CLIENTS FIRST
Work With a Technology-Focused SOC 2 Team
Advantage Partners’ mission is to partner with our clients to reduce the complexity, stress and uncertainty of undergoing compliance audits, all while implementing best practices related to security. We do this by combining our strong understanding of emerging technologies with our deep experience using the Vanta platform to help clients achieve their security, compliance and business growth goals.
Meet Our Team
Andrew Gulrajani, CPA
Cofounder, Partner
Andrew Gulrajani co-founded Advantage Partners with the goal of helping small- to mid-size technology companies uplevel their security posture in a cost-effective manner. To guide clients, Andrew draws on his prior experience as a Partner Relations Manager at Vanta, where he managed a network of audit partners core to the business, providing industry expertise, enablement and product knowledge, all creating favorable outcomes for clients.
Andrew began his career as a Consultant at Deloitte, where he supported Enterprise, Cloud and SaaS companies on their compliance programs.
Andrew is a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and member of the AICPA. He holds a degree in Accounting and Finance from the University of Washington and is an AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner. When not at work, Andrew enjoys traveling the world, immersing himself in new and unique cultures. You’ll also likely find him hiking in the mountains with his Bernedoodle, Rory.
Andrew Gulrajani, CPA
Cofounder, Partner
Andrew Gulrajani co-founded Advantage Partners with the goal of helping small- to mis-size technology companies uplevel their security posture in a cost-effective manner. To guide clients, Andrew draws on his prior experience as a Partner Relations Manager at Vanta, where he managed a network of audit partners core to the business, providing industry expertise, enablement and product knowledge, all creating favorable outcomes for clients.
Andrew began his career as a Consultant at Deloitte, where he supported Enterprise, Cloud and SaaS companies on their compliance programs.
Andrew is a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and member of the AICPA. He holds a degree in Accounting and Finance from the University of Washington and is an AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner. When not at work, Andrew enjoys traveling the world, immersing himself in new and unique cultures. You’ll also likely find him hiking in the mountains with his Bernedoodle, Rory.
James Whiteside, CPA
Cofounder, Partner
James Whiteside is a co-founder of Advantage Partners. His mission is to make security compliance standards attainable (and painless!) for small- to mid-size technology companies. He has worked closely with technology companies since the start of his career, first as a Deloitte Consultant, and then as a Partner Relations Manager at Vanta. While at Vanta he managed strategic auditor/partner relationships, provided continuous product feedback and recommendations, and supported hundreds of customers through their compliance journey with his industry expertise.
James is a Certified Public Accountant and AICPA member. Fluent in Spanish, he holds a degree in Accounting and Information Systems from the University of Washington. When he’s not focused on his clients, James enjoys scuba diving in tropical waters, skiing in the backcountry, and playing 18 holes of golf. You also can always find him at his alma mater cheering on its teams – Go Dawgs!
James Whiteside, CPA
Cofounder, Partner
James Whiteside is a co-founder of Advantage Partners. His mission is to make security compliance standards attainable (and painless!) for small- to mid-size technology companies. He has worked closely with technology companies since the start of his career, first as a Deloitte Consultant, and then as a Partner Relations Manager at Vanta. While at Vanta he managed strategic auditor/partner relationships, provided continuous product feedback and recommendations, and supported hundreds of customers through their compliance journey with his industry expertise.
James is a Certified Public Accountant and AICPA member. Fluent in Spanish, he holds a degree in Accounting and Information Systems from the University of Washington. When he’s not focused on his clients, James enjoys scuba diving in tropical waters, skiing in the backcountry, and playing 18 holes of golf. You also can always find him at his alma mater cheering on its teams – Go Dawgs!
Aakash Bakshi
Senior Manager, IT Compliance
Aakash Bakshi has extensive experience in compliance and cyber security. He has been with Advantage Partners since its inception. Aakash joined the firm from Vanta, where, as a Partner Relations Manager, he managed audit partners and supported customers through SOC 2 and HIPAA attestations.
Previously, Aakash worked at A-Lign, a licensed CPA firm, where he managed SOC 2 and HIPAA examinations. He also consulted with clients on their cybersecurity and compliance posture, helping them to achieve their compliance goals and unlock new business opportunities.
A business major from Georgia State University, outside of work Aakash loves to play basketball and is obsessed with Formula 1. He also enjoys traveling and visiting beaches.
Aakash Bakshi
Senior Manager, IT Compliance
Aakash Bakshi has extensive experience in compliance and cyber security. He has been with Advantage Partners since its inception. Aakash joined the firm from Vanta, where, as a Partner Relations Manager, he managed audit partners and supported customers through SOC 2 and HIPAA attestations.
Previously, Aakash worked at A-Lign, a licensed CPA firm, where he managed SOC 2 and HIPAA examinations. He also consulted with clients on their cybersecurity and compliance posture, helping them to achieve their compliance goals and unlock new business opportunities.
A business major from Georgia State University, outside of work Aakash loves to play basketball and is obsessed with Formula 1. He also enjoys traveling and visiting beaches.
Becca Olson
Manager, Client Operations
Becca Olson has extensive experience helping clients achieve their objectives. She has been with Advantage Partners since its inception. She brings to this role her experience as a Customer Experience (CX) Enablement Manager and Customer Success Manager (CSM) at Vanta, where she supported many customers throughout their lifecycle in order for them to achieve their business goals. She then built the resources needed to train CSMs on how to guide customers through their security & compliance journey based on her own experience in the role.
Previously Becca served in managerial roles at Datto, a cybersecurity and data backup company, and Datafox (a company intelligence platform that’s now part of Oracle), where she focused on customer onboarding and success.
Becca received her B.A. in psychology from California State University in Fullerton. In her free time, she likes to travel the world or explore her city of San Diego. Otherwise, you might find her at home working on a new puzzle.
Becca Olson
Manager, Client Operations
Becca Olson has extensive experience helping clients achieve their objectives. She has been with Advantage Partners since its inception. She brings to this role her experience as a Customer Experience (CX) Enablement Manager and Customer Success Manager (CSM) at Vanta, where she supported many customers throughout their lifecycle in order for them to achieve their business goals. She then built the resources needed to train CSMs on how to guide customers through their security & compliance journey based on her own experience in the role.
Previously Becca served in managerial roles at Datto, a cybersecurity and data backup company, and Datafox (a company intelligence platform that’s now part of Oracle), where she focused on customer onboarding and success.
Becca received her B.A. in psychology from California State University in Fullerton. In her free time, she likes to travel the world or explore her city of San Diego. Otherwise, you might find her at home working on a new puzzle.
