# Ivan Herrera

> Ivan Herrera is the Cuban-born, Miami-based founder and CEO of UniVista Insurance. After arriving in Florida at 23, he moved through construction, banking, auto sales, real estate and insurance before buying the struggling UniVista name with his wife, Ania, for $40,000 in 2009. He built the agency around bilingual service, staff training, data, quality control and a close understanding of immigrant customers, and in 2025 EY named him a Florida Entrepreneur Of The Year award winner.

- **Role:** Founder and CEO at UniVista Insurance
- **Organizations:** UniVista Insurance
- **From:** Alquízar, Cuba
- **Nationality:** Cuban-American
- **Education:** Biology, University of Havana, English-language studies, Miami Dade College, Insurance coursework, Gold Coast Schools
- **Known for:** Built UniVista Insurance from a struggling acquired name into a multistate agency and franchise network., Named an EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2025 Florida Award winner., Led UniVista to No. 33 on Insurance Journal's 2018 list of the Top 100 independent property/casualty agencies.

## Career timeline

- **1996** — Left Cuba for Florida at age 23 with his wife and extended family; began working in construction and studied English.
- **Late 1990s** — Worked in construction, welding, mechanics, delivery driving and bank records before moving into auto sales.
- **Early 2000s** — Became a leading salesperson at Braman Honda, then moved into real estate and opened an office.
- **2008** — Obtained a Florida life, annuity and health insurance license.
- **2009** — Bought the UniVista name with his wife, Ania, for $40,000 and began building the agency.
- **2016** — UniVista operated 80 Florida offices with 500 employees, as described in a Diario Las Américas interview.
- **2018** — UniVista was ranked No. 33 on Insurance Journal's Top 100 Independent Property/Casualty Agencies list.
- **2025** — Won the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2025 Florida Award and advanced to national consideration.

## Achievements

- Built UniVista Insurance from a struggling acquired name into a multistate agency and franchise network.
- Named an EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2025 Florida Award winner.
- Led UniVista to No. 33 on Insurance Journal's 2018 list of the Top 100 independent property/casualty agencies.
- Earned repeated industry sales and partnership awards listed on his public LinkedIn profile between 2014 and 2017.

## Latest updates

- **2025-10** — Appeared on the Cafecito y Croquetas podcast to discuss leaving Cuba, rebuilding his career and growing UniVista.
- **2025-07** — UniVista secured a $25 million commitment in a senior secured credit facility involving Wingspire Capital and Everberg Capital.
- **2025-06** — EY named Ivan Herrera Sr. an Entrepreneur Of The Year 2025 Florida Award winner.

## Links

- Website: https://www.univistainsurance.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivanherrera17

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/ivan-herrera
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-27