McCraw joins Dark Horse's Principal Accelerator Program to Build a Modern, Tech-Enabled Accounting Practice
CARDIFF BY THE SEA, Calif., Oct. 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Dark Horse CPAs, a top accounting and tax firm serving small businesses and individuals nationwide, announces the hiring of Sam McCraw, CPA, CPWA®, MAC as an Accelerator in the firm's Principal Accelerator Program. McCraw's experience in providing high-level tax and accounting guidance to businesses, combined with his passion for modernizing client service through technology, earned him a seat in the selective program.
Sam brings to Dark Horse a strong foundation in public accounting and a deep understanding of how sound financial infrastructure drives sustainable growth. He holds an active NC and CA CPA license as well as the Certified Private Wealth Advisor credential. He has spent his career advising small and mid-sized businesses across a range of industries, as well as the unique advisory needs of high-net-worth individuals.
"I've been following Dark Horse for a few years and was always intrigued by their path to ownership," said McCraw. "When I was put on a three-year track to become a non-equity partner at a prior firm, I realized I was really on a long, uncertain road to acquiring a black box. At Dark Horse, the metrics to reaching and holding ownership are clearly defined up front, and there's an experienced team supporting you every step of the way."
McCraw believes that accounting should serve as a strategic backbone for every business. "Real-time cloud accounting solutions are essential at every stage," he said. "Without accurate and timely financial data, business owners can't make effective decisions or attract new investors and financial partners to grow."
When it comes to tax, McCraw sees it as far more than a compliance exercise. "The real value of tax services comes from what happens outside of the return," he said. "Great planning is built through conversations and proactive guidance. Collaborating with attorneys, wealth advisors, and other professionals to help clients reach their goals with tax certainty and efficiency."
"Sam's perspective on ownership, transparency, and the client experience reflects exactly what we're building here," said Chase Birky, CEO and co-founder of Dark Horse CPAs. "He understands that being a great CPA today means combining advisory thinking with tech-enabled systems that make life easier for clients and accountants alike. We're thrilled to have him on the team."
About the Dark Horse Accelerator Program
The Dark Horse Principal Accelerator Program was created for entrepreneurial-minded CPAs that want to build a scalable book of business without the personal and financial sacrifices required of starting a firm from scratch. Dark Horse empowers their CPAs with the resources and support to grow intelligently and profitably. Their proprietary technology, flexible staffing, and industry-leading systems and processes enable CPAs to focus on being the trusted advisor to their clients, unlocking unprecedented value in these relationships, so that they will continue to be relevant long into the future while their counterparts become increasingly displaced by technology.
Accelerators are put through a training program that acclimates them to the firm's exclusive tech stack, followed by proprietary sales training and one-on-one coaching. Upon completion of training, they begin building their book of business by fielding inquiries from potential Dark Horse clients. To facilitate their growth, Accelerators have full-time and fractional professional personnel support at their disposal. A collaborative group of like-minded CPAs go the extra mile to help them out in areas where they lack expertise. This new CPA firm business model includes an active corporate team that ensures their work is of high quality and strategically focused. After successful completion of the program, they can become an equity principal of the firm. The Dark Horse Principal Accelerator Program is currently accepting new Accelerators. Interested CPAs are invited to dive deeper into the program on Dark Horse's recruiting site, abetterway.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.
SOURCE Dark Horse CPAs
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