About Willow Wood Insurance

Willow Wood Insurance Agency isn’t just about providing protection through policies; it’s about fostering meaningful relationships, empowering women, and giving back to the community. Founded in 2013 by Lisa Hengel, Willow Wood was established with a vision to create a community-centric, women-led agency that prioritizes values like integrity, sustainability, and support for both clients and team members.

Lisa’s career path has always been rooted in community building and fostering independence, particularly for women. Inspired by her workforce experiences and commitment to creating a nurturing environment, she built Willow Wood as a values-driven agency dedicated to empowering women through stable careers while serving the community with integrity and care. Lisa also carries forward the legacy of her uncle’s agency, Hawkins Insurance, which he founded in 1993. After taking over upon his retirement, Lisa brought his clients into Willow Wood, merging their trust and loyalty into the next chapter of the agency’s success.

As a local, woman-owned and operated independent insurance agency, Willow Wood specializes in home, auto, life, and more. We pride ourselves on delivering quality personal service to all our clients, not just in Edina and Minneapolis but throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin, and sunny Arizona. Our partnerships with carefully selected insurance carriers allow us to find the best coverage tailored to your unique insurance needs, ensuring you feel comfortable and confident in our abilities.

At Willow Wood Insurance, we’re committed to continuous growth and education. Our experienced team regularly attends industry classes and conferences to stay up-to-date with the ever-changing insurance landscape, so we’re always in the best position to serve our diverse clientele.

With every referral, training session, and connection we make, we’re not just building an agency—we’re creating a legacy of care, community engagement, and women’s empowerment. Together, we are taking steps toward a future where women are supported, careers are nurtured, and the community thrives.

Team

Lisa Hengel has owned Willow Wood Insurance since founding the agency in 2013. A year later, in 2014, she took over her uncle Kevin’s agency upon his retirement. She is incredibly proud to serve still many of the original Hawkins Insurance clients under the Willow Wood umbrella. Before stepping into agency ownership, Lisa earned a Bachelor of Arts in English Education from St. Mary’s University in Winona, Minnesota. In December 2021, she completed the prestigious Goldman Sachs 10k Small Business program, joining a network of over 10,000 fellow small business owners who have benefited from this intensive training. Lisa is a passionate advocate for Insure Equality, a non-profit dedicated to amplifying the voices of those who have historically been underrepresented or overlooked in the insurance industry. Lisa and her husband, Dale have raised four children together. Their youngest is a student at Southwest High School in Minneapolis. As their children have graduated, they have added four-legged family members and are kept busy with their rescue pups: Cooper, Nona, Stevie Jo, and Billy. In addition to her professional and personal commitments, Lisa was born and raised in Minneapolis and has a passion for urban living. Dale and Lisa also enjoy spending time at their off-the-grid cabin near Rollingstone in southeastern Minnesota. Lisa is deeply committed to increasing female representation in the male-dominated insurance industry and is passionate about educating young adults on the importance of insurance.

Kristen has been a licensed insurance agent since 2014. She has a CPIA designation and a strong sales and customer service background. She graduated from the University of Minnesota with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism/Mass Communications.

Her number one focus is helping our clients meet their insurance needs by providing guidance and utilizing her years of experience in the industry. Kristen prioritizes customers’ needs and works to build long-term relationships. She strives to help navigate and educate clients on the many policy options and endorsements. As life changes, insurance should change with you!

In addition, Kristen is fluent in Spanish and enjoys working with the Hispanic community.

She has raised three children, the youngest of whom is in his last year at the U of M. Kristen has embraced her new role as an “empty nester,” enjoying travel, spending time with family and friends, and trying out new hobbies, the latest of which is stained glass art!

LYNN SCHNELL

Account Specialist / Licensed Agent

Phone: (612) 567-3822 ext. 3
Email: lynn@willowwood-ins.com

With decades of experience in the insurance industry, Lynn Schnell is a seasoned professional who brings a wealth of knowledge and a personal touch to her work. Licensed since 1993 and holding a CISR designation since 2004, Lynn’s expertise spans both commercial and personal insurance, but the personal side holds her heart. Lynn’s true passion is helping people protect what matters most. Her curiosity about people’s stories and her compassionate nature allows her to connect with clients on a deeper level, ensuring that every policy is tailored to their needs. Living in Plymouth with her husband of 19 years, their dog, and two cats, Lynn enjoys the comforts of home—whether it’s working remotely, indulging in her love for crafts, or tackling home improvement projects. And while she jokes about sounding “old,” her lively spirit and passion for life shine through in everything she does.

