Josh Butler is the founder and President of Butler Benefits & Consulting, a healthcare consulting and brokerage firm, established in 2015 and located in Amarillo, TX. Prior to the creation of Butler Benefits, Josh worked exclusively with employers large and small, providing consulting/advising services in the areas of ancillary benefits, health insurance, IRS compliance, and ACA regulations for one of the nation’s largest ancillary carriers.

In 2017, Josh was recognized as one of the first 60 Health Rosetta Certified Advisors in the United States. The Health Rosetta Accredited Advisor Program is an exclusive ecosystem of healthcare advisors who have illustrated exceptional transparency, innovation, and execution in the areas of risk management, employee benefits, and high-performance plan design. Butler Benefits is very proud and honored to be part of a movement that is helping employers provide better care for 157 Million Americans while reducing health benefits spending by 20-40%.

Josh’s work as a consultant has been nationally recognized in various publications, including Salon, Benefits Pro, and Pro Publica. He also speaks a numerous industry events and conferences.

2022 proved to be a break-out year for Josh and for Butler Benefits as their flagship health plan, High Plains Health Plan, was launched. HPHP is a visionary community health plan aimed at reducing healthcare costs while improving accessibility. This initiative stands as a testament to Josh’s relentless pursuit of solutions in healthcare. Josh was also recognized in 2022 by Benefits Pro magazine as “Broker of the Year”, marking his dedication and expertise in the healthcare consulting field. This accolade was a nod to his team’s exceptional skill in building meaningful solutions in the healthcare benefits and insurance space.

Industry Experience: 16 years

Level of Education: Bachelor’s Degree from West Texas A&M University (2005)

Family/Interests: Wife, Allison; Son, Brooks (13); Son, Ellis (3). Outdoors, hunting, fishing, coaching Brook’s basketball team, cooking, travel

After graduating with a finance degree from Indiana Wesleyan University in 2006, Ben joined his family business, Conner Insurance, as an insurance advisor. His strengths in strategic planning, finance, and communication quickly established him as a top advisor in the firm and the US. By his late 20s, he was working with some of Indiana's largest companies.

Promoted to CEO in 2013, Ben and his partners acquired Conner Insurance in 2015, and have since doubled its revenue and expanded to over 50 employees. His clients have seen exceptional health plan performance, with many of them experiencing flat or reduced healthcare expenses over the last 5-10 years. Under his leadership, Conner Insurance has been recognized multiple times as one of America's Healthiest Workplaces and Best Places to Work in Indiana.

Ben has received several prestigious industry awards, including Most Innovative Healthcare Consultant in 2023 at the YOU Powered Symposium and was a finalist for the Broker of the Year award in 2020 by BenefitsPro. In 2021, he was honored as a Forty under 40 recipient by the Indianapolis Business Journal.

Ben lives in Indianapolis with his wife, Alyssa, and their three daughters. He enjoys reading, playing and watching sports, traveling, and spending time with his family.

David Contorno Founder & President, E Powered Benets David Contorno is a national trailblazer in the healthcare benets industry, transforming how employers design and manage their health plans. As the Founder and President of E Powered Benets, he has spent over two decades advocating for transparency, cost control, and innovative strategies that make healthcare more accessible and understandable for businesses and their employees. Forbes recognized David as one of "America's Most Innovative Benets Leaders" for his tireless work to reform a system often bogged down by rising costs and lack of transparency. At the helm of E Powered Benefits, David focuses on creating tailored, high-value health plans that put employers back in control of their healthcare spending. He works closely with companies to identify and eliminate waste, leveraging data-driven strategies to reduce costs while improving employee health outcomes. His approach allows organizations to achieve substantial savings and provide better healthcare solutions while prioritizing access to high quality healthcare. David also leads the E Powered Benets Co-Consulting Program, a unique initiative where he shares his knowledge with other industry professionals. Through this platform, he teaches benefits consultants how to replicate his successful model of building health plans that emphasize transparency and cost-effectiveness. By mentoring others in the industry, David is amplifying his impact and fostering a new generation of leaders committed to transforming the healthcare benets landscape. In addition to his consulting work, David created and teaches the Certified Health Value Advisor (CHVA) course, credentialed by industry data giant, The Validation Institute, where he educates professionals on the importance of patient advocacy and smarter healthcare decision-making. His contributions to the industry have earned him accolades from top organizations like the World Healthcare Congress and BenetsPro, where he was named Broker of the Year. A sought-after public speaker, David regularly presents at major industry conferences internationally to audiences in the several thousands. Outside of his professional achievements, David is dedicated to philanthropy, particularly in supporting autism advocacy. In his personal time, he enjoys cooking, traveling, and spending time at home with his family. He resides in Davidson, North Carolina, with his wife, Emma, and their children.

