Advisor & Builder — Chicago
I'm Seth Hopkins. For more than twenty years I've guided CEOs, CFOs, and boards — at organizations from $10 million to $7 billion in revenue — through financial transformation and operational scale. Mine are the 554 companies: a portfolio spanning real estate, software, and games. The advisor's seat and the operator's seat — each makes me better in the other.
The Practice
As Director of Consulting at Forvis Mazars, I work directly with C‑suite executives and boards on the problems that don't fit neatly inside one department — the ones that touch people, money, and technology all at once.
That has meant designing forecasting models and board-level reporting frameworks, advising audit committees on governance and risk, launching the firm's Chicago nonprofit advisory practice, and stepping in as interim CFO and COO for organizations navigating transition. The through-line is operational clarity: helping leadership see how their organization actually runs, then making deliberate decisions about how it should.
MBA in Finance, UNC Kenan‑Flagler · BS in Business, Northwestern University
This is my personal site and the views here are my own. For consulting engagements, please reach me through forvismazars.com or seth.hopkins@us.forvismazars.com.
The Portfolio
One number, one umbrella. 554 Ventures is the parent company and incubator — everything below is built, owned, and operated under it. What I learn advising executives, I put to work here as an operator; what breaks here, I bring back to the advisory table.
The umbrella · Incubator
The parent company and startup incubator where products are built in-house — including Workarc and the rental management platform that runs 554 Properties. Software born from problems we actually have. 554ventures.com
Real estate investment
Owns and operates multi-unit residential buildings — long-term holdings run with the same operational discipline I bring to client work, managed on our own platform at 554properties.com.
Game production
Produces games for app, web, and Steam — including Journey to the West and Hearthborne. The craft side of the portfolio. Links coming soon.
Writing
Posts, articles, and thought leadership — from LinkedIn, Forvis Mazars, and here.
Get in touch
One inbox. I read everything. (Consulting engagements go through Forvis Mazars.)