The next cohort of the InsurTech Fellows Program for the 2020-2021 academic year is officially underway.

A collaboration between the Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation (CCEI) at the University of Connecticut and the University of Hartford and sponsored by CTNext, the program will provide 13 students from both universities the opportunity to learn about the insurance industry directly from industry experts and professionals working in the sector, with the goal of creating the next generation of insurance innovators and leaders.

The InsurTech Fellows Program was developed jointly by UConn and the University of Hartford in response to Hartford’s emerging presence as a leading InsurTech center, which has been a signature effort of Launc[H] since January 2018. It addresses a need that is critical to the community’s growth—access to top talent.

As a result, both undergraduate and graduate students learn about how new technologies are changing the insurance marketplace through a course in the fall semester, intern with local InsurTech startups in the spring semester, and then have an opportunity to further their skills over the summer through employment with either a startup, local carrier, or another local insurance technology partner.

This coming spring, nine students from UConn and four from the University of Hartford who are selected as Fellows will work with local InsurTech startups within the Nassau Re/Imagine incubator program. Fellows will receive personal mentorship, gain access to InsurTech professional networks, and ultimately have the opportunity to pursue job opportunities and internships. They will also earn $4,000 in scholarship funding for their participation.

The selected Fellows represent highly diverse backgrounds, featuring both graduate and undergraduate students representing a wide range of academic programs and areas including business, law, liberal arts, psychology, and information technology.

“Every year I’m impressed by the outstanding group of fellows selected into this program,” says Chereace Marcellin, a Program Specialist for the CCEI. “This year is no different. So far, these fellows have been resilient, forward-thinking, and continuously engaged in the world of InsurTech. I’m so excited to see where this journey takes them!”