As the founder and CEO of the Garzella Group and the visionary behind Avalon’s risk-management business model, Dan not only has a passion for disrupting a stale status-quo, but he has the foresight and expertise to make his entrepreneurial ventures profitable and successful.

Dan, who received his Bachelor of Business Administration from Central Michigan University, started his commercial property insurance career with Farmers Insurance in 2008 as a hedge against a down market during the Great Recession. He quickly rose to be their #1 writing agent of commercial property in the United States.

On the heels of that success, Dan founded his independent insurance brokerage company, The Garzella Group, in 2014. He built his company quickly and strategically, with an uncompromising level of perseverance, authenticity, transparency, accountability, and loyalty—and he has attracted a formidable team who share those same core values.

Dan’s two great joys in life are mentoring his staff and watching them develop professionally and teaching his young son Rocco how to grow up strong and happy.