Voting has opened for the 2024 Innovative Practitioner Award

 

Meet your Innovative Practitioner Nominees

The Innovative Practitioner award is your opportunity to recognize the profession's pioneers, those who demonstrate thought leadership, strategic decision-making and a commitment to drive the profession towards the future.

 

 

 

2024 Finalists

Brenda Cannon

Brenda Cannon

Brenda Cannon has been dedicated to the field of accounting since college. After passing the CPA exam in 1999, she worked in public accounting and later started her own accounting firm in 2011, where she partners with her husband. Their focus is on assisting small businesses and their owners with accounting, tax compliance, and tax planning. Cannon & Associates is proud to have won the Daily Oklahoman’s “Community Choice Award” as the best Accounting Firm for the past three consecutive years. Brenda recently co-authored an article for Bloomberg Tax Insight called “Five ‘Don’ts’ When Starting Your Own Tax and Accounting Business.” Outside of work, when she isn’t raising money for the Susan G Komen Foundation, Brenda enjoys exercising, gardening, crafting, and reading.

How Brenda has been innovative in the profession:

  • As many tax preparers get burned out from working too many hours and giving up time with their families and friends for one-fourth of every year, Brenda has made a change in her firm to schedule every tax return. Their work is now well controlled, and they have a more manageable schedule. They now work regular hours all year, and their clients appreciate having a more specific delivery date.
  • Brenda has been working with a software developer to create a web application for scheduled tax preparation and this new software is currently in the beta testing phase.
  • Brenda has been hosting workshops with other firm owners to help them implement tax prep scheduling in their own firms.
Chad Davis

Chad Davis

Chad Davis is the founder of AutomationTown.io, an online AI and Automation community specifically for accountants. He's also the co-founder of LiveCA LLP, one of Canada's first virtual CPA firms and regularly presents on topics such as remote work, automation, AI, firm operating frameworks and pricing. He has a CPA and an MBA, co-hosted 3 seasons of the AutomationTown podcast and has been traveling full-time with his family in their RV for the last 7 years.

How Chad has been innovative in the profession:

  • Online Community - Created AutomationTown.io, a place where over 250 accountants gather to share automation and AI experiences, learn about new upcoming tech and receive tech support for what they're building.
  • Firm Turnaround - Helped turn around a 120+ person firm by focusing on profitability, introducing a new pricing model called 'budgeted hours' and introducing EOS as an operating framework. Two years later, there's an even balance between people, profits and processes that has resulted in almost no employee turnover and happy customers.
  • Living Remotely - We've leaned into full-time travel and remote work pretty hard by splitting our time between Canada and the USA. We've shown our kids that it's possible to live whatever life you want, while having fun along the way
Sarah Flischel

Sarah Flischel

As Director of Audit Transformation & Training, Sarah is leading AAFCPAs’ audit revolution by implementing a cloud-based audit solution that enhances risk assessment with advanced technology and real-time data. This transformation enables more precise, efficient audits and delivers deeper, actionable insights for clients. Sarah is dedicated to empowering audit teams through comprehensive training and focus techniques, ensuring they master new technologies, prioritize high-risk audit areas, and find a path to balanced work-life integration. Driven by a passion for connecting people with ideas and opportunities, Sarah is committed to sharing what she learns to inspire and empower others.

How Sarah has been innovative in the profession:

  • From Tradition to Transformation: Starting her career in a traditional client-facing role, Sarah consistently carved out time to explore new possibilities, whether it was updating templates, building a firm library, or developing tools for new accounting standards. Driven by a desire to innovate further, she joined a firm that created a role allowing her to split her time equally between traditional work and innovation. This experience revealed her passion for futuristic thinking, ultimately leading to her current transformational role where she fully dedicates her time to reimaging what is possible, sharing her firm’s journey, and learning from others.
  • Audit Transformation Community: Sarah co-founded an Audit Transformation Community to create a collaborative space where firm leaders can share insights from their transformation journeys. This community acts as a hub for exchanging innovative ideas, tackling challenges, and offering solutions, helping peers navigate their own transitions. Whether members are just beginning their transformation or have already implemented new systems, the shared experiences and lessons provide invaluable guidance and inspiration for driving meaningful change.
  • People-First Approach: Sarah has redefined team collaboration in a tech-driven world by prioritizing human connection and support. She introduced "technology boundaries" for new hires, ensuring they don't feel overwhelmed by constant connectivity, while also hosting virtual focus sessions that recreate the camaraderie and accountability of an in-person audit room. These sessions foster meaningful connections among team members, driving engagement, productivity, and a sense of belonging in a remote work environment.
Ashley Francis

