Heller Kowitz Insurance Advisors
Heller Kowitz Insurance Advisors is an independent insurance brokerage headquartered in Lutherville Timonium, Maryland, representing 30+ carriers to deliver personal, commercial, employee benefits, and life/disability insurance to over 2,500 households and SMBs in the Mid-Atlantic.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersLutherville Timonium, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Heller Kowitz Insurance Advisors does
Heller Kowitz Insurance Advisors is an independent insurance brokerage co-founded in February 2014 by Steve Heller and Brian Kowitz, headquartered in Lutherville Timonium (Baltimore County), Maryland. The firm represents over 30 top-rated insurance carriers — including Progressive, Chubb, MetLife, The Hartford, Nationwide, Pure Insurance, ACE Private Risk, and Erie — and operates across four core product lines: Personal Coverage (home, auto, umbrella, boat/yacht, motorcycle, specialty property), Commercial Coverage (property, business interruption, general liability, workers compensation, cyber liability, surety), Employee Benefits (group health, dental, vision, life, long-term care), and Life/Disability/Long-Term Care. Service is delivered through a '360 Policy Review' consultative model and supported by a Claims & Advocacy practice, with distribution via in-office consultations, phone/email, and emerging 'production centers' in new geographies staffed by former professional athletes.
The company's revenue model is standard brokerage commission economics: independent placement of policies with carriers in exchange for commissions across both personal and commercial lines, with no disclosed subscription or fee-based component. Target customers span individual households (homeowners, drivers, collectors, property investors) and small-to-mid-market businesses with $1M–$50M in revenue and 5–500 employees. The firm serves over 2,500 businesses and families with a 23-person team and is targeting $4M in revenue for 2025, with stated ambitions to triple that figure over five years through geographic expansion and acquisitions.
The firm's go-to-market combines direct consultative sales with a distinctive community-led model leveraging former MLB players (co-founder Brian Kowitz; Ryan Klesko in Atlanta) to open production centers in new cities. Geographic expansion is in flight with Atlanta opening in 2025/2026 and Michigan, Florida, and Houston under consideration. No proprietary technology platform, AI/ML capabilities, app, or API offerings are disclosed; the firm operates on conventional brokerage tooling.
Heller Kowitz Insurance Advisors firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Heller Kowitz Insurance Advisors
- Legal name
- Heller Kowitz Insurance Advisors
- Website
- https://hellerkowitz.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Heller Kowitz Insurance Advisors is an independent insurance brokerage headquartered in Lutherville Timonium, Maryland, representing 30+ carriers to deliver personal, commercial, employee benefits, and life/disability insurance to over 2,500 households and SMBs in the Mid-Atlantic.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Heller Kowitz Insurance Advisors industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Insurance Brokerage
- NAICS
- Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (52421), Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (524210), Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities (5242)
- SIC
- Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Retail (Personal Lines) Insurance Brokerage (FSAEADAA)
Keywords
Where Heller Kowitz Insurance Advisors is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lutherville Timonium
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Heller Kowitz Insurance Advisors business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Insurance Brokerage Commissions: As an independent insurance broker representing over 30 insurance carriers, the company earns commissions from placing insurance policies with carriers on behalf of clients. Revenue comes from both personal lines (auto, home, life) and commercial lines (business insurance, employee benefits).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Monthly | Quote-based individual pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Heller Kowitz Insurance Advisors product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Heller Kowitz Insurance Advisors is a full-service independent insurance brokerage that represents over 30 top-rated insurance carriers to deliver customized personal and commercial insurance solutions. Core offerings include Personal Coverage (home, auto, umbrella, specialty property), Commercial Coverage (business property, liability, workers compensation, surety, cyber), Employee Benefits, and Life/Disability/Long Term Care products, supported by a 360 Policy Review and Claims Advocacy services.
