Scaling firms with purpose: Stories from the frontlines

Ian is passionate about helping businesses be as successful as possible in order to positively impact the small businesses they serve. With 25+ years' experience in technology & process improvement and 15+ years of leadership experience in the accounting industry at Karbon, Xero, and Intuit, Ian is a recognized expert, innovator, and teacher.

Jason is the founder and CEO of Thriveal, a network to help entrepreneurial CPA firm owners connect, learn, and grow by providing them with a community, coaching, consulting, events and more. He is also the CEO of Blumer & Associates, CPAs, co-hosts two podcasts of his own, speaks and writes frequently for the financial and creative industries, and was named by Accounting Today as one of the Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting.

Dan Gertrudes
Founder & CEO, GrowthLab Financial Services

Dan is a pioneer and expert in the field of Finance-as-a-Service (FaaS), a cloud-based solution that provides full-service accounting, FP&A, CFO support, and workflow automation to founders, startups, and scale-ups. Dan's mission is to empower entrepreneurs and innovators with the financial tools and insights they need to succeed and grow.

David DiNardo

David DiNardo, MBA, built one of Canada’s first fully remote, cloud‑based accounting firms—40 employees serving clients nationwide. After a 2014 layoff, he scaled, exited for seven figures, and now shares practical playbooks on AI, business, and systems. He creates free content to help young builders turn stuck into success.

Gary Wood
Partner, CRC (Compere Robinette CPAs)

At 31, Gary left his job to become a business owner at CRC in his hometown of Ozark, Missouri. He has since helped lead his firm through a transition from its co-founders to a second generation of leadership. Now, Gary uses his expertise and passion for small business, technology, and innovation to support the community in which he operates and help others reach their financial goals.

Mark Shipton
Integrator, Ignite CPA

After 27 years with Save-On-Foods, Mark took a leap in 2020 to help a friend grow a business—an adventure that evolved into Ignite CPA. Based in Lethbridge and Coaldale, Alberta, Mark serves as the Integrator at Ignite, bringing leadership, structure, and focus to the firm’s growth and operations.

Victoria Peters
Implementation Specialist, Karbon

Victoria Peters is an accounting and operations professional with 35 years of experience. She specializes in building scalable systems and aligning teams through change. With a track record of guiding multiple successful firm mergers, Victoria designs workflows that drive efficiency, support growth, and deliver lasting value through strategic clarity.

Moez Bawania, CPA & CA
Co-Founder, AMLB CPAs and Consulting

AMLB CPAs and Consulting provides virtual CFO services to growing small businesses and non-profits across Canada. They are passionate about people and purpose, and take the time to deeply understand their clients’ aspirations and pain points, so they can dig in to address these head-on. Moez is a Chartered Accountant in Canada, is a Karbon Certified Expert, Xero Certified Advisor, QuickBooks ProAdvisor and has completed further certifications in analytics, cybersecurity, and people leadership.

Chad Davis
Co-Founder & Partner, LiveCA LLP

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), posts daily videos on LinkedIn, and has been travelling full-time with his family in their RV since 2018.

Steph Hinds
Head Ninja, Growthwise

Steph is the founder of Growthwise, a Newcastle-based accounting firm. She is on a mission to help accountants collaborate, challenge and learn from each other to shape the future of the accounting industry.

Antoniya Beyriyska
Practice Manager, Ask The Boss

Antoniya Beyriyska is Practice Manager at London-based boutique accountancy and advisory firm Ask The Boss (est. 2003). Drawing on her design and hospitality background, she's been shaping the firm's brand and operations since 2014—supporting her team to deliver stellar service to UK SMEs and UK subsidiaries of global companies, with purposeful leadership and people-first values.

Bernard N. Ackerman
Founder, BNA CPAs & Advisors

Bernie is the founder of BNA CPA. He has been a certified public accountant in South Carolina since January, 1976 and in North Carolina since November, 1977. In addition to being a CPA, Bernie is also a Certified Financial Planner and a Certified Financial Specialist.

Zane Stevens
Director, Protea Financial

Zane Stevens is the Director of Protea Financial - a flexible bookkeeping solutions platform that provides business owners and managers with financial information and insights. Before joining Protea, Zane worked as a Financial Manager at Syntell, a South African blue-chip tech company based in Cape Town. He was a supervisor at KPMG, where he led service lines including audit, financial, and information technology advisory. Zane received an Honors Degree in Accounting from Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University and is registered as a Chartered Accountant with the South African Institute.

Mike Libbey
Partner & COO, YBL

Mike Libbey is the Partner & COO of YBL, a modern virtual accounting firm he took over from his father after working in the business since age 17. With deep roots in entrepreneurship and a passion for strategy, Mike helps ambitious entrepreneurs grow, scale, and take control of their financial future.