Ashley Francis

Ashley Francis bridges the gap between being “old school” and “new school” accountant. She has strong opinions about the best type of 10-key but will also talk your ear off about how to bring AI into your firm. She runs a solo tax practice in Seattle, providing services to UHNW individuals and trusts and estates. At the same time, she has created resources for tax and accounting professionals to learn about AI and automation through her Kitchen Table Automations brand. And if that wasn’t enough, she has been awarded the Microsoft MVP designation in the areas of Power Automate and Microsoft 365 through sharing knowledge about these tools. And the answer is the Sharp 10-key.

How Ashley has been innovative in the profession:

  • Created the Kitchen Table Automation brand which provides free articles about AI and Automation for tax and accounting professionals and low-cost classes that educate about AI in a high-value, low stress way.
  • Presented at multiple conferences and webinars so far in 2024 around GenAI and Automation and the exciting implications for the profession.
  • Crafted the education planning for the second TaxRetreat (an event with 130 attendees, mostly from TaxTwitter) to support the whole individual and support the goal of authentic collaboration in our profession.
Matt Gardner

Matt Gardner

Matt Gardner is the CEO and co-founder of Hiline, a leading financial operations firm for small businesses. An accidental accountant turned innovative entrepreneur, Matt's journey was shaped by personal tragedy and professional dissatisfaction. After nine years in public accounting, he launched several side ventures, including restaurants, before recognizing a massive gap in financial services for SMBs. Matt's vision for Hiline combines cutting-edge technology with human expertise to provide affordable, comprehensive financial support. Ultimately, his mission is to empower small businesses with the financial tools and insights needed to thrive, challenging the status quo of traditional accounting along the way.

How Matt has been innovative in the profession:

  • Embracing technology & disrupting traditional accounting: Matt recognizes the outdated nature of the accounting industry, so unlike many traditional accounting firms that are reluctant to leverage technology, Matt has made it a core part of Hiline's offering. He's integrating cloud-based technology and AI, most recently becoming the first accounting firm in the U.S. to sign an enterprise license agreement with AI accounting platform, Digits.
  • Focusing on small and medium-sized businesses: Matt identified a gap in the market where SMBs were underserved by traditional accounting firms and made it Hiline's mission to provide high-quality, tech-enabled accounting services to this segment, which makes up 98% of U.S. businesses.
  • Combining human expertise with tech: Matt understands that while AI and technology are crucial, they can't replace human judgment and strategic thinking. He's innovating by creating a model that leverages both tech solutions and human expertise to provide comprehensive financial services.
Sven Jost

Sven JostPh D

Sven is a passionate economist and BPM’s Data Analytics Leader and Transfer Pricing Leader. He is an ambitious, proven leader with over 17 years of professional experience, both in-house and in public accounting. When serving his clients, Sven believes in a pragmatic, data-driven, hands-on approach, taking into consideration the business and operational needs of his clients and their stakeholders.

How Sven has been innovative in the profession:

  • Innovating Through Data Analytics: I’ve developed tailored, data-driven solutions that improve efficiency and drive growth for clients, from start-ups to billion-dollar companies. By leveraging analytics and automation, our firm delivers actionable insights that create lasting impact across industries.
  • Revolutionizing Transfer Pricing: Combining my transfer pricing expertise with advanced technology, I’ve streamlined tax strategies and compliance for clients. This approach helps clients scale more effectively and positions our firm as a leader in tech-enabled advisory services.
  • Transforming Tax and Accounting Systems: I’ve led projects to implement tax and accounting platforms, significantly improving accuracy and automating processes. These innovations enable us to offer higher-value services and meet client expectations for modern, efficient solutions.
Dan Luthi

Dan Luthi

Dan Luthi, a Partner at Ignite Spot Accounting, has over a decade of experience helping small businesses develop personalized accounting solutions that support both the business and its people. His expertise includes process development, system management, customer care, and business growth. Dan’s approach combines technology with a personal touch, enabling clients to achieve financial clarity and long-term success. His involvement in advisory councils and industry groups keeps him connected with the needs of clients, accountants, and software providers, allowing him to create tailored solutions that foster collaboration and positive outcomes for businesses.