Product overview
Heller Kowitz Insurance Advisors is an independent insurance brokerage offering a portfolio of insurance products through a multi-carrier platform. The core offerings consist of Personal Coverage (homeowner, auto, umbrella, specialty property), Commercial Coverage (business property, liability, workers comp, surety), Employee Benefits (health, dental, vision, life, long-term care), and Life/Disability/Long Term Care insurance. These are supported by Claims & Advocacy services and a 360 Policy Review service for comprehensive risk analysis. The company represents over 30 insurance carriers, enabling customized solutions for both individual and commercial clients.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Personal Coverage Comprehensive personal insurance solutions for individuals and households, covering homeowner, auto, umbrella, property investment programs, boat/yacht, motorcycle, mobile home, seasonal homeowners, and antique/modified auto policies placed through 30+ represented carriers.
- Commercial Coverage Business insurance solutions for SMB and mid-market commercial clients, including property coverage, business interruption, commercial general liability (CGL), key person insurance, workers compensation, surety bonding, supply chain, and cyber coverage.
- Employee Benefits Group benefits packages for employers, including health insurance (medical, hospital, surgeries, doctor visits), prescription drug, dental and vision, mental health and substance abuse treatment, wellness programs, life insurance (term, whole, universal, group), and long-term care.
- Life, Disability, and Long Term Care Life, disability, and long-term care insurance for individuals and businesses, including term life (10, 20, 30-year), whole life, universal life, key person/key man insurance, long-term and short-term disability, long-term care programs, premium financing options, and retirement income planning.
- Claims & Advocacy Claims advocacy and management service providing guidance, feedback, settlement negotiation, and regular claim reviews to support clients through the insurance claims process with their carriers.
- Cyber Insurance Specialized cyber insurance coverage protecting businesses and individuals from financial losses associated with cyber incidents, including data breach response, business interruption, cyber extortion, and legal liability.
- 360 Policy Review No-obligation comprehensive review of a client's existing insurance policies that provides an in-depth analysis to identify gaps and areas for improvement, ensuring proper coverage at competitive pricing.
Quantifiable outcome
- Serving over 2,500 businesses and families
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Heller Kowitz Insurance Advisors
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Heller Kowitz Insurance Advisors technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Heller Kowitz Insurance Advisors partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
21 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Progressive InsurancecoreMajor national insurance carrier represented by HK for auto, home, and various personal insurance products.
- MetLifecoreMajor national insurance carrier providing life, disability, dental, and other insurance products through HK.
- ACE Private RiskcoreHigh-value home and auto insurance carrier for affluent clients, referenced in claims directory.
- AllRiskscoreRegional insurance broker providing various commercial and personal insurance products.
- TAPCO UnderwriterscoreInsurance carrier for specialty products, referenced in claims directory with dedicated claims contact.
- Pure InsurancecoreInsurer focused on valuable possessions and high-net-worth clients.
- The HartfordcoreMajor commercial and personal insurance carrier, referenced in claims directory.
- ChubbcorePremier property and casualty insurer for high-value clients and businesses.
- NationwidecoreMajor national insurance carrier offering personal and commercial insurance products.
- Safeco InsurancecorePersonal insurance carrier (auto, home, umbrella) referenced in claims directory.
- Foremost Insurance CompanycoreSpecialty insurer for mobile homes, motorcycles, and specialty property.
- Main Street AmericacoreRegional insurance carrier for small businesses and personal insurance.
- Peninsula Insurance CompanycoreRegional property and casualty insurer referenced in claims directory.
- Encompass InsurancecorePersonal insurance carrier for home and auto, referenced in claims directory.
- Penn National InsurancecoreRegional insurance carrier offering personal and commercial insurance products.
- Erie InsurancecoreRegional insurance carrier serving the mid-Atlantic region.
- DominioncoreInsurance carrier providing various personal and commercial products.
- CICcoreInsurance carrier providing various insurance products.
- IWIFcoreInsurance carrier referenced in carrier partners list.
- Yellow Page GroupminorInsurance carrier partner.
- Unity InsurancecoreStrategic partner mentioned in blog content regarding homeowners insurance recommendations. Heller Kowitz partners with Unity Insurance for certain coverage offerings.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Heller Kowitz Insurance Advisors competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Brown & Brown: Public, large-scale insurance brokerage with a decentralized model of acquired regional agencies offering personal, commercial, and benefits products. Comparable model (multi-carrier, agency roll-up) but at vastly larger scale than HK.
