Join us in July as Upstream Academy celebrates 25 years of leadership development for top accounting firms!
Our two-day annual leadership conference for CPAs includes top firm leaders and consultants to help develop dynamic and successful firm leaders.
Widely regarded as one of the best firm management conferences, HeadWaters is held each July and draws partners and others in leadership positions from firms across the United States and Canada.
During the HeadWaters Leadership Conference, industry experts will provide guidance to help your firm understand and improve your firm’s strategic planning and implementation.
HeadWaters is attended by managing partners, shareholders, firm administrators, and current and future leaders.
We’re confident that the HeadWaters Leadership Conference will be of immeasurable value to you. Like everything we do at Upstream Academy, this program is unconditionally guaranteed to your full satisfaction. If you’re not completely satisfied, we will, at your option, either waive your fee or accept that portion of the fee that reflects your level of satisfaction.
Full breakfast
Jeremy will open the conference, make introductions and explain logistics.
Jeremy Clopton, Managing Director at Upstream Academy
Every firm is writing its next chapter – whether by choice or by chance. Join Jeremy as he challenges you and your firm to take control of the legacy you build with intention, not inertia. He’ll discuss defining your values, clarifying your vision, and taking purposeful steps toward the future you want. Legacy isn’t something you receive – it’s something you create.
Sarah Krom, Managing Partner and Nicole DeRosa, Director of Tax, SKC & Co. CPAs, LLC
Success rarely follows a straight path. This session highlights stories of leaders who have built meaningful careers by forging their own paths, embracing risks, and making an impact in business. In this session, Sarah and Nicole will share key themes and lessons learned that emerged from in-depth interviews with leaders in various industries. You will leave inspired and equipped to take bold, actionable steps forward — without waiting for permission.
Jake Thompson, Author
Your firm’s legacy isn’t built in a moment – it’s earned through daily standards that outlast motivation. Most firms compete to protect their reputation after success. Elite firms compete to raise their standard. Jake Thompson challenges how accounting leaders define competition and equips them to build the disciplines that sustain client trust, team performance, and lasting legacy when no one’s watching.
Buffet lunch
Heath Alloway, Growth Partner at Sorren
When everyone owns growth, great things happen. Let’s explore practical ways to embed a growth mindset across your firm – so business development becomes part of how people think. Expect tips, stories, and actionable takeaways. Learn practical ways to inspire curiosity, build client awareness, and make growth a shared responsibility that fuels momentum, empowerment, engagement, and client success.
Mike Maksymiw, Director, Aprio Alliance
When leaders show up as humans first, teams discover what’s truly possible. Let’s explore how vulnerability, empathy, and authentic connection create psychological safety – and how that safety unlocks better performance. You’ll learn how to foster trust, encourage risk-taking, and celebrate both wins and failures. Great teams start with real people, and human-first leadership is how they thrive.
Dr. Rachel Anevski, CEO at Matters of Management, LLC
The best leaders don’t just build teams – they build successors. Let’s discuss how to think beyond your current role and prepare others to lead, expanding your own opportunities, creating continuity for the firm, and keeping your career energized. Learn how empowering others expands your impact, sustains firm growth, and helps you build legacy that lasts beyond your role.
Jake Thompson, Author
Winning cultures don’t happen by accident; they’re built by leaders who live their values every day. In this interactive workshop, Jake Thompson brings his trademark energy and storytelling to help you strengthen accountability, resilience, and performance across your team. You’ll leave with actionable tools to compete, grow, and lead with confidence.
Jeremy Thibodeaux, Partner at Ericksen Krentel
Most leadership stories are told after the dust settles. This session explores what it’s like to lead during the transition, when legacy and change coexist. Hear how a mid-sized firm balances long-tenured partners, new leadership, and emerging millennial partners, with candid insights on preserving what works, modernizing what doesn’t, and leading confidently while the firm’s identity is still evolving.
Larissa Bunker, Chief Operating Officer, Integrator at Nichols Accounting Group, P.C.
Nichols has embraced the idea of passionate leadership. Staff practices BD, CX team members are transforming communications and marketing, and Audit leaders are designing new Advisory services. Why? Because passionate leaders get results. Discover what’s transforming Nichols and producing their best growth results in a 50-year history (with #1 Best Places to Work in ID). It’s a story worth hearing.
Sarah Krom, Managing Partner at SKC & Co. CPAs, LLC
Every partner exit tells a story – about leadership, timing, and trust. In this candid session, Sarah shares practical lessons from navigating five partner transitions, each bringing its own challenges and growth moments. Through real stories, she’ll explore how to honor history, manage tough conversations, and keep the firm aligned through change. Learn to handle transition with grace and confidence.
Jonathan Clark, Tax Partner at RKL LLP
In firms’ fast-paced world (with constant deadlines, client demands, and the push for growth), leaders don’t often pause. So, how do you run your race with intention, without sacrificing perspective, presence, and the people around you? Discover how intentional reflection can foster clarity, resilience, and well-being (for you and your team) as you pursue sustainable growth and success.
Always one of the most popular features of Upstream conferences, our afternoon discussion forums provide an unmatched opportunity to share your firm’s greatest challenges and learn how other firm leaders have successfully dealt with the same difficulties.
Full breakfast
Courtney De Ronde, CEO at Forge Financial and Management Consulting
Legacy isn’t accidental. It’s the result of leaders who intentionally translate vision into clear priorities, aligned budgets, and scalable structures. Courtney will share a system for creating annual rhythms that sustain growth without chaos. Attendees will leave with a repeatable process to help their teams focus, align resources, and carry the firm’s vision forward into the next 25 years.
Nathen McEown, Chief Executive Officer at Whitley Penn
Stepping into a longtime leader’s shoes comes with both weight and opportunity. In this transparent session, Nathen shares the lessons, missteps, and breakthroughs from stepping into the CEO role after a 20-year predecessor. Using humor, humility, and real examples, he’ll unpack what worked, what didn’t, and how to lead through change while strengthening culture and continuity.
John Sensiba, Managing Partner at Sensiba LLP
The next era of accounting requires more than just technical skill – it demands purpose. This session encourages firms and individuals to go beyond compliance and focus on making an impact. You’ll learn ways to help your teams think beyond compliance, engage meaningfully, and create lasting value for clients, communities, and the future of the profession.
Jeremy Clopton, Managing Director at Upstream Academy
