Our team consists of business-savvy finance and accounting professionals that are smart, nimble and passionate about solving problems. From C-level to accounting manager, our team members have diverse backgrounds that span across Big 4, startup companies (seed stage to Series-D) and mature businesses. From consumer products and technology, to life sciences and medical device, our team also has the industry experience and skills to help you plan your financial strategy and fulfill your daily accounting needs.
FELIPE VEGA
The IronClad team is led by Felipe Vega, a finance and accounting industry veteran that has spent the last 20 years of his career helping early-stage and startup companies navigate the financial and operational stages of funding and growth. He is a hands-on strategic advisor who is passionate about working with founders, management teams and the investor community to help build scalable businesses. Throughout his career as a fractional CFO, Felipe has helped pave the way for hundreds of companies by providing leadership and insights to establish strong financial and operational practices. While his experience spans multiple industries, including technology, Felipe has amassed vast expertise and specialization in consumer-packaged goods (CPG). As the leader of IronClad, Felipe values relationships above all and is committed to the mutual success of both clients and his team. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Texas State University.
KRISTEN JOHNSON
Kristen has spent her career working with small businesses and entrepreneurs across a vast array of industries in both accounting and strategic operations roles. She has had the opportunity to lead teams both nationally and internationally taking on anything from new product go-to-market plans, software implementations, performance management processes, and anything in between. Always looking for measurable efficiencies and process improvements, Kristen helps drive companies to scalable growth. She hails from the Midwest with a double major in accounting and business management from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana.
Adam Casto
As a CFO consultant for IronClad, Adam has 15 years of experience in accounting and financial operations. He partners with clients to provide strategic guidance and support including strategic planning, financial modeling, financial statement review and board meeting support. Prior to IronClad, Adam held finance and accounting roles at Amplify Snack Brands, SolarWinds and Deloitte. A certified public accountant (CPA), he earned his Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and a Master’s Degree in Accounting from Texas State University.
Devon Ponds
As a CFO consultant, Devon contributes both technical expertise and a successful track record of leadership experience to his clients. In his role at IronClad, he provides strategic direction and support for both established and developing companies. From budgeting, reporting and forecasting—to optimization of financial and operational systems, Devon has expertise to support a broad scope of financial, operational and technical functions.
A licensed CPA, Devon began his career in public accounting with PricewaterhouseCoopers before transitioning into the beverage industry. As CFO of Port Brewing/The Lost Abbey, a regional brewery, Devon spearheaded multiple expansions and strategic initiatives, improved systems and increased margins. Devon earned a Master of Professional Accounting from the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas.
Greg Miller
Greg is an experienced CFO that supports IronClad clients throughout all phases of the start-up cycle—from early-stage angel funding—through venture-backed financing. He lends his extensive experience to help his clients develop a scalable finance and operational model to achieve their short- and long-term business objectives. Greg’s experience includes leading finance, controllership, legal and human resources functions which comprises financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, financial analysis, decision support, reporting, M&A, contract negotiation and board of directors’ corporate governance.
Greg was a founding member of the Builder Homesite executive team where he served as company CFO for 20 years. He also held leadership roles at Pervasive Software and Applied Materials. Greg received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from San Jose State University, and he is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in the State of California.
Andy Gentile
Andy has 15+ years of financial operations experience helping early-stage and mid-sized companies with financial planning and forecasting, internal controls, financial reporting, M&A and ERP systems. Throughout his career, he has helped many companies navigate the acquisition process, including due diligence exercises and contract negotiations. Andy has deep expertise in the CPG industry having held positions with Lavva, Oatmega Bar, Live Soda, Stubbs Barbecue and Whole Foods Market. He is experienced in both the co-packing and manufacturing models and understands what it takes to compete and grow in both the natural and conventional CPG space. A Certified Management Accountant (CMA), Andy earned his MBA from Texas State University and his Bachelor’s in accounting and financial analysis from SUNY Buffalo. He enjoys mountain biking, baseball and being outdoors.
