The News You Need for Aug. 4
Become a RISE Professionals mentor and test your knowledge of Ohio workers' compensation law.
RISE Mentorship Program Accepting Fall 2025 Applicants Through August 4
Structured program connects insurance professionals for development, leadership, and long-term impact
By Dr. Claire Muselman
August 3, 2025 | Sarasota, FL — The Rising Insurance Star Executives (RISE) organization is now accepting applications for its Fall 2025 Mentorship Program. Designed to foster meaningful connections across generations of insurance professionals, this three-month program offers both structure and substance, providing participants with the tools to build effective mentor-mentee relationships that extend far beyond the program window.
The deadline to apply is Monday, August 4, 2025. Professionals from all areas of insurance are encouraged to apply as either a mentor or mentee including claims, underwriting, compliance, workers’ compensation, litigation management, and more!
Applications can be submitted at: https://community.riseprofessionals.com/c/rise-mentorship-application/
What is theRISE Mentorship Program?
The RISE Mentorship Program is a free, virtual, three-month cohort offered every spring and fall. Pairs of mentors and mentees are matched based on aligned interests, industry sector, and geography, while also ensuring no conflicts of interest. Once matched, pairs meet biweekly and are guided through a carefully curated curriculum designed to spark conversation, goal setting, and mutual development.
Each participant gains access to an online course portal, which includes training modules, reflection questions, and pre/post-session prompts to help structure meaningful discussions. The program also includes “Mentoring Mondays”—monthly, optional virtual gatherings featuring guest speakers, cross-group networking, and peer Q&A. These sessions offer fresh perspectives and community support, all designed to elevate the experience for both mentor and mentee.
The Fall 2025 session includes the following key dates:
Applications Due: August 4
Mentor Training Deadline: August 18
Mentor-Mentee Matches Announced: August 27–28
Mentoring Mondays: September 1, October 6, November 3
First Meeting Deadline: September 15
End-of-Program Celebration: November 28
Mentors and mentees are invited to continue their relationship beyond the program, adjusting their cadence and format independently if they choose. Many past participants report ongoing professional relationships and expanded networks long after the program concludes.
Why Mentorship Now?
As the insurance industry navigates rapid change, increased retirements, evolving workforce expectations, and complex risk environments, mentorship has emerged as a crucial talent development strategy. RISE created this program to address a key pain point: the lack of structured, accessible pathways for young professionals to receive industry-specific guidance.
Mentorship bridges the gap between institutional wisdom and emerging innovation. It supports succession planning, strengthens company culture, and offers deeply human value during a time when connection and clarity are more important than ever. This program supports the next generation by strengthening the entire industry. The RISE Mentorship Program does this by building deeper, more intentional relationships between those who have led and those who are ready to lead next.
Who Should Apply?
RISE is actively seeking both mentors and mentees for the Fall 2025 cohort.
Mentees are typically early to mid-career professionals looking for clarity, growth, and support. Whether they are navigating a promotion, switching sectors, or entering the workforce, mentees gain invaluable guidance, goal-setting tools, and a sense of belonging within the larger insurance community.
Mentors range from managers and directors to senior executives and subject matter experts. While they offer their time and insight, they also benefit from fresh perspectives, reverse mentoring, and the opportunity to refine their own leadership and coaching skills.
Participation benefits both parties:
Sharpened communication and leadership skills
Broadened professional networks
Increased confidence and professional clarity
Personal fulfillment and renewed purpose
About RISE: More Than a Mentorship Program
RISE, short for Rising Insurance Star Executives, was founded in 2017 by insurance professionals Amy Cooper and Katerina Garavito. Their vision was simple but powerful: create a community that nurtures the next generation of insurance leaders while connecting them to those already paving the way.
RISE has since evolved into a national platform recognized for its leadership programming, inclusive development opportunities, and generational bridge-building within the industry. Its signature offerings include:
The biannual Mentorship Program
Annual RISE Leadership Summit
Educational webinars and professional spotlights
Recognition programs, including the RISE Awards and Top 35 Under 35
Strategic partnerships across insurers, TPAs, defense firms, and professional associations
The organization’s flagship event, the RISE Leadership Summit, was most recently held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, from June 16–18, 2025. That summit featured sessions such as “Lift as You Lead,” “Career Steps and Comebacks,” and “Mentorship: Give and Receive to Maximize Growth.” Each emphasized RISE’s core belief: that intentional human connection is the future of effective leadership.
