Charlene Rhinehart, CPA, CFE, PMP – 2021 40 Under 40 Honoree

Career highlights: 

• Became a CPA, CFE, and PMP before age 26
• Selected for Financial Analyst Leadership Development program at major bank
• Led Commercial Bank’s involvement in the first $1 million investment in Detroit
• Provided SEC Consulting to companies in restaurant and cannabis industry
• Earned the Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) designation in less than 2 years
• Founded CEO Unlimited firm and launched podcast for entrepreneurs
• 2015 Illinois CPA Society Young Professional Leader of the Year Award
• Winner of the 2015 Ms. Corporate America Pageant 
• 2019 Illinois CPA Society Woman to Watch 
• 2020 Practice Ignition Top 50 Women in Accounting
• 2021 Illinois CPA Society Lester McKeever Advancing Diversity Award
• 40 Under 40 Black CPA
• Over 500 articles featured in Accounting Today, Nasdaq, The Motley Fool, Black Enterprise, HuffPost, Entrepreneur, and Yahoo Finance
• Best Selling Author of 3 Books: Dividends Are a Queen’s Best Friend, Debt Free Before Graduation, & How to Find Happiness Again

What are you doing to make a difference in the profession, your community, the world?

At 16 years old, I knew I wanted to become a CPA to help my community prosper. I grew up in one of the most economically underserved communities in Chicago and that’s why I’m giving back as the founder of Chicago Southsider. I’ve developed Adopt-A-School programs, spoken to thousands of students in Chicago Public Schools, and supported local entrepreneurs. Through the Chicago Southsider, I’m creating an ecosystem of resources to provide employment and promote entrepreneurial opportunities on Chicago’s South Side. We aspire to reach our first 10,000 subscribers at http://chicagosouthsider.com/ so we can make a bigger impact.

See all of the 2021 “40 Under 40” honorees.