Freddy Marichal
Freddy Marichal is a principal at IronClad Consulting Services, LLC where he provides strategic growth and finance advisory services to early and expansion stage clients in the technology and healthcare sectors. Freddy has a strong track record of helping enterprises enhance business performance through the effective use of digital technologies that deliver actionable insight and analysis while increasing efficiency, control and compliance. Prior to IronClad, Freddy performed director-level finance and strategy roles at Dell, PwC and Schwab. Freddy holds a BBA and MBA degrees in finance and accounting from The McCombs School of Business, University of Texas at Austin. He lives in Austin, TX with his wife and daughter. He enjoys golf and tennis and serves on the Board of Trustees for The Girls School of Austin.
Brian Prehn
Brian is a CFO with experience across various industries including Manufacturing, Software, Food and Beverage, Consumer Packaged Goods, Technology and Retail. Since 2014, he has been consulting with high growth companies to provide value through financial forecasting, accounting system integrations and financial reporting and analysis. Brian started his career in public accounting at Ernst and Young, then moved on to accounting leadership roles in the technology and manufacturing space.
Brian has experienced success as a mentor, team leader, change advocate and project manager. An active CPA since 2005, Brian graduated from Texas A&M University with a Master of Business Administration in Finance and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting.
Andrew Platt
Andrew comes to Ironclad with over twenty years of financial and operational experience. Prior to Ironclad he was the VP of Finance at Ironside, a data & analytics consulting firm. His experience also includes CPG work as the Head of Finance at Advatix, a supply chain consultancy and e-commerce provider, having joined them from their client Garten, where he was the Director of Finance & Operations. He spent the last 5 years in the SF Bay, consulting with early-stage startups and building their finance and business operations functions. Before moving to San Francisco, Andrew was the Head of Sales and then the General Manager/Managing Partner of Atmosphere, a leading special events company where he had the honor of working with 5 US Presidents and 2 Popes.
Andrew holds a BA in History & Politics from Oberlin College, and an MBA from the University of Maryland.
Heidi Huntington
Based out of Colorado. Heidi has over 20 years of experience in accounting and has worked with companies in various industries including: high tech start ups, software, venture capital, retail, manufacturing, telecommunications, nonprofit, professional services and the investment banking sector. Prior to joining IronClad, Heidi was the Chief Financial Officer for a mid-size, VC backed, e-commerce company where she managed all aspects of the financial environment to include supporting two capital raises totaling $25M.
Heidi is passionate about getting the right KPI metrics and reporting in place to guide the company’s decision making. She creates strategic models to support long term goals and other key initiatives, compensation and incentive planning, cash flow reporting and forecasting, revenue growth planning and debt and equity round support.
Heidi graduated from the University of Puget Sound with a degree in Accounting and Finance as well as an emphasis in communications. Philanthropy and community are an important part of Heidi’s life. She is also an avid runner, enjoys traveling, skiing and photography.
Theresa Owens
Theresa has more than 25 years of financial accounting experience including management reporting and analysis, audit and compliance, and process improvement. She has worked with clients across a broad range of industries, including manufacturing, retail, financial and consumer packaged goods. Leveraging an accounting foundation gained as an external auditor for nine years, Theresa was a strong in-house leader for several startup companies where she helped grow and automate internal systems, establish sound accounting policies and procedures, and developed dynamic reporting. Theresa earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Baylor University and is a licensed CPA in the state of Texas.
Sam Bakhshalian
As a VP Finance consultant, Sam brings to the table both financial acumen and technical mastery to add value and address clients needs. Whether organizing historical data with accuracy or planning future strategy with precision, Sam brings both breadth and depth of expertise in crafting solutions. A licensed CPA, Sam began his career in public accounting with PricewaterhouseCoopers before transitioning into the AgriTech industry. Sam earned a Certificate of Public Accounting and Bachelors of Commerce from Montreal’s McGill University.
