From Disruption to Domination: Cole Snell Of infineo On How Companies Are Thriving in the Age of Chaos and Turning Uncertainty into Opportunity

An Interview With Cynthia Corsetti

Be Consistent & Reliable: In moments of uncertainty, consistency and reliability is what grounds a team. At infineo, our mission and values don’t change, even when circumstances do. When we decided to shut down our life insurance agencies, it was a tough call. But our commitment to modernizing life insurance and building a digitally native platform never wavered. That consistency and reliability gave our team the confidence to pivot without losing sight of our goals.

In today’s world, uncertainty has become the new normal. Yet, some companies are not only surviving but thriving by leveraging disruption as an opportunity for growth and innovation. What strategies, mindsets, and practices enable businesses to navigate chaos and come out stronger on the other side? As part of this series, we are interviewing Cole Snell, the Founder and CEO of infineo.

Cole is a serial entrepreneur and author with a diverse background spanning multiple industries, from food to fintech. In 2018, he was introduced to a novel approach to personal finance using Whole Life Insurance, a move which fueled his passion for the financial industry. He recognized the need for a more accessible understanding of Whole Life Insurance, and founded LifeTech Design to fill this void.

LifeTech Design provided tools to demystify Whole Life Insurance, offering invaluable resources for families and financial advisors. Cole also pioneered, and authored a book on, the “Child Millionaire” concept, underscoring the potential benefits of well-structured whole life policies for a child’s future financial stability.

Simultaneously, Cole noted a compelling parallel between Whole Life Insurance and Digital Assets, particularly in their capacity to provide independence from traditional finance systems. Recognizing an opportunity, he assembled a team to create Infineo, a company digitizing Whole Life Insurance using the blockchain & AI.

Throughout his entrepreneurial journey, Cole has continuously strived to transform and improve financial services, combining innovation with user education for greater financial certainty.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Before we dive into our discussion, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory about what brought you to your specific career path?

The journey that brought me to infineo wasn’t linear, but every step prepared me for this moment. I started my career in naturopathic medicine, running clinics where I saw how deeply financial security impacted people’s ability to live healthy lives. That realization drove me into entrepreneurship in the food industry, where I built a company rooted in storytelling and quality — selling artisanal cheeses, believe it or not.

But a common thread followed me: money was always the limiting factor for people’s dreams. That’s what inspired my pivot into finance. After selling my company, my financial advisor introduced me to life insurance as a tool — not just for protecting wealth but as a powerful fixed-income asset. It wasn’t a quick realization. It’s a multi-trillion-dollar industry, but it is stuck in the past with archaic systems, processes, and products. Life insurance is supposed to be about certainty, but the way it’s traditionally been sold and managed makes it inaccessible for so many people.

infineo is the culmination of those lessons and struggles. Our mission is to digitize and democratize life insurance, transforming it into an accessible and transparent asset for everyone. It’s about more than just technology — it’s about giving people certainty in a world that often lacks it.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

One of the most pivotal moments in my career happened right after selling my last business. I suddenly found myself in a position many entrepreneurs dream of — looking for the best place to park my capital. My financial advisor suggested life insurance. I laughed at first. Like many people, I thought of life insurance as just a death benefit, something you pay into but never see.

But I’m a curious person, so I decided to dig deeper. What I found was eye-opening. Life insurance isn’t just about protecting your family; it’s a tool for cash management, a stable asset class, and even a way to hedge against market risk. It’s one of the most misunderstood financial instruments out there.

That realization sparked something bigger. I didn’t just want to use this tool; I wanted to reimagine it, to make it accessible to everyone, everywhere, not just the few who are lucky enough to have it offered to them and understand its potential. That’s the origin story of infineo. It wasn’t just about building a company — it was about solving a problem that I wished someone had solved for me years ago.

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

What makes infineo stand out is the brilliance and diversity of our team. We’ve brought together experts from insurance, finance, blockchain, and technology, and this unique blend of expertise is what drives our innovation. We don’t just talk about solving problems in life insurance; we’re actually doing it. As a team, we were incredibly proud of being named the Best InsurTech Company of 2024 by Benzinga. When you combine our teams shared mission with their unparalleled expertise, it allows us to achieve incredible things. That’s what sets infineo apart — not just as a technology company, but as a force driving real change in a centuries-old industry.

You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?

At infineo, we’ve built our culture around three core values: First Principles, Integrity, and Transparency — what we call FIT. These aren’t just buzzwords; they’re traits I rely on every day and are the foundation of our success.

