AI-Native Accounting

We may be overestimating AI adoption today, and underestimating its long-term impact.

Kimberly Ellison-Taylor, Founder and CEO of KET Solutions LLC and past Chair of the AICPA, joins Kacee Johnson to explore how leaders are preparing for a more AI enabled profession.

She challenges traditional views on ROI by shifting the focus from cost savings to productivity and impact, and explains why AI fluency requires dedicated time to learn rather than just pressure to adopt.

1. Kimberly Ellison-Taylor- https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberly-n-ellison-taylor-b1a13a2/
2. Kacee Johnson- https://www.linkedin.com/in/kacee-johnson/
3. Digits- https://www.linkedin.com/company/digits-financial/

(00:00) Trailer

(01:02) Introduction

(02:09) Where is accounting with AI right now?

(03:47) AI governance as a board-level issue

(04:57) What boards expect from operators on AI

(06:53) Signals that management is being thoughtful

(09:17) Explainability and accountability in AI

(11:30) ROI on AI initiatives

(14:41) Innovation isn't a checkbox

(17:02) Will AI reduce headcount in the profession?

(21:31) Industry investment in upskilling

(24:17) AI fluent versus AI fearful workforce

(28:51) Lack of imagination as a risk factor

(31:07) AI's role in education and learning

(34:17) What we're overestimating and underestimating

(39:20) Embedded finance and shifting client expectations

(40:15) Kimberly's career aha moment

(43:00) AI tools she uses personally

(43:58) Book recommendations

(45:00) Wrap-up and where to learn more

In accounting, complexity has never been higher, and neither has opportunity.

With Top 100 firms growing 8.58% in 2025, Daniel Hood, Editor-in-Chief of Accounting Today, joins Kacee Johnson to unpack why firms between below $1B are outperforming the broader market.

They also get into:

• How cross-selling improves client retention and increases revenue per client

• Why growth is funding technology investments rather than technology driving growth

To further discover why 2026 is shaping up to be “the year of the client,” dive in here: https://www.accountingtoday.com/2026-the-top-100-firms-and-regional-leaders

Connect with us here: 

1. Daniel Hood- https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-hood-3494ab49/ 

2. Kacee Johnson- https://www.linkedin.com/in/kacee-johnson/ 

3. Digits- https://www.linkedin.com/company/digits-financial/ 

If you only learn one thing about accounting tech in 2026, it's MCPs.

EVP of K2 Enterprises and NMGI’s co-founder & CEO Randy Johnston joins Kacee Johnson for a grounded conversation on what's real and what's noise in AI for accounting right now.

They cover:

• MCPs replacing APIs and why every platform will have one

• The surprising swing back to single-vendor suites

• Why large-size firms are loosing clients to mid-size firms

• The client migration from big firms to the mid-market

First episode under the AI Native Accounting Foundation. Awards nominations open at ainativeaccounting.org.

Connect with us here:

Randy Johnston: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rpjohnston/

Kacee Johnson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kacee-johnson/

Digits: https://www.linkedin.com/company/digits-financial/

What does responsible AI look like inside the world’s most trusted profession?

Susan S. Coffey, CEO of Public Accounting at the AICPA, joins Kacee Johnson to explore the non-negotiable guardrails for AI in accounting and how the profession can innovate without compromising its standards.

They also get into:

• why AI in accounting must remain auditable

• why reverse mentoring with younger professionals accelerates AI fluency across firms

• how CPA education is shifting from knowledge to application

Connect with us here: 

1. Susan Coffey- https://www.linkedin.com/in/susan-s-coffey-cpa-cgma-7b26a68/ 

2. Kacee Johnson-  https://www.linkedin.com/in/kacee-johnson/ 

3. Digits-  https://www.linkedin.com/company/digits-financial/ 

CAS practices are growing 30% annually. But most firms still can't scale past bookkeeping.

In this episode, Kane Polakoff, Partner and CAS Practice Leader at CohnReznick, shares how they are approaching AI adoption with discipline, transparency, and professional responsibility.

In this episode, we cover:

• The AI question clients are already asking firms

• How and when to be transparent about AI use

• Why CAS growth often slows inside firms

• What drives sustainable CAS growth at scale

Get this right, and you'll build client trust competitors can't replicate.

Connect with us here: 

Kane Polakoff: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kanepolakoff/ 

CohnReznick:https://www.linkedin.com/company/cohnreznick-/

Kacee Johnson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kacee-johnson/ 

Digits: https://www.linkedin.com/company/digits-financial/

Three of the most influential builders in modern accounting software explain the shift every firm will feel as AI reshapes the profession, both in the near term and the decade ahead.

