October 2025
The leaves finally changed here in Chicago and I am happy to welcome fall.
October was a month to lock in on our core programs. Our work in resilient housing has the most traction and is acting as a “calling card” for the organization. I wrote a piece in The Epicenter called “Financing the Resilience Delta” about why this is critical to our mission. Please read and share on LinkedIn.
Per my last update, we continue to grow conviction in this opportunity and are officially working to spin out a portion of this work as PILLAR, a for-profit education & technology platform that helps homeowners navigate and finance rebuilding to a proven resilient standard.
The PILLAR platform will officially launch the MVP this month and has…
A founding team of experts across homebuilding, lending, and technology.
Partnered with 15 homebuilders to translate the IBHS standard into designs, influencing 50% of new housing stock.
Targeted campaigns with the community recovery groups, giving a turnkey communication channel reach 90% of homeowners with promotion of PILLAR.
A pipeline of resiliency loan products with the goal of at least 5 financial institutions listed on PILLAR.
6 insurance carriers with policies that will be listed on PILLAR with published discounts for building a home that is IBHS certified.
We believe that now is the right time to recruit pre-seed capital, as this business has been derisked with our initial 6 months of work, validated product-market fit, and is poised to lead the market of resilient home lending.
The Resiliency Company will continue to act as an ecosystem partner for resilient home building in LA and other markets post-disaster. Transitioning from operators of PILLAR into founders/“investors” will allow us to use our programmatic resources on additional mission-related activities.
If you have any connections with early stage investors that are interested in learning more, please send over an introduction (suggested copy below my signature).
We’re also starting to look ahead to 2026 and beyond and are reflecting on some key learnings as we enter strategic planning:
The pullback from the federal government in funding hazard mitigation plus an increased recognition of the financial impact of disasters, there is growing interest in resilient infrastructure from entire sectors and communities. We launched The Resiliency Company at the right time.
To take advantage of that momentum but not get swallowed by the scope of the opportunity, we need to shift from broad convenings and thought-leadership to a targeted approach, rightsized for what will drive change and truly mobilize capital into resilient projects.
Our organization is becoming more well known - with an increase in inbound interest from others to collaborate, help convene, fund, and even additional leads for potential fiscal sponsorship.
Our programs in commercial and public infrastructure continue to have a high potential for impact and size, but are a longer-term investment in aligning stakeholders, establishing credibility, and learning about the opportunities to mobilize capital into resilient infrastructure.
Questions/ideas or introductions to potential funders for PILLAR, please reach out!
Best,
Abby
---
I’d like to introduce you to Abby Ross, CEO of The Resiliency Company, whose team has developed PILLAR, a platform to finance homes to an insurable, resilient standard.
Since 2021, 1 in 10 U.S. homes has been damaged by a disaster, with homeowners spending over $23 billion annually on repairs. PILLAR addresses this massive, growing market by turning resilience into an investable, financeable product. The business has been in stealth mode over the past six months, building the team and validating product–market fit. They are launching in November and quietly raising a pre-seed round.
