I am not a specialist.
I am a translator.
Hello. I'm Chris.
I think in wholes, notice incoherence before I can name it, and connect what others keep separate: teams, organizations, systems, ideas. That's not something I developed. It's how I'm built, and it shapes everything I do.
My work spans finance, systems, facilitation, and writing — not because I couldn't pick a lane, but because the lane was never the point. The through-line is coherence: finding where something broke and helping restore it. Whether that's a chart of accounts that doesn't reflect reality, a partnership that needs alignment before legal drafting begins, or a piece of writing that's circling something it hasn't quite named yet.
I write at Almost Structured on Substack — autotheory, lived insight, gestalt processing out loud. The writing wanders wherever it needs to: phenomenology, coherence, work, home, parenting, the occasional systems critique. I write first for my own processing. I'm glad when it helps someone else find their footing too.
I also make visual art and music. I co-host a podcast with my husband. The credential is real, and so is the rest of me.
I work well with people who show up with care and can receive honesty in return. If that's you, I'm glad you're here.
— Devon Hermes, formerly of The Gallina Companies
Owner, Christyn Stephens CPA. Fractional finance consultant for solopreneurs and small to mid-sized organizations. Writer at Almost Structured. Author of Bewitched Moon: Emergence. Co-host of Candorland with Jason Stephens.
Chief Financial Officer, YesLMS. Owned FP&A, financial evaluation of strategic initiatives, cross-functional partnership, and financial infrastructure for a SaaS learning platform.
Fractional finance and accounting consulting across SaaS, professional services, food service, small manufacturing, and mission-driven organizations.
Senior Accountant, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Division of Housing. Budgeting, forecasting, and reporting for residence halls and dining operations totaling $50M+ in annual revenue.
General Accounting Manager, The Gallina Companies. Multi-entity accounting, audits, tax filings, and compliance for real estate development and property management.
Purchasing Supervisor / Corporate Tax & Real Estate Analyst, Maurices, Inc. Financial and real estate analysis for new store development, procurement controls, and tax compliance.
Development Controller, The Great Lakes Companies / Shakopee Crossings. Progressed through five roles over fifteen years at a property management and development firm with a commercial and residential portfolio. Advanced from project accounting and financial reporting to managing a team of three. Performed cost segregation studies previously outsourced to an external CPA firm. Served as sole accountant for a 200-acre mixed-use development. Continued as a part-time remote consultant after 2003.
Certified Public Accountant, Wisconsin — License #19344-1 · Verify →
B.S. Accounting, Upper Iowa University