Topics such as emotional intelligence, DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion), regulatory insight, and tech innovation also took center stage demonstrating how RISE is helping shape leadership for both today and tomorrow’s insurance landscape.
Supporting a Culture of Connection
RISE’s mentorship framework is built around five essential competencies, known as the “5 Cs”:
Commitment – Showing up consistently with time and intention
Courage – Navigating vulnerability, setbacks, and stretch moments
Curiosity – Asking questions and embracing new ideas
Compassion – Leading with empathy and understanding
Communication – Sharing openly, actively listening, and offering feedback
These elements are integrated into every piece of the mentorship curriculum, helping both mentor and mentee develop habits and mindsets that serve them well beyond the program. RISE’s approach is transformational for everyone involved.
Apply or Sponsor: The Time Is Now
With the deadline approaching Monday, August 4, RISE encourages all professionals interested in personal and professional growth to apply. The program is free to join and supported by sponsors who believe in building the industry through people-first investment.
Organizations looking to support talent development or promote internal leadership pipelines are also invited to explore sponsorship opportunities. Sponsors gain visibility across RISE’s national network while helping to shape the future of the industry. Inquiries can be directed to dbennett@riseprofessionals.com.
For full program details and to apply, visit: https://community.riseprofessionals.com/c/rise-mentorship-application/
Did Workers’ Comp Claim Come Back to Bite Worker who Tried to Sue Pet Food Company?
Chris Parker
The “exclusive remedy” rule is not the only thing that can stop an employee from suing a company for negligence when the company has workers’ compensation coverage. An Ohio case involving an employee who said he developed lung problems at work raises the issue of another potential obstacle for employees – the doctrine of “issue preclusion.”
The employee worked at a pet food processing plant. He said that his job exposed him to harmful molds, dust, particulates, and chemicals. He had to manually clear large amounts of mold, dust, and particulates from machinery and storage bins. As a result, he claimed, he developed COPD.
The workers’ compensation commission, in March 2024, denied him benefits. It found there wasn’t enough evidence that he sustained an injury or occupational disease in the course of and arising out of his employment.
The employee filed an appeal, but then withdrew it. Having lost his workers’ compensation claim, the employee sued the company for negligence. He argued that the employer knew of the dangerous conditions and failed to protect him.
To establish a workers’ compensation claim, a claimant must demonstrate that the injury or occupational disease occurred in the course of and arose out of his employment.
To establish an actionable claim of negligence, a plaintiff must show:
(1) The employee owed him a duty.
(2) The employee breached that duty.
(3) His injury was caused by the breach.
The employer asked the court to dismiss the case based on issue preclusion (or collateral estoppel), which basically prevents someone from litigating an issue that has already been decided.
Could the claimant sue for negligence?
A. Yes. Issue preclusion applies to court decisions. It does not apply where the first decision was by an agency, such as the workers’ compensation commission.
B. No. The workers’ compensation and negligence claims both required him to show that his job caused his COPD.
If you selected B, you agreed with the court in Below v. Cargill, Inc., No. 3:25 CV 360 (N.D. Ohio. 07/10/25), which dismissed the case.
The commission found that the employee’s job didn’t cause his injury, which doomed his workers’ compensation claim. To continue with his negligence claim, the employee would have relitigate the causation issue.
Got questions about exclusivity in your state? Get Simply Research.
“Ohio courts have routinely recognized that issues decided in the workers' compensation system related to compensability and causation of injuries allegedly suffered at work are precluded from being re-litigated in subsequent tort lawsuits based on the same alleged injury,” the court said.
Further, the possibility that the employee might appeal was irrelevant. The commission’s decision would remain final unless and until a court overturned it. In any case, the employee dismissed his appeal.
The court ruled that the employee was barred from continuing with his negligence case against the company.