About the firm

Built for the businesses that big firms underserve

Ledger & Oak was founded in 2013 on a straightforward premise: Minneapolis small-business owners deserve the same quality of accounting that their larger counterparts take for granted — and they deserve it at a price that doesn't require a CFO budget.

Our story

Why we left big-firm accounting

Sarah Lindqvist and Marcus Okonkwo worked together at a regional firm in Minneapolis for four years. Both of them spent a significant portion of their time serving small-business clients who were billed at large-firm rates but handled by junior staff who didn't know their industries.

When a bakery owner came in crying after receiving a surprise tax bill she hadn't been warned about — a bill that could have been avoided with a single quarterly estimated-tax review — that was the conversation that started Ledger & Oak.

The firm opened in 2013 with eleven clients. Today we serve over 200 businesses across the Minneapolis metro, all of them with the same principle: you get a licensed CPA on your account, fixed fees agreed before we start, and a team that contacts you before you need to contact us.

By the numbers

2013

Year founded, Minneapolis

200+

Active business clients

Licensed CPAs on staff

98%

Year-over-year retention rate

Hourly billing — ever

4.9

Average Google review rating (47 reviews)

Our team

The people on your account

Sarah Lindqvist

CPA — Co-founder & Managing Partner

Sarah has 18 years of experience in small-business tax and financial management. Before founding Ledger & Oak, she spent nine years at a regional accounting firm in the Twin Cities, where she noticed that small-business clients were consistently underserved — assigned to junior staff while complex work went elsewhere. She built the firm to fix that. Sarah handles client relationships and oversees all bookkeeping engagements.

Certified Public Accountant — Minnesota Board of Accountancy

QuickBooks ProAdvisor — Gold Certified

NATP Member since 2014

B.S. Accounting, University of Minnesota — Twin Cities

Marcus Okonkwo

CPA, EA — Co-founder & Director of Tax Services

Marcus is a licensed CPA and Enrolled Agent — the highest credential the IRS grants to tax professionals, which means he can represent clients in any tax matter before the IRS. He specializes in business entity structuring, S-Corp elections, multi-state filings, and complex partnership returns. Marcus brings 15 years of tax experience, including seven years at a national firm before going independent.

Certified Public Accountant — Minnesota Board of Accountancy

Enrolled Agent — IRS

NATP Member since 2013

M.S. Taxation, Thomas Jefferson School of Law

Elena Vasquez

Staff Accountant

Elena manages bookkeeping and payroll for a portfolio of Ledger & Oak clients across retail, services, and e-commerce. She joined the firm in 2021 after four years at a regional payroll processing company. Her process-oriented approach keeps client records clean and deadlines met without drama.

QuickBooks Online ProAdvisor — Certified

B.S. Business Administration, St. Cloud State University

Patrick Dahl

Tax Associate

Patrick handles individual returns, data preparation, and client onboarding. He joined Ledger & Oak in 2023 and is currently pursuing his CPA license through the Minnesota CPA Education Foundation exam pathway. He grew up in St. Paul and knows the local business landscape well.

CPA exam candidate — currently sitting

B.S. Accounting, Hamline University

Credentials & affiliations

Verified and licensed

Active CPA License

Minnesota Board of Accountancy

Enrolled Agent

IRS — Marcus Okonkwo

QuickBooks ProAdvisor

Gold Certified

NATP Member

Since 2013

BBB Accredited

A+ Rating

Minneapolis Regional Chamber

Member

How we work

Four principles that shape every engagement

Fixed fees, agreed upfront

Every engagement starts with a written fee agreement. We don't bill by the hour, we don't adjust the invoice when the work runs long, and we don't add fees you didn't see coming.

One point of contact

You work with your assigned CPA directly — not a rotating cast of junior staff. The person who quoted your engagement is the person managing it.

Deadlines are our problem, not yours

We track every federal and Minnesota filing deadline, estimated payment window, and W-2 deadline for you. You get a heads-up before each one, not a panicked call after.

We flag what we see

If we notice an anomaly in your books, an underused deduction category, or a structure that's costing you unnecessarily, we tell you — even if you didn't ask. That's the job.

Ready to talk?

A 30-minute discovery call is free, no commitment. We'll assess your situation and tell you exactly what we'd recommend — and what it costs — before you sign anything.

Book a discovery call →

or call (555) 014-2280

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