As AI, automation and evolving client expectations continue to transform the accounting and finance profession, innovative practitioners are redefining what a successful modern firm looks like.
One of those leaders is Angel Zhen, CPA, EA, recipient of CPA.com's 2025 Digital CPA (DCPA) Innovative Practitioner award. Through a combination of modern technology, streamlined workflows and intentional practice design, Zhen is demonstrating how sole practitioners and small firms can scale more efficiently while creating a more sustainable and client-focused experience.
Building a more responsive practice
Early in his career, Zhen saw how slow communication and unclear processes could leave clients waiting for answers at the moments they needed guidance most. "I saw too many clients left waiting," Zhen said. "Waiting for callbacks, waiting for answers, waiting for clarity. If someone is trusting you with their finances, they shouldn't feel uncertain or ignored."
That frustration became the catalyst for designing a practice centered on consistency, communication and strategic advisory work rather than traditional billable-hour models.
Today, Zhen runs a solo, fully remote tax practice serving real estate investors and high-income solopreneurs nationwide. Operating without employees or a physical office, his firm uses AI-enabled systems, documented workflows and standardized processes designed to reduce friction for both the client and practitioner.
That structure creates more time for thoughtful review, clearer communication and higher-value strategic advisory conversations that help clients navigate complex tax situations with greater confidence.
For Zhen, efficiency alone is not the goal of how he uses technology — creating a more intentional and client-centered experience is.
Using AI to support judgment, not replace it
To meet growing client expectations for responsiveness, clarity and consistency, Zhen relies on automation and AI-enabled systems to streamline repetitive administrative and research tasks while keeping professional judgment at the center of the client relationship.
"AI handles the repetitive work — organizing, checking and drafting," Zhen explained. "That frees me to focus on judgment and strategy. I still make the decisions. The tools just help me do it faster and more consistently."
His firm uses a combination of tax research, workflow management and tax preparation technologies, but Zhen believes the real differentiator is not the software itself, it's the systems and decision-making frameworks behind it. "Technology should support good judgment, not replace it," Zhen said.
Inspiring innovation across the profession
According to Zhen, "Being recognized as an Innovative Practitioner is validating — not because of the title, but because it shows there's room in the profession for different models. For CPAs, our technical skills are assumed. What differentiates practitioners, and the firms they work for, is whether they're willing to rethink old models and build practices that actually work for them."
The DCPA Innovative Practitioner award recognizes practitioners who demonstrate forward-thinking leadership and innovative approaches that inspire positive change across the accounting profession. Nominations and applications for 2026 are open through late July.
