Ngozi Nnaji

Companies
Principal, Ako Brokerage Services, LLC
Founder / Managing Partner, Ako Insurance Consulting, LLC (www.akoinsuranceconsulting.com)
Founder – The Black Friday Network, LLC
Founder – InsureBlack, LLC
Platforms
Founder – #1000blackinterns (www.1000blackinterns.org)
Founder – JollofPie (www.jollofpie.com)
Co-Founder – The B Fund (https://columbusfoundation.org/the-giving-store/fund-directory-listing/BFund/4667)
Initiatives
Co-Founder – The Trilogy
Founder – Black Men of the Insurance Industry Initiative
Founder – Black Women of the Insurance Industry Initiative
Founder – Black Friday (https://blackfriday.akoinsuranceconsulting.com/)
Founder – Agent Alliance

Ngozi started Ako Brokerage Services, LLC in 2017, after a 20-year career in the insurance industry. She started the firm recognizing a growing desire for insureds to assist clients of underrepresented demographics understand the benefits of insurance being an asset protection and wealth generation tool. Ako Brokerage Services is a full-service brokerage and consulting firm. Although Ako Brokerage Services offers personal and commercial lines products and services, the agency specializes in working with minority-owned businesses and their owners to help them understand the importance of using insurance to shield their assets, so they can spend on the coverages they need to ultimately scale and grow their businesses.

Also in 2017, Ngozi recognized an additional need within the insurance industry. She saw many insurance employers continue to struggle with diversifying their workforce and creating inclusive cultures in an industry that has historically struggled to do so. In response, Ngozi launched Ako Insurance Consulting, a consulting firm that focuses on creating equitable opportunities for marginalized groups working in the insurance industry as well as disenfranchised groups who can potentially benefit from insurance as a tool. Ako focuses on 4 key areas: 1) recruitment and retention of diverse talent, 2) distribution channel diversification, 3) racial and gender equity in underwriting and pricing practices, and 4) insurance empowerment & self-reliance.

In Igbo, Ngozi’s family’s native language in Nigeria, Ako means wisdom. In both of her firms, Ngozi uses wisdom, as well as experience and strong industry knowledge to advise the clients that she and her team work with.
​
Before starting Ako, Ngozi served as the Northeast Healthcare Zone Leader for CNA Insurance Company, where she oversaw the profitability and growth of the organization’s healthcare business in seven states. She also held leadership positions at Willis (currently Willis Towers Watson) where she led the placement services for their Healthcare Practice located in Hartford, Connecticut. Although Ngozi started her insurance career as an Underwriter with the St. Paul Companies, she also served in business development, customer experience and production roles throughout her career.

​Ngozi earned her Master of Science Degree in Risk Management and Insurance from Florida State University and graduated Cum Laude from Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Actuarial Science. Ngozi is a Licensed Property & Casualty and Life & Health Insurance Producer in 20 states.​

Ngozi served on the Executive Board of the National African American Insurance Association (NAAIA) where she has held the position of Secretary (October 2022 – December 2023) and Chair of the Agent Engagement Committee (January 2020 – December 2023). Under her leadership, NAAIA has doubled its number of Agent members, created the monthly Agent Round Table Series, and established the NAAIA Affinity Program, focused on increasing the number of Black Agents that have direct access to capacity with global, national, and regional insurance companies. Ngozi was previously the inaugural President of the Greater Hartford Chapter increasing the Chapter’s membership to over 70 in less than 3 years making it one of the fastest-growing Chapters in the organization.

In 2019, Ngozi was awarded the Leadership Award by the State of Connecticut Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr Holiday Commission, for her leadership and work in the insurance industry in the Greater Hartford area. Over the last three years, Ngozi has been recognized numerous times by Insurance Business America. In 2020 she received the Leading the Change and Hot 100 Awards where she was nominated by her peers in recognition for her work to help build a more diverse and equitable industry and for her overall impact. In 2021, 2022, and 2023 she was awarded the Elite Woman of the Year recognition for her advocacy for women, particularly women of color, in a male-dominated field. And in 2022 and 2024, she was honored with the Global 100 award for being one of the most influential people across the global insurance industry.

