Small property claims shouldn’t feel like a major life event — yet for insurers and customers alike, they often do. And that’s exactly the problem Christie Downs Wood set out to fix. In this episode of the Scouting for Growth Podcast, Sabine VanderLinden speaks with Christie Downs Wood, co-founder of Handdii, a three-way digital platform reimagining how insurance, construction, and contractors work together. The result? Faster claims, happier customers, and a model that finally makes small property claims… well, small. Christie is a high-energy, purpose-driven entrepreneur who didn’t stumble into InsurTech — she earned her insight the hard way. After a decade as a senior executive and board member at Johns Lyng Group, helping scale the business from $12 million to $350 million, she saw first-hand where property claims break down. Customers were stressed. Contractors were frustrated. Insurers were stuck managing cumbersome processes designed for large losses — even though 80% of property claims are small and need just one or two trades. That disconnect sparked Handdii. Handdii is built for a very specific, very painful gap: small property claims that move too slowly and cost too much. Instead of routing every claim through layers of assessment, approval, and supplier management, Handdii connects customers directly with the right local trades — fast. Claims that once took 60 days can now be resolved in around one week. This isn’t innovation theatre. It’s operational impact. Christie explains why early innovation in claims focused on point solutions — virtual inspections, drones, AI tools — often stacked on top of one another. Useful, yes. But fragmented. Handdii’s vision is different: integration. Bringing people, processes, and payments together in one seamless workflow that works for insurers, customers, and trades alike. For insurers, the value is clear: Up to 25% savings on claims costs Dramatically improved customer experience and higher NPS Faster claim lifecycle and easier digital transformation For contractors, Handdii removes friction through pre-agreed rates, opt-in scheduling, automated processing, and fast payment — allowing them to focus on quality work, not admin. And for customers, the experience is finally human: quicker repairs, less stress, and better outcomes when they need help most. What makes Handdii work is credibility. Christie and her team speak the language of claims. They understand insurer constraints, contractor realities, and customer emotions — and that shows up in the product. As Christie puts it, when partnering with insurers, the focus is simple: make it easy to work with us. The conversation also touches on leadership and resilience — from Christie’s experience launching inclusive programs at Carlton Football Club, to scaling contractor onboarding via video during COVID, to her candid advice for founders working with large enterprises: be patient, be persistent, and know your value. This episode is essential listening for: Claims leaders tackling cost and customer satisfaction Insurers rethinking small-claim strategies InsurTech founders solving unglamorous but massive problems Enterprises seeking innovation that actually lands in operations As Christie makes clear, the future of claims isn’t about more tools — it’s about better flow. And when small claims finally work well, everyone wins.