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Our two-day annual leadership conference for CPAs includes top firm leaders and consultants to help develop dynamic and successful firm leaders. Join us each July!
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.
Watch for additional details regarding HeadWaters 2025 in January.
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, Director at Upstream Academy
What could the firm accomplish if everyone worked toward firm success, rather than just individual success? Could you practice more strategic decision-making, take on more ambitious initiatives, pass on expertise more easily, and create clients and employees loyal to the firm rather than individuals? Let’s discuss specific, practical, and actionable ways to move from a collection of individuals to a unified team with a culture that encourages and rewards making good business decisions.
Jackie Cardello, President and Managing Partner at GRF CPAs & Advisors
You get what you reward. Asking partners to help the firm when those actions result in personal financial hits is not only difficult, but unfair. A secret recipe for fixing all partner compensation issues doesn’t exist, but understanding and applying key principles can help you move toward your desired results. Let’s discuss how to shift from rewarding personal revenue generation to rewarding impactful behaviors that cultivate a culture of teamwork, mentorship, client development, and ultimately more long-term success.
Michelle Golden River, President at Fore LLC
Cost-plus pricing loses luster as firms begin sourcing talent abroad at much lower costs. And hourly billing’s shortcomings are evident as technology speeds up work. As business models rapidly shift, firm revenue models need to as well. CPAs are taught that they “sell time” but time isn’t your product! Your people regularly contribute to high-value outcomes but rarely had a good framework to position their true worth. Until now. Learn how worth-based pricing boosts profitability AND reinvigorates passion for our profession.
Josh Tyree, President at Harris CPAs
Are your firm values ingrained in the DNA of your firm – so everyone across the firm lives your values in goal-setting and decision-making every day – or would people have a hard time articulating how their work integrates with firm values? Join Josh as he explains a process designed to help individuals across all levels of the firm collaborate and contribute, develop meaningful goals, create new relationships, and lead initiatives, increasing engagement and breathing new life into your firm values.
Courtney DeRonde, CEO at Forge Financial & Management Consulting
Not all partners are leaders and not all leaders will become partners. Unfortunately, firms often put partners in charge of key initiatives, people, groups and processes, simply because they hold firm ownership. Using partnership rather than strengths, interests, or talents as the determiner too often leads to poorly-led initiatives, unhappy partners, and confused, disconnected, firm members. Let’s discuss a mindset shift that allows you to recognize how and when to disconnect ownership from leadership.
Heath Alloway, Director at Upstream Academy
Remaining positive during stressful, busy and changing times can be difficult. When you’re out of your comfort zone or low on time, pessimism can creep in. But attitude matters. And your outlook can affect not only your mental health, productivity and effectiveness but that of everyone around you – family, friends, team members and clients. Join us for a frank (non-Pollyannaish) discussion of how to achieve and maintain a proactively positive culture, fueling a belief that the best is yet to come.
Keith Dolabson, Partner at Gursey Schneider LLP
When people think of networking, often they picture a room full of strangers they’re supposed to meet and impress in a set time limit, making useful contacts for career and firm growth. So, introverts are out of luck, right? Let’s take a new approach to relationship-building – one based on proactively building win-win connections more than witty conversations. Keith will talk about how to approach interactions as interested, rather than interesting, to form strong, mutually-beneficial relationships that both individuals enjoy.
Jonathan Clark, Tax Partner at RKL LLP
Done right, client transitions strengthen the client’s relationship with the firm, while developing younger staff. So, what can you do to ensure transitions across the firm are smooth, effective, timely and expected? Join Jonathan as he discusses how to create a client transition culture – where everyone from the newest manager to the most experienced partner is encouraged to develop others and to create a plan to continue their own career growth by transitioning work and clients.
Ifen Donovan, Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate at Peace of Mind Counseling Services
Our industry (along with many other fields) is experiencing a mental health crisis. The time for politely looking away as firm members struggle has passed. Join Ifen for a candid discussion of how to recognize the signs you or a team member may be struggling, how to analyze firm cultural norms that may be affecting your firm’s collective mental health, and how to proactively work to create a firm and team that values and positively impacts your team members’ well-being.
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
John Sensiba, Managing Partner at Sensiba LLP
More is better, right? Working for more clients, more money, more reach can be seen as your obligation as a firm member. But is it success if you and your firm members don’t find joy or fulfillment in work? When does success turn into excess? Join John as he discusses how to take a different look at success – one that explores valuing and finding purpose in your firm’s impact on you, your clients, your firm members, and your community.
Danielle Supkis Cheek, VP, Head of Analytics & AI at Caseware
The AI invasion has already happened. Almost every tech development company has integrated AI into their offering (or has this in development). So, what does that mean for firms? How will these changes impact standards? How do you know how quickly to jump into new tech? And, what should you be doing to prepare? Let’s discuss the impact new technology is having and will have on the profession, including opportunities, challenges, and the transformative potential (and risks) AI brings.
Marty Brown, President and CEO at PYA
Reactive, compliance-related, “give me a call if I can help” client service won’t ensure long-term success. So, how can you foster relationships that encourage clients to think of you when they need advice, need assistance with their business, or know someone who wants a firm recommendation? Join Marty to discuss how his firm shifted focus from a service mindset to client relationship-building, and ways to make your client relationships deeper, more profitable, and more enjoyable (for you and the client).
Jeremy Clopton, Managing Director at Upstream Academy
