# Ilya Bodner

> Ilya Bodner is a Columbus-based entrepreneur who co-founded Bold Penguin in 2016 after working as an insurance agent. American Family acquired the commercial insurance technology business in 2021; a January 2025 announcement moved Bodner from CEO to strategic advisor. He also co-founded Goodwin Company, which builds software and financial technology for charter aviation brokers and operators, and was named an EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2026 East Central Award winner.

- **Role:** Co-founder at Goodwin Company; strategic advisor at Bold Penguin as announced January 2025
- **Organizations:** Goodwin Company, Bold Penguin, The Shipyard, Allstate insurance agency
- **Education:** B.A., International Studies, The Ohio State University
- **Known for:** Co-founded Bold Penguin, a commercial insurance technology company acquired by American Family in 2021., Co-founded charter aviation software and financial technology company Goodwin., Named an EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2026 East Central Award winner.

## Career timeline

- **2001-2005** — Attended The Ohio State University.
- **2003** — Opened an insurance agency after exposure to insurance through a high-school job, as described in a 2019 Business Insurance interview.
- **2006** — Sold the insurance agency, according to the same interview.
- **2014** — Publicly profiled as partner and chief revenue officer at The Shipyard.
- **2016** — Co-founded Bold Penguin with Ben Clarke and Marc DeLeonibus.
- **2021** — American Family announced its acquisition of Bold Penguin; Bodner remained CEO.
- **2022** — Goodwin Company was founded; Bodner is a co-founder.
- **2025-01** — Peter Settel succeeded Bodner as Bold Penguin CEO; Bodner and Ben Clarke were announced as strategic advisors.
- **2026-06** — Named an EY Entrepreneur Of The Year East Central Award winner representing Goodwin Company.
- **2026-10** — Goodwin announced its acquisition of STACK.aero.

## Achievements

- Co-founded Bold Penguin, a commercial insurance technology company acquired by American Family in 2021.
- Co-founded charter aviation software and financial technology company Goodwin.
- Named an EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2026 East Central Award winner.
- Selected for Columbus Business First’s 40 Under 40 class of 2019.

## Latest updates

- **2026-10** — Goodwin announced the acquisition of STACK.aero on October 20, combining charter business operations technology with financial service integrations.
- **2026-06** — EY named Bodner a 2026 East Central Entrepreneur Of The Year Award winner for Goodwin Company.
- **2025-01** — Bold Penguin announced Peter Settel as CEO and president, with Bodner transitioning to strategic advisor.

## Links

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ilyabodner/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/ibodner

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/ilya-bodner
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-25