Interview with a Founder: Cody Barbo

As part of our "Interview with a Founder" series, we're excited to spotlight Cody Barbo , the founder and CEO of Trust & Will . Cody and his Trust & Will team are on the mission to make estate planning less complex and more accessible to everyone. ?

Let's dive into Cody’s and Trust & Will story!

1. Can you share your journey to becoming an entrepreneur? What motivated you to start your own business???

My journey into entrepreneurship really kicked off with a desire to solve meaningful problems that impact people’s lives in a big way. Before starting Trust & Will, I co-founded a startup in the social space, which was an incredible learning experience, but I felt a pull toward something more mission driven. The idea for Trust & Will came from seeing just how broken and outdated estate planning was, especially for everyday families. It felt like this daunting, expensive process that was reserved for the wealthy or people much older—and that just didn’t sit right with me. What motivated me to start Trust & Will was the opportunity to take something complicated and, frankly, intimidating, and turn it into something that’s approachable and affordable for everyone. We wanted to make estate planning something that anyone—whether it’s a young family or an individual—could tackle with confidence. Seeing the real impact we’re making in helping people secure their legacies and protect their families is what keeps me pumped every day.? ?

2. What were the biggest challenges you faced when launching your business, and what mistakes would you avoid if you could do it again???? ?

When we first launched Trust & Will, our biggest challenge was navigating the complexity of legal tech while making estate planning accessible and easy to understand for everyone. We made mistakes early on in trying to do too much at once. If I could do it again, I'd focus even more on customer feedback from the start and streamline our initial product offering to ensure we weren't spreading ourselves too thin.? ?

3. As your company scales, how do you manage growth, culture and hiring effectively????

As we’ve scaled, one of the key things we’ve done is bolster our executive team with seasoned leaders who’ve been through this phase before. That’s been a game-changer for us. But I’ll be candid—managing culture as you grow is tricky. Veteran execs might come with different leadership styles or unfamiliar approaches to the business. It’s something we’re still learning how to navigate every day. Growth brings complexity and maintaining that close-knit feel across a larger organization isn’t always easy. But it’s part of the phase we’re in. We focus on staying transparent with our team and balancing hiring for skills as much as culture fit—it’s an ongoing process, and we’re committed to learning and improving as we go.?

4. You’ve successfully raised multiple funding rounds. What are your top three tips for new founders looking to raise capital????

First, build genuine relationships with investors early. Don’t wait until you need capital to start those conversations. Investors want to see your progress over time. Second, be extremely clear on your vision and how you plan to execute it. When fundraising, you’re not just selling your company—you’re selling your belief in the future and your ability to build it. Third, momentum is everything. Make sure you have a solid story with real traction before you go out to raise. Timing is critical.? ?

5. What’s next for Trust & Will????

We’re focused on continuing to innovate and make estate planning accessible to everyone. We’ve already helped hundreds of thousands of families, but we know there’s still so much opportunity to make a real impact. We’re focused on growth and expanding our product offerings and exploring new ways to partner with financial institutions, nonprofits, and advisors to help more people. Ultimately, we’re here to help millions of families secure their legacies.?

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