In this episode, Dan Wernikoff (Intuit QuickBooks), Craig Walker (Digits), and Jeff Seibert (Digits) sit down with Kacee Johnson to break down what’s actually coming next.

You’ll hear them discuss:

• How AI goes far beyond the cloud shift accountants lived through

• The automation of month-end close expected by 2026

• What 96% AI accuracy actually means for bookkeeping and review

• What is expected of accountants as firms go AI-native by 2030

Connect with us here:

• Dan Wernikoff: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dwernikoff/

• Craig Walker: https://www.linkedin.com/in/storminwalker/

• Jeff Seibert: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jseibert/

• Kacee Johnson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kacee-johnson/

• Digits: https://www.linkedin.com/company/digits-financial/

00:00 Trailer

01:28 Introduction

02:27 Journey Through Cloud Solutions and AI

06:38 The Future of Accounting: AI and Automation

23:55 The One That Got Away: Unbuilt Features and Missed Opportunities

27:21 The Future of Budgeting: Automating Financial Planning

28:41 Trust and AI: Balancing Innovation with Client Confidence

38:54 Predictions for 2030: The AI Native Firm

Episode 008 of Between Two Founders: Join Jeff as he sits down with Siqi Chen, CEO and co-founder of Runway, to explore a journey that spans gaming, virtual reality, and B2B SaaS, culminating in a mission to make finance teams 10x more efficient through AI and design.

Siqi shares why the most powerful products amplify human intelligence rather than replace it, how design principles from consumer tech can simplify even the most complex systems, and how he is building what he calls an “Ironman suit for finance teams.”

Tune in now to hear why Siqi Chen believes, "For every intellectual task, for sure, the AI will do a better job of it."

(00:00) Trailer

(01:20) Introduction to Siqi Chen and His Journey

(02:36) Early Career and NASA Experience

(07:38) First Venture and Facebook Platform Success

(29:23) Building Accounting Software from Scratch

(31:23) The Role of Excel in Financial Planning

(37:17) The Future of AI in Finance

As AI accelerates work automation, how do accounting firms prove their value?

Ron Baker, co-founder of Threshold, joins Kacee Johnson to explore ‘outcome focused accounting’.

In this episode, they dive into:

• designing firms around long term transformations rather than hours.

• why trying to be all things to all clients undermines firm effectiveness.

• tracking client impact through time saved, time invested, and transformation KPIs.

• linking financial guidance to clients’ broader aspirations like health and purpose

Connect with us here: 

1. Ron Baker- https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronbaker1/ 

2. Kacee Johnson-  https://www.linkedin.com/in/kacee-johnson/ 

3. Digits-  https://www.linkedin.com/company/digits-financial/

(00:00) Trailer

(01:10) Understanding the Transformation Economy

(04:34) The Evolution of Economic Value

(09:05) Challenges and Opportunities in Professional Services

(26:38) AI's Impact on Hourly Billing and Firm Confidence

(31:34) Private Equity's Influence on Accounting Firms

(38:20) The Future of Accounting: Transformation Economy

On AI Native Accounting, Kacee Johnson sits down with Joe Woodard, founder & CEO of Woodard Group and trainer of 125,000+ accounting professionals, as they explore ways accountants can move past skepticism and take practical steps to integrate AI into their workflows.

• how low-code AI tools replicate a decade of manual efficiency gains

• global trends showing which countries and firms will face the sharpest disruption 

• why accounting, like the ministerial profession, hinges on connections that no algorithm can replace.

Connect with us here: 

1. Joe Woodard- https://www.linkedin.com/in/realjoewoodard/ 

2. Kacee Johnson-  https://www.linkedin.com/in/kacee-johnson/ 

3. Digits-  https://www.linkedin.com/company/digits-financial/

00:00 Trailer

01:23 AI Skepticism and Adoption in Accounting

06:06 AI Tools and Their Integration in Firms

18:01 Future Skills and Final Mile in Accounting

24:22 The Limits of AI Understanding

25:55 Embracing Humanity in the Age of AI

30:04 The Future of Accountancy and AI

40:23 Practical Steps for Accountants to Leverage AI

AI is step one. The real win is becoming a tech-agile accounting firm.

On AI Native Accounting this week, Kacee Johnson sits down with Lindsay Stevenson, Chief Transformation Officer at BPM (Top 50), to unpack how her teams moved from curiosity to ~80% daily Copilot usage and what broke along the way.

• grassroots rollout that beat a formal “AI committee”

• how BPM handles duplicated agents, ROI, and a faster intake than the PMO

• what late adopters should do this quarter

Connect with us here:

1. Lindsay Stevenson- https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsaystevensoncpa/

2. Kacee Johnson- https://www.linkedin.com/in/kacee-johnson/

3. Digits- https://www.linkedin.com/company/digits-financial/