New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Top-10 global insurance broker, Acrisure announced today the formation of Evolution Advisors, LLC, a new joint venture to focus on the insurance needs of minority-owned businesses and diverse communities across the United States. Super Bowl champion quarterback of the
National Football League's Seattle Seahawks, Russell Wilson and his wife, Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter, Ciara, are founding partners and equity owners in the joint venture and will help guide the business and its community impact strategies.
"Acrisure is committed to making a difference and we look forward to working alongside Russell and Ciara. Our interests could not be more aligned. Acrisure's deep insurance, financial and technology expertise will help to address the risk problems faced by minority-owned businesses and diverse communities across the U.S.," said Greg Williams, Co-Founder, President and CEO of Acrisure. "Along with their broad cultural impact, we're proud to align with Russell and Ciara's belief that everyone should have the opportunity to grow in a healthy and positive way. Insurance and financial services are an essential piece of personal and commercial success, so we're excited to bring bold strategies to a broad and diverse client base."
Said Russell Wilson and Ciara: "We're excited to partner with Acrisure on this venture. We believe in the power of ownership and our hope is that through this partnership, we can help create a path for diverse communities to build up their own businesses and infrastructure. It's always been important for us to give back to the community and now, more so than ever, we recognize that minority-owned businesses need to be afforded more opportunities."
The joint venture will immediately focus on providing greater access and more effectively distributing insurance products to minority-owned enterprises, including Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) certified businesses. Over the past 10 years, MBE's accounted for more than 50 percent of the two million new businesses started in the United States and created 4.7 million jobs, according to the Senate Committee on Small Business. There are now more than four million minority-owned companies in the United States, with annual sales totaling close to $700 billion.
Russell Wilson and
Ciara were introduced to Acrisure through longtime friend
Thomas Tull, who is Chairman of Acrisure Technology Group and Founder, Chairman and CEO of Tulco, LLC. In mutual recognition of wanting to make a significant social and business impact, the concept of Evolution Advisors, LLC was formed between all parties following several months of discussion.
"There is no more important mission than investing in, and supporting businesses that promote equality. We are honored to partner with Russell Wilson and Ciara, who are each unmatched in their respective fields and committed along with Acrisure to providing opportunities for diverse communities," said Tull. "Acrisure is a disruptive, global powerhouse that is a cut above its competitors and uniquely positioned to rise to this occasion, and I am proud to be part of an effort to redefine financial service access for minority business owners."
Acrisure is the fastest growing and among the 10 largest insurance distribution platforms in the world. The Company is forming the next-generation distribution model by combining state-of-the-art tech and one of the largest data sets of any insurance broker with the financial strength, expertise, and entrepreneurial energy of a start-up. The joint venture being announced today will take immediate advantage of Acrisure's differentiated technology, data, and analytics capabilities to identify new insurance opportunities for minority-owned businesses.
Additionally, the joint venture will also seek to make a specific impact through community-focused efforts, building on Wilson and Ciara's work through their Why Not You Foundation, and Acrisure's philanthropic focus on children's health.
Russell Wilson's dedication to excellence is exemplified as an elite quarterback in the NFL, an innovative entrepreneur, and community leader. Growing up in VA, Wilson developed a love for football at a young age. His determination through high school and college led to being drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in 2012. During his first eight seasons, Wilson has led his team to the most wins in the team's NFL history, including a Super Bowl win in 2013. Off the field, Russell's leadership, passion, and business acumen have resulted in assembling an impressive and diverse portfolio of business ventures. Wilson also heads Seattle-based West2East, a brand management, creative content, and production company, in addition to Why Not You Productions, with Ciara, which focuses on scripted and unscripted film, television, and digital content projects. He has landed major endorsements and global ambassadorships with several companies including Nike, Wilson's Sporting Goods, Alaska Airlines, and Bose; and he and
Ciara recently founded their fashion house, LRC, which includes his already successful men's apparel line, Good Man Brand. In 2014, he launched the Why Not You Foundation, a non-profit creating change by motivating and empowering youth. His weekly visits to Seattle Children's lift the spirits and bring joy to the hearts of patients and families.
Ciara is a Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter, producer, model, and actress. Over her fifteen-year career, she has sold over 23 million records and 22 million singles worldwide, including chart-topping hits "Goodies," "Ride," "Oh," "1, 2 Step," "I Bet," and "Level Up."
Ciara is not only known for her vocal talent and dance moves (her videos have been viewed over 2 billion times), but she has starred in both film and television roles.
Ciara is the founder and CEO of Beauty Marks Entertainment (BME), a company at the vanguard of the fast-changing music industry. With a business model built on fully supporting the artist, the female-led enterprise places
Ciara at the forefront of forward-thinking entertainers taking an entrepreneurial approach to their careers. To that end, the company positions music at the intersection of Ciara's other passions: film, fashion, philanthropy, and technology. And as part of her ongoing philanthropy work,
Ciara sits on the board of the Why Not You Foundation, a charity launched by her husband Russell Wilson dedicated to fighting poverty through education, empowering youth to lead with a 'why not you' attitude.
