INFLUENTIAL WOMEN PROFILES Hannah Dunham: Owner & Fractional CFO of HanCole Financial Services
Bringing Financial Leadership, Operational Insight, and Purpose-Driven Guidance to Nonprofits, Real Estate Investors, and Construction Firms
Hannah Dunham’s father was her greatest supporter and the person who first showed her what a career in accounting could look like. When he passed away on November 3, 2024, she didn’t set the dream they’d shared aside. She built it.
Today, that dream has a name: HanCole Financial Services. Founded in Bartlett, Tennessee, the firm gives nonprofits, real estate investors, and construction companies the kind of high-level financial leadership normally reserved for organizations with a full-time Chief Financial Officer on staff — without the overhead of hiring one.
A Firm Built in Her Father’s Honor
Hannah and her father had talked for years about starting a firm that would help small business owners navigate financial complexity with confidence. In his honor, she brought that vision to life, grounding HanCole in integrity, strategy, and genuine care for the people behind the numbers.
“His passing was a profound loss, but it also became a source of motivation — it strengthened my commitment to honor his legacy through my work and leadership.”
Her father instilled in her the values of hard work, integrity, and perseverance, principles that still shape both her personal and professional decisions. That foundation, along with the encouragement of mentors, colleagues, and clients along the way, continues to inform how she leads.
From Cleanup to Strategy
HanCole’s work goes well beyond traditional bookkeeping. Hannah helps clients clean up financial records, strengthen internal controls, and build out budgeting and forecasting processes — then stays with them through the bigger decisions: implementing new financial systems, managing rapid growth, or navigating a restructuring or exit.
It’s a role that requires holding two things at once. Fractional CFO work demands detailed financial execution on the one hand and broad strategic oversight on the other, and Hannah sees making sure her team can move fluidly between the two as an ongoing challenge — and an opportunity to build a stronger, more capable organization.
The firm has grown almost entirely through word-of-mouth referrals, which Hannah takes as a signal of just how much demand there is among small and mid-sized businesses for trusted financial leadership. She’s also bullish on where the industry is headed, particularly the role artificial intelligence can play in streamlining operations and freeing up time for the advisory work that actually moves clients forward — when it’s used thoughtfully.
Lessons That Shaped a Leader
Early in her career, someone told Hannah she wouldn’t succeed in accounting. Instead of letting the doubt sit, she used it as fuel — sharpening her skills and proving, to herself first, that she could do the work.
It’s a mindset she now passes on to young women entering the field: treat mistakes as part of the process, not proof you don’t belong. In her view, formal education and certifications are just the starting line; the real expertise comes from hands-on experience, learning from the people around you, and staying open to challenges that push you outside your comfort zone.
“Set ambitious goals, but stay grounded in your values. Protect your well-being and your boundaries — success isn’t only about achievement. It’s also about balance.”
Leading with Integrity
Ask Hannah what holds the firm together, and the answer comes quickly: honesty, transparency, and direct communication, with clients, colleagues, and family alike. Trust and clarity are what her relationships are built on.
That shows up in how she runs the firm day to day. Clients keep full control over their own financial decisions; Hannah’s role is to provide the guidance and insight that makes those decisions easier to make well. With her team, she works to build an environment rooted in trust, autonomy, and mutual respect — while still holding everyone, herself included, accountable.
Building Something to Show Her Daughter
If her father is the reason HanCole exists, her daughter is the reason Hannah keeps building it. She wants her daughter to see, firsthand, that success is something you build — through independence, resilience, and the willingness to trust your own capabilities.
As HanCole Financial Services grows through the trusted relationships it has built one client at a time, that’s the throughline: a firm shaped by the people who came before Hannah, and built for the ones still watching her lead.
Learn More about Hannah Dunham:
Through her Influential Women profile, https://influentialwomen.com/connect/Hannah-Dunham
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