Kimi Brown-Ellen, CPA  

Kimi is a co-founding and managing partner of Benford Brown & Associates, LLC, the largest Black woman-owned certified public accounting firm in the country. Kimi has devoted a substantial portion of her 30 year career to providing audit, accounting, consulting, and tax services to companies within many different industries, including the not-for-profit and government, manufacturing, telecommunications, and real estate industries. As a result, Kimi has acquired several advanced skills such as government and not-for-profit audit and accounting, student financial aid, QuickBooks implementation and training, internal controls review and analysis, SOX compliance, risk assessment, risk management, and individual and corporation taxation. 

Kimi is a licensed CPA in the State of Illinois and State of New York. She is a member of the following:

• National Association of Corporate Directors
• Black Women on Boards
• Private Directors Association
• American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
• Illinois Society of CPAs
• NABA Inc. (formerly National Association of Black Accountants)
• Institute of Internal Auditors
• National Society of Black CPAs. 
• Diverse Organization of Firms

Kimi is currently the chairman of the Diverse Organization of Firms, Inc., audit committee chairman of NABA Inc, finance committee chairman of Access Community Health Network and chairman of the Southeast Chicago Chamber of Commerce.  

Kimi earned her B.S. in Accountancy from the University of Illinois. She is the proud mom of two adult children, Bryce and Peyton, and proud step mom of one adult son, Jordan, and the very proud GG (gorgeous grandma) to Miss Jamia!