Jini D. Thornton, CPA, has more than 27 years of experience in the accounting profession and entertainment industry. She is the founder and CEO of Envision Business Management Group. EBMG provides accounting, tax, tour accounting & logistics, and other financial related services for artists, producers, songwriters, actors, record labels and management companies. Jini is also the co-founder of two new companies-On the Rise Accounting and Catch Me Up Accounting. On the Rise Accounting provides basic accounting services for small business owners and solopreneurs who operate within the entertainment industry but aren’t financially ready for a Business Manager. Catch Me Up Accounting helps entrepreneurs from all industries catch up on years of neglected books and file past-due tax returns.
Jini has a passion for teaching and has worked in radio for 27 years. She is currently the financial expert for Reach Media and appears weekly on the nationally syndicated Rickey Smiley Morning Show, Willie Moore, Jr. Show, and Morning Hustle Show. Jini is also the founder and Director of the Thank Me Later Foundation which is focused on closing the gap of over 72% of African Americans dying without a will. The foundation has a goal to help 100,000 Black families get their wills completed for free by providing free estate planning document clinics (wills, healthcare directives and power of attorney forms), “scholarships” to help pay attorney fees, and educational resources to help people prepare their estate planning documents.
After being enlightened by conversations with the Thank Me Later community, radio listeners and her network, Jini discovered that many parents were unable to pursue their personal goals, such as saving for retirement and traveling, because they continued to financially support their adult children. This insight inspired her to write the curriculum,“Take Care Of Your Damn Self: How To Graduate Your Young Adult Off Your Parent Payroll,” which features ten subject matter experts and covers 15+ topics including car insurance, taxes, credit, financial, aid and more so parents can confidently prepare their children to be financially independent.
Jini received a Master of Science in Taxation from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from North Carolina A&T State University. She began her professional career as a tax accountant with the international accounting firm KPMG in Atlanta, Georgia.