Functional Finance Co-Founder and CEO Rashmi Melgiri will be taking the stage at IB FutureFest 2025 in Santa Monica this July. Her session, How to Think Like a Disruptor, is set for Thursday at 3:30 PM in the Pacific Zone.

An MIT graduate and repeat founder, Rashmi built CoverWallet into one of the most recognized insurtech brands in the space, leading it through rapid growth and a successful acquisition to Aon. Now, as CEO of Functional Finance, she’s taking on one of the biggest blind spots in the industry: back office operations.

“It was ten people, three companies, and one email thread just to confirm if someone got paid,” she said on a recent podcast. “It was chaotic, and it was normal. That’s the problem.”

Her take is direct: insurance is a financial product. It should be run with the same control, visibility, and speed as any serious financial operation.

She’ll be joined on stage by Christina Lucas, Global Director at Google Cloud and former Guidewire executive, along with Gallagher’s Kader Sakkaria, and ALKEME Insurance’s Abrianne Harmon. Together, they’ll explore what real change looks like inside large insurance organizations, and what’s getting in the way.

Rashmi’s session will focus on what it takes to lead meaningful transformation from inside the industry. Where friction hides. Why spreadsheets still dominate. And how better financial infrastructure can unlock faster growth, stronger carrier partnerships, and better decisions, without ripping out what already works.

Her perspective comes from lived experience. At CoverWallet, she helped redefine how small businesses buy insurance. At Functional Finance, she’s helping the industry rethink how money moves behind the scenes. That includes billing, payments, reconciliation, carrier reporting, commissions, and compliance.

“We’ve made peace with the chaos because it’s always been that way,” she said. “But at some point, you have to ask: is this really the best we can do?”

IBFutureFest 2025 brings together innovators, executives, and operators to shape the future of insurance. Rashmi’s talk will explore the mindset and strategies behind the most forward-thinking MGAs, wholesalers, and carriers, and why fixing what’s broken behind the scenes might be the most disruptive move you can make.

If you're attending, don’t miss her session—and book time to meet with Rashmi and Functional Finance Head of Sales Joe Russo while you’re there.

Schedule a meeting or learn more:  https://www.functionalfi.com/events/2025-ib-futurefest/