Inspiring CPA’s Journey Honored in NYC Celebration & Live Podcast | Nicole Mitchell, Partner at Aprio
Rho Editorial Team
On August 20th, we brought together the friends and colleagues of Nicole Mitchell, Partner at Aprio, for drinks and a live podcast recording at the illustrious Opto NY, all to celebrate the incredible women of accounting.
Celebrating The Women Behind the Ledger
This year, we’re giving women leaders their flowers at exclusive bi-coastal celebrations. The teams behind Rho, the all-in-one business banking platform built for startups and the accountants who serve them, and media company Fintech is Femme, are making it happen.
Why? Because every day, women in finance and accounting crunch numbers, slay data dragons, and achieve incredible things. They deserve more than a month or a single day to be recognized for their achievements. That’s what makes the Rho x Fintech Femme “Celebration of Women in Accounting” series so special.
Nicole Mitchell, CPA, MBA & Relentlessly Focused Finance Leader
Our latest honoree Nicole Mitchell brings her brilliant mind to help businesses build smarter foundations. With over 25 years of experience advising practice leaders and C-level executives, she’s a champion for change management, technology adoption, and innovation. Nicole designs creative, end-to-end solutions that simplify operations and deliver meaningful financial insights for clients. She empowers them to focus on what matters most; pushing their businesses forward.
When asked what makes Nicole deserving of this honor, Richard Kopelman, CEO of Aprio, said, "Nicole brings a unique ability to connect the dots, designing creative, tech-enabled solutions that drive efficiency, unlock opportunity, and deliver lasting value. As the leader of Aprio's Client Accounting Services, she guides clients through complexity, she anticipates what’s next and inspires our teams to do the same. We’re proud to see Nicole recognized for the impact she’s making for our clients and our firm.”
And the results speak for themselves. Through Nicole’s leadership, Aprio’s outsourced accounting services have scaled to support fast-growing startups and global enterprises alike, helping clients improve performance, reduce complexity, and position themselves for long-term success. When she’s not pushing her firms and clients to new heights, she’s a supporter of Girls on the Run mid-MD, USA Swimming, USA Youth Triathlon, and a founding member of the Veterans Institute for Procurement. Congratulations Nicole!
About Aprio
Aprio is the brand name under which Aprio, LLP, and Aprio Advisory Group, LLC, deliver professional services. Since 1952, clients throughout the U.S. and across more than 50 countries have trusted Aprio for guidance on how to achieve what’s next. As a premier business advisory and accounting firm, Aprio Advisory Group, LLC, delivers advisory, tax, managed, and private client services to build value, drive growth, manage risk, and protect wealth, and Aprio, LLP, provides audit and attest services. With proven experience and genuine care, Aprio serves individuals, entrepreneurs, and businesses, from promising startups to market leaders alike. Aprio has grown to 2,300+ team members providing solutions to clients across industries. Visit https://www.aprio.com/ for more information.
Live Podcasting with the Luminaries of Fintech
The vibes were immaculate. Nicole’s colleagues, clients, and friends toasted her with espresso martinis and delectable bites from the Mediterranean-inspired Opto NYC; a Flatiron District hotspot from the culinary mind of Chef Alex Tubero.
This intimate gathering of thirty finance luminaries mingled and shared stories, swapping tales of Nicole’s impact on their careers and their own personal journeys. In fact, throughout the night Nicole’s colleagues got the chance to share why she’s so worthy of this honor:
Nicole, It’s a privilege to work alongside a colleague that is so respected and inspiring. I’m thrilled to see her contributions recognized in such a meaningful way. Her unwavering positivity and commitment to deliver results has made a lasting impact on everyone around her.
Cheri Husney, Chief Growth Officer, Aprio
Nicole has an amazing ability to see the path forward. From identifying the challenge, to developing a comprehensive solution and then turning challenges into a market opportunity. She does it with both talent and hard work. She always has my admiration and thanks for being a great firm leader.
