We had the good fortune of connecting with Ryan Hartman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ryan, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I actually had my BMW break down with only 60K miles on it. My mechanic said I should’ve had an extended warranty on my car since the factory warranty had expired about a year prior. I learned my lesson the hard way, so for my next vehicle I shopped around and found out the shopping experience was completely broken. I couldn’t even get quotes online! Every site I went to made me call in for a quote. Comparing plans apples to apples was nearly impossible since I couldn’t tell what was covered and not covered, what additional upcharges were, etc, so we built Chaiz to allow for a true online comparison shopping process where you can get quotes from multiple providers in one place and buy completely online.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
The extended warranty category has been plagued with robocalls, spamming, predatory marketing practices and hidden costs. It’s a shame because the actual product is quite useful. Most Americans can’t pay for a $1k auto repair bill out of pocket, so having an extended warranty can save you a lot of money on unexpected breakdowns. People get warranties on their mobile phones, TVs, etc but a lot of times don’t protect their car which is usually their first or second largest asset. Probably the best thing about Chaiz is we are purely digital — we don’t have overhead costs like those with physical locations do and we don’t have to pay sales commissions, so we pass that savings onto the customer. In fact, Chaiz customers save an average $1,700 versus our competitors.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I am a big craft beer fan, in fact I actually have a Cicerone certification (it’s like a Sommelier but for beer!). My favorite breweries in the city are Arizona Wilderness and Wren House. Arizona Wilderness has a great spot in the city and Wren House is in a cool, divey building a short ten minute trip from downtown.

Visiting the Grand Canyon is a must. Every time I go I still get blown away by it. When I was 6 I visited there for the first time and thought it was just so big and awesome and I still get that feeling when I see it at 40!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I learned a lot from my fellow executives at The Zebra. Together we built a great comparison marketplace for insurance, and I am using a lot of my knowledge from that experience at Chaiz. Also, shoutout to everyone at Chaiz! We are a small team with different backgrounds but we all share one mission: to bring transparency and fair pricing into a industry that is known for bad actors. It’s hard work getting a startup off the ground, but I am super proud of what we all built together!

Website: www.chaiz.com

Instagram: @chaizco

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/chaiz/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChaizCom

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@chaizcom

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutArizona is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.