COLUMBIA, S.C. - Sept. 14, 2020 - In a nod to a globe-spanning industry that originated in Columbia, SC, Columbia Economic Development (CED) has named September Insurtech Month. Executive Director Ryan Coleman explains, "Many don't realize that our city gave birth to an entire booming industry that is here to stay. And as a result, Columbia is home to some of the top insurance technology talent in the world, with dozens of companies from across the globe represented by the work done right here." Coleman is referring to the Blythewood-based Policy Management Systems that was founded in 1974 as a division of Siebels Bruce to automate core insurance enterprise functions that had historically been performed manually. Hundreds of technology companies followed that lead, resulting in today's multi-billion-dollar industry that spans the globe.

CED will mark the end of Insurtech Month by exploring the future of the industry and Columbia's role in that future. Kay Hampton, CED Deputy Director, states that, "Columbia is the number four city in the nation for attracting millennials, and in the top five for high-tech employment growth. We were placed in the top fifty best cities to start a business in 2020 by Inc. Magazine. Combine these things with the incredible amount of talent, both young and seasoned, we have in Columbia and we believe we will continue to be an industry hub with the ability to drive transformation and influence the future."

For visibility into what that future will look like, CED is hosting an insurcast on September 29 that will be available online and open to the public. The insurcast, entitled The Future of Insurance Technology is Now, will feature six young insurance professionals who are already very accomplished and contributing a significant amount of value to both the industry and to Columbia's standing in it. CED invites anyone who is interested to sign up at its Zoom webinar site (https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_IT5nFM5JTmOYIk5083KiIw) and hear what these industry stars have to say. The panel will consist of:

· Gabe Cossio, Sales Director, Duck Creek Technologies

· Farris Jones, Business Intelligence Analyst, Verisk

· Jessica Kearse, Business Analyst, Sapiens International

· Michael Olsen, Commercial Account Executive, McGriff Insurance

· Joshua Snead, Chief Executive Officer, Rainwalk Technologies

· Pelham Spong, Senior Solution Consultant, Limelight Health

Sponsored by ItsCola, Limelight Health, Women in Insurance Technology of SC (WiITsc) and Lilichuks Marketing, the session is free to join and open to the public.

Media Contact
Martie Cowsert Streit, Lilichuks