small acts of involvement add up to big wins for the profession and the public.
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accounting arc – student-led conversations
with arpan grewal
center for accounting transformation
advocacy often appears on television as protest marches, campaign rallies, or contentious debates. but in a recent accounting arc – student-led conversations episode, host arpan grewal and guest zenai savage, cpa, recast advocacy as something more grounded and accessible: a series of everyday decisions about when to speak up, who to invite in, and how to use professional skills for public good.
more accounting arc: baker: interpreting pricing psychology | don’t get fired by your own automation | what amazon doesn’t tell you | royalties, residuals, and reality checks | arc-slc | free speech is a right; respect is a responsibility | cash bags, casinos & audits: how first jobs shape us | gen z redefines careers | bootleggers, baptitsts & cpas: rethinking licensure | cpa firm ownership under fire | walking violation: when showing your cpa gets you in trouble | audit bags to tiktok tags, gen z talks success | students challenge accounting’s traditional career path | true grit: recognizing struggles that shape our successes |more admins, fewer students, no plan | what career advice gets wrong for gen z – and how to fix it | your identity is not a liability | burnout, be gone: accounting needs a boundary breakthrough
savage is not a typical accountant. she is the founder of the savage advantage, a consulting firm that provides outsourced controller work, budget development, governance support, and board training to nonprofits and civic organizations. she also writes and speaks through blurred lines, a personal platform built on the belief that people do not have to separate their faith, professional life, and community service into neat compartments.
for grewal, a gen z student leader, savage’s path offers a concrete example of how young professionals can blend technical careers with civic engagement.
savage’s résumé includes public accounting, executive roles in corporate responsibility and economic development, leadership within the indiana cpa society and naba, and even a run for indiana state auditor. she currently serves as the chief finance and administrative officer with the indy chamber.
a reluctant candidate answers the call.
savage tells grewal that she did not view herself as “political” for most of her early life. instead, she spent years serving in community organizations, her church, and professional associations, often in treasurer or board roles.
those roles give her a close-up view of how money moves—or does not move—into grassroots efforts, women-owned businesses, and organizations led by people of color. during and after the pandemic, she noticed that some groups received less funding or faced more complex barriers to access, even when their needs were acute.
“who is deciding where the money goes?” she asks. “and why does it look so unequal across communities?”
that set of questions gradually shifted her focus toward public budgets, city finances, and state-level decision-making. she began to study how municipal and state budgets work, who votes on them, and what levers exist to make the process more equitable.
savage says she did not initially imagine herself as a candidate. that changed when two indiana leaders—then-state senator shelli yoder and then-state senator, now gary mayor eddie melton—encouraged her to run for state auditor. they point out that, as a cpa with a strong record of community involvement, she is uniquely qualified to oversee public finances and explain them to voters.
savage hesitated. she had a thriving career and no desire to become a “career politician.” but the invitation raised a deeper question: if she believes funding decisions are critical, was she willing to step into a role that directly influences them?
eventually, she said yes. the campaign took her to more than 30 counties. she met voters who rarely see statewide candidates in person and spent significant time explaining what the state auditor actually does.
savage ultimately did not win, but she describes the experience as transformative. she gained a clearer understanding of party structures and built coalitions among community groups. she later served in statewide party leadership, where she continues to push for broader engagement and youth participation.
changing the rules of the profession from within.
advocacy, in savage’s view, is not confined to party politics. she notes that as a black woman in public accounting, she often feels like “the only one” in the room. that experience led her to seek out naba in college and later to serve on boards and committees focused on diversifying the cpa pipeline.
one example she highlights is work with the indiana cpa society on cpa licensure pathways. for years, indiana, like many states, has followed the 150-hour rule: candidates need 150 credit hours—typically a bachelor’s degree plus graduate coursework—before licensure, while also completing experience requirements under a licensed cpa.
research and member feedback suggested that the added time and cost disproportionately affect first-generation students and underrepresented groups, without clear evidence that it improves exam pass rates or job performance.
indiana became an early adopter of more flexible pathways, allowing candidates to sit for the exam with 120 hours and broadening entry routes into the profession. savage sees this as a tangible win. “we actually move the needle,” she says. “we break down a barrier instead of adding another one.”
mentorship, “failing forward,” and digital footprints.
following up, grewal presses savage on how students can find mentors and navigate failure. savage’s answer starts with involvement: join at least one organization, whether a professional society, community group, or campus club. show up consistently, volunteer, and be open to mentors who do not share your background. some of her most impactful mentors, she notes, are older white men who give candid guidance on corporate culture and leadership.
she also talks openly about her own struggles with the cpa exam. as a mid-career professional, she found that her old study tactics no longer worked. she hired a coach, built a study group, and reframed each failed section as data rather than a verdict—a concept she calls “failing forward.”
that experience became a core theme in her writing and speaking, including her book “finish!: leveraging career, sport, faith and failure,” which uses athletic discipline and spiritual reflection as lenses on professional setbacks.
savage and grewal also discuss digital presence. in an era when employers, voters, and potential collaborators routinely review social media profiles, savage reminds listeners that a digital footprint travels. she encourages young people to ask whether a post is something they still want associated with their name ten years from now.
advocacy as a shared project, not a solo performance.
asked what advice she has for gen z, savage returns again and again to community. she urges students to invest in their local areas—small towns, school districts, and neighborhoods—not just chase big-city careers. she points to younger mayors and local leaders who demonstrate that meaningful change can start in hometowns, not only on national stages.
she also draws a line between boldness and safety. in a polarized climate, she encourages listeners to be “bold and cautious”—to speak truth with empathy and to choose their audiences wisely. not every issue requires a public social media post; some conversations belong in trusted circles, working groups, or boardrooms where solutions can be developed.
for grewal, whose own advocacy includes speaking up about women’s rights and youth voice in traditional households, the conversation validates the idea that advocacy takes many forms: running for office, changing licensure rules, mentoring students, or simply refusing to stay silent when classmates face bullying or discrimination.
savage’s story underscores a central message: you do not have to choose between being a cpa and being an advocate. in her case, the cpa credential becomes a platform for credibility, access, and influence—and a tool for reimagining how resources are allocated and whose voices count.
8 key takeaways
- advocacy is not limited to politics. it shows up in community boards, professional associations, churches, student clubs, and workplaces.
- representation matters—and requires structural changes. work on cpa licensure pathways and pipeline programs helps broaden who can enter and thrive in the profession.
- you do not need to be a “career politician” to run for office. technical expertise plus community trust can make professionals like cpas strong candidates.
- failure can be a data point, not a dead end. savage uses “failing forward” on the cpa exam as a model for reframing setbacks in school, work, and life.
- mentorship often comes from unexpected places. being open to mentors who do not look like you expands access to insight and opportunity.
- personal brand is built through consistency. how you show up online, at work, and in the community shapes opportunities and how others advocate for you.
- digital footprints are permanent. people need to post with a future audience in mind, including employers and community partners.
- local impact matters. staying engaged in home communities can create outsized change, especially in smaller cities and towns.