I've spent most of my career in the Bay Area - surrounded by unquestionable innovation, the heart of the tech ecosystem, building alongside and serving some of the most iconic companies in the world. It has been, and always will be, a special place and an incredible part of the journey. Over the past few years, however, as we've set down deeper roots in Cleveland, something has become undeniably clear: the midwest is one of the country's most foundational regions and one of its biggest business opportunities.
That's why we're increasing our focus and moving Bean's HQ to Cleveland. The Bay Area continues to be a crucial part of our journey, and we'll maintain our presence there, but the innovation that thrives on the coasts deserves to thrive in the heartland too.
The Midwest Isn't Underserved - It's Underestimated
Here's what most people may not know: Ohio alone has nearly 1 million small businesses employing 2.2 million people - 45% of the state's entire workforce. The Midwest has led the nation in small-business employment growth for 17 consecutive months, with Ohio consistently ranking in the top two states.
Yet when it comes to modern software solutions - particularly for corporate accounting - this region has been systematically overlooked. Financial services and manufacturing represent 18.3% of Ohio's GDP. These aren't businesses that need less sophistication in their tools and tech; they need more.
Why Cleveland? Why Now?
Cleveland's story is one of resilience and reinvention. This is a city that literally built America - from John D. Rockefeller founding Standard Oil here to the steel mills and machine-tool companies that powered the industrial revolution. The Hulett Ore Unloaders, innovations in manufacturing engineering, the spirit of building things that matter - it's in Cleveland's and Ohio's DNA.
"But that's manufacturingā€¦ the hard stuff," you may say. True, yet a large part of the accounting profession as we know it was also born in the Midwest. In 1903, Alwin C. Ernst founded Ernst & Ernst in Cleveland, pioneering the revolutionary idea that accounting information could drive strategic business decisions - not just record what happened. Three years later, in 1906, Arthur Young founded his firm in Chicago. These two visionaries built firms that merged in 1989 to create Ernst & Young - one of the most influential professional-services companies in the world today.
The Midwest Legacy
The Midwest didn't just participate in the accounting profession; it was part of inventing modern business accounting.
Today, Ohio is home to more than 50 Fortune 1000 headquarters, with the broader Midwest hosting nearly 200. Layer in millions of small businesses that combine for more than $4 trillion in GDP and a tech ecosystem emerging as one of the nation's most promising, and the seeds of something huge begin to take root.
But what excites us most aren't the statistics - it's the ethos. The Midwest knows how to build. Cleveland sits at the heart of that legacy, serving the backbone of American business and the people who make things work.
Why Bean Belongs Here - It's About More Than Geography
This region - and the accounting professionals who power it - deserve technology that respects their expertise and actually makes their work better, not more complicated. That's Bean's core focus. Of course we'll continue to learn from and innovate alongside the coasts; it would be foolish not to.
Moving our HQ to Cleveland represents our commitment to ensuring world-class innovation belongs everywhere, not just the coasts.
Good companies chase trends; the best see gaps others miss. The Midwest isn't a secondary market - it's an untapped primary market of millions of businesses that deserve world-class technology, and companies fostering innovation being built from in it.
The talent is here. The businesses are here. The work ethic and values are here. The history of innovation and excellence is here.
And now, so is Bean.
Building for the Center, Outward
To the companies who've been quietly building, grinding, and silently pushing the world forward - we see you. We're excited to be building alongside you, and for the rest of the country - from the center outward.
This isn't just about opening an office. It's about committing to a region that has always known how to build things that last, and bringing the innovation and resources it deserves.