Trevor has spent his entire professional career in employee benefits, starting at one of the largest privately-held Third Party Administrators in 2009.  After learning the ropes of self-insurance and risk-mitigation, he took over as the Director of Prescription Services in 2014 where he fueled the growth of a fledgling cost-plus mail order solution.  During this time, he oversaw more than 100 PBM transitions from historically opaque and high-cost options to net-cost focused transparent pharmacy solutions.   This experience and the positive results delivered to his customers (saving millions for plans and patients) led to a passion for helping educate others on the nuances that permeate today’s prescription benefit industry.  Trevor turned this passion into a pharmacy consulting business, Granite Peak Analytics, in 2019 and hasn’t looked back.  Granite Peak Analytics currently provides pharmacy consulting for over 80,000 patient lives across the United States.  His experience in self-insured health plans, community pharmacy, and mail-order operations provides a holistic view of pharmacy benefits, eliminating traditional silos that may reduce prescription costs, but increase medical spending or negatively impact patient care. Trevor is sought after speaker on the complex topic of pharmacy benefits along with a licensed producer and benefits consultant.

Kim is the founder of Tropical Benefits, an ARCW Leavitt company. She was nominated nationally as a Broker of the Year, 2022, 2022 Broker of the Year finalist: Kim Eckelbarger | BenefitsPRO. Kim has been profiled in Employee Benefit Adviser (EBA) magazine and was the cover story in their August 2018 edition, highlighting wellness strategies. Kim was named “NextGen Benefits Adviser of the Year” at the 2019 ASCEND conference. Kim has been invited to share learned expertise at prestigious industry conferences, including the Workplace Benefits conference , the BenefitsPRO Broker Expo and the World Health Care Congress 2019. Kim is a co-author of the Amazon bestselling book, Breaking Through the Status Quo, which outlines some of the cutting-edge strategies she and other NextGen Benefits Advisers are using to control and lower healthcare costs.

She is an early adapter of innovative strategies, including Healthcare Abroad, Direct Primary Care, Second Opinions, and Value Based Pricing for hospital claims. She believes that healthcare in the US isn’t financially sustainable and works with employers to build plans for their organizations that are sustainable. She is a hurricane survivor and in her free time, you will find her giving Manatee tours to her friends and family members on Crystal River.

His journey in the insurance industry has been marked by innovation, leadership, and a steadfast commitment to excellence, recently recognized by Insurance Business Magazine in their Hot 100 list for 2024. 

With a rich background in health insurance and recently completing the work in earning the designation of a Health Rosetta advisor, his career has been dedicated to transforming and elevating organizations through strategic sales initiatives, impactful training, and dynamic leadership. His expertise has been honed across various roles, including Regional Director at Fountain Health and Vice President at USI Insurance Services.

A champion for effective communication and team development, he’s empowered professionals nationwide through speaking engagements and training programs, focusing on practical, sustainable outcomes. His approach blends deep industry knowledge with a passion for coaching, driving transformational change in both individuals and organizations.

Outside of work, he enjoys travel, reading, chess, tennis, and spending quality time with family. His diverse interests and experiences fuel his holistic approach to leadership and business growth.

Join us in this exciting journey as we explore innovative strategies to redefine success in the health insurance and employee benefit landscape.

Founder/President

Doug is the founder/president of High Performance Navigation, a boutique consulting firm that works independently with health plans, medical captives, benefit advisors, TPAs, providers, purchasers, and others within the health benefit ecosystem. With over 20 years of experience working within the healthcare industry, Doug has insider knowledge and a firm grasp of the “ins and outs” of creating cost-containment solutions that holds the potential of reducing a health plan’s medical spend by up to 60%.

