AI-Native Accounting Foundation Launches To Equip Firms And Finance Teams To Adopt AI Confidently

Independent foundation expands industry dialogue through education, research and recognition. AI Native Accounting Award Nominations are now open

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 11, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The AI Native Accounting Foundation today announced its official launch as an independent nonprofit initiative focused on helping the accounting and finance profession make sense of how artificial intelligence is actually being used in practice.

Founded by Kacee Johnson and Bebe Kim, the Foundation exists to move the profession past AI hype and into real-world understanding — creating space for honest dialogue, shared learning, and visible examples of what AI adoption looks like inside modern accounting, tax, audit, advisory, and finance teams.

“AI is already reshaping how financial work gets done,” said Kacee Johnson, co-founder and Executive Director of the AI Native Accounting Foundation. “But too much of the conversation is still driven by tools and announcements rather than outcomes. This Foundation is about getting real, learning from what’s working, what’s breaking, and how firms are navigating this shift day to day.”

The AI Native Accounting Foundation builds on the success of the AI Native Accounting Podcast, hosted by Johnson, which features candid conversations with firm leaders, technologists, educators, and industry thought leaders. The Foundation expands this work through recognition programs, research initiatives, and scholarships - all designed to help the profession learn in the open and move forward together.

According to Bebe Kim, co-founder of the Foundation, the work intentionally spans the full financial profession. “This isn’t just an accounting conversation,” Kim said. “Tax, audit, advisory, and finance leaders are facing the same systems-level changes. The Foundation exists to surface real examples and create shared understanding — not theory, not marketing, but lived experience.”

Digits, the AI-powered accounting and finance company, is the founding sponsor of the AI Native Accounting Foundation. “The profession needs neutral spaces for real conversations about AI in practice,” said Jeff Seibert, CEO and Founder of Digits. “We’re proud to support the AI Native Accounting Foundation as its founding sponsor and help enable work that brings clarity and credibility to how AI is changing accounting and finance.”

To help ensure the integrity and credibility of the Foundation’s work — particularly its Awards program and Scholarship distributions — the AI Native Accounting Foundation is supported by an Advisory Council of respected leaders across the profession, initially including: Amy Vetter, CEO of The B3 Method Institute; Joe Woodard, CEO of Woodard Consulting Group; Ellen Choi, CEO of Edgefield Group; and Randy Johnston, founder of Network Management Group Inc.

AI Native Accounting Awards — Nominations Now Open

As part of the launch, the Foundation announced that nominations are now open for the inaugural AI Native Accounting Awards, which recognize firms and practitioners making measurable progress with AI in real-world environments.

The awards highlight outcomes such as improved capacity and accuracy, new service models, better client experiences, and approaches that other firms can realistically learn from and replicate.

Award winners will be recognized on the main stage at the Scaling New Heights Conference, taking place June 14–16, 2026, in Orlando, FL and will also be featured on the AI Native Accounting Podcast.

Nominations are open to firms and practitioners across accounting, tax, audit, advisory, and finance. Self-nominations and peer nominations are welcome, and submissions close April 15.

More information about the AI Native Accounting Foundation, award nominations and upcoming initiatives can be found at www.ainativeaccounting.org.

About AI-Native Accounting Foundation
As an independent nonprofit, the AI Native Accounting Foundation equips firms and finance teams to adopt AI with confidence through education, research, and recognition - moving the profession past hype and into practice. Founded by Kacee Johnson and Bebe Kim, the Foundation exists to create space for honest dialogue, shared learning, and credible examples of real-world AI adoption across accounting, tax, audit, advisory, and finance. Through the AI Native Accounting Podcast, industry awards, research initiatives, and scholarships, the Foundation highlights what’s working, what’s not, and what responsible AI transformation actually looks like inside modern firms and finance teams.

Media contact:
Gina Rezendes
Big Swing Communications
617-640-9278
gina@big-swing.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ce2b1d8c-8e70-4c61-a053-e14d3711896e