One unintended consequence of the financial crisis and economicdownturn is an increased willingness of potential entrepreneurs totake risks and offer new products, especially technology productsacross a wide spectrum of industries.

Entrepreneurs have also been encouraged by the rapid developmentof smartphones and how quickly users have adopted new apps foreverything from games to monitoring their homes.

The insurance industry, too, has attracted its share ofentrepreneurs and innovators, and they’ve found an opportunity toshowcase their ideas at the Entrepreneurial Insurance Symposium, presented by theEntrepreneurial Insurance Alliance, now in its 10thyear.

As described by the symposium’s organizer, Richard Kerr,founder, chairman and CEO of MarketScout, the event includes speeches,panels, debates and presentations from “the insurance industry’sgreatest visionaries, entrepreneurs and innovators.”

Kerr said the best thing about the symposium is the willingnessof insurance industry leaders to share what they’ve done right,what they’ve done wrong and what they would do differently.

The symposium also included vendors and networking opportunitiesin the exhibit space. Most of the attendees were independentagents, looking for ways to continue to provide the services andcoverages their clients need.

Here are some highlights from the first day of theconference:

Richard Kerr welcomes attendees to the EntrepreneurialInsurance Symposium. (Photo: Eileen Blumenthal)

In honor of the 10th anniversary of the symposium, Richard Kerrprovided a look back at the past 10 years, highlighting such eventsas the release of the first iPhone in 2007 and the first iPad in2010. He also noted that drones were used for the first time forinsurance purposes in 2013, and he said he believes that they wereone of the biggest differentiators in the industry.

Peter Eastwood of Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance andthe Entrepreneurial InsuranceAlliance's RichardKerr. (Photo: Eileen Blumenthal)

Peter Eastwood, president and CEO of Berkshire HathawaySpecialty Insurance, described “The Journey to Forever:Building Berkshire Hathaway Specialty.” Eastwood explained that thename of his presentation was derived from Warren Buffett’s beliefthat “Long term is forever.”

Ralph Blust of Insurance Noodle and John Pergande of InsureZone. (Photo: Eileen Blumenthal)

Steve England, president and CEO of Global SpecialRisks, moderated the “Battle Scars: 15 Years of LessonsLearned” panel. Ralph Blust, president of InsuranceNoodle, and John Pergande, CEO of Insure Zone,discussed their successes, failures and missteps in trying tocreate an online presence for insurance agents and to provideopportunities to streamline documentation processes.

John Howard of BB&THoldings. (Photo: Eileen Blumenthal)

John Howard, chairman and CEO of BB&T InsuranceHoldings, an economist by training, reviewed the global andU.S. economic picture to help his audience understand thecomplicated environment for the insurance industry. In his“Corporate Creativity” presentation, Howard explained that“Corporate creativity is really professionalism.” He urgedcompanies to focus more on nonlinear thinking and use what hecalled a “dreaming process” to encourage employees to become morecreative at solving problems or developing products.

Jeremy Johnson of American InternationalGroup. (Photo: Eileen Blumenthal)

Jeremy Johnson, president of American International Group’scommercial division, showed how to put words into action in hispresentation, “Building a Sustainable Culture of Innovation.”Johnson explained that it’s important to create time and space foremployees to ideate. He also recommended formal and informalpartnerships outside IT and the insurance industry to help sparkinnovation.

James Keating of TKG Wholesale Brokerage, Jeff Chesky ofInsuritas and Matt Miller ofEmbroker. (Photo: Eileen Blumenthal)

The “Disruptors” panel, moderated by Michael Ian Coles, managingdirector, ColesAdvisory Partners, was among the most lively of the two days.Jeff Chesky, founder, chairman and CEO of Insuritas, JamesKeating, founder, CEO and chairman of TKG Wholesale Brokerage, and Matt Miller,founder and CEO of Embroker, discussed two types of disruption —displacement and innovation — and how the industry is responding toeach one.

Susan Fiorito of Florida StateUniversity. (Photo: Eileen Blumenthal)

Wrapping up the first day was Susan Fiorito, professor ofentrepreneurship at Florida State University. Fiorito isinstrumental in starting the Jim Moran School of Entrepreneurshipat Florida State, which will be a separate entity and not adivision within the university's business school.

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