How Dan has been innovative in the profession:

  • Under Dan Luthi’s leadership, Ignite Spot has prioritized innovation by building strong partnerships with leading accounting software providers. Luthi has dedicated significant time and energy to consistently communicating client and firm needs, driving product improvements that align with real-world accounting challenges, and elevating the industry's tools.
  • Luthi has also led the way for Ignite Spot’s education and conference engagement approach by delivering actionable insights and tangible outcomes. This shift ensures that presentations emphasize authentic learning and practical applications, allowing attendees to implement changes that drive meaningful results.
  • Additionally, Luthi has redefined the outcome expectations for our internal processes to enhance work-life balance and performance. By establishing clear metrics aligning with professional and personal goals, he has fostered a culture where the team can excel at work while maintaining a healthy personal life.
Shane Mason

Shane Mason

Shane Mason is the Co-Founder of BKFi, a financial planning firm specializing in tax strategies, equity compensation, and wealth management for high-income tech professionals, founders and entrepreneurs. A CPA and CFP with over 15 years of experience from Big 4 to boutique firms, Shane is known for simplifying complex financial topics and helping clients achieve financial independence. He is also the Co-Founder of Gemifi, an equity compensation, cash flow and taxation analysis SaaS solution built for financial advisors.

How Shane has been innovative in the profession:

  • High Growth Remote Firm: Shane co-founded Brooklyn Fi (BKFi), a boutique, fully-remote, fee-only RIA, I have led the firm to become a three-time Inc 5000 award winner with employees in over 15 States and over 3 countries. Specializing in serving high-earning and high-net-worth employees and founders in the technology sector, we've achieved over 100% growth in multiple years. Our deep expertise in handling concentrated stock positions and complex financial strategies has allowed us to provide comprehensive services to over 400 households across the U.S. and abroad.
  • Wealth Management: Shane pioneered a high-touch, specialized approach to wealth management that helps business owners navigate the complexities of personal net worth management. By expertly handling solo 401(k)s, family employment arrangements, employee benefits tailored to eachbusiness, intricate real estate transactions, hiring and firing employees, and intra-partner disputes, we address the emotional and technical nuances that standard accounting services overlook. This personalized strategy ensures our clients receive comprehensive guidance that aligns with both their financial goals and personal values.
  • SaaS: Shane spearheaded the development of Gemifi, a proprietary SaaS tool that revolutionizes equity compensation analysis for advisors and clients alike. Gemifi provides hyper-specific instructions on when to exercise and sell stock, offering a multi-year preview of cash flow, taxes, liquidity, and concentration in an intuitive format. As the only cloud-based, tax-aware platform delivering detailed equity compensation plans, it empowers advisors to better guide clients whose concentrated positions make up over 90% of their net worth.
Neha Patel

Neha Patel

With over 20 years of experience in public accounting, Neha is a national leader specializing in governance, risk, and compliance engagements, including SOC examinations, SOX/FDICIA reporting, and other technology consulting services. She has extensive experience leading outsourced and co-sourced internal audit engagements for publicly traded and privately held companies across multiple industries, including financial services, banking and technology. As an AICPA System and Organization Control (SOC) Specialist, she excels in delivering third party attestation reports. recently she serves as the Vice Chair on the Executive Committee for the McCombs BBA Advisory Board at the University of Texas at Austin. A CPA, CISA, and CDPSE, she holds a Master of Professional Accounting and a Bachelor of Business Administration from UT Austin.

How Neha has been innovative in the profession:

  • • Neha is known for her proactive approach to adopting new tools and technologies to enhance the client experience. She was paramount in Weaver’s research and selection process in implementing new audit tools that have improved audit efficiency and increased profitability for advisory practice offerings. Neha frequently engages as a speaker and panelist, leveraging her expertise to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing among fellow CPA professionals.
  • • Neha’s expertise enables her to stay informed about technology risks across multiple industries and adapt more seamlessly to the ever-changing landscape of the field. Her innovative mindset and willingness to embrace emerging technologies have positioned her as a forward-thinking leader as a regional executive partner at Weaver.
Kristin Ryan

Kristin Ryan

Kristin Ryan, CPA, Founder & CEO, Ryan + Mann LLC, has a passion for audit and advisory of employee benefit plans serving the industry since 2008 with a growth-minded perspective and an entrepreneurial spirit. She’s a mom to triplets who keep her on her toes.

