The History of the Travelers Institute
Leading constructive conversations since 2009
The Travelers Institute convenes audiences with government and industry thought leaders to share insights, learn together and solve problems. As of 2024, we have hosted over 1,100 educational programs with over 630 speakers. We’ve reached over 435,000 attendees in 192 cities across the world.
Leveraging more than 160 years of Travelers’ risk management expertise, the Travelers Institute helps spark ideas and surface solutions through widely accessible programming with some of today’s top experts in their fields.
- Joan Woodward
President, Travelers Institute; Executive Vice President, Public Policy, Travelers
Celebrating 15 Years of the Travelers Institute
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Text: Travelers Institute (Registered Trademark), Travelers. 15 Years.
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PRESENTER: Fifteen years ago, Travelers established the Travelers Institute to lead constructive conversations about today's public policy challenges and tomorrow's needs.
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1,131 Programs. 456,083 Attendees. 636 Speakers. 192 Cities Visited.
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Since then, the Travelers Institute has leveraged our risk management expertise, convening audiences with government and industry thought leaders to share insights, learn together and solve problems.
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Photos and slides scroll on screen. Text: Coastal Resiliency Programs. Resilient Coasts: A Blueprint for Action.
432 Economic and Public Policy Programs. Travelers Institute Risk & Resilience.
84 Small Business Programs. Small Business, Big Opportunity. Travelers Institute, Travelers.
22 Disaster Preparedness Programs.
Live from the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) Research Center.
88 U.S. National Debt Programs. The Travelers Institute to Premiere "Overdraft," Documentary About National Debt Crisis, in Charlotte, NC. June 11, 2012.
Overdraft. Award-Winning Documentary, "Overdraft" has earned 11 distinct honors.
68 Cybersecurity Awareness Programs.
People move around a crowded room. Signs: NYSE, Cyber.
Text: 104 Distracted Driving Programs. Every second matters.
A car crashes on a test course.
Text: 16 Autonomous Vehicle Programs.
62 Workforce Risk Programs.
49 Leadership Conversations.
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We're proud to celebrate 15 years of educational initiatives, and we look forward to driving thoughtful conversations that help us all meet the opportunities ahead.
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Here's to the next 15 Years.
Travelers Institute (Registered Trademark), Travelers. 15 Years. All NYSE marks are owned by NYSE Group, Inc and used with permission.
Travelers Institute milestones
Explore key moments in our history that reflect our commitment to advancing education and public policy dialogue.
- May 2009: Travelers establishes the Travelers Institute®, its public policy division.
- June 2009: Travelers Institute President Joan Woodward, who served as an economist on Capitol Hill and a Washington analyst on Wall Street, begins economic and public policy presentations to risk professionals and broader business audiences.
- October 2009: The Institute launches a Coastal Resiliency initiative addressing the availability and affordability of coastal wind insurance and kicks off events along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts exploring solutions.
- March 2011: The Institute launches its Small Business, Big Opportunity® initiative exploring solutions for small business challenges.
- May 2012: To help bolster the resiliency of communities across the country, the Institute launches an annual “Kicking Off Hurricane Preparedness Season” program with a symposium on Capitol Hill.
- June 2012: The Institute collaborates with public television to present “Overdraft,” an award-winning nonpartisan documentary highlighting the growing national debt and its impact on individuals and U.S. economic competitiveness, and launches a university tour that gathers students, faculty and community members to discuss the state of the American economy.
- June 2013: Following extreme weather events, the Institute partners with insurance agents and brokers on its Insurance Essentials initiative to help consumers learn about insurance and protect what matters most.
- June 2015: The Institute and the Travelers Foundation award Team Rubicon with the inaugural $100,000 Travelers Excellence in Community Resiliency Award.
- April 2016: The Institute launches its Cyber: Prepare, Prevent, Mitigate, Restore® initiative to help small and medium-sized organizations enhance their cybersecurity.
- November 2017: The Institute launches its Every Second Matters® initiative to highlight the risks of driving distracted and promote safer roadways.
- 2018: The Institute joins Travelers’ efforts to bring more women and diverse voices into the insurance industry through its signature platforms SHE Travels and, later, SHE Golfs.
- July 2018: The Institute launches a series of events to discuss autonomous vehicles and the future of driving safety on our roads.
- February 2020: The Institute rings the Opening Bell at the New York Stock Exchange to celebrate more than a decade of public policy and education.
- June 2020: The Institute launches a webinar series, Wednesdays with Woodward®, to explore pressing topics at the intersection of business, insurance and public policy.
- September 2022: The Institute partners with Citizen TravelersSM, the company’s industry-leading, nonpartisan civic engagement initiative, to support and showcase conversations among leading thinkers in the areas of civic engagement and civic learning.
- March 2023: The Institute celebrates its 50th cybersecurity education symposium at the New York Stock Exchange with more than 1,500 attendees in person and virtually.
- October 2023: The Wednesdays with Woodward webinar series marks its 100th episode with a special guest, Travelers Chairman and CEO Alan Schnitzer.
- January 2024: The Institute launches Travelers' first podcast, the Travelers Institute Risk & Resilience Podcast.
- May 2024: The Institute marks 15 years of advancing public policy dialogue.