Grimasauskas Completes Principal Accelerator Program and Continues Building His Accounting and Tax Practice
CARDIFF BY THE SEA, CA, UNITED STATES, July 24, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Dark Horse CPAs, a top accounting and tax firm serving small businesses across the nation, announces the promotion of Mike Grimasauskas, CPA, to Principal. Grimasauskas earned the promotion after successfully completing the firm’s Principal Accelerator Program and building a growing practice within Dark Horse.
As an Accelerator, Grimasauskas learned to balance the demands of serving clients with the work required to build a sustainable practice. Developing the right systems became a central part of that process. “One of the biggest challenges was building my book while continuing to handle the client work and getting my processes in order,” said Grimasauskas. “There will always be competing priorities, but taking the time to create a system that could support growth made a significant difference.”
For Grimasauskas, the most meaningful milestones came through the relationships he built with clients. Each new engagement represented more than practice growth; it showed that his investment in communication and service had earned a client’s trust. “Connecting with clients and earning their trust has been the biggest reward,” he said. “When someone decides to move forward and work with me, it shows that the effort I put into that relationship is paying off.”
He also credits the community within the Accelerator Program with helping him navigate the process. Mike began the program alongside Chris Papp and received guidance from Accelerators and Principals who shared tools, answered questions and made their own experience available to the group. “The collaboration was more valuable than I expected,” said Grimasauskas. “The shared experience among the Accelerators made a big difference. We pushed each other, exchanged ideas and helped one another work through the parts of building a practice that can be difficult to solve alone.”
As a Principal, Grimasauskas plans to continue expanding his practice while developing his first Dark Horse team member through the firm’s training program. He sees the next stage as an opportunity to strengthen the systems behind his practice and build a team capable of supporting its continued growth.
“I am excited to keep growing into the Principal role and begin building a Dark Horse team,” said Grimasauskas. “Adding my first staff member is an important next step, and I am looking forward to creating better processes as the practice grows.”
Max Fritz, COO and co-founder of Dark Horse CPAs, has worked with Mike and has seen firsthand the experience and judgment he would bring to the firm. “I’ve known Mike for over a decade, and he’s a genuinely solid operator and a great guy to work with. When we recruited him to Dark Horse, we did it because we knew his technical foundation and his character. What he’s delivered since joining is exactly what we expected. He had a tremendous 2026, signed significant engagements, and finished strong through tax season with exceptional work and billings.
What I appreciate most is that Mike is self-directed and takes ownership of his practice. He comes from the same early firm experience that shaped my approach to how we should operate. We both learned from what didn’t work there, and Mike has taken those lessons and built them into how he runs his practice here. That’s the kind of ownership and judgment we want in a Dark Horse Principal,” said Fritz.
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 required to start a firm from scratch. Dark Horse provides its CPAs with the resources and support needed to grow intelligently and profitably. Its proprietary technology, flexible staffing model and established systems allow CPAs to focus on advising clients and building lasting relationships.
Accelerators complete a training program covering the firm’s technology, sales process and practice-building model before beginning to develop their own books of business. They receive one-on-one coaching and access to full-time and fractional professional personnel as they grow. After successfully completing the program and meeting the firm’s ownership requirements, Accelerators may become equity Principals of Dark Horse CPAs.
The Dark Horse Principal Accelerator Program is currently accepting new Accelerators. 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 United States. The firm was founded to give small businesses and their owners access to the tax strategies, accounting insight and client experience often reserved for larger companies. To learn more, visit darkhorse.cpa.
Justin Kurn
Dark Horse CPAs
justin@darkhorse.cpa
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