Kristin enjoys contributing thought leadership through events, speaking, and publications. She is a member of the Texas Society of CPAs and her firm is a member of the AICPA EBP Audit Quality Center.

How Kristina has been innovative in the profession:

  • Taking control of my career and lifestyle by forming a firm designed to support employees of all types, particularly driven working mothers who no longer feel the pressure to choose between a successful career and fulfilling home life
  • Serving an industry niche with a small-batch approach to auditing and consulting
  • Utilizing the latest technology to leverage our time and alleviate the burden of an audit on our client.
Zeb Smith

Zeb Smith

Zeb Smith, CPA, founded his practice in 2016 in Durango, Colorado. Given his recreation-prone geographical location, he soon serendipitously began building a client portfolio of outdoor outfitters (i.e. river rafting and zipline providers).

A lifelong outdoorsman himself, and a practitioner of Servant Leadership, Zeb was drawn to the passion and ethos of his clients’ industry. After just five years, Zebulon LLC transformed from a generalist practice into a nationally recognized, hyper-specialized firm.

Zeb strengthens small outdoor businesses through FP&A, adding hundreds of thousands of dollars to bottom lines of outfitters nationwide. His firm has matured into a subscription-based retainer system, comprised of long-term, multi-year client partnerships. Zeb is also a sought-after speaker in the outdoor industry, where he teaches financial acumen and innovative leadership strategies.

How Zeb has been innovative in the profession:

  • Building a coveted leadership peer group from scratch (that participants say “is a shining light in my week”), where the unique non-competitive environment allows outdoor industry business leaders to learn from each other and share data to gain a collective competitive edge
  • Delivering a graduate-school quality curriculum on business foundations and leadership to his clients, with the goal of increasing client profitability and strengthening long-term FP&A relationships
  • Making a public commitment to pursuing healthy growth – in a world seemingly obsessed with unsustainable consumption, and in a financial industry not yet known for altruism, Zebulon LLC’s company purpose is to grow wealth to increase standards of giving (yes, you read that right)
Leslie Walker

Leslie Walker

Before entering public accounting, Leslie spent her career working in the private sector including work as an internal auditor for the Bank of Ireland NH Holding Company. Upon entering public accounting in 2006, she conducted audits, provided tax services, and consulted on a number of client transactions. Leslie is on the executive board for the Business and Industry Association of NH and Chairperson for John H. Whitaker Place, an assisted care facility. Leslie served as chairperson for Riverbend Community Mental Health, and for the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce. She was a Trustee for Capital Region Health Care, and a board member for NH/VT Red Cross. Lastly, she was recognized as the 2024 Business Leader of the Year by the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce.

How Leslie has been innovative in the profession:

  • Recognizing the difficulty in finding accounting professionals to fill open positions, Leslie contacted the Apprenticeship Program Manager for the Community College System of NH and used the resources of the firm to develop the first accounting apprenticeship program in NH. This program leverages state, federal and firm resources to assist students by providing financial assistance, educational guidelines and real-world experience to attract our next generation of accountants. The program has been successful and as a result, the firm was able to develop an Apprentice II program so that students can continue to advance in their careers.
  • In order to provide consistent and engaging training for new accountants, Leslie recognized the need to revamp all the training materials to leverage the use of AI. Training materials which were primarily written procedures will be replaced with interactive course material that will include pop up questions, role play, voice overs and other interactions that reinforce learning. These courses will include topics such as internal processes to soft skills such as communication and conflict resolution. Each employee will be assigned a learning path to ensure they are empowered to advance at their own pace.
  • The use of technology to offer new services as well as improve the efficiency of current offerings has been an important component of the business strategy. The firm has invested in employees who have the ability to extract and manage data through the use of software such as python. This has allowed us to process enormous amounts of data for clients requesting client advisory services that otherwise could not be processed manually. It has also allowed us to extract and analyze huge amounts of data and provide insights that might otherwise not be apparent.
Jeff Wilson

Jeff Wilson

Jeff W. Wilson II, CPA, CFE, and CEO of The W2 Group, is a forward-thinking leader known for his innovative approach to accounting and business development. With over 12 years of experience, Jeff has transformed his firm into a model of the future, integrating technology and innovation across multiple practice areas. As the founder of GovieRates, a SaaS platform for government contractors, and the creator of "Helm," an automated app for accounting professionals, he continues to push the boundaries of the profession. His firm also features a pioneering family law forensic accounting practice, making his small person firm a powerful force across the accounting landscape. Jeff’s commitment to leveraging technology to enhance client services has positioned him as a thought leader in the field.