Elsa Iris Reyes
Elsa Iris Reyes is a Controller with nearly a decade of experience in FP&A and accounting. Elsa has a successful track record of process improvement, project management, and budgeting. Industry experience includes heavy manufacturing, consumer packaged goods, SAAS, e-commerce, and non-profit organizations. One of Elsa’s specialties is in financial modeling and forecasting to support company management and early seed stage fundraising rounds.
Trisha DeSoi
Trisha joined IronClad Consulting with 25+ years of diversified accounting experience. She has a passion for working with startup companies and helping them achieve success. Trisha’s career started in the government contract field in Texas working with the Super Collider project and continued in Tennessee with engineering and environmental clean-up projects.
Upon her return to Texas, she joined a consumer product delivery company as an accounting manager. This position spawned additional controller and accounting manager roles where she has supported a variety of clients in business sectors including alcohol production, consumer products, social media marketing, medical services and project management.
Trisha earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Texas A&M University.
Dominique Edwards
Dominique joins IronClad with experience and passion assisting startups scale their operations. She has experience in operational accounting and financial planning and analysis as she managed the full accounting cycle, finance functions, and led strategic initiatives at a consumer packaged goods startup. Through her professional experience she has worked with a variety of industries, including consumer packaged goods, SaaS, tech, and traditional service companies. To achieve the best results for her clients, Dominique enjoys using her leadership skills to build connections and establish trustworthy relationships. Dominique brings a midwestern charm from Nebraska where she obtained her Bachelor of Finance and Accounting and is currently pursuing her Masters of Organizational Leadership from Oral Roberts University. She enjoys spending time outdoors with her rescue, Sophia, and testing the newest bites around Austin!
Tanner Meeks
In the Controller role with IronClad, Tanner utilizes his nearly 20 years of accounting industry experience and his drive for results to help clients move their business forward into the future. With a wide array of knowledge in areas such as inventory, cost accounting, variance analysis, treasury management, trend analysis, fixed assets, budgeting/forecasting, and consolidations, Tanner possesses the skill set required to help support a multitude of needs from his clients. Tanner has experience in industries ranging from manufacturing and consumer packaged goods to property management. He has successfully led teams through integrations, systems implementations, and plant expansion projects. Likewise, Tanner is highly organized and disciplined in his commitment to reporting and providing useful insights and interpretations of financial results. Tanner earned his Accounting degree from Auburn University followed by a Masters of Accounting and a Masters of Business Administration from Samford University. He loves being in the outdoors whether it be camping, trail running, hiking, or fishing. He along with his wife and 3 daughters call Chelsea, Alabama home.
Emily Sellers
Emily brings over 15 years of diverse accounting experience to IronClad. Her accounting background has included forensic accounting, private equity fund accounting, compliance and she has worked in the CPG, retail, and manufacturing industries. She started her career at EY and most recently has held roles at Whole Foods Market and YETI. Emily earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and Finance from Texas Christian University and is a licensed CPA in the State of Texas. She enjoys spending time with her husband and two daughters.
Jake Lazzell
Jake joins IronClad with 15 years of experience across several accounting roles and industries. His background includes tax, accounts payable, retail, manufacturing, and human resources. With a passion for process improvement, Jake aims to streamline processes and drive efficiencies for clients. From a family-owned business to multinational corporations, Jake has earned the trust and delivered results for many teams. He graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with a Bachelor’s in Accountancy.
Eric Choma
Eric joins IronClad Consulting with over 13 years of diverse accounting experience. Eric started his career in public accounting as an auditor for Deloitte, where he managed and led audits for clients across various industries. From there, Eric gained experience as an entrepreneur in the CPG space, building and selling a successful business in the manufacturing industry. For the past several years, Eric has excelled in the Controller role, supporting his clients through automation of internal systems, establishing sound accounting policies and procedures, and enabling dynamic reporting. Eric’s ultimate goal is to enable his clients to better understand their business through the numbers, and give them consistent and reliable data to make sound decisions. Eric earned a dual Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and Finance, and a Masters in Professional Accounting from the University of Miami (FL).