1. First Principles: First principles thinking means breaking things down to their fundamentals and building back up. When I first explored life insurance, I didn’t accept the conventional wisdom. I wanted to understand its mechanics, its strengths, and why more people weren’t using it. Sticking to first principles led to the vision of democratizing life insurance using blockchain and AI and ultimately infineo.
2. Integrity: Doing the right thing, even when it’s hard, has always been a guiding principle for me. When we started building infineo, there were moments where we had to choose between faster profits or retaining our integrity and staying true to our mission of advancing the life insurance industry through technology. We chose integrity every time. It’s not just good business; it’s the only way to build lasting trust with clients and partners.
3. Transparency: Life insurance is a $3 trillion industry, yet it’s plagued by complexity and opacity. From day one, infineo has aimed to make things clearer for everyone — policyholders, investors, and carriers — by putting life insurance on the blockchain. Transparency isn’t just part of our product; it’s part of who we are.

Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. How does your company foster a culture that embraces change and innovation during periods of uncertainty?

We’ve cultivated a culture that sees uncertainty as an opportunity rather than a threat. This mindset starts with our shared mission, which provides a clear and unwavering sense of purpose. When the vision is clear, strong, and repeated often, the team naturally focuses on finding solutions, even when the path ahead is unclear.

Innovation at infineo is a daily practice, not a one-time initiative. Our team comes from diverse professional backgrounds, bringing expertise in insurance, technology, and finance. This diversity fuels creative problem-solving, especially when external forces like market fluctuations or regulatory challenges arise. For example, when the industry resisted some of our technological advancements, we didn’t see it as a roadblock. Instead, we treated it as a chance to refine our approach, engage in meaningful dialogue, and develop solutions that bridged the gap between traditional systems and modern technology. We ensure that every member of the team understands the challenges we face and feels empowered to contribute ideas and strategies to overcome them. This open communication fosters a sense of shared responsibility, where innovation isn’t just encouraged — it’s expected.

By staying agile, focused on our mission, and in constant communication, we’ve turned periods of uncertainty into moments of growth. At infineo, change isn’t just something we adapt to; it’s something we lead.

Can you share an example of a major pivot your company made in response to unexpected challenges, and the lessons learned from that experience?

One of the biggest pivots we’ve made was shutting down our traditional life insurance agencies, which were generating millions in revenue. On paper, this might seem counterintuitive, but it was a necessary step in our mission to innovate and lead.

The challenge stemmed from the life insurance industry’s resistance to embracing new technologies like blockchain and AI. While we had built successful agencies, we realized that the traditional business model wasn’t the best vehicle to drive the industry-wide transformation we envisioned. By staying tied to the status quo, we risked compromising our ability to create the fully digital, friction-free ecosystem that infineo represents.

The decision wasn’t easy, but it taught us invaluable lessons. First, it reaffirmed that staying true to our mission sometimes requires difficult sacrifices. Second, it highlighted the importance of long-term thinking. Shifting our focus allowed us to double down on our platform development, setting the stage for the launch of the Ledger that followed.

This pivot was a defining moment for infineo. It showed us that resilience and clarity of purpose can turn a challenge into a springboard for growth, even if it means letting go of something successful to build something extraordinary.

How do you identify and act on emerging trends that could impact your industry before your competitors do?

Our edge comes from our ability to act on ideas faster than anyone else in the industry. Communication and execution are at the heart of how we identify and capitalize on trends. Our team operates with a relentless focus on getting things done. When we see an opportunity, we don’t just analyze it; we mobilize immediately.

A perfect example of this is how we developed and deployed AI Bob, our AI-powered life insurance assistant, over a single weekend. We saw the potential to enhance our customer experience using AI and didn’t wait for endless rounds of discussions or approvals. The team came together, pooled expertise, and brought the idea to life in record time. By Monday, AI Bob was not just an idea but a functional prototype being tested in real-world applications.

This ability to move from concept to execution at lightning speed sets us apart. We don’t just keep up with trends; we lead by turning vision into reality faster than our competitors can react. That’s how we stay ahead, and it’s how we’re redefining the future of life insurance.

What are your “Five Things That Leaders Can Do To Turn Uncertainty into Opportunity”?

