Our Story

TriLibrium is a Portland, Oregon based CPA firm, founded in 2008 by Brian Setzler and André Furin, which breaks the mold of standard Certified Public Accounting firms. Our profession is full of people who prepare tax returns, audit financial statements, project cash flow and otherwise account for the financial bottom line. Where conventional firms see those services as the sum total of their business, we view them as a starting point.

You notice the difference immediately in our name: TriLibrium is a synthesis of triple bottom line and equilibrium. “Triple bottom line” captures our commitment to the mutually supportive values—people, planet, profit—that distinguish a sustainable business. “Equilibrium” refers to our commitment to establish balance among the three bottom lines in all that we do for our clients and as a firm. (You might also pick up on the slight pun regarding “balancing the books.”)

Inherent in our name is the promise of a different relationship than you’ve experienced with other accounting firms. Honest relationships define TriLibrium. You don’t treat your business, organization or life as a numbers game - and neither will we. In a triple-bottom-line world, numbers rarely tell the whole story or serve as an adequate guide for making decisions or measuring performance.

The human and environmental are as vital as the financial. That’s something other CPA firms don’t get. At TriLibrium, we not only get it, we demonstrate our understanding in every relationship. That’s what we mean by honest.

Like our clients, we’re committed to a sustainable future.

It’s that dedication that gave birth to our business. Brian saw the market and need for a green CPA firm while completing his MBA in Sustainable Business at the Bainbridge Graduate Institute. There he met classmate André, who helped found TriLibrium to provide accounting, tax and advisory services to organizations and individuals who embrace the values of sustainability.

Today, we use our experience, skills, education and passion to serve our clients and community, advance ecological restoration and “raise the bar” for the entire accounting profession.

Our vision is to create a CPA firm that provides exceptional professional services while staying true to our mission, the tenets of sustainability and the practices of a learning organization. We’re taking numerous steps, large and small, to challenge the status quo behavior of most CPA firms, including:

• reducing paper consumption to a small fraction of a typical CPA practice
• offsetting our greenhouse gas emissions
• recycling as much as possible in our municipality
• sourcing local, recycled, energy-efficient and non-toxic products and services whenever possible
• actively encouraging bike riding and other low footprint forms of travel (public transit over individual car travel)
• reducing our rates for non-profits
• offering internships and mentoring services
• making contributions to community groups
• …all while having a good time as we work, learn and grow

Our Professional Staff

Brian C. Setzler, MBA, CPA

Brian has been a licensed CPA in Oregon since 1989 and is a member of the Oregon Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration (Cum Laude) from Washington State University with an emphasis in accounting, and an MBA in Sustainable Business from the Bainbridge Graduate Institute (BGI). As a professional committed to continuing education, Brian has taken over 1,000 hours of continuing professional education on subjects like taxes, law, management, and systems.

Brian has over 20 years of business experience in public accounting, consulting, teaching and private industry. His experience includes Big 5 audit and consulting work as well as a significant amount of both corporate and individual tax planning and preparation. Past titles for Brian include Controller and CEO. Brian is a certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor and enjoys helping clients set up and maintain quality accounting systems. Brian serves as Associate Faculty at the Bainbridge Graduate Institute where he teaches Finance & Accounting to MBA-level graduate students. He is an instructor to other CPAs on the subjects of sustainability, accounting and advising startup businesses.

Brian consults to local, socially responsible, and sustainable business organizations and those that aspire to be greener. He serves on the board of directors for Water for Humans and is a member of the Portland State University Business Outreach Program Advisory Board. Brian is an activist at heart and volunteers for numerous community organizations. He and his teenage daughter reside in downtown Portland.

Our Social Justice Mission

As a Triple Bottom Line Accounting Firm located in Portland, Oregon, we are guided by the values of sustainability and embrace both ecological and social responsibilities to the communities we serve.

We demonstrate this by:

• Donate 1% of our gross revenue to groups promoting peace
• Direct donations to non-profit organizations and community groups
• Employee time off to volunteer
• Pro bono work for community organizations
• Reduced rates for nonprofit organizations
• Internships, job shadows and mentoring for local area students
• Teaching and promoting sustainable business practices to others
• Banking locally
• Extensive training and development for our employees
• Company paid Health and Dental insurance for full-time employees
• Generous vacation and sick-leave policy