David Contorno | Exeleon Magazine | Most Transformational Business Leaders

IN – FOCUS

NAVIGATING

CHANGE: A CONVERSATION WITH ENTREPRENEUR

LION

SHIRDAN

IN – FOCUS

THE POWER OF FINDING

YOUR AUTHENTIC VOICE

Transfrmational o

Transforming Healthcare with

David Contorno

DYNAMIC LEADERS 2024

EDITORIAL NOTE

The need for leaders to share their unique stories cannot be overstated. In a world that is increasingly interconnected, the challenges faced by an entrepreneur or business leader are often the challenges faced by many. By sharing their experiences, leaders can foster a sense of community and solidarity among their peers. Their stories become a source of learning, offering insights into navigating the complex maze of modern-day business. They highlight the resilience required to overcome obstacles, the agility needed to adapt to change, and the vision necessary to drive innovation.

Moreover, these narratives have the power to inspire. They remind us that behind every successful enterprise is a human story, replete with moments of doubt, decisions that required courage, and milestones that called for celebration. They serve as a testament to the fact that success is not just about profit margins and market shares, but also about the values upheld, the cultures nurtured, and the positive impact created.

This is where Exeleon Magazine comes into the picture. By providing a platform for these leaders to share their stories, Exeleon does more than just chronicle business successes. It helps humanize the corporate world, making it more relatable and accessible to a broader audience. The magazine shines a spotlight on diverse voices, ensuring that a wide range of experiences and perspectives are represented. This inclusivity is crucial, as it encourages a richer dialogue and a more holistic understanding of what it means to be a leader in today's world.

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David Contorno

the Founder and CEO of E Powered Beneits, David Contorno is not only challenging the status quo, he's revolutionizing an industry that has long been resistant to change. E Powered Beneits offers health plan management for companies by sharing fees up-front, never allowing bonuses or carrier incentives in contracts.

In this Cover Story, we look into the journey of David Contorno, one that is marked by innovation, transparency, and an unwavering commitment to affordable and quality-centric health plans.

EMPOWERING EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES

E Powered Beneits isn't just a consulting irm; it's a catalyst for change. The company's groundbreaking health plans defy convention, aiming to reduce employer costs by 40-60%

compared to traditional plans while providing employees with unprecedented beneits—no out-of-pocket expenses for most services. The core philosophy is to incentivize improved clinical outcomes, ultimately enhancing the overall quality of life for plan members.

David's journey in the insurance industry began at the age of 12, but it wasn't until he turned 17 that he found his passion in beneits and health insurance. For nearly 30 years, he dedicated his career to providing traditional broker services and offering conventional health plans. Alongside his insurance work, David also nurtured a love for photography, which led him to pursue a college education in the ield. Despite his detour into photography, David's professional path has predominantly remained rooted in the same industry he thrives in today.

E Powered Benefits offers health plan management for companies by sharing fees up-front, never allowing bonuses or carrier incentives in contracts.

Teaching and Leading by Example

While E Powered Benefits does provide a full benefits package, its primary focus and unique selling proposition lie in revolutionizing the most crucial aspect of employment decisions: the health plan.

In the face of escalating healthcare costs, David Contorno advocates for empowering individuals with knowledge about financial assistance programs offered by non-profit hospitals under IRS Code 501r. Despite Americans being eligible for substantial bill reductions or waivers, hospitals often divert patients towards alternative payment options. David urges consumers to proactively understand and leverage these programs, emphasizing the significant tax benefits provided by non-profit hospitals.

knowledge and experiences, David often receives significant returns on his investment. He focuses on mentoring consultants individually, instructs the CHVA course developed by his partner Emma Fox, and frequently speaks in educational settings.

David believes that teaching is a crucial element in achieving his goals. He actively engages in teaching and mentoring endeavors, which have proven to be highly rewarding. By sharing his

Furthermore, David believes in practicing what he preaches when it comes to healthcare consumption. He applies the same metrics and principles that he advises his clients to use when making healthcare decisions for himself and his family. It is essential to him that people recognize his commitment to action rather than mere words.

Over the years, David has been named as the Forbes Most Innovative Insurance Broker, BenefitsPro Broker of the Year, Validation Institutes Advisor of the Year, and has earned several other notable awards for his work in reforming the US healthcare system.