Kim Maier
As a Sr Controller for IronClad, Kim brings a fusion of experience from a variety of industries, including manufacturing and hospitality, along with companies from startups to multifaceted worldwide corporations. With over 18 years of experience emphasizing in corporate accounting and financial reporting, she brings her knowledge to partner with clients and provide a wide variety of financial guidance and support. Kim enjoys working with startups and small businesses where she can connect operations and finance to ultimately achieve success.
Kim received her Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Penn State University followed by a Masters of Business Administration from DeVry University.
Meredith Town
Meredith, a licensed CPA in Texas, contributes over 15 years of accounting and wide-ranging operations experience in her role as a Controller for IronClad, bringing excellent analytical skills and a focus on process improvement, efficiency gains, and scalability. After 8 years as the managing partner of a nightclub and restaurant in New Orleans, she relocated to Austin, Texas, where she spent over 7 years in progressive accounting roles at Vital Farms. Within this dynamic, high-growth business environment she achieved high-level proficiency across all critical accounting functions, and ultimately helped support the firm through the preparation and launch of a successful IPO. She is a recent transplant to Portland, Maine where she lives with her husband and two spoiled cats, and enjoys running, exploring Japanese culture and cuisine, and cheering on the New Orleans Saints.
Daniel Gunnels
Daniel brings to IronClad an extensive background in accounting with over 15 years of experience. He is a highly accomplished and detail-oriented Controller and Operations leader, known for his exceptional expertise in financial management and accounting. Daniel has consistently delivered outstanding results in various industries, including CPG, Startups, Construction, Private Equity, Commercial and Residential Development, Warehousing, Logistics, and Inventory Control. Daniel holds two Bachelor degrees from Western Governors University, one in Business Management and another in Accounting. This educational foundation, combined with his years of practical experience, equips him with a comprehensive skill set and a strong analytical mindset.
Tiffany St Peter
Tiffany has had a progressive career in accounting over the last eighteen years. She has worked her way up from bookkeeping in local Santa Fe, NM Retail chains to Senior Accountant at Nambe, a high end home accessories company, to Controller at Marble Brewery. Throughout her time in these positions she was exposed to Retail, E-Commerce, and extensive business growth where she played a vital part in expansion efforts.
In 2018 Tiffany went out on her own and worked as an independent accounting contractor for several businesses in a variety of different industries in New Mexico. She comes from a family of small business owners and is passionate about helping businesses succeed. In 2022 she earned a master’s degree in accounting from New Mexico State University and while attending graduate school fell in love with Las Cruces, New Mexico where she currently lives with her two dogs, Pickles and Penelope. Tiffany enjoys traveling, cooking, entertaining, reading, hiking and skiing.
Andi Dencklau
Andi has over twenty five years of experience in a multitude of industries ranging from higher education to retail & eCommerce to service & manufacturing. Because she has worked with retail & ecommerce companies, she has strong Sales & Use Tax knowledge as well as an in-depth knowledge of inventory systems, bill of materials and cost analysis. She has helped companies improve processes and improve their bottom line by analyzing market segments and product types. She has helped growing companies transition from basic accounting software to ERP & MRP systems as the lead project manager. Andi earned her Bachelor’s of Science degree in Accounting with a minor in Computer Information Systems from Strayer University.
Rodney Moore
Rodney brings 14 years of accounting experience to the team as a senior accountant for IronClad. His diverse background working with public and private companies includes manufacturing, retail, ecommerce, and consumer packaged goods. He has demonstrated a proven track record of utilizing his accounting and finance competencies, ethics, and interpersonal skills to maintain successful and high achieving cross-functional teams.
His friendly demeanor and team focus allow him to lead others by example through hard work and attention to detail. Rodney holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Louisiana State University Shreveport.
Courtney Hale
As a Senior Accountant, Courtney contributes both proficiency in and application of the fundamental aspects of the accounting cycle for a wide range of industries. In her role at IronClad, she provides enhanced technical accounting support for both established and developing companies. From performing bank and other account reconciliations to producing understandable supporting documentation, Courtney offers a wide range of accounting assistance and clarity for her clients.
