Bridging the professional gap

The CPA designation is prestigious. Combining it with other credentials can be even more impactful, providing a professional with the unique ability to solve business problems from different perspectives.

Mason Darabi CPA, Venture Partner at Blockchain Founders Fund, believes having a multi-faceted skillset is important in today’s ever-changing business world. He has a degree in mechanical engineering from Iran and is enthusiastic about information technology and entrepreneurship.

Early in Mason’s career, he worked as a web designer and subsequently became involved in major Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) implementations. This provided him with an opportunity to see the full spectrum of how big projects are implemented from design to execution. “I was fascinated by how people with multiple professional skillsets successfully execute these projects,” says Mason. “I believe the solutions to complex business, societal, and economic problems require people with diverse backgrounds.”

Mason now defines himself as an IT professional with an accounting background who helps businesses navigate digital transformation; but he remembers being unsettled about his professional future until he enrolled in a master’s program for entrepreneurship and innovation at the University of Oslo, Norway. “That was probably the brightest period of my life, because it gave me a compass to pave my way forward,” says Mason.

“Becoming a CPA wasn’t a career switch. I see engineering and accounting as complementary skillsets. Tech entrepreneurs are usually good at developing technology. But they may lack the business acumen required to take their ideas to the next level. CPAs are the financial engineers of businesses. Their contributions, coupled with a great product, can be instrumental in commercializing technology.”

A CPA and an entrepreneur at heart, Mason dreams of building a marketplace for intangible assets. “Companies spend billions of dollars developing intellectual properties that are often not recognized in financial statements. As a result, they cannot fully monetize these assets. I would like to narrow that gap,” says Mason.

Reflecting on the immigration process, Mason says it is like an entrepreneurial journey. “As an immigrant, you have to build things one step at a time. It is a marathon, not a sprint. Have a plan. Be patient. Seek out mentors. And aim high.”