A new kind of mutual partnership

Tended,not taken.

Ember partners with legacy mutuals to modernize the operation underneath — technology, claims, compliance, capital — while the name on the door, the board in charge, and the community you serve stay exactly as they are.

Talk to Ember See how it works

The stake

The fire is still burning. The people keeping it lit are stretched thin.

Across the country, long-standing mutuals face the same pressures: leaders wearing five hats, systems built for a different decade, and no realistic path to the technology and expertise larger carriers take for granted. Growth feels out of reach. And every year, another century-old legacy is at risk of being merged away.

Leaders stretched thin

The same handful of people run underwriting, claims, compliance, and the books — and still have to plan for who comes next.

Systems past their prime

Spreadsheets and legacy policy systems slow agents down and keep good data out of reach.

Scale out of reach

Reinsurance, technology, and specialist talent are priced for carriers ten times your size.

It doesn’t have to end that way.

Alignment, not acquisition

Same name on the door. Same board in charge. A leaner, sharper operation underneath.

Ember isn’t a buyer. It’s a partner delivering contracted services — never ownership. Your policyholders elect your board. Your board and officers govern. Ember advises and serves, reinforcing what already works and thoughtfully building what’s next.

No equity.Ember holds no voting securities in your mutual.
No proxy rights.Your members’ votes stay with your members.
No board seats.Governance stays with the board your policyholders elect.

Policyholders elect the boardThe board and officers governEmber advises and serves

The relationship is contractual and reversible. Ember recommends reviewing the services agreement with your state’s Department of Insurance early, alongside your own regulatory counsel.

Six ways Ember strengthens a mutual

A complete bench, under one roof.

When our resources meet your local expertise, strength multiplies. Every service is flexible, scalable, and shaped to your mutual — and every one of them is delivered as a service, never as ownership.

  • Technology and systems modernization

    Ember Tech is a modern policy, billing, and claims platform designed around the way mutual agents actually work — faster quoting, cleaner issuance, and a portal your agents will want to use.

  • Underwriting and claims support

    Shared best practices and scalable resources take pressure off your team, so the people your members know can focus on the members.

  • Compliance, operational guidance, and reinsurance

    Fewer blind spots: compliance oversight and strategic reinsurance advisory from people who understand the mutual difference.

  • Financial stewardship and integrated capital

    CFO-level clarity without the headcount, and tailored capital that reinforces mutual strength and long-term profitability.

  • Marketing and brand development

    Your story, told so it connects with today’s policyholders — without losing the soul of who you are and who your community trusts.

  • People, culture, and leadership development

    Roles, pay, and history preserved from day one, with leadership development for every corner of your mutual — from the claims desk to the corner office.

Built by mutuals, for mutuals

The people behind Ember have already sat in your chair.

Our leadership team managed underwriting, claims, operations, marketing, technology, and finance at some of the most successful and forward-thinking mutuals in the country. We’re not here to take over. We’re here to stand beside you.

  • Jake BlackPresident
  • Steve LekasChief Executive Officer
  • Joe EmisonChief Technology Officer
  • Jen RegasChief Financial Officer
  • Charlie WendlandChief Claims Officer
  • Pratiksha PatelChief People Officer
  • Dan SpiegelVice President, Head of Marketing
  • Steve TewsVice President, Head of Product
  • Melanie IrvinVice President, Head of Legal
  • Joey KenneyVice President, Head of Product and Underwriting
  • Carson WilshireSenior Director, Data
  • Doug NaumanDirector, Distribution
Hands at a laptop keyboard
Underwriting, technology, claims, compliance, marketing, and finance — one bench.

The faces of a much bigger force

Behind the leadership team are hundreds of seasoned specialists across underwriting, technology, claims, compliance, marketing, and finance — ready to work as an extension of your own team.

  • Kent PetersonDirector, Property Claims
  • Bill CorwinDirector, Head of IT
  • Melissa JacksonAssociate Creative Director, Communications and Marketing
  • Morgan NailSenior Marketing Content Specialist
  • Sheena GrindstaffContent Specialist
  • Sam KenneyDigital Marketing Specialist

History, preserved. Operations, sharpened.

Our mission is simple: to protect your independence, strengthen your foundation, and share the kind of resources that spark new growth and confidence — while preserving what matters most, the legacy and identity at the core of your mutual.

Keep the fire alive

Let’s talk about what’s next for your mutual.

A first conversation is just that. No obligations, no change of control — ever. Tell us a little about your mutual and we’ll come back to you within two business days.