Ries Advances to Principal After Successful Completion of Accelerator Program

CARDIFF BY THE SEA, Calif., Feb. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Dark Horse CPAs, a top accounting and tax firm serving small businesses across the nation, announces the promotion of Chris Ries, CPA, from Associate Principal to Principal. Ries completed the firm's Principal Accelerator Program and now joins the growing group of Principals building independent practices on the Dark Horse CPAs platform.

Ries's journey to Principal involved a fundamental shift from pure client service to intentional practice ownership. While Dark Horse provides administrative infrastructure, sales training, lead generation, and operational support, Ries notes that the responsibility of shaping a practice ultimately rests with the Principal.

"There's a lot more that goes into running a practice than just serving clients' tax and accounting needs," said Ries. "The first few months required a lot of soul-searching and getting clear on what kind of work I actually wanted to do, instead of just taking on everything that came my way. That process was challenging, but it's also what made it rewarding."

For Ries, the most meaningful part of the experience has been the people behind the model. He credits Dark Horse's leadership team and peer community as a defining difference from traditional partnership structures.

"Running your own practice can be lonely, especially in a profession where no one person can realistically know everything," Ries said. "Here, leadership is focused entirely on supporting Principals and Accelerators, not splitting their attention across client work. That changes everything. When Principals are supported, clients are better served. On top of that, the community of Principals and Accelerators is genuinely collaborative. People want to see each other succeed, and they show up to help."

One of Ries's biggest surprises during the Accelerator Program was discovering that lead flow was not the primary challenge he expected. "I worried there wouldn't be enough opportunities coming in," he said. "Instead, the real work was figuring out who I wanted to serve and how I wanted to serve them. Learning to say no to opportunities that didn't fit was something I didn't expect, but it's what allowed me to build a practice aligned with my goals."

Looking ahead, Ries is energized by the flexibility and autonomy that comes with Principal ownership. "There's no pressure to chase arbitrary growth targets," he said. "My focus is building a practice that fits my life, my priorities, and the clients I want to work with. The vision will evolve, and that's okay. Having the freedom to make those decisions, with Dark Horse's support, is what makes this work.

"When our Chief Revenue Officer, Justin Kurn, brought Chris to a third-round interview and told me how long he'd been in public accounting, I told him to cancel it because I thought there was no way he could be ready for this job at this point in his career," said Chase Birky, CEO and co-founder of Dark Horse CPAs. "Justin persisted to advocate for him so, eventually, I gave in. And, I'm so glad I did. It was immediately apparent that he knew his craft and had great mentors that invested in him along the way. On top of that, he had a certain level of emotional intelligence and mature way of presenting himself that I moved from trying to cancel the interview to making certain we got him to sign the offer letter. The rest is history as he's been exactly the caliber of CPA we came to learn about in those interviews and has continued to grow his skillset in ways that benefit his clients. I suppose the lesson learned is that beyond the fact that all public accounting experience not being created equally, people who are smart, hardworking, relational and well-supported can grow exponentially more than their peers in a short period of time."

About the Dark Horse Accelerator Program 
The Dark Horse Principal Accelerator Program was created for entrepreneurially minded CPAs who want to build a scalable book of business without the personal and financial sacrifices of starting from scratch. Dark Horse provides the resources, technology, and operational support to grow intelligently and profitably. Accelerators receive training on the firm's proprietary tech stack, sales coaching, and access to full-time and fractional professional staff to support client work. Upon successful completion of the program, they can become equity Principals of the firm.
The Accelerator Program is currently accepting new participants. Interested CPAs can learn more at abetterway.cpa or by emailing info@darkhorse.cpa

About Dark Horse CPAs
Dark Horse CPAs provides integrated tax, accounting, and CFO services to small businesses and individuals across the U.S. The firm was founded to save small businesses (and their owners) from subpar accounting and tax services and subpar client experiences. These small businesses are Dark Horses among their larger and more well-known competition. Being a Dark Horse CPA means advocating for small businesses by bringing to them the tax strategies and accounting insights previously reserved for big business. To learn more, visit darkhorse.cpa.

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SOURCE Dark Horse CPAs