How Jeff has been innovative in the profession:

  • Innovative Firm Leadership: : Jeff reimagined a traditional accounting firm, developing a vision for the future by transforming his general practice into an innovative firm with multiple business lines. This includes a family law forensic accounting practice, GovieRates for government contractors, and a robust technology solutions business.
  • App Development: Jeff created "Helm," an unreleased automated, data-driven app in the Monday.com ecosystem, helping accounting professionals manage business processes and capture efficiency data more effectively.
  • Pioneering SaaS Solutions: With GovieRates, Jeff developed a cloud-based platform that automates job costing and ensures DCAA compliance, making advanced accounting technology accessible to small and minority-owned businesses.
Ryan Wolff

Ryan Wolff

Ryan Wolff, a leader in Strategic Innovation & Data Analytics at AAFCPAs, drives audit transformation and champions the firm's cultural philosophy of "work smarter, not harder." He is a leader of AAFCPAs Automation Center of Excellence and recognized as a 2023 recipient of the peer-nominated Innovation Award, given to an AAFCPAs’ team member proactive in identifying opportunities for efficiency and automation. Through advanced audit technologies and AI, Ryan optimizes methodologies, improves quality, and achieves significant time savings across engagements. His leadership in data analytics projects and collaboration with cross-functional teams has fostered a culture of continuous improvement at AAFCPAs, bringing vision, technical expertise, and strategic insight to the audit field.

How Ryan has been innovative in the profession:

  • AI-Driven Audit Transformation: Ryan developed an innovative AI prompt library using models like Copilot and ChatGPT to upskill audit teams, reduce manual effort, and enhance audit quality. These AI prompts streamline tasks, such as assembling lead sheets, reviewing audit evidence, and evaluating financial statements for precision, saving valuable time and improving audit outcomes.
  • Data Analytics Expertise in Audits: Ryan leads data analytics initiatives, enabling audit teams to utilize client data for more targeted, efficient testing. He plays a key role in evaluating new audit platforms to harness large datasets, which has enhanced both the precision and effectiveness of AAFCPAs' audit processes.
  • Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Implementation: By introducing RPA into audit workflows, Ryan automates repetitive tasks, reducing human error and freeing up audit teams to focus on higher-level analysis. This not only creates efficiency gains for teams and clients but also enhances job satisfaction for CPAs, who may now dedicate more time to strategic and intellectually stimulating activities rather than monotonous, routine tasks. Consequently, this leads to more accurate, reliable audits and happier, more engaged CPAs.

2024 Innovative Practitioner of the Year Award

WINNER!

First-place winner will receive:

 
  • Two free registrations to the 2024 Digital CPA Conference® and one free hotel room for three nights.
  • Recognition during the conference, posted online at CPA.com and through CPA.com social media channels.
2nd PLACE

Second place will receive:

 
  • Free virtual registration to DCPA24.
  • Recognition during the conference.
3rd PLACE

Third place will receive:

 
  • A $200 discount to attend the 2024 Digital CPA Conference®.
 

 

 

 

Previous Winners

 

Steve Chaney CPA

Owner
Chaney & Associates

Steve Chaney is the owner of Chaney & Associates, a more than 20 year old firm that specializes in providing outsourced accounting services in the not-for-profit niche. He embodies the very essence of innovation, leadership and excellence in the world of digital accounting.

For more than two decades, Steve has been at the forefront of outsourced accounting, pioneering methodologies and tools that have set industry standards. His firm's specialization in faith-based organizations, coupled with a client base that spans almost the entire nation, stands as a testament to his vision and drive.

