About Us
Access Value specializes in professional, independent business appraisal services, valuation consulting, and financial advisory services.
With an average of 25 years of appraisal, valuation, and corporate finance and development experience, Access Value's accredited business appraisers and credentialed financial professionals provide our business and professional clients with key valuation information and solutions to access the value in business assets and equity.
Our team of credentialed business appraisers have completed and passed appraisal report peer reviews, coursework and experience requirements, and achieved certifications from leading appraisal organizations, including the American Society of Appraisers, National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts, CFA Institute, and the Institute of Business Appraisers.
Our clients include business owners, corporate executives, investors, and their legal, tax, audit, and transaction advisors. Access Value’s valuation engagements serve these clients with their tax and regulatory compliance issues, financial reporting and transaction requirements, dispute resolution, and a variety of ownership transfer activities.
Carolyn Armbrust, ASA, CBA
Carolyn Armbrust, MBA, ASA, CBA is the principal and founder of the business appraisal, valuation consulting, and financial advisory firm Access Value. She has achieved the Accredited Senior Appraiser designation from the American Society of Appraisers and the Certified Business Appraiser designation from the Institute of Business Appraisers.
In the course of her career, Ms. Armbrust has conducted over 450 professional business valuation consulting and appraisal services engagements of U.S. and international companies. Ms. Armbrust’s experience spans both public and private enterprises, valued from under $1 million to over $80 billion, and she has served as an independent valuation advisor to numerous private companies in their securing minority and control level investments from private equity firms and multi-billion dollar public companies.
Previous to Access Value, Ms. Armbrust led buy-side and sell-side investment banking engagements for New-York and Connecticut-based firms specializing in the media, information, and exhibition industries. Earlier in her career, Ms. Armbrust led and participated in M&A valuations and transactions for a division of Reed Elsevier, a $60 billion diversified media and information provider.
Ms. Armbrust holds a Master of Business Administration in Strategic Planning and Business Policy from the University of New Haven and a Bachelor of Arts in International Business and Foreign Languages from North Central College.
Professional Affiliations
- American Society of Appraisers, CT Chapter Board Member (2003-2010)
- Institute of Business Appraisers (2001-2016)
- National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts
- Estate Planning Council of Lower Fairfield County, Board Member (2009-2015)
- Fairfield County Bar Association, Associate Member
- Professional Advisors Network, President (2005)
- SCORE Fairfield County
Travis Flenniken, CFA, ASA, CVA
Travis Flenniken is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA Institute), Accredited Senior Appraiser (American Society of Appraisers), and Certified Valuation Analyst (National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts).
In his role as Vice President at Access Value, Mr. Flenniken supports business valuation and litigation support engagements. He brings a distinctive combination of credentialed valuation expertise and firsthand experience as a business owner, having acquired, grown, and sold his own company as a bolt-on acquisition to a private equity-backed platform.
Mr. Flenniken has spent nearly two decades advising business owners and their professional advisors on valuation and transaction matters. His experience includes sell-side and buy-side M&A advisory, valuations for marital dissolution and tax compliance, purchase price allocations, and has been qualified as an Expert Witness in numerous court proceedings, arbitration and mediation matters.
Mr. Flenniken holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
Justin J.F. Ramirez, ASA, ABV, CFA
Justin J.F. Ramirez is an Accredited Senior Appraiser (American Society of Appraisers), Accredited in Business Valuation (AICPA), and Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA Institute).
As a Vice President at Access Value, he is responsible for fair value and fair market value client engagements, for high-growth and middle-market companies seeking financing/lending, fairness opinions, purchase price allocations, stakeholder buy-ins and buyouts, 409A stock option valuations, and other transactional purposes.
Mr. Ramirez has specialist valuation expertise with energy and O&G companies, aerospace & defense, electrical components, bio-pharmaceuticals, and other professional, scientific and technical services.
Mr. Ramirez holds a Master of Science in Finance from University of Houston and Bachelor of Science in Economics from Texas A&M University.
Laura K. Sandstrom, ASA
Laura K. Sandstrom is an Accredited Senior Appraiser (American Society of Appraisers), and Fractional CFO.
In her Vice President role at Access Value, Ms. Sandstrom brings over two decades of experience in valuation advisory, M&A strategies and transaction pricing, financial reporting compliance for Business Combinations (ASC 805), Impairment Testing (ASC 350), Chapter 11 reorganizations, FAS 157 fair value reporting requirements for PEGs and Hedge Funds, and creating bespoke acquisition dashboards to track transactions post-close, for C-suite executives and Board reporting.
Her disciplined analytical approach, garnered from over 10,000 hours of specialized valuation training and passing her peer review – USPAP-compliant report, equips her to lead engagements ranging from early-stage ventures to global enterprises and private equity sponsors. Ms. Sandstrom’s financial modeling approach is shaped by investment banking training from Training the Street and Wall Street Prep.
Ms. Sandstrom holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Xavier University, with concentrations in finance and marketing. She has also graduated from the Executive Education Mini MBA Program at Miami University. Her leadership philosophy is inspired by The Music Paradigm, emphasizing harmony, adaptability, and collaboration.
Jodie Stanley
As director of research and administration for Access Value, Jodie Stanley leads financial, economic, and industry research sourcing and analysis as well as project administration for the firm’s valuation and litigation support engagements.
Ms. Stanley joined Access Value in 2021. Earlier in her career, Ms. Stanley was a marketing scientist at Pitney Bowes, where she advised executive management regarding marketing mix decisions to improve profitability and market share targets. Prior to that, she was a senior consultant in the employment economics group at Pricewaterhouse, where she provided analysis supporting the firm’s expert testimony for clients facing discrimination litigation.
Ms. Stanley holds a Master of Science in Public Policy Analysis from the University of Rochester and a Bachelor of Arts, with majors in Economics and Political Science, from the University of Richmond.