A woman with blonde hair smiling in front of beige curtains.
About

I am not a specialist.
I am a translator.

Hello. I'm Chris.

I'm a late-identified twice-exceptional adult. I see the whole picture before I can break it into parts, notice incoherence before I can name it, and connect what others keep separate: teams, organizations, systems, ideas. That's not a parlor trick. It's the reason I can see what's breaking before it becomes a crisis.

I bring integrity, deep empathy, and genuine care for the human beings inside every system I touch. That's not a soft add-on. It's the orientation that makes the work worth doing.

When systems break, it's the people inside them who bear the cost. An organization whose financials don't reflect reality. Partners who can't hear each other across the table. A structure that was never built for the people it claims to serve. I find where it broke and help restore coherence.

I work with organizations where people are the point, not the resource. If profit or optics come before people in your hierarchy of values, I'm probably not the right fit, and I'd rather say that plainly than waste either of our time.

The accounting work, the facilitation, the writing, the tools. Different outputs. Same integrity. Same care for the humans inside every system I touch.

I am rebuilding my consulting practice and writing life after workplace trauma. I say that not to invite pity, but because it's true — and because pretending otherwise would be a strange way to start a relationship built on candor.

There's a word for what I believe repair actually requires: metanoia. Not fixing what's broken from a safe distance. The turning around. Walking back toward the harm, making it right on terms defined by what the harmed person needs — not what makes the one doing harm feel clean.
If you've ever needed the whole picture and been handed a piece of it — you already know what I mean.
“Chris has a way of listening and making you feel heard while still having constructive conversations.”

— Devon Hermes, formerly of The Gallina Companies

Now

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 (coming soon).

2022–2025

Chief Financial Officer, YesLMS. Owned FP&A, financial evaluation of strategic initiatives, cross-functional partnership, and financial infrastructure for a SaaS learning platform.

2015–Present

Fractional finance and accounting consulting across SaaS, professional services, food service, small manufacturing, and mission-driven organizations.

2011–2015

Senior Accountant, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Division of Housing. Budgeting, forecasting, and reporting for residence halls and dining operations totaling $50M+ in annual revenue.

2008–2011

General Accounting Manager, The Gallina Companies. Multi-entity accounting, audits, tax filings, and compliance for real estate development and property management.

2003–2007

Purchasing Supervisor / Corporate Tax & Real Estate Analyst, Maurices, Inc. Financial and real estate analysis for new store development, procurement controls, and tax compliance.

Credentials

Certified Public Accountant, Wisconsin — License #19344-1 · Verify →
B.S. Accounting, Upper Iowa University