COVER STORY

A PASSION UNVEILED

David's passion for beneits and health insurance has been a constant in his 3-decade long career, characterized by a shift from traditional brokering to an avant-garde model. His personal commitment extends beyond professional rhetoric, as he actively incorporates the principles he advocates into his own healthcare decisions. This authenticity serves as a beacon, challenging industry norms and emphasizing the importance of consistency and integrity.

Recognizing the transformative power of education, David engages in teaching and mentoring initiatives. By imparting his knowledge and experiences, he aims to create a ripple effect, encouraging others to adopt similar models. His approach involves challenging the status quo, questioning inconsistencies, and leading by example, creating a paradigm shift towards consistency and integrity.

A PROFIT-DRIVEN MODEL FOR TRUE HEALTH

Contorno's vision extends beyond proit-driven healthcare, advocating for a system where proits arise from keeping individuals healthy. Rejecting the notion that healthcare systems must collapse if society attains true health, he envisions a scenario where everyone can access quality and affordable healthcare without inancial burden. His call for a paradigm shift resonates in a society grappling with rising costs and subpar clinical outcomes.

David's greatest professional risk was making the decision to stop selling traditional healthcare plans. Instead, he chose to tie his compensation to effectively reducing costs—a departure from the common practice where brokers and consultants are rewarded when their clients' expenses rise. Additionally, he committed to actively participating in the care and well-being of each member on every plan they service.

E Powered Beneits distinguishes itself by offering completely transparent health plans, certiied by www.AFHCA.org. Unlike conventional models, where employers contribute to a nebulous system, David's plans prioritize clarity and accountability.

This shift in approach has yielded positive outcomes both clinically and inancially. By actively engaging in members' healthcare, David's company has achieved improved clinical outcomes while simultaneously saving employers substantial amounts of money. Furthermore, they have gone the extra mile by waiving all members out-of-pocket costs, ensuring that individuals can access the necessary care without worrying about inancial burdens that may jeopardize their basic needs, such as housing and food.

DRIVING CHANGE

As a sought-after speaker and contributor, David Contorno actively participates in shaping conversations around healthcare. His ability to simplify complex

concepts into relatable stories resonates with business owners and individuals alike. By shedding light on the laws in the current healthcare model, he aims to inspire a collective shift in thinking and foster a society where quality healthcare is accessible to all.

David's vision is focused on domestic expansion rather than global reach. He aspires to build a community of consultants, employers, and employees/patients who will challenge the laws within the healthcare system, which is both detrimental and exorbitantly expensive. His goal is to create incentives for healthcare providers to prioritize better clinical outcomes, complete price transparency, and genuine honesty. David urges every business owner and patient to apply the same metrics, incentives, and intelligence they employ when making other purchasing decisions.

E Powered Beneits' departure from traditional healthcare plans represents a signiicant professional risk that has reaped rewards. The company's commitment to active member engagement has resulted in improved clinical outcomes and substantial cost savings for employers. By waiving out-ofpocket costs, E Powered Beneits ensures that individuals can access essential care without inancial worries.

Numbers Powering Unmatched Success

E Powered Benefits Health Plan Stats

29 % Average Cost Reduction

Injustthefirst yearofyourE Powered PerformancePlan

$ 6,000 Average Cost Reduction PerEmployeePer Year-Compared toNat’lAvg

80 % Of Care Available

Withnooutof pocketcoststo employeesand theirfamilies

100 % Control Overyourhealth planarchitecture andspending

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Digital Marketing Hurdles: Inflation and Frustration Impact Customer Experience, Says Contentsquare Report

Within the digital marketing space, marketers are now facing new challenges as highlighted in Contentsquare's 2024 Digital Experience Benchmark Report. The report indicates that cost inlation and declining trafic numbers are creating signiicant hurdles, with the cost per visit rising by 9.4% last year.

Marketers are employing a variety of potential solutions to combat these challenges. However, the report warns that these solutions can sometimes "mask — and often

contribute to — a fundamental issue negatively impacting digital journeys." This issue is the frustration experienced by users due to various factors such as codeproducing errors, slow page loads, multiple clicks, and low page activity.

