Dark Horse CPAs hires Keaton Trager as associate principal

Dark Horse CPAs has hired Keaton Trager as an associate principal and enrolled him in its Principal Accelerator Program. The move expands the firm’s SMB accounting and advisory push as it targets small and mid-size businesses that need more proactive financial leadership.

Why it matters: - Dark Horse CPAs is adding leadership capacity in advisory services for small businesses that need more than bookkeeping and tax compliance. - Trager’s role points to demand for accounting support tied to cash flow, pricing, and operating decisions. - The hire strengthens the firm’s push into client accounting services and fractional CFO work.

What happened: - Dark Horse CPAs hired Keaton Trager as an Accelerator in the firm’s Principal Accelerator Program. - Trager will establish an SMB accounting and advisory practice within the firm. - The announcement was made July 1, 2026. - Dark Horse CPAs is based in Cardiff by the Sea, California.

The details: - Trager brings experience serving business owners across multiple industries. - His focus is making financial data more useful, actionable and connected to day-to-day operations. - Trager previously built his own firm from the ground up. - He said the Dark Horse model appealed to him because it lets him build his own book, run his own P&L and keep ownership while serving clients. - Trager said the firm’s support and infrastructure would take years to build independently. - His client service approach centers on clarity, accessibility and practical financial guidance. - Trager said business owners need someone who can translate numbers into decisions. - He said financial data should be linked to operational drivers so owners understand how daily activity affects financial results. - Trager wants each client conversation to end with the next action and the reason it matters. - He sees a strong opportunity among small and mid-size businesses that have outgrown basic bookkeeping and tax compliance. - Trager said many companies lack a proactive financial leader at the table for cash flow, pricing strategy and metric review. - He wants to build an advisory practice that wraps tax and compliance around a proactive CFO relationship.

Between the lines: - The hire suggests Dark Horse CPAs is leaning into a model that blends entrepreneurship with firm-backed support. - Trager’s background as a former firm owner fits a market where accountants are expected to act more like operators and advisors. - Chase Birky, CEO and co-founder of Dark Horse CPAs, said Trager is good at turning monthly numbers into a story clients can use to make course-correcting decisions. - Birky said Trager’s advisory work helps clients measure progress and separate noise from signal. - Birky also said Trager’s experience as an operator and entrepreneur should help him guide clients effectively.

What's next: - Trager will launch and grow his SMB accounting and advisory practice inside Dark Horse CPAs. - Dark Horse CPAs is positioning the practice around proactive CFO-level guidance for business owners. - The firm says its model is designed to give small businesses accounting strategies and insights previously reserved for larger companies. - More information is available at Dark Horse CPAs and the firm’s LinkedIn page.