In this week's episode of the Insurance Town Podcast, I got to sit down with my good friend Carl Ziade, co-founder of Gaia, for a conversation about innovation, entrepreneurship, AI, and what it really takes to drive meaningful change inside an insurance agency.

One of the things I appreciate most about Carl is that while he's a technologist at heart, he understands that technology alone doesn't solve problems. Process comes first. People come first. Technology simply helps great organizations execute better.

Carl's journey is a fascinating one. As a Lebanese immigrant and Stanford-trained computer scientist, he didn't originally set out to build solutions for the insurance industry. In fact, Gaia emerged after lessons learned from a completely different startup venture. What followed was a relentless focus on listening to customers, solving real-world problems, and building tools that help insurance professionals eliminate repetitive work and focus on higher-value activities.

In our conversation, we discuss:

• Carl's entrepreneurial journey and path into insurance technology

• The lessons learned from early startup failures and pivots

• Why customer feedback should drive product development

• The importance of strong business partnerships and company culture

• Why process matters more than technology

• Practical strategies for AI adoption inside insurance agencies

• How Gaia's browser extension automates repetitive data entry

• The power behind Gaia's "super copy" and "super paste" functionality

• Change management and gaining team buy-in for new technology

• What's next for Gaia and the future of data enrichment in insurance

One of my favorite takeaways from this conversation is Carl's advice to start small. Too many agencies feel like they need a complete transformation overnight. The reality is that successful AI adoption often starts with one process, one workflow, and one win. Build momentum, create confidence, and then scale from there.

If you've been wondering how AI can help your agency become more efficient without disrupting everything you're already doing, this episode is packed with practical insights you can apply immediately.

Pull up a chair, grab your favorite beverage, and enjoy my conversation with Carl Ziade

A special thank you to our sponsors for supporting the Insurance Town Podcast:

• Canopy Connect, helping agents collect verified insurance information from prospects in minutes.

• 1Fort, helping agencies streamline commercial insurance submissions and placement through AI-powered workflows.

• MAV, helping agencies scale smarter sales and close more deals with Texting to quality quote and connect prospects with your producers

We appreciate their support and their commitment to helping insurance professionals build better businesses.