Courtney De Ronde is the CEO of Forge Financial & Management Consulting and the creator of the Simple ScaleUp System.

Courtney helps business and nonprofit leaders use a proven system to take charge of their personal and organizational development, so they can fulfill their purpose and lead their organizations to do the same.

With 20+ years as a CPA and 15 years as a business leader, Courtney has firsthand experience running, scaling, advising, and serving small businesses. Today, she shares that knowledge as a speaker and consultant with her team at Forge.

Matt Goodfellow is a Tax Partner at Sorren. With nearly a decade at the firm, Matt specializes in developing strategic tax solutions for clients in the construction and real estate industries. His clients range from those with $1 million to $100 million in revenue, including general contractors, subcontractors, engineers, developers, realtors, and investors. Matt is known for navigating complex, high-pressure scenarios with clarity, often involving multi-state and global operations, and delivering real savings through innovative tax deferral strategies. In one instance, he helped a client defer nearly $2 million in taxable income through a timely method change. Matt's expertise spans tax compliance, planning, and advisory, and he plays a critical role in helping clients improve their financial health and competitive edge through practical, forward-thinking tax strategies. He also serves as a mentor to team members across the firm, fostering a collaborative culture built on learning, growth, and technical excellence. His thoughtful, well-rounded approach to client service and leadership makes him a trusted advisor and valued partner.

Matt is active in his community, volunteering with the Idaho Shakespeare Festival and serving in the children's ministry at Rock Harbor Church. When not helping clients, Matt enjoys playing chess, poker, and singing karaoke.

Education:

• Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration, Accounting - Washington State University

Professional Designations / Civic Associations:

• Certified Public Accountant, Idaho
• Member, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
• Member, Idaho Society of Certified Public Accountants (ISCPA)

Laura Lantz joined The Idaho Society of CPAs in June of 2017. After eight years, she is still thrilled with the Society and the impact it makes with Idaho CPAs, their clients, at the legislature and with students.

Relationships are the key to everything, both personal and professional, so having a good core group of peers is essential. Laura dedicates herself to foster an environment at the Idaho Society where professionals can network, learn, and engage with each other.

Laura was named as one of Idaho Business Review's 2022 Top 50 Women of the Year, is a member of the Idaho Financial Literacy Coalition and on the Board of both the Idaho Liability Reform Coalition and the Idaho Society of Association Executives.

If you haven't, please connect with Laura on LinkedIn... www.linkedin.com/in/laura-lantz/

Carrie is CEO of the Iowa Society of CPAs where she leads strategy, advocacy and member development.

Carrie has 25 years of CPA firm growth and leadership experience and has been named a consultant to watch on Accounting Today's 100 Most Influential People in Accounting list. In 2023 she was inducted into the National Association for Accounting Marketing Hall of Fame.

In her role, Carrie:
• Leads the visioning for the Iowa Society of CPAs
• Mentors and develops staff members
• Liaises with and serves as a member of the Board of Directors
• Drives the organization's revenue and growth strategies
• Engages with members and other constituents on behalf of the profession
• Supports CPA workforce development

She is a skilled trainer and provides group sales training as well as one-on-one coaching on leadership skills, marketing and sales. Firm leaders, practitioners and marketing professionals benefit from her knowledge and dynamic approach.

Prior to leading the ISCPA she co-founded The Whetstone Group, Inc, a growth consulting, revenue management, leadership coaching and business development training firm serving the CPA profession and was also National Marketing Director of RSM US, LLP.

Speaking/Writing

Carrie is a sought after speaker and author having presented for the AICPA, the Association for Accounting Marketing's (AAM) Annual Summit, the Indiana CPA Society annual meeting, DFK USA, CPAmerica, AGN North America, Moore Stephens North America, MSI Global Alliance's International Managing Partner Conference, BKR International, PKF North America and The International Group of Accounting Firms (GAF). She has been published in AAM's MarkeTrends, The Journal of Accounting Marketing, CPA Practice Management Forum, the Journal of Accountancy and INSIDE Public Accounting.

She has been a frequent guest on industry leading podcasts including the Accounting Today podcast, the Radical CPA's Let's Get Radical, Thompson Reuters' Pulse of the Practice and the AICPA's Small Firm Philosophy, among others. Carrie is also co-author of the book Bridging The Gap: Strengthening The Connection Between Current Emerging Leaders, which is available for purchase on Amazon.com.

Leadership

Carrie is past-President of the CPA Consultants' Alliance (CPACA), a working group of leaders united in their efforts to further leadership within the CPA profession. Through collaboration, the CPACA offers deliverables and solutions CPA firms can use to advance leadership in their firm. She is also former treasurer of the National Association for Accounting Marketing (AAM), has served multiple terms on the Board of Directors and is currently a member of the strategic technology planning committee. Carrie is also a member of the CPA Consultants' Trust.