ENGPJ26SS. Next-Gen Solutions: Startup Spotlight & the AI Shaping the Profession

What does the next wave of accounting and finance technology look like and how do you get ahead of it? This session takes you inside the 2026 AICPA and CPA.com Startup Accelerator, where founders are building solutions designed specifically to address the challenges firms face today. 

Facilitated by Vishal Thakkar, senior director of Alliance Management at CPA.com, this session will be a candid, high-level conversation about where the profession is headed. You’ll hear directly from each founder — what they’re building, why it matters, and what they’re seeing on the ground, alongside a broader discussion on the trends, pressures, and opportunities shaping the future of accounting and finance.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify key emerging technologies impacting accounting, tax, and audit.
• Recognize how AI is being applied in real-world solutions built specifically for the profession.
• Identify the potential of startup-led innovation to solve pain points in workflow, compliance, and client advisory.
• Recognize how the AICPA and CPA.com Startup Accelerator works and the trends surfacing from the edge of innovation.
• Distinguish the top reasons practitioners may be hesitant to implement AI or skeptical of its potential.