As a licensed CPA, Courtney began her career in public accounting with a local auditing firm before transitioning into the SAAS industry, the Non-Profit industry and then the Consumer Packaged Goods industry. As a Director of Accounting and Finance for an international Non-Profit organization, Courtney is savvy in the accurate preparation and strategic analysis of financial statements. Courtney earned a Bachelor’s of Business Administration in Accounting at the University of Texas at El Paso.
Taryd Makal
Taryd started her accounting career in South Texas in the oilfield services industry and then relocated to Austin to work for an AI Solutions start-up. During her time at this growing startup she had the opportunity to support the company in establishing an internal finance team, various system implementations, Series round financing, acquisitions and establishing subsidiaries and joint-ventures. Taryd is an excellent problem solver and direct communicator that leads to effective and efficient output. In her free time, she enjoys hiking and backpacking in the wilderness.
Joanie Davis
Joanie graduated from the University of Alabama at Birmingham with a bachelor’s degree in accounting
and business administration. She has over 25 years of experience in both private and public accounting
with a wide variety of industries ranging from real estate, restaurant, retail, property management, law
and investment firms, international product sales, healthcare, transportation, and marketing agencies
just to name a few. Joanie’s passion is helping clients navigate through their financial data to ensure
that they have accurate, efficient, and reliable data to grow and streamline their business.
Outside of the accounting field, Joanie enjoys spending time outdoors with her family.
Anfisa Burova
As an accountant, Anfisa has a passion for helping business owners to manage and grow their financial well-being. With a strong accounting background, Anfisa provides clients with expert advice, professionalism, responsiveness and peace of mind. Her experience covers a wide range of industries and has been focused predominantly in the small to medium sized sector. Coming from Siberia, Anfisa arrived in the U.S. with a dream to live in sunny Austin. She has made that dream a reality with her dog, Frenchie, and they enjoy all of the outside activities Austin has to offer. She earned her degree in Accounting from the Academy Budget and Treasury at Moscow.
Zac Simmons
Zac started his career in public accounting, where he worked as a senior staff accountant for a small CPA firm in Austin. His 12 years of experience in this position helped him learn not only tax accounting, but also the strategies and needs of many small and medium sized businesses on a day-to-day basis. He has helped clients in areas as complex as transitions, audits, and acquisitions, to as simple as learning QuickBooks and general accounting aspects. His knowledge spans many different industries and business types. Zac lives in Austin, Texas with his two children, and his dachshund named Goose.
Holly Prather
Holly is an accountant with 20 years of experience within Home Building, Land Development and Property Management industries. Her accounting experience includes managing accounting teams, creating budgets, WIP schedules and various other accounting functions. As an accounting professional, Holly wears multiple hats and is able to see the entire picture when dealing with client needs, focusing on detail while not losing sight of a business’s ultimate goal. She is passionate about solving problems and scaling while being hyper focused on efficiency.
Holly is a native Austinite. When not working she enjoys live music and spending time with her son.
Nadia Marafioti
Nadia joins IronClad after spending 10 years as a procurement officer in the South African manufacturing sector, prioritizing the provision of cost-efficient, high-quality goods and services for multiple companies. Upon her arrival in Austin, she was able to apply the expertise she acquired back home to help manage the accounts of multiple commercial properties in and around the area. She excels in operational accounting, HR, and providing personable customer service. She thrives on her ability to learn quickly and adapt to her clients’ needs. In her spare time, she enjoys baking, crocheting, and attending concerts in the Live Music Capital of the World.
Daniel Johnson
Daniel has spent most of his career in the Finance and Construction Management sectors. While a Financial Advisor, Daniel worked with individuals and small businesses on budgeting, investments, and portfolio management. For the last 5 years, Daniel has worked in construction management and directly oversaw the construction of over $40 million in large scale projects. His background in scheduling, budgeting, forecasting, and project management gives him unique skills and experience to assist his clients. He is currently obtaining his Master of Science in Accounting.