Key achievements that underscore his candidacy include:

  1. Innovation with Cloud Technology: Under Steve's leadership, Chaney & Associates designed an ingenious Google Cloud dashboarding system. This tech stack integration offers clients a seamless and holistic view of their accounting metrics.
  2. Employee Retention Tax Credit Initiative: Steve's foresight and efficiency were evident when he devised an online system to streamline the Employee Retention Tax Credit application process. His firm has remarkably processed over 10,000 applications, providing invaluable service during challenging times.
  3. Consistent Growth: With an astonishing record of never seeing less than a 17% growth year over year, Chaney & Associates’ trajectory is a testament to Steve’s business acumen and the trust his clients place in his services.
  4. National Footprint: Today, Steve's firm proudly serves faith-based organizations in 49 states and has employees in nine states. This expansive reach signifies the firm's reputation and the efficacy of their services. As of 2023, the firm proudly serves more than 1,100 churches, underlining its significant presence and influence within the faith-based community.
  5. Mastery in Implementing BILL Spend & Expense (formerly Divvy) for the faith-based marketplace: Steve has adeptly adapted systems like BILL Spend & Expense, transforming its capabilities to serve the unique needs of the faith-based marketplace. Through the platform, Steve has dramatically streamlined their operations, thereby reducing their scope while simultaneously amplifying the real-time value they offer as Trusted Business Advisors. The acquisition of Divvy from BILL has further fortified Chaney & Associates Professional Corporation's service offerings. This strategic move has not only enriched their value proposition but also extended their reach, with the potential to impact thousands of clients.
  6. Recognition from a Leading Global Denomination: Steve's unwavering commitment and unmatched contributions to the faith-based marketplace have been recognized and honored by one of the world's largest church denominations. This endorsement transcends mere professional accolades; it stands as a testament to the harmony with which Steve has interwoven his profession and his faith. With decades of dedicated service, it's inspiring to see global faith communities resonate with and acknowledge Steve's profound impact.
  7. Trailblazing Partnership with Xero: Steve's recognition as Xero's first 'Partner of the Year' and his firm’s distinction as the first Gold and Platinum partner of Xero showcase his early adoption and mastery of cloud-based accounting tools.

Steve Chaney's journey is more than just a tale of professional success. It’s a story of visionary leadership that has seamlessly integrated top-tier digital accounting services with a purpose – connecting every endeavor to the "Why”.

 
 

John PaceCPA, CVA

Partner & Director of Outsourced Accounting and Advisory Services
GRF CPAs & Advisors

John is the Partner & Director of Outsourced Accounting and Advisory Services at GRF CPAs and Advisors. Since being promoted to the client advisory service (CAS) practice department head in 2017, John has led a transformation that has grown the CAS practice from $3 million to $8.5 million in gross revenue and expanded the team from 10 to 40 employees and from 2 to 3 partners.

John is a huge proponent of shifting business models, value-based pricing and leveraging technology. But his commitment is to people first, which contributes to why the CAS practice is not experiencing the recruitment and retention issues many other firms are facing today. He's built a team and culture that is flexible, fully-remote, consultative and allows people to be their authentic selves. Time off is encouraged and celebrated, and staff hours are kept to around 40 per week. John is continuously in hiring-mode, aiming to maintain bandwidth across the team to help ease client onboarding, allow time for training, and ensure adequate resources and coverage for the team. He also believes in investing in nontraditional and non-technical CPE to support staff growth.

 
2021 winners
Zunie Nguyen
CEO
Yogi CPA
Julie Smith
Practice Manager
Harper & Co

Zunie's firm helped small business close over $4M in PPP and $1M in EIDL loans during the pandemic. She took on the challenges of providing these new services and staying up to date with the accounting standards, while the traditional CPA office refused to.

Zunie is a young Vietnamese CPA who came to the US when she was 18, attended the University of Texas at Austin, worked at the Big Four and went to establish her own career as a solo-entrepreneur. Her firm is focused on financial independence for high income earners.

The client experience, from onboarding, to service delivery and completion, communication, was 100% paperless and continued to be so after the pandemic. She went from core service (tax) to capital and loan consulting to help small businesses struggling through the pandemic - over $5 Millions loan closed. Every experience has been paperless - through the use of online communication such as Google meet, online client portal, and commit to a response timeline within 3 business days. She utilized Quickbooks, Microsoft visio, Canva, Mailchimp and all available tools to accomplish the goals. Her innovation drive was from her days at the Big Four in accounting technology and consulting projects, she believed technology enabled us to achieve better things as financial service providers.

