July 30, 2025
When large companies talk about building new ventures, most conversations die in PowerPoint.
This episode with Sharon Rodriguez is what it looks like when one actually makes it out of the deck and into the world.
Sharon is the CEO of HighPeak; a wholly owned subsidiary of Prudential built to explore entirely new revenue opportunities using the insurer’s proprietary data, AI models, and risk expertise. Her mandate: innovate beyond the core.
We’ve spoken to dozens of leaders trying to do this. Few have gotten as far or as fast as Sharon. And fewer still have done it with such clarity about what it takes to succeed.
Here’s what we took away:
When Sharon joined HighPeak, she wasn’t dropped into an “incubation pod.” She was hired as the first employee, with a clear mandate to build something scalable using Prudential’s internal data assets.
She started with:
That wasn’t an accident. It was the result of intentional structuring—operational independence, data science support, and early flexibility—all geared toward creating a business that could eventually stand on its own.
As Sharon put it: “You can’t shove something new into an old environment and expect it to work.”
HighPeak has access to world-class actuarial data and the capital to take a long view. But that advantage comes with a “tax”, compliance, vendor approvals, security certifications, that would be unthinkable for an early-stage startup.
HighPeak went through SOC 2 compliance before it even had customers.
And while that slows velocity, Sharon was clear about the tradeoff: fewer distractions, a stable backer, and an investor aligned to long-term value. No weekly fundraising cycles. No short-term burn-rate panic.
In return? Slower infrastructure decisions, more red tape, and high internal expectations.
The lesson: If you’re going to play inside the enterprise, know the constraints, and get ruthless about what you control.
Sharon didn’t try to build a 50-person team just because she could. HighPeak has five full-time employees. Everything else (development, go-to-market, creative ) is handled by specialized fractionals.
That wasn’t just lean. It was strategic.
It gave her:
The incentives aren’t equity yet (it’s still a wholly owned subsidiary), but the upside is clear: Spinout is the goal. And everyone knows the clock is ticking.
From day one, HighPeak was built with the goal of spinning out.
That meant:
Sharon was clear: if you want optionality down the line, you have to build for it up front.
And when that spinout moment comes, it has to be about more than just structure. It has to be about valuation, growth strategy, and leadership continuity. Nobody wants to invest in a company if the team that built it disappears the day the term sheet shows up.
Here’s what’s most powerful about what Sharon is doing:
She’s not just building HighPeak. She’s building a template for how new ventures can work inside large organizations.
She documented her approach in a playbook. She created her own investment principles. She started educating other leaders inside Prudential. And now, internal teams are asking how she’s moving so fast—and why.
HighPeak may or may not become a standalone company. But its real impact might be something broader:
As Sharon put it: “Even if we don’t make it, this has been a good investment for the organization.”
Sharon’s success with HighPeak isn’t an accident.
It’s the result of deep operating experience, clear structural design, and an organization willing to experiment with a different way of working.
If you’re an executive thinking about venture building, take this to heart:
That’s what real venture building inside the enterprise looks like.
—Ben & Marcus
We always enjoy conversations about innovation and startup building so please get in touch.
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