As an experienced and successful entrepreneur who has built and sold several healthcare, technology and human capital related businesses throughout his career, Doug knows how to deliver results. He is a past recipient of many awards including Entrepreneur of the Year, Healthcare Hero, Innovative Business Leader, Top 40 under 40, “most influential” in employment and a ‘who’s who’ in healthcare. He is the past president of the Vegas Chamber of Commerce’s Business Council and has been a board member of SHRM, Entrepreneur’s Organization, UNLV Schools of Medicine & Nursing and the Las Vegas Medical District.

Doug is happily married with a teenage daughter and loves to travel. As an avid water sports fanatic, you will often find Doug stand-up paddling on any body of water he can find or walking the coastline with his beloved wife.

Best-selling author, Consultant, CEO of BenefitHelp, NextGen Benefits, and Health Rosetta Advisor. Mark is regularly recognized in the national press and trade journals. In addition, he was featured on CNBC and Bravo’s World Business Review, Benefit News, Benefit and Compensation, and others. Mark's entrepreneurial spirit began with his first business at age 17, and his newest venture, BenefitHelp™, is centered around an innovative approach to using the latest technologies and strategies to improve healthcare and employee engagement in the employee benefits industry. BenefitHelp™ has served several national clients and introduced innovative technologies to the benefits marketplace.

Josh Hyman, Southern Benefit Systems' CEO and Health Rosetta Certified advisor, uses his healthcare insurance expertise and experience working for a non-profit and as a teacher/coach to improve clients’ financial health and employee care. He is fueled by a personal dedication to finding better solutions for health and wealth.

Edwige Ligondé is a Partner and Market Director at Nava Benefits, where he is dedicated to redefining employee benefits as the true "benefit of being an employee." With a strong belief that benefit education is key to creating workplaces where employees thrive, Ed strives to help employers become more enjoyable places to work while empowering employees to navigate a complex benefits landscape with confidence.

Ed’s journey began at UCLA, where he was part of the #1 recruiting class for the Men's Soccer program. His time on the field, culminating in a national championship appearance during his junior year, instilled in him the values of teamwork, time management, and camaraderie—skills that have been instrumental in his successful career as an employee benefits consultant.

Throughout his career, Ed has had the privilege of working with incredible clients and colleagues, earning numerous accolades along the way. These include recognition as one of the Los Angeles Business Journal's Top 40 under 40, Top Adviser Awards, MVP, Rising Star, and the prestigious title of 2021 BenefitsPro Broker of the Year.

Outside of work, Ed enjoys spending time with his family, coaching soccer, traveling, wine tasting and indulging in his passion for Formula 1.  A devoted fan of international soccer, he proudly supports Arsenal.

Chelsea Ryckis is the founder and president of Ethos Benefits, a firm dedicated to advancing fiduciary-driven health insurance strategies for employers nationwide.

Originally from Canada, Chelsea had her first interaction with the American healthcare system when she sustained a traumatic brain injury during her college sports career that stopped her from attending medical school. Using the lessons learned during that time, Chelsea discovered her ethos; if something can be done better, it should be. As a trailblazer in her industry, Chelsea speaks on national stages and educates HR, CFO and advisors in her industry on how to bring the highest quality care at the most affordable price using data. She has been a featured presenter at ALM Benefits Pro Expo, SHRM, Validation Institute, HR Florida, and ISCEBS. Chelsea produced a documentary It’s Not Personal, It’s Just Healthcare, which interviews CEOs, human resource professionals, hospital executives, insurance industry experts, doctors and nurses, who blow the whistle on insurance companies’ propaganda and corruption. Chelsea also co-hosts the Ethos Effect podcast with her husband, Donovan, where they interview entrepreneurs who are using their own ethos to transform their industries. She was awarded the YPS Most Innovative Healthcare Consultant in the United States for 2024, and received the industry’s most prestigious award, Advisor of the Year by Benefits Pro. Chelsea proudly became an American citizen in 2024. As part of Chelsea’s personal ethos, she enjoys the beach, paddleboarding, and being active with Donovan and her service dog, Copious

Bill is founder of The Einstein Consulting Group – a firm dedicated to exposing and eliminating overspend often found in employer-based healthcare plans. The result is: better quality employee benefits at a lower cost.

