Ball State Graduate Dan Towriss is Driving Change on a Global Stage

Ball State alumnus Dan Towriss, ’94, has grown Group 1001 into a multibillion-dollar firm, launched Gainbridge, invested in Formula 1 and global motorsports, and supported philanthropy in Muncie and beyond.

Getting into Formula 1 isn’t just hard. It’s political. It’s territorial. It’s exclusive by design

Even with the backing of General Motors, the plan to place an American team on the Formula 1 grid was met with resistance. The hurdles weren’t just technical—they were global, bureaucratic, and layered with skepticism.

“That’s an understatement,” said Dan Towriss, ’94, when asked if the bidding process had been difficult. “But I don’t hear ‘no’ as rejection. I hear it as ‘not yet.’”

In early 2025, Mr. Towriss was named CEO of TWG Motorsports, a division of TWG Global formed to consolidate a growing portfolio of motorsports investments—including majority ownership in Andretti Global (with teams in IndyCar and Formula E) and teams in NASCAR and IMSA. He helped build the framework for the Cadillac Formula 1 bid while navigating a complex landscape of international approvals and commercial scrutiny.

That new business is being led, perhaps improbably, by a trained actuary. Mr. Towriss’ background in risk modeling and long-term valuation—unusual credentials in the racing world—has proven essential in building one of the sport’s most expansive portfolios.

“When you put it that way, it seems very puzzling, doesn’t it?” Mr. Towriss said, reflecting on how someone with an actuary background ended up building a global motorsports operation. “But motorsports is business—and can be successful when done correctly.”

And the man behind Formula 1’s newest team?

A former standout high school pitcher. A Ball State University graduate. A Muncie kid who only wound up back in town after blowing out his arm at Indiana University.

That’s where the story really begins.

Muncie Beginnings

Mr. Towriss grew up on the north side of Muncie in a 1,200-square-foot house not far from the busy intersection of McGalliard Road and Wheeling Avenue. His mom worked in radiology at Ball Memorial Hospital. His dad ran One Accord, a small American-Mexican restaurant with a loyal following.

It wasn’t a flashy childhood, but it was full of structure and steady expectations. “They both worked hard,” Mr. Towriss said of his parents. “My dad especially instilled that work ethic in me and my brothers.”

Baseball became his first proving ground—though not without setbacks.

“The start was very inauspicious, getting cut from the team a couple of different times when I was in grade school,” Mr. Towriss said with a smile.

But he kept showing up. By sixth grade, he started to find his rhythm on the mound. By high school, he’d become a standout pitcher for Muncie Central and the Post 19 American Legion team, helping lead the Chiefs to a state title on the historic McCulloch Park diamond—not far from home.

His success earned him a baseball scholarship to Indiana University, which he chose over Notre Dame. But after injuring his throwing elbow during freshman year, Mr. Towriss made the difficult choice to forgo surgery and end his baseball career.

He came back home. And Ball State became the place where he rebuilt his direction.

Finding His Name—and His Path

After transferring to Ball State, Mr. Towriss didn’t expect to be noticed. He had his sights set on actuarial science but was still adjusting to life without baseball and starting over in a new environment.

Then one day, walking across campus, a professor called him by name.

“I was kind of baffled,” he recalled. “I wasn’t sure why he knew me. I followed him into the building, thinking maybe I was in trouble or something.”

He wasn’t. The professor had simply recognized him from class—a small moment, but one that stuck.

“That moment really showed me how different Ball State was,” Mr. Towriss said. “At a big university, nobody would know who you are. But here, the faculty were connected. They were invested. That changed everything for me.”

Once he found his footing, he didn’t let up. He took as many as 21 credit hours per semester, studied for actuarial exams, and worked part-time as a surgical assistant at Ball Memorial Hospital—often splitting his days between classrooms and operating rooms.

Several Ball State faculty members stood out to Mr. Towriss as especially influential. Among them: Dr. John Beekman, who established the actuarial science program and knew not only Mr. Towriss’ name but also his family’s connection to the department; Dr. Bart Frye, ’69 MA ’73, and Dr. Rebecca Pierce in mathematical sciences; and Dr. Cecil Bohanon in economics. Each, in different ways, helped reinforce the idea that Ball State wasn’t just preparing students to pass tests, but to lead.

Their investment in his future was mutual, as Mr. Towriss’ drive left a lasting impression. Dr. Pierce, associate professor of mathematical sciences, taught Mr. Towriss in three courses: MATH 321, MATH 324, and MATH 428. More than three decades later, thanks in part to her green gradebook, she still remembers where he sat—and how hard he worked.

In one class, he earned the highest score on the final exam, acing a notoriously difficult test. In another, he had the top average score in his class while preparing for his first actuarial exam. On a group project in regression modeling, he and his teammates delivered the top submission in the course. “Dan’s attendance was perfect in all three classes,” Dr. Pierce noted. “He was an outstanding student across the board.”

Mr. Towriss graduated cum laude in 1994 with a bachelor’s degree in actuarial science. The program, faculty, and hands-on experience gave him not just technical training, but a launchpad.

“Ball State gave me options,” he said. “I could have stayed technical or gone into business or leadership. That foundation shaped the rest of my career.”

