Applying entrepreneurial principles and embracing a culture of extraordinary service, this finance firm is breaking the mold.

The Disruptors
With Liz Farr

Dan Gertrudes doesn’t consider himself an accountant, though he admits, “I’m pretty good at it. I’ve taught it at Brown University.” After more than a decade working in finance in large corporations, Gertrudes began his journey as a firm owner via entrepreneurship through acquisition, or ETA, when he bought a firm in 2014 from a retiring owner.  

Gertrudes positions his firm, GrowthLab, as finance-as-a-service, which means his clients receive ongoing, highly scoped recurring work rather than project work. “We want to be an extension of your management team,” he explains. Besides traditional bookkeeping, his firm provides the full spectrum of financial services: accounting, FP&A, tax, CFO services, and HR. In addition, he is also building STRMS as an AI automation agency.  

In contrast to many legacy firms, Gertrudes operates his firm as a business. “They're not businesses,” he says about traditional CPA firms. “There's no engine… You need more than one engine to be a business.”