Three students from the Barney School of Business placed 6th in the nation in the 2025 NAAIA National Talent Development Competition. NAAIA (the National African American Insurance Association) works to empower African American professionals in the insurance industry and inspire the next generation of talent. This marks the third year that Barney has proudly taken part in the national competition.
The UHart team was sponsored by Hartford Steam Boiler (HSB), giving students the opportunity to connect with industry professionals, expand their networks, and gain valuable insight into insurance careers. Dean Aarti Ivanic served as the team’s advisor throughout the competition.
This year’s case study challenged students to develop innovative insurance products for the fast-growing creator economy. The fictional company, Frontier, is pursuing new revenue streams by creating niche insurance products tailored to digitally native and underserved markets, starting with creators.
Reflecting on the experience, team member Jacquelaine Anderson shared: “I had the opportunity to represent the University of Hartford in the NAAIA Talent Competition. When I joined the team, I only had a basic understanding of insurance but was eager to learn. We faced challenges and unfamiliar terms along the way, but with support from the Dean and our HSB partners, we pushed through. Preparing for the competition meant weekly meetings day and night, and balancing that with being a full-time student and worker was tough—but worth it. In the end, we placed 6th nationally, and I’m proud of our work and the idea we presented.”
Heather Gallant, Senior Client Operations Manager at HSB, said I’m so grateful for the opportunity to work with Barney students on the NAAIA Talent Development Competition. The team created a fantastic product and developed an excellent presentation. I was so impressed with their strategic thinking and strong sense of collaboration. Thank you, Dean Ivanic, for your dedication to the project, and thank you and a huge congratulations Ariana, Jackie and Teigan!“
Please join us in congratulating Jacquelaine Anderson, Teigen Green, and Ariana Hussain on this outstanding accomplishment!