A key component of her service was educational marketing communication that added value - her firm provided a consistent monthly newsletter through Mailchimp with helpful accounting and tax content and reminders. In addition, the startup continued to deliver weekly content updates and videos through Instagram and Facebook channels. I've heard feedback from her clients that there has been no CPA who does such an extent of outreach to their clients.

Julie Smith is the driving force behind efficiency, technology and driving revenue at Harper & Co.

In 2017, the firm decided to rethink how they do business with their clients and move away from transactional compliance work, toward advisory services. Julie coupled the new way of working with new tech, building out their tech stack to include robust practice management, document management and research tools.

When the pandemic hit, the 12-person firm was able to do all their normal tax work of 1100 returns and an additional 72 PPP loan engagements without missing a beat. Since 2017 the firm has tripled their growth without adding new staff.

Today, Julie helping their clients at a higher level and is traveling across the country to work with other firms to help them make the move from transactional compliance work to proactive advisory services.

2019 winner
Jody Grunden
Co-Founder and CEO
Summit CPA Group

Jody Grunden is the Co-Founder and CEO of Summit CPA Group, the leading provider of Virtual CFO Services in North America. His entire career has been devoted to innovating the accounting industry, starting with the company's mission statement: “changing the way people think about accounting.”

As an innovative practitioner, Grunden led Summit CPA Group in pioneering Virtual CFO services, introduced the concept of subscription-based billing, and transitioned his firm in 2013 from a traditional brick-and-mortar firm to a digitally-focused fully distributed model with 50+ employees. Determined to raise the bar in the accounting industry, Grunden is now focusing his efforts on teaching other CPA Firms how to sell and provide successful Virtual CFO services through a digital course, The Virtual CFO Playbook, as well as free online webinars and a mentorship program.

 

Grunden is a member of the AICPA, the Forbes Finance Council, and the Indiana CPA Society, including holding a seat on INCPA’s Innovation Council. He is also the author of Building the Virtual CFO Firm in the Cloud.

 

2019 winner
Javier Goldin
Managing Partner
Goldin Group, LLC

Javier Goldin begun as one of the early adapters of technology as an intrinsic component of the services provided by the firm Goldin Group CPAs. As technology continued to develop, these developments allowed the firm to become increasingly sophisticated in its approach to providing outsourced CFO/Controller services by customizing software component to fit the needs of the clients. Each client's "tech stack" was tailored based on the specific needs of the Organization, their culture, and their budget.

Fast forward 5 years and the firm's model took yet another leap. As the client composition and demand for services grew, the firm noticed that the nature of outsourcing itself was being redefined. Larger clients desired to maintain an internal finance team while deriving the benefits of outsourced CFO services. Namely tech savviness and best practices expertise.

This innovation challenged his firm to implement an internal and external financial team approach. His firm came up with a model that yields the optimal combination of an internal vs external finance team that takes into account factors such as internal competence, volume of activity, level and style of internal leadership, and technology needs, among others. Considering each of these components, the firm was then able to suggest the optimal combination of the jobs and duties required by the external team (his firm) and internal team (the client). This innovation is propelling Javier's firm into an outsourced model that extends beyond technology and CPA skills, and incorporates elements of HR know-how, and by extension, a placement and coaching consultant.

2018 winners
SAMANTHA BOWLING, CPA, CGMA
PARTNER
GARBELMAN WINSLOW
JAGRUTI SOLANKI
SENIOR MANAGER
APRIO, LLP

Samantha is the first small firm to successfully use artificial intelligence in auditing for small businesses, non-profits, and local government. In a firm of only 15 people in southern Maryland, Samantha led the way after doing a google search for small firms and AI in audit. In the past six months she has been testing this innovative application. The significance is that just over a year and a half ago, KPMG and IBM Watson shook up the world with their announcement. She is the first firm to show that this technology is available to all firms of all sizes.

Samantha started implementing AI in her small firm of 15 people to improve the audit process and reduce risk of material misstatements. She began this process in Fall of 2017. She also uses the same AI platform to determine whether to accept new clients and plans to expand this into the outsource CFO role and create additional earning potential for her firm.

Samantha has been working with Mindbridge not only to implement it in her firm but to help develop the tool to make it easily usable for many other firms.

Across industries visionary CEOs are turning to blockchain to reinvent the nature of commercial transactions and increase the value of their businesses. With this shift and the emergence of more cryptocurrencies and crypto-businesses, Jagruti Solanki, senior manager at Aprio, has been instrumental in the development of blockchain accounting best practices and the launch of Aprio's blockchain services group.