- Acrisure: One of the largest insurance brokerages in the world, built through aggressive acquisitions of regional agencies. Operates the same multi-carrier agency model as HK but at global scale with significant tech investment.
- USI Insurance Services: Top-10 U.S. insurance brokerage with comprehensive personal, commercial, and employee benefits offerings. Operates a similar multi-carrier, consultative model but at national scale with significantly greater resources and tech investment than HK.
- Hub International: Major North American insurance brokerage serving mid-market and commercial clients through a network of regional offices. Closely comparable in mid-market SMB focus and multi-line product offering, with substantially greater scale.
- Arthur J. Gallagher: Global insurance brokerage and risk management firm offering commercial, personal, and benefits solutions. Overlaps with HK's full-service brokerage proposition but operates at enterprise scale across the U.S. and internationally.
Direct peers
- Cottingham & Butler: Mid-size independent insurance brokerage serving commercial and personal lines clients across the Midwest with a producer-led growth model. Comparable to HK in independent brokerage positioning and mid-market SMB focus.
- Leavitt Group: Regional, family-owned insurance brokerage operating through a network of local agencies across the western U.S., with multi-carrier independence and a similar personal/commercial/benefits mix. Highly comparable to HK in business model and cultural ethos, though larger and geographically distinct.
- The Hilb Group: Mid-Atlantic insurance brokerage offering commercial, personal, and employee benefits solutions via agency partnerships. HK's new VP of Employee Benefits (Steve Sines) spent 21 years at Hilb, underscoring direct comparability in product mix and client segmentation.
- RPS (Risk Placement Services): Specialty wholesale insurance brokerage and binding authority serving retail agents and brokers. While larger, comparable in multi-carrier intermediary model and focus on placing commercial and specialty risks for clients and partner agents.
- One80 Intermediaries: Specialty insurance brokerage and program manager serving mid-market and niche commercial risks through multi-carrier relationships. Comparable to HK in agency/brokerage model and reliance on carrier partnerships.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Heller Kowitz Insurance Advisors social profiles
Digital presenceHeller Kowitz Insurance Advisors financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Heller Kowitz Insurance Advisors leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Heller Kowitz Insurance Advisors funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Heller Kowitz Insurance Advisors M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Heller Kowitz Insurance Advisors
What does Heller Kowitz Insurance Advisors do?
Heller Kowitz Insurance Advisors is a full-service independent insurance brokerage that represents over 30 top-rated insurance carriers to deliver customized personal and commercial insurance solutions. Core offerings include Personal Coverage (home, auto, umbrella, specialty property), Commercial Coverage (business property, liability, workers compensation, surety, cyber), Employee Benefits, and Life/Disability/Long Term Care products, supported by a 360 Policy Review and Claims Advocacy services.
Is Heller Kowitz Insurance Advisors a public or private company?
Heller Kowitz Insurance Advisors is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Heller Kowitz Insurance Advisors founded?
Heller Kowitz Insurance Advisors was founded in 2014. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Heller Kowitz Insurance Advisors based?
Heller Kowitz Insurance Advisors is headquartered in Lutherville Timonium, United States, in the North America region.
How does Heller Kowitz Insurance Advisors make money?
One revenue line is on record: insurance Brokerage Commissions.
Who are Heller Kowitz Insurance Advisors's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Brown & Brown, Acrisure, USI Insurance Services, Hub International and Arthur J. Gallagher. Direct peers are Cottingham & Butler, Leavitt Group, The Hilb Group, RPS (Risk Placement Services) and One80 Intermediaries.
Does Heller Kowitz Insurance Advisors have an API?
No public API is recorded for Heller Kowitz Insurance Advisors.
What industry is Heller Kowitz Insurance Advisors in?
Heller Kowitz Insurance Advisors's product category is Insurance Brokerage. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAEADAA, Retail (Personal Lines) Insurance Brokerage. Its NAICS code is 52421 and its SIC code is 6411.