"Frustration can have painful consequences on customer engagement," the report states. "While encouraging advances were made in reducing friction in the experience in 2023, it still impacted 2 out of every 5 user sessions in some way." These moments of

frustration not only hurt SEO but also contribute to higher bounce rates, making a noticeable impact on the customer experience.

The cumulative effect of letting frustration fester can be disastrous, potentially reducing the engagement and value of a visit by15.0%. The report highlights the importance of addressing these frustrations to ensure a smooth digital journey for users.

Furthermore, the report sheds light on the role of intention in bounce rates. It points out that paid search trafic, with a conversion rate of 2.55%, not only outperforms paid social trafic, which has a conversion rate of 0.61%, but also has a lower bounce rate (43.9% compared to 61.7%). This indicates that users coming from paid search are more likely to know what they want and are receptive to landing deep within the site, making a product or solution page an appropriate landing spot.

As digital marketers navigate the challenges of 2024, the Contentsquare report emphasizes the need to continue combating user frustration and understanding the intent behind trafic sources to enhance the overall customer experience.

Wyoming's Groundbreaking Law: AI and DAOs to Revolutionize Corporate Governance and M&A

Wyoming has taken a bold step into the future of business with a new law that fundamentally alters the landscape of corporate governance and mergers and acquisitions (M&A). The law, passed last week, establishes a legal framework that allows for Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) to operate with unprecedented autonomy, paving the way for fully autonomous AI agents to become signiicant inancial actors on behalf of organizations.

Under this pioneering legislation, DAOs can be hard-coded through smart contracts and software, enabling them to:

Ÿ Merge with or acquire any company

Ÿ Make contractual agreements through smart contracts

Ÿ Own companies and property

Ÿ Assume liability with limited member liability, similar to an LLC

Ÿ Pay third parties, such as contractors

Notably, DAOs with over 100

members gain legal status, perpetual existence, and limited liability for members under the bill's provisions. This opens up new possibilities for value creation, with companies exploring mergers between DAOs and novel collaborations, such as a DAO specializing in digital assets merging with a inancial institution.

Emmet Halm, co-founder of DAOHQ, anticipates that many DAOs will build on top of Open AI models, leveraging the unique value distribution mechanisms of DAOs to distribute wealth generated from AI products and services. Companies like Fetch.ai are already creating platforms where AI bots can engage in income-generating activities,

from handling complex transactions to owning property and executing M&As, all without human intervention. The revenue generated is then passed back to the DAO and its members.

This development in Wyoming is reminiscent of the early days of Bitcoin and its potential impact on the economy as a decentralized currency. With legendary shareholder activist Bill Ackman expressing interest in Bitcoin, it raises the question: How long before he and others are discussing the transformative potential of AIbacked DAOs in the corporate world?

Nestlé Achieves Significant Progress in Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction

Nestlé has announced a

notable achievement in its sustainability efforts, with a net reduction of 13.5 per cent in its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared to its 2018 baseline, as outlined in its Sustainability Report for 2023. This reduction includes a signiicant decrease of more than 15.3 per cent in methane emissions.

Antonia Wanner, Group Head of ESG Strategy and Deployment at Nestlé, expressed pride in the company's progress. "Our progress on emissions reductions is proof of our unwavering commitment to our net-zero roadmap," she stated. "We are working closely with our partners to help make food

production more sustainable, while aiming at enhancing livelihoods across our value chain at the same time. A just transition is crucial to accelerate our efforts."

Nestlé is on track to reach its target of a 20 per cent absolute reduction in GHG emissions by 2025. In 2023, 94 per cent of the decline in the company's emissions came from reductions in its operations and supply chain.

To further its sustainability goals, Nestlé is supporting suppliers and farmers in transitioning to regenerative agriculture practices. These practices include diverse

cropping systems and livestock integration, biodiversity, collective and landscape actions, soil health, and water security and quality.

As of the end of 2023, 91.9 per cent of the sourced electricity in Nestlé's global manufacturing sites was from renewable sources. The company plans to continue reducing emissions through a combination of agroforestry, deforestation prevention, and new farming practices. Additionally, Nestlé is boosting innovation in both products and agri-tech through its own research and development and external partnerships.