.

Mike is the author of “Competing for the Digital Future”, a Leadership Training Program for Digital Strategy and Transformation, and “Creating Insanely Great Customers | Always On Innovation“, a book about customer focused innovation. Mike is a visionary business leader with a passion for connecting people, ideas, and investments forging the digital future of insurance.

Natalie L. Wood
COO / Co-Founder
natalie@sviaccelerator.com

Natalie is COO and Co-Founder of Silicon Valley Insurance Accelerator (SVIA) and Co-CEO of a New Startup, NewTech Match (launching out of SVIA – Q1 2023). She is also Co-Chair of SVIA’s InsurTech FUSION Summit and InsurTech Consortium.

Ms. Wood’s prior experience includes being the CEO and founder of 3 previous Startups, including a thought leadership global trends research company, an Apple/multimedia software development firm, and an online venture backed financial and business services portal for small business.

In addition, her career includes working at The Economist in the Intelligence Unit as Business Director of the West Coast Technology Thought Leadership Group. Focused on Global Trends Analysis and C-Level Global Conferences for corporations, education and government.

Earlier experience includes working with David Bunnell (founder of PC Mag – PC World – MAC World – Computer World…) at PC World as Northern Regional Manager. Natalie also has telecom background experience with ITT Worldcom working on large client installations for a number of global backbone networks for companies such as Intel and Tandem Computers.

Advisors

SVIA advisors are recognized innovators, thought leaders and investors. They act as a sounding board for our strategy, programs, and projects and they connect us to innovators and innovation centers around the world. Our members have access to them through special members only activities and events.

Michael Gardner
CEO
Aqaix

Michael was head of BNY Mellon Innovation Center – Silicon Valley. He brings his experience to SVIA having directed a world class research and delivery team, focused on some of the world’s hardest and most interesting problems and data. Teams and research areas include Big Data, Data and Decision Science, Machine Learning, Devops, APIs, cryptocurrency, Security, PaaS, IaaS, and SaaS.

Tony Villa
Head of Corporate Development – Insurance
Volaris Group

Tony leads corporate development and new business ventures focusing on the insurance technology space. He is focused on using his industry experience to develop a rich ecosystem of insuretech businesses that transform the industry.

He has more than 20 years’ experience in designing, developing, and implementing enterprise software. And, he is passionate about harnessing emerging technology to create innovative business solutions.

Denise Garth
SVP – Strategic Marketing, Industry Relations and Innovation
Majesco

Denise is globally recognized as an InsurTech thought leader and Influencer for Insurance.

She is acknowledged as an exceptional strategist, international leader, speaker and writer with a strong grasp of the key issues facing the industry and a creative mind that translates these issues to highlight the importance and impact to better prepare for the future.