James Tran
James brings a wide range of business expertise from management of large international businesses to Director of Operations of ambitious start-up companies. He has over 12 years of guiding companies in the Medical, Automotive, and Advanced Composites industries. He has led accounting teams in the Durable Medical Equipment industry, introducing automation software into the accounting cycle to increase productivity. James earned his BS from California State University Long Beach.
Loren Wakham
Loren has over 10 years experience in tax and accounting spanning multiple industries including fintech, construction and medical devices. She has worked with teams of various sizes, spending the last 4 years as half a team of 2 with a high growth startup through 3 seed rounds.She had the opportunity to create and implement new processes and procedures, system controls and softwares. During this time she became passionate about the importance of working cross-functionally within an organization in order to be successful. Loren is an avid college sports fan, and when football season arrives you can find her, along with her husband and son, at Kyle Field cheering on the Aggies.
Ben How
Having studied at Georgia State University with a BBA in Accounting, Ben expresses his role as an Accountant through his detail-oriented work and experience in the manufacturing and retail fields. Ben strives to continually improve on his skill sets and knowledge in the accounting field, looking to develop better and more efficient processes for both his team and his clients. Outside of Accounting, Ben finds passion in cultivating his cooking skills and exploring many different nature trails and hiking spots in his free time.
Brenda Pearson
Brenda has spent her career working in the accounting departments for various companies from Property Management to a Child Development Center and most recently with a fast-growing church,
Grace Place in Northern Colorado. She managed accounting systems and budgets for the business side of the church including a Café and Bookstore. During a $13 million building project she maintained construction draws, pledge drives and budgets. She has worked with many teams to implement various software systems and likes organization and structure. Her degree is in Business Administration. As a
native of Colorado she enjoys, skiing, hiking, boating, reading, and spending time with her two grandchildren.
Stormy Homan
Stormy has worked with small businesses to corporate organizations keeping track of their financial, employee, and process information. Her specialty is in organizing and streamlining procedures to
produce efficiency of labor and quality of product. She worked as a Corporate Bookkeeper for Performance Management, LTD, which involved trusts, oil and gas revenue, auto dealerships, and property management before transitioning into the Consumer Package Goods industry. Her Master’s degree is from the University of Florida.
Laura Lenkey
Laura graduated from the Kelley School of Business in Indianapolis with bachelor degrees in Accounting and Finance. She loves challenges, learning new things, and exploring the best options to solve a problem. In college, she gained experience in fast food restaurants and being a Front-End supervisor at Fresh Thyme Farmers Market. Post college, Laura has bookkeeper experience working with small businesses in a variety of industries, and loves to understand how different industries work. Laura understands how crucial accounting is for a business, but the fusion of all departments working in sync is what truly leads to success. When she isn’t working, she enjoys spending time going hiking, traveling, and cuddling with her two cats.
Isaac Carranza
Isaac has worked as a bookkeeper for the last five years in a wide variety of industries from automotive to the medical field. He holds a degree in electronics and tech support which has enhanced his in problem solving skills, attention to detail, and quality customer service. Experience working with diverse groups of people has made Isaac an excellent communicator, building quality relationships with his clients. Isaac’s mission with Ironclad is to bring dedicated, customized service to each client based on their individual needs. He strives to work alongside each client to develop and implement systems to reach their goals. Apart from accounting work, Isaac enjoys time with his family and investing in the next generation.
Justin Soto
Justin is currently studying accounting at the Texas Tech University Rawls school of Business. He enjoys learning new skills and meeting new people. He has spent time as an Asset Protection lead in a retail store where he investigated inventory issues, handled theft investigations, and kept the store up with safety standards. He was a Receiving clerk in a retail warehouse where he learned receiving operations, inventory management, and customer care. His first bachelor’s degree was in fine art with an emphasis in painting. He has a passion for painting, creative writing, and music.
Join the IronClad Team
IronClad will help you grow yourself and your career. Our team is focused on working together and learning from each other. As a member of our team you will diversify your industry experience and grow your technical skills. We stay connected through weekly meetings and team gatherings.