Jagruti and her blockchain team at Aprio are pioneers in blockchain accounting having provided tax, audit, audit readiness and consulting services to companies on the blockchain for more than five years. This experience has allowed Jagruti and her team to develop accounting and financial reporting best practices that help companies navigate the domestic and international accounting and tax obstacles associated with tokenization, initial coin offerings and cryptocurrency.

Today, Jagruti speaks at blockchain conferences across the U.S. providing companies with insights, best practices and pitfalls related to blockchain accounting, audit, tax, regulatory, valuation and cyber security risk considerations.

It is because of these innovations in blockchain accounting that Jagruti deserves to be recognized as the DCPA 2018 Innovation Practitioner of the Year.

2017 winner
Kelly Johnson, CPA, CFP
National Leader, Business Services & Outsourcing
BDO

Kelly is passionate about technology and is always looking for ways to implement it to improve accounting and financial management. That was the idea behind the creation of BDODrive, a combination of technology and resources that streamlines core accounting functions and offers mobile, real-time access to information. As the driving force behind BDODrive, Kelly is a true revolutionary, pushing the boundaries of firm operations and client services. The platform relies on technologies like Microsoft, Intuit and BILL to offer customizable dashboards, greater insight into business performance, continuous collaboration and access to world-class BDO advisers. Its many convenient features include online payments, auto bank feeds and reconciliation, secure document management and customized reporting. BDODrive helps companies run more effectively and make better strategic decisions, all while standardizing processes and enhancing efficiencies.

With more than 25 years of experience in accounting, Kelly oversees a team of professionals who provide clients with the customized solutions and infrastructure to achieve operational success. She began her career at PwC LLP as an audit manager, then expanded her accounting skills by working in the corporate accounting division of a global financial services firm and provided advisory services for private wealth clients. Kelly, a CPA in the commonwealth of Virginia, is a member of the AICPA and the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants.

2016 winners
Rachael Higginbotham
Marketing Manager
Postlethwaite & Netterville
Caitlin Lacher
Senior Marketing Coordinator
Postlethwaite & Netterville

CPA firms solve clients' problems, and the best avenues to explain how we do that is through our professionals' experiences and summaries of our services. As Postlethwaite & Netterville grew, our experience and service offerings also grew, and it became more of a challenge to ensure everything was up to date and accurate. Additionally, younger professionals are conditioned to manage their own information online and expect information at their fingertips.

Rachael and Caitlin had an innovative idea for a tool that could manage our professional bios and sales materials, ensuring that materials are accurate, consistent and available 24/7. They led the development of Pounce, which is an easy-to-use, web-based system designed not only for our firm, but also for all professional services firms. With Pounce, everyone in the organization can quickly access marketing collateral to assist in business development efforts, such as professional résumé, industry experience summaries and service capability summaries.

Pounce keeps it all in easy reach with one's own custom-designed data searches and availability anytime, anywhere via a desktop or mobile device. Since this tool launched internally, we reduced administrative time getting similar materials in our professionals' hands, which means our marketing department has more time to focus on strategic initiatives. Additionally, in only a month's time since the software launched externally, demand from other firms has been impressive. We believe that not only has this tool been of significant benefit to our firm, but also that it will help solve similar challenges in many other firms.

2015 winner
Natalie B. Hoffmann, CPA/CITP
Partner, Honkamp Krueger & CO., P.C.

Sparking innovation through a marketing effort, Technology Partner Natalie Hoffmann led her firm to launch its first app. The mobile app streamlines Honkamp Krueger's Client Patronage Program, in which the firm rewards employees for intentionally shopping at clients — staff can easily discover firm clients, review their products and services, map client locations, get driving directions, submit spending amounts and win fun prizes. Marketing is able to run spending reports by industry, client and employee, to enhance business development and client retention efforts.

Results: Receipt submission increased by 43%, employee participation increased by 47%, spending dollars increased by 50%, and manual hours spent by the marketing department decreased by 14 hours per month. The firm's program received national recognition from Accounting Today (Jan. 2015) and INSIDE Public Accounting (Nov. 2014). The firm also won the Association for Accounting Marketing's Maverick Marketing Award. None of this would have been possible without Natalie.

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