Dark Horse CPAs hires Keaton Trager as associate principal

Dark Horse CPAs has hired Keaton Trager into its Principal Accelerator Program, where he will build an SMB accounting and advisory practice. The move highlights the firm’s push to grow entrepreneur-led CPA practices that combine tax, accounting and CFO services for small businesses.

Why it matters: - Dark Horse CPAs is adding another entrepreneurially minded CPA as demand grows for advisory services that go beyond bookkeeping and tax prep. - Trager’s practice is aimed at small and mid-size businesses that need help with cash flow, pricing, and operational decision-making. - The hire also shows how the firm’s Accelerator model is designed to help CPAs build equity-backed practices without launching from zero.

What happened: - Dark Horse CPAs hired Keaton Trager as an Accelerator in its Principal Accelerator Program. - Trager will establish an SMB accounting and advisory practice. - The announcement was made July 1, 2026, from Cardiff by the Sea, California. - Dark Horse CPAs serves small businesses across the nation.

The details: - Trager brings experience working with business owners across a wide range of industries. - His approach focuses on making financial data more useful, actionable and tied to day-to-day operations. - Trager built his own firm from the ground up before joining Dark Horse CPAs. - He said Dark Horse’s 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 business owners need a CPA and advisory relationship that translates numbers into decisions. - He said clients should leave each conversation knowing the next action and why it matters. - He sees a strong opportunity in Client Accounting Services and fractional CFO work for businesses that have outgrown basic bookkeeping and tax compliance. - Trager said many companies still lack proactive financial leadership around cash flow, pricing strategy and performance metrics. - Dark Horse CPAs provides integrated tax, accounting and CFO services to small businesses and individuals across the U.S.

Between the lines: - The hire fits a broader shift in accounting toward advisory-led services, where firms compete on insight and decision support instead of compliance alone. - Dark Horse’s Accelerator Program appears built to attract CPAs who want independence and economics closer to firm ownership, while still getting infrastructure and support. - Chase Birky, CEO and co-founder of Dark Horse CPAs, said Trager is strong at turning monthly numbers into a business narrative that helps owners make informed, course-correcting decisions. - Birky also said Trager’s operator and entrepreneur background helps him separate noise from signal and communicate the important information in a digestible way.

What's next: - The Dark Horse Principal Accelerator Program is accepting new participants. - Interested CPAs can learn more at abetterway.cpa or email info@darkhorse.cpa. - Upon successful completion of the program, Accelerators can become equity Principals of the firm. - Dark Horse CPAs will continue supporting Accelerators with its proprietary tech stack, sales coaching and access to full-time and fractional professional staff.

The bottom line: - Dark Horse CPAs is using its Accelerator Program to scale a new generation of advisory-focused CPAs, and Trager is the latest addition to that strategy.