Yahoo Finance Replay: This Shark Has a SPAC for You: Join CEOs of Kin Insurance, Omnichannel Acquisition in Fireside Chat
Omnichannel Acquisition CEO & Chairman Matt Higgins
IPO Edge and the Palm Beach Hedge Fund Association hosted a fireside chat with the CEO & Co-Founder of Kin Insurance, Inc. and the CEO & Chairman of Omnichannel Acquisition Corp. (NYSE: OCA) to discuss the Insurtech market, challenges posed to insurance companies in catastrophe-prone states, Kin’s edge over competition, and Kin’s upcoming business combination with Omnichannel Acquisition. The event featured Kin CEO & Co-Founder Sean Harper as well as Omnichannel Acquisition CEO & Chairman Matt Higgins, a guest Shark on the show “Shark Tank.” They will be joined by IPO Edge Editor-at-Large Jarrett Banks and Multimedia Editor Alexandra Lane in a moderated video session lasting approximately 60 minutes and including a Q&A with the audience.
Messrs. Harper and Higgins discussed:
Why Insurtech is a good investment
DTC Insurance
Overview of Kin
Challenges that insurance companies face in catastrophe-prone states and where Kin thinks it’s heading for the industry
Hurricane Ida Case Study
How Kin compares to Lemonade/Hippo
The future of Insurtech
Get out the vote
About the Speakers:
Sean Harper is the CEO and co-founder of Kin Insurance, the direct-to-consumer home insurance company for every new normal. By leveraging thousands of property data points, Kin customizes coverage through a super simple user experience and provides exceptionally low prices, even in states most impacted by climate change. The company currently offers homeowners, landlord, condo, and mobile home insurance through the Kin Interinsurance Network (KIN), a reciprocal exchange owned by its customers who share in the underwriting profit. Previously, Sean founded FeeFighters, a payments company bought by Groupon, and TSS-Radio, an ecommerce company that became an Inc. 500 fastest-growing company. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Sean was a consultant at the Boston Consulting Group and an investor at Longworth Venture Partners. He holds an AB from the University of Chicago, where he studied economics and computer science, and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
Matt Higgins is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Omnichannel Acquisition Corp. (NYSE: OCA). He is also the Chief Executive Officer of RSE Ventures, an incubator and investment firm that he co-founded in 2012 to pursue opportunities in the sports, media, entertainment, food, and technology sectors. Higgins’ deep operating experience spans multiple industries over his 25-year career, which he draws upon to help founders navigate complex situations in order to reach their full potential.
A lifelong New Yorker, Higgins spent much of his early career in public service at the site of the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil. He was appointed one of the first employees — and ultimately Chief Operating Officer — of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, the $2 billion dollar federally funded government agency created to plan and oversee the rebuilding of the 16-acre World Trade Center site. Higgins helped organize the largest international design competition in history, culminating in Reflecting Absence, the September 11th National Memorial, and the development of One World Trade Center, the tallest building in the United States.
After transitioning to the private sector, Higgins has spent 15 years affiliated with National Football League teams. He made his mark with two NFL franchises, overseeing the revenue functions of the New York Jets as Executive Vice President of Business Operations, and after leaving the Jets, serving as Vice Chair of the Miami Dolphins from 2012 – 2021. At RSE Ventures (“RSE”), Higgins has incubated numerous businesses and successfully backed many challenger brands from inception, including RESY, an OpenTable competitor that American Express acquired in 2019; Drone Racing League, the world’s premier drone racing circuit; and the International Champions Cup, the largest privately-owned soccer tournament featuring Europe’s top clubs. Starting in 2016, he broadened RSE’s focus to rapidly expanding food concepts including David Chang’s Momofuku, Fuku, Milk Bar, &pizza, and Bluestone Lane.
Higgins has a deep lens into consumer trends through RSE’s partnership with Gary Vaynerchuk in the leading digital-first marketing firm VaynerMedia. Higgins was the agency’s first client over a decade ago and RSE went on to acquire a significant ownership stake in the business. The agency has over 900 employees and is regarded as one of the top advisors to Fortune 500 companies on emerging marketing strategies before they go mainstream — including, for example, serving as the U.S. agency of record for TikTok. Through RSE, Higgins also teamed up with Jesse Derris to launch a brand strategy and communications firm that over the years has represented a number of leading DTC brands, including Warby Parker, Harry’s, Reformation and Everlane. Through RSE’s affiliated venture fund, Amity Supply, Higgins is an early shareholder in many disruptive brands, including Hims.
Higgins is an Executive Fellow at the Harvard Business School, where he co-teaches a course on emerging consumer trends with Professor Len Schlesinger, “Moving Beyond DTC,” through Harvard’s Short Immersive Program (SIP). Higgins also has been a guest shark on ABC’s hit show, Shark Tank, appearing on seasons 10 and 11, and Harper Collins’ William Murrow imprint will release his book, “Burn the Boats!,” in 2021. In 2019, he received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, joining the ranks of seven former U.S. presidents, Nobel Prize winners and other leaders for work to improve society. He is also a longstanding board member of Autism Speaks. Higgins received his Bachelor of Arts in political science and honorary doctorate from Queens College and his J.D. from Fordham Law, where he was a member of the Fordham Law Review.
Contact:
Jarrett Banks, Editor-at-Large
Twitter: @IPOEdge
Instagram: @IPOEdge