1. Always Be Prepared: Leadership in uncertain times starts with preparation. At infineo, we anticipate challenges by thinking through worst-case scenarios and building resilience into our operations. For example, when we entered the blockchain space, we didn’t just focus on the technology — we also prepared for the regulatory hurdles that come with innovating in a highly regulated industry. This foresight allowed us to navigate obstacles without derailing our mission.
2. Be Consistent & Reliable: In moments of uncertainty, consistency and reliability is what grounds a team. At infineo, our mission and values don’t change, even when circumstances do. When we decided to shut down our life insurance agencies, it was a tough call. But our commitment to modernizing life insurance and building a digitally native platform never wavered. That consistency and reliability gave our team the confidence to pivot without losing sight of our goals.
3. Don’t Let Perfection Stand in the Way of Good: In times of rapid change, you can’t afford to wait for the perfect solution. At infineo, we prioritize action over hesitation. A great example is the rapid deployment of AI Bob, our AI life insurance assistant. The initial version wasn’t perfect, but it was functional and allowed us to get real-world feedback immediately. Iteration, not perfection, is how we keep moving forward.
4. Be Solution-Oriented: Problems will always arise, but leaders need to focus on solutions. When we faced resistance from traditional carriers to our blockchain initiatives, we reframed the conversation around the benefits of transparency and efficiency for policyholders. By aligning our solutions with the carriers’ pain points, we turned resistance into collaboration.
5. Be a Lifelong Learner: In an unpredictable environment, curiosity is a leader’s best asset. At infineo, we’re always learning — from emerging technologies to shifts in consumer behavior. Personally, I’ve gone from running naturopathic clinics to leading an InsurTech revolution, and the throughline has been a commitment to constant growth. This mindset allows us to see opportunities where others see obstacles.

What role does resilience play in your leadership approach, and how do you instill that resilience in your team?

Resilience is everything in leadership. It’s the ability to take a hit, recalibrate, and keep moving forward with purpose. At infineo, resilience is a core part of our culture because innovation requires it. When you’re disrupting a $3 trillion industry, there will always be resistance — from legacy players, regulators, and even the technology itself. The key is not letting setbacks define you but using them as fuel to push forward.

For me, resilience means leading by example. When we made the difficult decision to shut down our profitable life insurance agencies, it could have shaken our team’s confidence. Instead, we focused on the bigger picture and communicated clearly why this move was essential to achieving our mission. By maintaining focus and optimism, I helped the team see the decision not as a loss but as an investment in our future.

To instill resilience in the team, I emphasize the importance of learning from every challenge. We debrief not just on successes but on failures, framing them as opportunities for growth. Resilience at infineo isn’t just about bouncing back; it’s about coming back stronger, smarter, and more determined to lead.

How do you balance long-term strategic planning with the need for rapid adaptability in an unpredictable environment?

Balancing infineo’s long-term strategy with rapid adaptability requires clarity of mission and the willingness to pivot without losing focus of the overarching mission. At infineo, our long-term vision is non-negotiable: we aim to democratize life insurance and create a global life insurance marketplace. But the path to that vision is flexible, allowing us to adapt to shifting circumstances and opportunities.

The key is to build systems that support both. For example, we invest in scalable technology and a modular approach to product development so we can move quickly when new trends or challenges arise. A perfect illustration of this is how we spun up AI Bob over a single weekend. It aligned with our long-term goal of using AI to enhance client engagement, but the rapid deployment allowed us to seize an immediate opportunity to innovate and attract new users. It’s about being agile, not reactive — responding to changes and opportunities while staying true to our core vision.

You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

If I could start a movement, it would be one that bridges the gap between health and wealth. I started my career in naturopathic medicine, and I’ve seen firsthand how financial insecurity undermines health. People want to eat better, exercise, and access preventative care, but these things are often out of reach without financial stability.

That’s ultimately what brought me to finance. I realized that if you don’t have your finances in order, it becomes almost impossible to focus on your health. It’s a vicious cycle: poor health leads to financial strain, and financial strain leads to worse health outcomes. My mission with infineo is to change that reality by giving people the financial tools they need to take control of their futures.

A movement focused on the intersection of health and wealth would aim to democratize access to both. It would involve financial literacy, tools for managing money effectively, and systems that support healthier living. When people are secure financially, they’re empowered to prioritize their health, and that creates a ripple effect of positive change for families, communities, and generations to come.

How can our readers further follow your work online?

Go to https://infineo.ai/

Thank you for the time you spent sharing these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!

About the Interviewer: Cynthia Corsetti is an esteemed executive coach with over two decades in corporate leadership and 11 years in executive coaching. Author of the upcoming book, “Dark Drivers,” she guides high-performing professionals and Fortune 500 firms to recognize and manage underlying influences affecting their leadership. Beyond individual coaching, Cynthia offers a 6-month executive transition program and partners with organizations to nurture the next wave of leadership excellence.