Building Something Bigger

Mr. Towriss began his professional career at Lincoln National Life in Fort Wayne. One early influence was CEO Ian Rolland—also an actuary—who helped expand Mr. Towriss’ view of what was possible.

In 2009, he joined Guggenheim Partners and helped build its insurance platform. When the chance came to lead a buyout of that platform, he took it—forming Group 1001, a network of insurance businesses focused on innovation and access.

That included the launch of Gainbridge, a digital platform offering annuities directly to consumers. The platform’s structure—data-driven, transparent, and long-term—reflected Mr. Towriss’ actuarial roots.

“There’s some pretty powerful applications of data and analytics that are inherent in being an actuary,” he said. “That’s helped us grow our business.”

But it wasn’t just growth. It was a mindset: assess risk, play the long game, and do it differently.

From Finance to Finish Lines

Mr. Towriss’ business foundation remained actuarial. But in recent years, he’s applied it to motorsports.

It began quietly, with sponsorship. Gainbridge, whose logo was first placed on the turf at Ball State’s Scheumann Stadium in 2019, inked a presenting partnership with the Indianapolis 500 and secured naming rights for the Indiana Pacers and Fever’s home arena.

The exposure was powerful—but the ambition ran deeper.

Through TWG Global, a parent company chaired by Mr. Towriss’ longtime business partner Mark Walter, he and his team began acquiring major motorsports holdings. Those include majority ownership of Andretti Global (IndyCar, Indy NXT, Formula E), Spire Motorsports (NASCAR), Wayne Taylor Racing (IMSA), and Walkinshaw Andretti United (Australia’s Supercars).

“Each of these racing series actually fit into the culture that we’re building at TWG,” Mr. Towriss told the Associated Press. “It’s consistent with the culture of the company I built on the insurance side.”

In early 2025, shortly after the Cadillac Formula 1 bid moved forward, TWG launched TWG Motorsports with Mr. Towriss as CEO.

Formula 1 hadn’t welcomed an American-backed team in decades. But with General Motors as a partner and Mr. Towriss steering the process, the team was approved for the 2026 grid.

In addition to motorsports, TWG Global also has stakes in the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chelsea FC, the Professional Women’s Hockey League, and, most recently, took steps to acquire the Los Angeles Lakers.

“Years ago, people were asking, ‘Why did you buy a baseball team? Or why did you do this?’” Mr. Towriss said. “And I think we see a business opportunity. The question is, ‘What are you trying to build?’”

Giving Back, Looking Forward

In August 2022, Mr. Towriss stood on the diamond at McCulloch Park—the same field where he once helped Muncie’s American Legion team win a state title. But this time, he stood beside Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr.

The visit marked a milestone in the field’s renovation. The Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation had replaced the infield and upgraded the stands and dugouts. Support from Mr. Towriss and Group 1001 funded outfield improvements, stadium lighting, and a new scoreboard—part of a broader community initiative that also received support from Ball State.

As a Ripken Foundation board member, Mr. Towriss has helped bring life to youth sports spaces across the country. This time, he was giving back to the field that helped shape him.

“That day was incredibly special,” he said. “To stand on that field again, alongside someone like Cal Ripken Jr., and know we were helping the next generation have a chance to play—that meant a lot.”

That project added to a growing legacy of philanthropy in his hometown—one that began with a leadership gift to Ball State’s Scheumann Family Indoor Practice Facility. As his first significant gift to the University and to a Muncie-based initiative, it helped galvanize support for the facility, which now enables hundreds of student-athletes and the Pride of Mid-America Marching Band to train year-round in a modern, climate-controlled environment.

His support continued with the McCulloch Park renovations and later with the new YMCA located on the Muncie Central campus. In 2024, Mr. Towriss and his wife, Cassidy, contributed a $2 million leadership gift to that project, helping ensure generations of families and students will benefit from wellness and educational programming in the heart of the city.

Throughout, Mr. Towriss’ philanthropic focus has remained consistent: access and opportunity. Through Group 1001 and Gainbridge, he has long championed women’s sports, well before the recent surge in national attention led by the Fever’s Caitlin Clark. From tennis and golf to motorsports and basketball, the sponsorships have aimed to elevate athletes and teams too often overlooked.

Mr. Towriss has also remained closely connected to Ball State, serving on the University’s Foundation Board of Directors and supporting key institutional priorities. His support reflects a shared purpose with the institution: expanding opportunities and fostering student success.

“Dan embodies our University’s enduring values,” Ball State President Geoffrey S. Mearns said. “He leads with integrity, invests in other people, and remains committed to creating positive, lasting change—in his industry, in his community, and here at his alma mater. I am grateful for his thoughtful engagement and for the many ways he advances our mission of empowering students to have fulfilling careers and to lead meaningful lives.”

Through it all, Mr. Towriss’ philosophy has stayed steady: invest in the people and places that shaped you.

It’s a mindset that took root during his own college years, when he chose to leave his comfort zone, transfer home to Ball State, and chart his own path.

Now, decades later, after helping TWG build a multibillion-dollar financial firm and a global motorsports portfolio, his advice to students reflects that same perspective.

“Be intentional about being uncomfortable,” Mr. Towriss said. “There’s a lot of growth that happens in that space. That’s where you find out what you’re capable of.”