In five years, the accounting profession will lose a third of its workforce. While 5 million new businesses launch annually—each one needing financial expertise—the industry hemorrhages talent at an unprecedented rate. As 75% of CPAs approach retirement and firms shut their doors, one CEO sees opportunity where others see catastrophe.
Steve Gelley isn’t your typical tech founder. He’s the guy who rolled up accounting firms, built one of the largest virtual accounting practices, then walked away to revolutionize mortgage processing—selling that venture to RE/MAX in just 18 months. Now, after six years away from accounting, he’s returning with fresh eyes and a radical solution.
“I was at my club golfing with a friend who is in the accounting space. It was the first conversation I had about the industry in over five years,” Gelley recalls, describing the moment that sparked his return. “I was blown away that the industry was turning to outsourced labor to try and keep up with demand. I explored outsourcing in 2012. I couldn’t believe how far they are lagging.”
The numbers paint a stark picture: 340,000 fewer accountants than five years ago, an 83% talent shortage reported by senior leaders, and partners literally walking away from their firms and putting a key in the door. Meanwhile, the industry operates on technology that’s 15 years behind, with software vendors creating walled gardens that trap users rather than enabling progress.
Gelley’s response? Arrive, Inc., which was recently awarded “Best Accounting Firm Platform 2025”—a comprehensive software that doesn’t just automate tasks but fundamentally reimagines how accounting firms operate. Unlike traditional firm management solutions that focus on incremental improvements, Arrive attacks the root causes of industry dysfunction.
At Arrive’s core sits Ayyva, an AI-powered accounting assistant that proactively identifies issues and opportunities before they become problems. But this isn’t another chatbot masquerading as innovation. The platform’s Intelligent Firm Automation (IFA) eliminates the soul-crushing chase for client documents, automatically manages onboarding, and tracks time with precision that transforms billing from guesswork to science.
“This isn’t incremental innovation. It’s a purpose-built system designed to replace outdated processes and redefine how firms run,” explains Elena Gonzalez, Arrive’s Founding Designer. The platform’s unified communication hub integrates two-way texting and phone systems, creating transparency that traditional firms can only dream about.
Gelley’s track record speaks volumes. Before 2020, when none of today’s AI technology existed, he achieved 10x productivity gains in his operations. Now he sees a path to 100x improvement—not through working harder, but by eliminating work that shouldn’t exist.
The results validate his vision. Firms that implemented Arrive? They are running up to 80% profit margins while growing revenue month over month. Instead of turning away business, they’re scaling operations that once seemed impossible.
But Arrive’s ambitions extend beyond software. As aging partners abandon their life’s work, Gelley sees an industry-wide succession crisis that technology alone can’t solve. His solution is audacious: Arrive will become the succession plan itself, acquiring firms whose owners want to remain active but can’t handle the overwhelming workload.
“Our greatest achievement was taking an industry 15 years behind in technology and bringing it to the forefront of what’s possible,” says Gelley.
What sets Arrive apart isn’t just technology—it’s understanding that accounting firms don’t need another tool; they need a complete reimagining of how they operate. By combining automation, artificial intelligence, and software consolidation, Arrive positioned itself not as a software vendor but as the industry’s future infrastructure.
As 33.2 million small businesses depend on an increasingly strained accounting profession, Gelley’s return to the industry he once left couldn’t be more timely. Gelley brings formidable execution and experience as the CEO of Open Access Ventures—recently awarded ‘Best VC Firm for Founder-Focused Investment Models in 2025’—and Blueprint Ventures, his private equity firm targeting $60 million in revenue by 2026. He’s not just building another startup. He’s architecting the profession’s survival.
Arrive’s recent recognition with the Best Accounting Firm Platform of 2025 award only solidifies the company’s innovative leadership in the accounting sector. The platform’s fusion of artificial intelligence and intelligent automation has set a new benchmark for the industry, revolutionizing the way accounting firms manage tasks, clients, and overall operations.
For further details, visit Arrive or connect via their LinkedIn page.
