Jody Grunden is an accounting visionary with over 20 years of experience. He has helped pioneer innovative changes within the industry, including the introduction of the first subscription-based billing method employed by an accounting firm. Together with his partner Adam Hale, Jody co-founded and serves as CEO of Summit CPA, which the pair launched in 2002. He is a member in good standing of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Indiana CPA Society. Jody works also extensively with the QuickBooks accounting software where he has been a QuickBooks ProAdvisor since 2002 and a member of the Sleeter Group where he teaches QuickBooks to small business owners. Jody’s public accounting background includes corporate experience as a tax manager for Rea Magnet Wire Company, Inc, a $250 million multi-national manufacturing company. His success at Rea Magnet Wire was highlighted by a successful appeal to the Taxation and Revenue Department of the State of New Mexico that resulted in the receipt of a $300,000 Investment Credit that the department had previously denied.
Together with Adam Hale, Jody has helped Summit CPA grow with a focus on top-tier services with an emphasis on Cash Flow Management, Forecasting, Budgeting, Debt Restructuring, and Cutting Edge Tax Planning. But Jody also recognized the distinct potential offered by emerging technology. Around a decade after forming Summit CPA, the company went fully remote and began offering a non-traditional package of Virtual CFO services to creative digital companies. Jody takes great pride in helping business owners strive in all economic conditions. He strongly believes that a well-run company will excel in both a good and a bad economy. He also believes in the educational aspect of helping businesses and the accounting industry transform and thrive within a digital environment.
Furthering that belief, Jody actively participates in numerous information-sharing endeavors, including podcasts on subjects such as essential forecasting software and critical strategies for CPAs hoping to launch their own virtual CFO firms. He is also the author of two books, Digital Dollars and Cents and Building the Virtual CFO Firm in the Cloud, and the winner of multiple awards, including recognition as 2020's Top Innovative Practitioner by CPA.com
After graduating with his Bachelor’s degree in accounting from Indiana University, Jody’s career in accounting began in the best way possible: Passing the CPA exam on the first try. He later refined and broadened his skills at Crowe Chizek and Company and Geo S. Olive (now BKD). During that time, Jody also obtained his Series 6 and Series 63 licenses in investing. Jody has been happily married to his wife April for over 25 years. April is an estate planning attorney for Grunden Law Offices where she concentrates her practice on estate planning, succession planning, and business formations. They have two children, Tyler and Lexi. Their favorite activities are participating in a wide range of sports (from hockey to golf) with their children. Jody and April have enjoyed coaching their kids’ athletic teams. They also enjoy living in their hometown of Leo and spending ample amounts of time with their extended family and friends.