In recognition for the work, she does in the insurance industry around diversity, equity, and inclusion, Ngozi was the second recipient of the esteemed Alonzo Herndon Award in 2022. Alonzo Herndon, a slave by birth, became the founder and president of Atlanta Life Insurance Company, one of the most successful Black-owned insurance companies in the nation. His commitment was committed to closing the racial wealth gap through insurance, ownership, and entrepreneurship.

Following in her parents’ footsteps, Ngozi is currently an Adjunct Professor at Clark Atlanta University (Atlanta, GA). She previously served as a Distinguished Lecturer at Fisk University (Nashville, TN). At both historically Black colleges/universities (HBCU’s), she was tasked with creating and growing their Risk Management and Insurance undergraduate degree/concentration programs. She previously held the position of Adjunct Professor at Goodwin University (East Hartford, CT) in their Business Administration Department as well as a member of their Insurance Institute’s Advisory Committee. Her efforts are rooted in her passion for bringing more diverse talent into the insurance industry by exposing them to the many career opportunities that exist. She is passionate about educating students about the benefits of insurance at a young age to help close the racial wealth gap and increase diversity within the industry. To formalize her efforts in 2023, Ngozi created the Agent Alliance, an initiative focused on licensing HBCU students as property & casualty and life & health insurance agents as part of their collegiate experience. To date she has gotten 10 students licensed in one or both disciplines.

During the COVID pandemic, Ngozi launched three insurance industry-wide initiatives, #1000blackinterns, Black Women of the Insurance Industry and Black Men of the Insurance Industry. #1000blackinterns is a two-year initiative aimed at hiring 1000 Black interns in the insurance industry to a collective partnership with employers who wish to display their commitment proudly and publicly to diversity. Black Women of the Insurance Industry and Black Men of the Insurance Industry look to rally the Black Women and Black Men in the insurance industry to create an organic pipeline of Black male talent from entry-level to executive positions within organizations as well as identify and implement strategies that directly Black ownership within the industry and the community. In 2022, Black Men of the Insurance Industry launched The Slice, a monthly LinkedIn Live podcast that focuses on the experiences of Black Men who happen to be insurance professionals, and JollofPie, the first online platform for Black insurance professionals to connect / network. Black Women of the Insurance Industry (BWII) initiative is known for its Sisterhood Conference which has empowered its attendees through authentic connections and communication. In 2026, the BWII will be hosting its 5th annual event in Atlanta with 350 Black Female Insurance Professionals in attendance.

To support other Black Insurance Agents in the industry, Ngozi launched the Black Friday event in 2022. Black Friday is a dynamic, radical approach to creating more inclusive opportunities for Black agents and expanding the possibilities regarding distribution for insurance companies. Since its inception, Black Friday has hosted events in 10 different cities and has helped Black agency owners secure over 50 different appointments with insurance companies who are committed to making a difference in the insurance industry. Birthed out of the Black Friday events, The Black Friday Network (TBFN) was created. The Black Friday Network is the first Black-owned multidisciplinary network of Black-owned independent insurance agencies. To date TBFN has 24 agency members across the US generating combined revenue of over $8M.

In recognition of the work that she continues to do insurance industry to create equity, Ngozi was appointed by Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney to serve on the Task Force to Study the Insurance Costs Borne by Businesses Located in Distressed Municipalities in Connecticut.

Ngozi is active in several community organizations and causes. She owns a personal training and group fitness company, Ako Fitness. Ngozi lives in Middletown, Connecticut with her daughter who graduated from Columbia University (New York City, NY) this past May with her Masters of Arts degree in Latin American and Caribbean Region Studies, her oldest son graduated from Louisiana State University (Baton Rouge, LA) with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Finance and is currently working in the insurance industry, her second oldest son who completed his Freshmen year at Springfield College (Springfield, MA) and is finishing up his internship as a Strength Coach at Boston College, and her youngest son who is a rising Junior at Salisbury School (Salisbury, CT).

* A list of all of Ngozi’s public appearances and speaking engagements will be provided upon request.