Bill advises employer organizations on how to identify the many inefficiencies that have caused them and their employees to overpay for their health care plan and at the same time provides the solutions that address the profit drain.

With pharmacy costs being the fastest rising cost within healthcare, Bill has become an expert in pharmacy cost management. He works with his clients to custom design an approach to their pharmacy program that significantly reduces both the employer’s benefits costs and employees’ costs too.

As a member of the NEXTGEN Mastermind Partnership, Bill is revolutionizing employee benefits. Through his knowledge and expertise, executives are empowered to improve the quality-of-care employees receive and turn healthcare into a controllable cost.

As a healthcare and prescription cost crusader as well as speaker and author, Bill is a passionate advocate for reshaping American healthcare for the better. Through his Amazon #1 bestselling book “Fixing American Health care” and as a featured producer and consultant of the eye-opening documentary film, “It’s Not Personal, It’s Just Healthcare”, Bill aims to bring clarity and solutions to the healthcare industry.

Terry Shook has 44 years of experience in the employee benefits field, with over half of that time spent in leadership positions with health insurance carriers. He has worked with a wide range of brokers and employers from small businesses to major national companies

The last 20 years of his career was spent with Health Care Service Corporation, the parent company of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Montana. Most of his time was spent as Regional Director, North Region with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, where he was responsible for group sales and account management. After he left the carrier world Terry developed a consciousness of crisis based on the hidden profiteering tactics he participated in and often created. He developed clarity of how the status quo health insurance system uses the lack of transparency to exploit their own employer clients and take advantage of employees and families when they’re most vulnerable. Terry now works with employers in Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin to help them avoid the pitfalls of the traditional carrier system and take back control of their health spend and ensure quality and safety of the health care they pay for.

Terry earned the Registered Health Underwriter designation from the American College, Bryn Mawr, PA. in 2000 and completed the Certified Employee Benefit Specialist program from the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania in 2001. He is also a Certified Health Value Advisor conferred by The Validation Institute.

Rob L. Winfrey is a leading Employee Benefits Consultant at Insurance Center, Inc. brining 26 years of experience to the field. He specializes in Self-Funding, Level-Funding, Direct Contracts, and other Employer provided benefits. He brings a proven track record of helping organizations achieve their benefits objectives. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and Accounting from Baker University. From his 26 years of industry experience, he is a recognized expert in the Employee Benefits industry.

Prior to joining ICI as the Vice President of Employee Benefits he has been a Senior VP of Sales & Client Engagement for IPC, Oasis, &Fortune Business Solutions, Aflac – Presidents Club District Manager, and Scratch Agency Owner at Encompass HR Solutions, Inc... From his experience Rob is very passionate about helping businesses maximize their benefits at the same time lowering their annual cost of their employee benefits. Rob also brings 10+ years of Coaching competitive Girls Club Basketball on the Nike, Adidas, and AAU circuits.

Chris Wolpert is the founder of Group Benefit Solutions, who's mission is to eliminate employee's out-of-pocket costs while guiding them to the highest quality healthcare available.

Chris is a producer of the documentary, "It's Not Personal, It's Just Healthcare" about the misaligned incentives in the healthcare and health insurance industries, which was released in April 2024.  He is also an Amazon best-selling author of NextGeneration Healthcare as well as the comic book Hit Zero: The Quest to Make Healthcare a Controllable Expense.

Chris has received several industry awards including "Rising Star" by Employee Benefit News, and "Face-of-Change" by Benefits PRO.  He's been a guest speaker at national conventions as well as local events, and has been interviewed for stories appearing in US News & World Report, SELF Magazine, Cluch.co, Moneyish.com, Employee Benefits News, and Benefits PRO.

Chris is originally from Tacoma WA and received his BA from the Edward R. Murrow School of Communication at Washington State University in Pullman (Go Cougs!). Chris’ wife, Valerie is the owner of Natural Venom All-Stars, a competitive cheerleading gym in Tacoma that has won 2 international championships (2012, 2018). They reside in Steilacoom with their 3 beautiful children, Cara, Carly, and Luke.