Who leads Rubric Financial?

Harry Prabandham, who holds an MBA from Wharton and an MS in Computer Science and leads fractional CFO and consulting work; Aparna Devalla, CPA, who leads the tax practice; and Nirmala Murugesan, CA, CPA, who leads the accounting practice. One of them runs your relationship from day one.

Is a licensed CPA involved in my filings?

Yes, on every filing. Aparna Devalla, CPA reviews and signs every tax filing the firm prepares. Accounting work is led by Nirmala Murugesan, who is both a CPA and a Chartered Accountant with more than 20 years of experience across U.S. GAAP, IFRS, and cross-border entity accounting.

Do you only work with San Francisco clients?

No. We are headquartered at 2 Embarcadero Center in San Francisco, and engagements run remotely with small businesses and individuals across the United States. The working model, partner-led with CPA review, fixed monthly fees, and a modern cloud-based stack, is the same wherever you are located.

How is Rubric Financial related to StartupCFO.AI?

StartupCFO.AI is our sister practice for venture-scale startups, run by the same partners. Rubric Financial serves small businesses and individuals; StartupCFO.AI serves venture-backed startups with startup-specific workflows. If you are not sure which practice fits, tell us about your business and we will point you to the right one.

About Rubric Financial

An accounting firm built on experience and trust.

Rubric Financial brings partner-led, CPA-reviewed accounting and finance services to small businesses and individuals. The same partner every conversation. A licensed CPA on every filing. (Our sister practice for venture-backed startups operates as StartupCFO.AI.)

Rubric Financial, partner-led accounting, tax, and CFO services headquartered in San Francisco, serving small businesses and individuals across the United States

Our Approach

We believe accounting should give business owners clarity, not more spreadsheets. Every engagement is partner-led, Harry, Aparna, or Nirmala runs your relationship from day one, with a licensed CPA reviewing every filing, and priced transparently so you know what you're paying for.

Founded in 2023 and headquartered in San Francisco, we combine traditional accounting craft with modern tooling and software to deliver accurate, timely, and useful financial information. The result: clean books, clean filings, and a finance partner who actually understands your business.

What We Believe

Every business owner deserves a finance team that picks up the phone, returns email within one business day, and explains the numbers in plain English.

How We Work

Partner-led engagements with CPA review. Fixed monthly fees. Modern cloud-based stack. Proactive communication and accurate monthly close, every month.

Who We Serve

Small businesses and individuals, service businesses, professional practices, and high-net-worth individuals. Building a venture-scale startup? See StartupCFO.AI, our sister practice for venture-backed startups.

The People You'll Work With

Same partner every conversation. Not a rotating team.

Engagements are led directly by a partner. The same person on your kickoff call signs your filings, runs your close meeting, and picks up the phone in July.

Harry Prabandham

Founder & Partner

The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania

Founder of Rubric Financial. Wharton MBA + MS in Computer Science. Decades of experience across finance and technology.

Fractional CFOBusiness ValuationCash Flow ForecastingM&A and Exit Planning

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Aparna Devalla, CPA

Partner, Tax & Accounting

Licensed CPA. Decades of experience in U.S. taxation, accounting, and banking. Leads the tax and accounting practice at Rubric Financial.

U.S. Federal and State TaxationSmall Business AccountingPersonal Income TaxMulti-State Sales Tax

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Nirmala Murugesan, CA, CPA

Partner, Accounting

Partner leading Rubric Financial's accounting practice. CA and CPA with 20+ years across U.S. GAAP, IFRS, and cross-border entity accounting in India and the U.S.

U.S. GAAP and IFRSCross-Border Entity AccountingU.S. and International Year-End CloseAccounting Infrastructure Reviews

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What you can count on

Three commitments, written down.

CPA-signed accuracy guarantee

If a return signed by Rubric Financial triggers a math-error notice, we fix it and pay the resulting IRS penalty, subject to your engagement letter's terms. CPA review on every filing.

One-business-day response

Your partner replies within one business day, and there's no per-question fee. Year-round access, not just tax season.

Fee-only, no kickbacks

We don't sell insurance, annuities, or investment products. Our only revenue is your monthly fee. No conflicts.

Frequently Asked

Questions about the firm

Who leads Rubric Financial?: Harry Prabandham, who holds an MBA from Wharton and an MS in Computer Science and leads fractional CFO and consulting work; Aparna Devalla, CPA, who leads the tax practice; and Nirmala Murugesan, CA, CPA, who leads the accounting practice. One of them runs your relationship from day one.
Is a licensed CPA involved in my filings?: Yes, on every filing. Aparna Devalla, CPA reviews and signs every tax filing the firm prepares. Accounting work is led by Nirmala Murugesan, who is both a CPA and a Chartered Accountant with more than 20 years of experience across U.S. GAAP, IFRS, and cross-border entity accounting.
Do you only work with San Francisco clients?: No. We are headquartered at 2 Embarcadero Center in San Francisco, and engagements run remotely with small businesses and individuals across the United States. The working model, partner-led with CPA review, fixed monthly fees, and a modern cloud-based stack, is the same wherever you are located.
How is Rubric Financial related to StartupCFO.AI?: StartupCFO.AI is our sister practice for venture-scale startups, run by the same partners. Rubric Financial serves small businesses and individuals; StartupCFO.AI serves venture-backed startups with startup-specific workflows. If you are not sure which practice fits, tell us about your business and we will point you to the right one.

Let's talk about your business.

A 30-minute conversation is the best way to see if we're a fit.