In this episode of the Insurtech Leadership Podcast, host Josh Hollander interviews Valkyrie Holmes, CEO and co-founder of Faura, a company providing climate and property analytics to help insurance companies and homeowners reduce natural disaster risk.

During the conversation, Valkyrie discusses her company's innovative approach to reducing natural disaster risk for insurance companies and homeowners. With a background in data science and space technology, Valkyrie pivoted to sustainability after receiving a grant, initially focusing on wildfire prevention. Faura provides climate and property analytics, helping insurers make informed decisions on premium pricing and risk reduction. Valkyrie also touches on the importance of hyper-personalization in insurance policies, the integration of Faura's technology into existing systems, and the company's business model.

Key Topics Covered:

• [02:15] Valkyrie's background in data science and space technology, including internships at SpaceX and NASA
• [02:31] How Faura pivoted from wildfire suppression hardware to software-based risk analytics after receiving a grant focused on sustainability 
• [06:06] The shift towards hyper-personalization in insurance, moving from life and auto to property insurance
• [09:52] Faura's approach of using digital self-assessments and a "resilience score" to help price policies and incentivize risk reduction
• [35:57] Expansion from wildfire risk to other perils like wind and flood
• [13:15] The challenge of pricing risk in an era of increasing natural disasters
• [26:26] Integration options, including APIs and policy management system connections
• [29:13]Attracting young people to the insurance industry by highlighting its underlying role in society
• [32:28] Valkyrie's approach to LinkedIn content and social media engagement

• [36:52] The MetaProp accelerator program Faura is participating in in New York

Notable Quotes:

• "Insurance underlies everything we do. It's hard to realize that it underlies everything we do." - [29:47] Valkyrie Holmes
• "The more value you give people in your content and the more you believe in that content, the more it will speak to people." - [32:51] Valkyrie Holmes on social media strategy

About Our Guest:

Valkyrie Holmes is the CEO and co-founder of Faura, with a background in data science at SpaceX and NASA. She pivoted to sustainability and insurtech after receiving a grant from 776, developing Faura's climate risk analytics platform.

Resources:

Valkyrie Holmes

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/valkyrieholmes/
• https://www.faura.us/

Josh Hollander

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuarhollander/
• https://www.horton-usa.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/insurtech-leadership-show/?viewAsMember=true
• https://www.insurtechassociation.org/
• https://innsure.org/