Rick Zullo is the Founder and Managing Partner of Equal Ventures. Equal Ventures is an early-stage venture fund based in New York with more than $250 million in committed capital. Rick focuses on backing founders who bridge the digital divide in traditional industries. Insurance is one of his core areas of focus. He works closely with founders as an early investor and board member. Rick spoke at a past InsurTechNY event.
Rick is an active insurtech investor. He sits on the boards of several insurance technology companies. These include Isomer, an AI platform for insurance operations, and Equal Parts, an insurance agency platform. He is also on the boards of Stand Insurance and Bluefields Specialty. His broader portfolio spans energy, transportation, and commerce technology.
Before founding Equal Ventures, Rick was a venture capitalist at Lightbank. There he led investments in companies like Riskmatch, Expel, ClearCover, and Catalytic. Several of those companies became unicorns or delivered nine-figure exits. He was also an early or angel investor in RigUp, Project44, and other breakout companies.
Rick began his career in strategy and finance. He spent five years as a Senior Consultant at Deloitte Consulting. He also worked in private equity and venture roles before starting his own fund. That mix shaped his hands-on approach to backing founders.
Rick earned an MBA with honors from Columbia Business School. He also holds a degree in Economics and Leadership Studies from the University of Richmond.
