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BEYOND THE CHAIR

Scaling with Purpose: Real Innovation’s Next Chapter

At The Founder’s Chair, we celebrate the bold thinkers transforming industries from the inside out. In our latest “Beyond the Chair” feature, we highlight Peter Reierson, Founder of Real Innovation, a modern life insurance platform reshaping how protection and peace of mind are delivered to families nationwide.

Life Insurance, Reimagined

Life insurance has long been known for its complexity—slow processes, dense paperwork, and outdated systems that often left families confused or underserved. Real Innovation is changing that. Founded on the belief that everyone deserves affordable, accessible, and easy-to-understand coverage, Real Innovation offers a digital-first, consultative approach that centers on people, not profit.

From flexible policies to a streamlined digital application, the team has designed a platform that simplifies every stage of the journey—matching clients with top-rated carriers in minutes, and backing that with real licensed agents ready to guide the process with clarity and care.

Building for Better Outcomes

Since presenting at The Founder’s Chair, Real Innovation has been on a sharp growth trajectory—scaling its operations, onboarding new carriers, and investing in proprietary technology to drive even greater efficiency.

The company’s model benefits not just consumers, but also agents and insurance partners. On the agent side, they’ve created an ecosystem that avoids the pitfalls of traditional commission-first sales models. Instead, agents at Real Innovation receive quality leads, dedicated mentorship, and tools to help them build meaningful careers. For carriers, this translates into higher-quality service, more informed customers, and improved client retention.

Mission-Driven Growth

At the heart of Real Innovation is a deeper mission: to bridge the financial protection gap for everyday Americans. In a world where half the population lacks life insurance and many live paycheck to paycheck, Reierson and his team are offering more than products—they’re providing stability, education, and dignity.

Their recent success in closing both an initial seed round and follow-on investment—with help from TFC angels—has only accelerated this momentum. They’ve doubled output from Q4 to Q1, refined their marketing approach, and expanded internal teams focused on client experience and brand development.

Looking Ahead

As Real Innovation eyes enterprise partnerships and national brand growth, Reierson remains grounded in the same ethos that started it all: empowering people to make informed choices about their financial future.

The Founder’s Chair is proud to support founders like Peter who are building with purpose, scaling with care, and proving that even traditional industries like insurance can be transformed—when you lead with people first.

Learn more at: RealInnovationLife.com
Watch the full interview on our YouTube playlist: Beyond the Chair

Est. 1919 · Des Moines, Iowa

HOTEL FORT DES MOINES

A century of stories, one remarkable address

Famous Guests
Scandals & Secrets
Firsts & Innovations
The Beginning
1922
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1922

Helen Keller rang in the New Year here, staying at the hotel while in Des Moines for performances over New Year's Eve.

1927
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1927

Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig had breakfast here before an exhibition game. Two of baseball's greatest, at the same table, in Des Moines.

1927
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1927

Charles Lindbergh hosted a banquet here after his famous transatlantic flight. The menu featured boneless squab — reportedly a rare Des Moines delicacy at the time.

1933
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1933

Amelia Earhart visited the hotel to speak about her solo flight across the Atlantic — a rare chance for Iowans to hear her story firsthand.

1947
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1947

Mae West stayed here during her performance of "Come on Up" at the KRNT Radio Theater. One imagines she made an impression on the staff.

1959
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1959

Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev occupied the Presidential Suite during the height of the Cold War. This hotel has seen history made.

1960
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1960

JFK, LBJ, and Hubert Humphrey all attended dinner here and held a meeting on farm policy — three future or sitting presidents under one roof.

1980
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1980

Elizabeth Taylor stayed here during a Des Moines appearance. Hollywood glamour, right here in the heartland.

1980
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1980

Elizabeth Taylor stayed here during a Des Moines appearance. Hollywood glamour, right here in the heartland.

2003
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2003

Cher requested her own personal mattress be placed in room #1025. The hotel obliged. Room 1025 has never quite been the same.

2008
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2008

Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton both stayed here during the Iowa caucuses — rivals for the presidency, sharing the same address for a night.

1939
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1939

Police raided the Log Cabin Room on the 11th floor, seizing liquor and gambling equipment. The tip reportedly came from the men's own wives.

1927
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1927

When Lindbergh dined here post-transatlantic flight, he reportedly insisted on serving boneless squab, an extravagance that raised eyebrows across Iowa.

1959
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1959

The FBI monitored Khrushchev's stay closely. Guests on nearby floors reportedly had no idea who was sleeping down the hall.

1971
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1971

President Nixon greeted supporters in the lobby during his stay — a reminder that this hotel has always been where Iowa's political drama plays out.

1919
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1919

When it opened, every single room had a bathtub, purified chilled circulating water, and a window. Unheard of luxury for its era.

1938
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1938

The hotel announced the first air-conditioned guest room in Des Moines, a genuine technological milestone that made front-page news.

1953
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1953

100 rooms received TV sets in what was reportedly the largest single installation of televisions in Iowa at the time. The fee to operate yours? 25 cents.

1982
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1982

Governor Terry Branstad nominated the hotel to the National Register of Historic Places, cementing its place in Iowa's official history.

1919
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1919

The hotel opened on July 15, 1919, built for approximately $1.5 million and designed by the architectural firm Proudfoot, Bird & Rawson.

1919
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1919

Its opening was a statement of ambition: every room had a private bathtub, purified water, and a window. In 1919, this was genuinely extraordinary.

1974
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1974

Ronald Reagan attended WHO Radio's 50th anniversary celebration at the hotel, proof that Fort Des Moines has always been Iowa's premier gathering place.

2021
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2021

After major renovations, the hotel reopened as part of the Curio Collection by Hilton, a century of history, restored for the next hundred years.