This organization of professional women is near and dear to my heart. As an alumna of Florida A&M University, the success of African American women in business is a plight that's near and dear to my heart. After 17 years in the profession, I have come across many challenges in both private and public accounting. I have worked in corporate accounting in positions of Senior Regional accountant, controller and CFO. I left my last corporate position in 2009 to start my own public accounting firm CFO Benefits Inc., which has been a great success. While writing my dissertation to complete my Doctorate in Business Administration with the focus being accounting, I was astonished at the difficulties experienced by African Americans in the accounting profession, as well as women in the accounting profession. Even today African Americans make up less than 1% of CPAs.  Women may represent more than 50% of accounting graduates entering the profession for the last 20 years, but make up only 19% of the partners in accounting firms nationwide. Further while studying for the CPA exam I encountered so many women that need the support of other women who are exactly where they are or who have already gone through the same frustrations and hours upon hours of studying while either working full time, raising kids, being a wife etc. Without the support of other women, this journey can be impossible. So ladies I present to you your #1 resource, we are here to support you in all of your professional endeavors The Lady CPA Network. Let’s take this Journey together. 

Candice A. Kelly began her 20-year long marketing career, interning with the Small Business Administration and eventually becoming a Director of Sales & Marketing for several different Hilton, Marriot and IHG branded hotels.  

Candice formed her own consulting firm in 2011 and has since guided marketing initiatives for companies of all sizes within various industries including healthcare, financial services, education and non-profit.  

In addition to creating Anza Keita LLC, Candice Kelly, along with her aunt, co-founded Great Lakes Personal Care Services, which is a state licensed, in-home care company based in their hometown of Gary, Indiana.  While simultaneously leading an independent marketing consultancy and providing eldercare services, Candice became an adjunct marketing professor at Cleveland State University in Ohio.   

Candice is a proud alumna of Syracuse University in upstate New York, where she earned a bachelor’s of science degree in marketing; and she holds a master’s of business administration degree from DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois.  

Candice currently resides in Oakland, California.  She enjoys volunteering with Life Courses Inc., a locally-based non-profit, as well as, with the Oakland Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, also a non-profit, community service organization of which she is a member.