Barbara Morgan, Partner, Aprio
Nicole is one of the most driven, passionate, and visionary people I’ve ever worked with. She doesn’t just lead one of the largest client accounting practices in the U.S., she transforms it. In a time of nonstop change in our industry, Nicole is always ahead of the curve. She’s generous with her time, honest in her guidance, and truly invested in others' success. I’ve learned so much from her, and I can’t imagine anyone more deserving.
Emily Cheshire, Partner, Aprio
With an appetizer in one hand and a custom cocktail (aptly named: Nicole and the City) in the other, guests connected over their shared passion for finance and their clients. Those conversations naturally moved the audience towards the highlight of the night: A live recording of the Humans of Fintech podcast, hosted by Founder & CEO of Fintech Is Femme, Nicole Casperson.
Special guest, Tiffany Haynes joined the conversation with our honoree. Tiffany, known as an investor, advisor, and former COO of Fingercheck, scaled the bootstrapped fintech from $11M to $24M in revenue and led it through a $150M exit in just three years. Before that, she spent nearly two decades at Jack Henry, leading large-scale transformations and overseeing teams of 600+.
And with guests this accomplished, the live recording of Humans of Fintech got real.
Tiffany explained what possessed her to reject acquisition offers left and right and how she finally chose the right one for Fingercheck. Nicole Mitchell shared her journey from not graduating high school to becoming a CPA top scorer.
When host Nicole Casperson asked the honoree what the distinction is between helping entrepreneurs work on their business versus working in it, you’ll want to hear her answer. Not to mention what Tiffany believes this next era in finance technology will mean for scaling companies. But we promise, no spoilers yet…
Follow the Humans of Fintech podcast to hear the episode!
As the event came to a close, Rho x Fintech is Femme presented Nicole with a $1,000 donation to her chosen charity, Accounting Food Fight, through the The Aprio Foundation. This charity empowers Aprio team members to support their communities in ways that are meaningful to them. The employee-led organization funds nonprofits that align with Aprio’s social mission, value inclusion, prioritize volunteerism and focus on education, entrepreneurship, the environment and supporting the economically disadvantaged.
"Boy, they're a fun group!” - Nicole Casperson
As we had our final bites of delicious food, a final espresso martini, and put the finishing touches on a postcard for the honoree, Nicole summed up the celebration perfectly as she breezed out into the New York night: "Oh boy, what a fun group!"
Are you interested in being a part of these bi-coastal celebrations?
Follow Nicole, Rho, Fintech is Femme for more details about upcoming celebrations
Check out the flower subscriptions from Urban Stems, each honoree receives monthly arrangements to celebrate their impact year-round
Listen to the Humans of Fintech podcast: Connecting the Dots: Building Businesses That Last
Check out The Aprio Foundation, the recipient of Nicole’s donation, to learn more about their mission
About Rho and Fintech is Femme
Rho is honored to partner with Nicole Casperson, Journalist, Author, and Founder of the groundbreaking Fintech is Femme. We’re showcasing outstanding women in the profession for their extraordinary contributions to the field.
About Fintech is Femme
Fintech is Femme is a bold media and community platform dedicated to celebrating and amplifying the voices of women shaping the future of finance. Through storytelling, events, and thought leadership, Fintech is Femme showcases powerful female leaders driving innovation in fintech and beyond. From C-suite executives to rising stars, the platform brings visibility to those breaking barriers and building inclusive financial ecosystems. Discover the stories changing the face of finance at www.fintechisfemme.co.
About Rho
Rho is the banking platform with everything businesses need to manage cash, control spending, and automate finance busywork. Rho offers corporate cards, banking, mutual funds, treasury, expense management, bill pay, accounting automation, and more in one integrated platform backed by award-winning concierge service.
For more information about Rho and our Accountant Partner Program visit Rho.co/accountants