JENNY BISSELL

Licensed Agent / Renewal Specialist

Account Specialist / Licensed Agent

Phone: (612) 567-3822 ext. 4
Email: jenny@willowwood-ins.com

Jenny brings a wealth of experience and a heart for service to the Willow Wood team. With a career in the insurance industry dating back to 2012, Jenny served clients in Iowa before settling into the Minnesota market in 2020. Her professional philosophy is rooted in a deep-seated desire to help people, and she finds her greatest professional fulfillment in ensuring her clients have the highest quality protection at the most competitive price.
As our Renewal Specialist, Jenny’s primary focus is navigating the evolving needs of our clients. She specializes in comprehensive policy reviews, helping families determine whether their current coverage still fits their lives or if a change is needed to better protect their assets. Jenny’s dedication to her clients is backed by a career-long commitment to customer service that began in 1994, giving her a unique ability to listen, advocate, and guide with a personal touch.
Jenny lives in Minnesota with her husband, where they embrace the beauty of the outdoors. In her free time, you can find her on the water kayaking and fishing, or simply enjoying the many outdoor activities the region has to offer.

Rachel has been a licensed insurance agent since February 2024 and holds licenses in Property & Casualty, Life, and Health insurance. Before joining Willow Wood Insurance, Rachel worked in financial services as a loan processor with U.S. Bank and later gained valuable experience working on the captive side of the insurance industry. Her lending background gives her a unique perspective on just how important it is to get insurance handled quickly and correctly—especially when there’s a closing date on the calendar and everyone is waiting on that insurance binder!

Rachel is passionate about making insurance understandable, approachable, and, believe it or not, a little less boring. She knows that insurance can feel overwhelming, and she never wants a client to feel dumb for asking a question. In fact, she would much rather have you ask the “obvious” question than walk away from a conversation still confused. Rachel believes that understanding your insurance is just as important as having it, and she takes pride in explaining coverage in plain English instead of throwing a bunch of industry jargon at you and hoping you nod along.

Her experience as a captive agent also gave Rachel a unique appreciation for independent insurance. She is grateful to now have the ability to focus on what is best for the client rather than trying to fit every client into the same carrier. For Rachel, insurance is about more than finding a policy—it’s about getting to know people, understanding what matters to them, and being someone they actually want to hear from when it’s time to talk about their insurance. She brings a lot of energy, a big personality, and plenty of humor to the table, because she firmly believes that being professional doesn’t mean you have to be boring.

Outside of the office, Rachel is happiest when she is doing approximately twelve things at once. She loves camping, hiking, playing disc golf, decorating, horror, GOT, the world of middle earth, creating content for social media, and finding ways to stay involved in her community. She has personally organized food and clothing drives and believes strongly in supporting the people and small businesses around her. She is also a very proud dog mom to Sam and Arwen who are equal parts beloved companions and professional troublemakers, they keep her entertained, active, and occasionally questioning who is actually in charge of the household. She also enjoys decorating, getting creative, and generally making life a little more fabulous whenever possible.

Rachel believes insurance doesn’t have to be intimidating, relationships matter, and there is almost always room for a little humor, even when you’re talking about deductibles.

Sam and Arwen are Willow Wood’s resident rescue dogs and full-time office staff. Their duties include greeting clients, supervising important meetings, accepting snacks, and providing absolutely no useful insurance advice.

When they’re not in the office, you can find them camping at the cabin, swimming, playing disc golf, and generally living their best lives.

Sam is the office vocalist. He loves to sing, whether anyone asked for a performance or not.

Arwen is the office supervisor. She prefers to silently judge everyone’s decisions and is highly food motivated, making her an excellent negotiator and a terrible person to leave unattended near snacks.

Together, they bring an important combination of chaos, companionship, and questionable productivity to the Willow Wood team. We wouldn’t have it any other way.