Success Stories of The Founder’s Chair Dallas Event

The Founder’s Chair Dallas event brought together a diverse group of visionary entrepreneurs, each with a unique business model and a shared determination to succeed. As they pitched their innovative ideas to our panel of seasoned Funders, the energy in the room was palpable, reflecting the spirit of collaboration and growth that defines The Founder’s Chair community. Now, as we reflect on the impact of the event, we are thrilled to share the success stories of these Founders and highlight their transformative journey.

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Founder Spotlight: The Admin Effect

The Admin Effect is dedicated to empowering professionals in the financial services industry to achieve their utmost success. Led by a team of skilled Account Executives with extensive expertise in the field, The Admin Effect specializes in providing personalized consulting and operational solutions.

The Admin Effect exemplifies a deep commitment to client satisfaction and its innovative approach to addressing industry challenges. With a focus on client-centricity, their team collaborates closely with financial professionals, offering strategic guidance and implementing effective solutions across various areas, including New Business Processing, Training and Development, Marketing Support, Operational Efficiency, and Growth Strategies.

Feedback from Funders highlighted The Admin Effect’s unique value proposition and their ability to deliver impactful solutions without the need to move contracts. With a fully committed staff and a finger on the pulse of the industry’s largest advisors, IMOs, and carriers, The Admin Effect is set up for an impactful future.

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Founder Spotlight: Real Innovation

Traditional life insurance application processes could be cumbersome and time-consuming, involving weeks of paperwork and phone calls with agents. But Real Innovation is changing the game by redesigning the entire process to prioritize your needs.

Real Innovation offers flexible coverage options, eliminating unnecessary hassles, and providing access to valuable online tools. Their team of licensed agents is loyal to guiding you through every step of the process, ensuring a seamless experience from start to finish.

Partnering with some of the world’s largest and most respected life insurance companies, Real Innovation combines the dependability of industry giants with the convenience of modern technology. Their innovative approach delivers results in minutes whenever possible, matching you with the best policy and price available in real-time.

Feedback from our Funders highlighted Real Innovation’s genuine, creative, and honest approach. With a commitment to operational efficiencies and business development, Real Innovation has achieved remarkable accomplishments, boasting $1M in revenue after just one year. Their tech-forward platform focuses on generating leads and applications while maintaining high standards for agents and strong margins.

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Founder Spotlight: White Swan

White Swan is leading the charge towards a more innovative and accessible financial future by applying a technology and tech-driven process to Agents and Investment Advisors who want to streamline life insurance fulfillment. They offer three ways to leverage their platform, making it attractive to the independent Agent to the largest IMO.

White Swan brought achievements and entrepreneurial spirit to the table. Their journey exemplifies resilience and determination, and their recent successes at our event have only reinforced our confidence in their vision.

Feedback from Funders underscored the Founders’ impressive leadership and their ability to navigate challenges with agility and grace. With investors like Securian, Allianz, and RevTech Labs already backing them, White Swan is situated for continued expansion.

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Founder Spotlight: IRMAA Certified Planner

IRMAA Certified Planner (IRMAA CP) is designed for Financial Professionals who continue to monitor areas that may impact a retirement plan––providing financial professionals with the knowledge and tools to navigate the complexities of Medicare’s IRMAA for retirees.

With the IRMAA CP, financial professionals gain the expertise to understand and translate the impact of IRMAA on retirement planning. They can identify which financial instruments may lead retirees into IRMAA and provide strategies to help clients avoid it while still generating income.

Additionally, IRMAA CPs are equipped to guide clients through the appeals process, offering valuable insights into what steps need to be taken if a client believes they should not be subject to IRMAA.

Feedback from Funders focused on the growing marketplace demand for IRMAA-related expertise, with projections indicating a substantial audience of 40,000 consumers per month. The IRMAA CP designation offers a comprehensive solution, including certification, software, and seminar systems, adaptable to existing advisors’ practices or as standalone offerings. With no other platform currently equipped to handle these discussions and training, the IRMAA CP designation is an attractive option both financial professionals and their clients.

Agent Review

Founder Spotlight: Agent Review

Agent Review is dedicated to providing consumers with unbiased advice on common insurance types while highlighting local agents whose credentials have been independently verified.

Their platform boasts a robust lineup of industry heavyweights, including Harley Gordon, Joe Pulitano, and Richard Bufkin, who are invested in bringing this innovative idea to market. With a fully built-out platform recently launched, Agent Review offers a straightforward business model that directs customers to the best agents seamlessly.

Feedback from our Funders underscored the strength of Agent Review’s platform, with praise for their extensive agent database of over 700k, their digital “storefront” offering agents CRM and marketing-light tools, and their third-party verification process through the Rhoads Insurance Institute.

Agent Review strives to empower its consumers to make informed insurance decisions while providing agents with the tools they need to thrive in today’s market.

Stream

Founder Spotlight: Stream

With a bold “what if?” mentality, Stream’s Founders set off on a journey to empower insurance distributors with cutting-edge solutions to fuel their growth.

Stream’s platform addresses the challenges faced by independent distributors, offering a comprehensive suite of technology, marketing, recruiting, finance, and HR services under one roof. By combining proven insurtech capabilities with a “Google Economics” advertising model, Stream provides a cost-effective solution to market and manage insurance distribution businesses of all sizes.

With an experienced leadership team and strategic partnerships in place, Stream is well-positioned to drive meaningful change and empower agencies to thrive in today’s competitive landscape.

Feedback from Funders focused on the potential of Stream’s solution and its timely relevance in the industry. There was an emphasis on the importance of Stream’s strong foundation and clear vision for the future.

The Founder’s Chair Dallas event showcased the incredible talent and innovation driving the entrepreneurial landscape forward. We are immensely proud of the success achieved by each of these founders and are excited to continue supporting them on their journey. As they continue to grow and evolve their businesses, we remain committed to providing them with the resources, mentorship, and guidance they need to thrive in today’s dynamic business environment. Together, we are shaping the future of entrepreneurship and empowering founders to turn their visions into reality.

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.