RISE Innovators Lab: Earn Your Certified RISE Innovator Badge

Have an Idea That Could Make Insurance Better? Bring It to the RISE Innovators Lab. 

The 2026 RISE Innovators Lab is a live virtual insurance innovation training program that helps professionals turn workplace challenges into practical solutions. Taking place September 15–17, the course includes 12 hours of instruction on problem-solving, AI applications, business cases, and leading change. Participants who complete the program earn the Certified RISE Innovator (CRI) designation and badge, RISE’s first certification.

You see it every day: a process that takes too long, a frustrating customer experience, or a task that could be easier with the right technology. You’ve probably thought, “There has to be a better way.”

Knowing how to turn that observation into a solution, earn leadership’s support, and make it happen takes practice. That’s exactly what the RISE Innovators Lab is designed to teach.

Taking place September 15–17, 2026, this live virtual program brings insurance professionals together for three half-days of practical learning. Participants who complete the course earn the Certified RISE Innovator (CRI) designation and badge, RISE’s first certification.

With only two seats remaining, this is your opportunity to join this year’s cohort and turn your ideas into something your organization can use.

RISE’s First Certification, Built Around Taking Action

RISE created the Innovators Lab because developing future leaders means giving people opportunities to practice leading. That includes identifying problems, thinking critically, building support, and taking responsibility for improving the way things work.

The CRI certification reflects that commitment. Participants learn a structured approach to innovation, then apply it by developing and submitting an innovation proposal.

When you complete the course, you’ll earn a Certified RISE Innovator badge you can share on LinkedIn and include on your résumé. You’ll also leave with practical frameworks, experience shaping a business case, and a proposal you can bring back to your organization.

A Live Virtual Lab Where You Put the Learning to Work

The program includes 12 hours of programming across three half-days, with a curriculum that moves through three levels: Foundations, Practitioner, and Change Agent.

The live virtual format allows you to participate without traveling while learning alongside insurance peers. Across 12 sessions, you’ll work through the questions that determine whether an idea moves forward: Are we solving the right problem? Is the solution feasible? Who needs to support it? How will we measure the results?

AI is woven into that process. The outline includes using AI to identify workflow problems, tools such as ChatGPT and Gemini to help draft business cases, and prototyping tools such as Lovable, v0, and Replit to visualize and test ideas.

For Nicole Greenhouse, RISE’s Programs & Operations Manager, one of the biggest highlights is seeing participants build those ideas together.

“I love leading the RISE Innovators Lab and getting to watch everyone collaborate. It’s so rewarding to see each participant bring their innovative ideas to life and hear their pitches at the end of the program. Hosting the Lab in KumoSpace makes the experience even more engaging. The platform creates a fun, interactive environment where participants can connect, collaborate in smaller groups, and truly work through ideas together.”

Learn From This Year’s Professors

This year’s faculty brings perspectives from insurance operations, claims, data science, governance, product development, and leadership. Their sessions connect the innovation process to challenges participants can recognize within their own organizations.

Level 1: Foundations — Find the Right Problem to Solve

The first level builds your understanding of innovation and helps you look more closely at the work around you. You’ll explore process and product innovation, become familiar with frameworks such as Six Sigma and Agile, and practice techniques including design thinking, customer journey mapping, and process mining.

Teaching these foundations are:

• Cortney Helfrich, Chief Personnel Officer at Wilber Group, leading The Basics of Innovation, including frameworks for understanding different types of innovation and balancing immediate improvements with longer-term opportunities.
• Alan Flowers, VP of Data Governance at AmTrust Group, and Ben Barnes, Senior Corporate Counsel, Data & AI Governance and Security at AmTrust Financial Services, teaching Speaking the Language, helping participants understand common frameworks and terminology.
• Kevin Horwitz, VP, Innovation Management and Policy Development at RLI, leading Emerging Technologies & Process Innovation, with case studies from startups and established companies.
• Joe Powell, Chief Digital Officer at Gallagher Bassett, teaching Identifying and Defining a Problem, including approaches to uncovering pain points and using AI to rethink broken workflows.

Level 2: Practitioner — Build a Solution Others Can Support

A promising idea needs a clear business case. In the second level, you’ll learn to evaluate costs and benefits, calculate potential return on investment, scope a project, and create a prototype or proof of concept. You’ll also consider who needs to be involved and what success should look like.

Guiding that work are:

• Kyle Bacon, APD Claim Manager, and Nicole Lenzen, Claim Specialist, at The Auto Club Group, teaching Developing a Business Case, including demonstrating value and using AI tools to develop a proposal more efficiently.
• Jamie Warner, Managing Director, Data Science and Pricing at Plymouth Rock Assurance, leading Creating a Prototype/Proof of Concept, focused on testing feasibility, visualizing solutions, and demonstrating an idea to stakeholders.
• Amanda Gerhardt, Lead Business Analyst, and Shannon Matos, Project Manager, at Preferred Mutual, teaching Understanding Your Stakeholders & Navigating the Corporate Landscape, including finding senior sponsors, building support, and recognizing when to pivot.
• Salena Chaudhry, Manager Claim Systems Transformation, and Danielle McGhie, Claim Manager II, at The Auto Club Group, leading Measuring Success, helping participants define the KPIs and metrics that will show whether an initiative is working.

Level 3: Change Agent — Make the Case and Move It Forward

The final level focuses on implementation, communication, and adoption. You’ll consider how to structure a pilot, involve testers and super users, build a network of internal advocates, and tailor your pitch to the people whose support you need.

Leading these sessions are:

• Austin Tucker, Product Director at Verisk, teaching Putting Ideas into Practice, including implementation, change management, and defining roles within a pilot.
• Chris Steele, SVP, Enterprise Operations at The Mutual Group, leading Maintaining Momentum, focused on clear communication and building ambassador networks that help an initiative grow.
• David BurtonPerry, SVP, Head of Large Property at Vantage Risk, teaching Perfecting Your Pitch, helping participants explain their solution, connect it to company goals, and focus on what matters to their audience.

The program culminates in the Pitch Day Competition, where participants create and submit their innovation proposals.

Who Should Attend?

The Innovators Lab is open to insurance professionals across roles and levels, with particular value for aspiring leaders and professionals who want to influence change before they hold a senior title.

It’s a strong fit for someone who sees opportunities to improve a claims workflow, simplify an underwriting process, strengthen customer service, or explore a practical application of AI. It’s also valuable for managers who want to become more effective at moving ideas through their organizations.

For employers, this is an opportunity to invest in a curious, motivated employee and help them develop the skills to contribute at a higher level internally. Participants practice building a business case, communicating with leadership, and connecting their ideas to measurable business outcomes.

Two Seats Remain

The next improvement your organization needs could start with something you’ve already noticed. The RISE Innovators Lab will help you take the next step.

Join us September 15–17, 2026, for three live virtual half-days and earn your Certified RISE Innovator designation and badge upon completion.

Reserve one of the last two seats in the 2026 RISE Innovators Lab.

Sponsored by AAA – The Auto Club Group, Amerisure, Grange Insurance, MISSION, Preferred Mutual, The Mutual Group, Vantage, and Wilber