Kapilovich: A Radical Fix for Accounting’s Talent Crisis? Treat People Like People | The Disruptors

Accounting must abandon toxic traditions, prioritize people over profits, and rebuild its mentoring culture—or risk losing the next generation entirely. The DisruptorsWith Liz FarrYuri Kapilovich didn’t set out to become #TheFunCPA. It started as a casual hashtag when he shared photos from buses and bikes, but it stuck—especially after a networking event where attendees misread his booth sign and started calling him “The Funk PA.” The nickname became a brand, but it also reflects his deeper mission: bringing humanity and humor back to a profession that’s burning out its best talent. CPA TRENDLINES CELEBRATES: The 100th Episode of The Disruptors MORE STREAMING: Martha Yasso: From Wall Street to Main Street | Jackie Meyer: Tax Plans in 90 Seconds? Believe It | Erica Goode: Build a $200K Firm in 15hrs/Week | Randy Crabtree: Live at the Intersection of Passion & Skill |McClelland and Telka: Women Ready to Rewrite the Rules of Accounting | Jacob Schroeder: AI Won’t Replace Accountants—But It Will Reveal Who’s Replaceable | Ditching Corporate America: The Bold Story Behind PBS Accounting’s Rapid Rise | Jean Zick: Happy Team = Happy Clients | Breslin & Greathead: Be a Client Advocate | Dominic Piscopo: Clear Pay=Bargaining Power | Debbie Kilsheimer: Stop Thinking Small | Kapilovich, founder of Kapilovich & Associates, believes the root of accounting’s talent shortage is simple: misplaced priorities. “We, as a profession—especially in the larger firms—have lost sight of the fact that the number one asset we have is our people,” he says. “It’s not the clients.”When firms put clients ahead of staff, the result is a toxic cycle: long hours, low pay, and outdated leadership practices that make accounting look like a dead-end career. “Why would I do accounting,” Kapilovich asks, “when I can do finance or computer science and make six figures right out of school?”