OUR TEAM

Frank Zhu, CPA

Founder & Principal Advisor

Sarah Helen Johnson

Director of Marketing

Sarah Hackman

Creative Director

Chi

Office Dog

ABOUT IMPACT ADVISORY

Frank is driven by the idea that financial expertise should not be restricted to those with the means to pay but should be available for all who serve their neighbors and communities. Frank believes that solid financial and accounting systems and activities are not just a compliance question but are a foundation for advancing the public good. To that end, Frank offers services in financial advising, budgeting, accounting, and governance tied to a philosophy of good stewardship of public resources and that they can help organizations unleash their potential. 

Throughout his career in public accounting, consulting, and later public service, Frank has tirelessly worked to help clients and community-based organizations implement financial best practices into their policies and procedures with the belief that solid financial governance and expertise should complement mission-driven organizations.

Frank lives in Chicago with his partner and two dogs and enjoys beach volleyball, board games, and long walks along Lake Michigan.

  • 2016 – Public Accounting

    In 2016, I started my career in public accounting at a firm called PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP (PwC) in Chicago. There, I was charged with designing and running audits for clients’ financial and/or control environments, designing financial investment models, and preparing Service Organization Control (SOC) reports, including those over their internal controls over financial reporting (SOC1), and controls over security, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy (SOC2). We helped develop client-based solutions for compliance and management risks based on the findings of the audits.

  • 2020 – Public Policy

    In 2020, I asked myself whether the impact of my work was reaching the vulnerable communities most impacted by the pandemic. It became clear that there was no connection between my efforts in serving our wealthy clients and improving the overall well-being in society. To that end, I pursued an MA in Public Policy from the Harris School at the University of Chicago with the dream of expanding my impact.

  • 2021 – Public-Sector Consulting

    In 2021, I began a new role in public sector consulting at a boutique consulting firm. After a transition from auditing to government consulting, I was tasked with the cost-reimbursement workstream for a government client, working to secure FEMA Public Assistance funds related to the operation of public facilities. However, I knew I wanted to get even closer to government and public service.

  • 2022 – City of Chicago

    In 2022, I began my stint in public service in the Mayor’s Office in the City of Chicago, tasked with coordinating departments and agencies in pursuing the plethora of federal funding through major funding packages such as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, Creating Helpful Incentives to Producing Semiconductors (CHIPS Act), and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). During the mayoral transition in 2023, I moved over to the Office of Budget & Management (OBM) and led the Grants Strategy Office, charged with assisting departments in the direct pursuit of federal funds for City of Chicago programs and services.

  • 2024 – Federal Civil Service

    In late 2024, I accepted a role as a Financial Analyst at the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD). I was only there six (6) weeks before DOGE illegally terminated myself and thousands of other probationary employees as part of the new administration’s effort to shrink the federal workforce. Since then, I have been a champion of the Federal Civil Service, speaking to media, elected officials, and the public, about the impacts of these workforce reductions on public services.