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The foundation was started by Kacee Johnson, former vice president of strategy and innovation at
The organization is conceived as building on the work of the AI Native Accounting Podcast, which features candid conversations about AI with accounting tech leaders. These conversations provided much of the impetus for founding the organization in the first place, Johnson said in an email. Along with her work at Be Radical, she came to the realization that "we're living in two realities at the same time."
"In one, AI is moving incredibly fast," she said. "Workflows are changing, tools are being implemented, and the way people work is shifting in real time. In the other, there's a real overwhelm. Leaders are trying to separate hype from progress, and I think we can help to surface these real polarities."
The irony is that, to Johnson, accounting and finance are maturing with AI faster than many other industries; there are tangible use cases and structured workflows already. Despite these advances, however, she has observed there is not enough "infrastructure" to have open and independent dialogue on the topic.
"It became clear there was a gap. The profession needed a neutral platform that could surface the tough questions, highlight real wins, and support responsible adoption through education and research. The Foundation grew directly out of that need," she said.
Johnson and Kim began working together on the organization after meeting in San Francisco to do an episode of AI Native Accounting with the builders of QBO, Xero and Digits. She said they were both impressed with how engaged the audience was, which led to a conversation about recognizing real AI use cases. That conversation then led into a discussion of an award to recognize the best of them, which then evolved into talking about starting a nonprofit devoted to the principles recognized by the award.
"From there, it was a natural progression," said Johnson. "Bebe is a former founder and an attorney by trade, which makes her an ideal partner in building a nonprofit. We share the same belief that the profession needs a broader, independent effort to support responsible AI adoption and awareness."
She also stressed that while Digits is the founding sponsor, the foundation is intentionally structured to remain independent and vendor neutral; Johnson said Digits has been "fantastic" in respecting this principle. She said the group welcomes additional technology sponsors who are aligned with responsible AI and the broader mission: not to promote products, but to advance the profession. The goal, said Johnson, is to convene like-minded leaders around a shared commitment to building stronger firms, better outcomes and long-term trust in an AI-enabled future.
Kim, in a statement, noted that the issues the foundation will explore are not unique to accounting but can be found in the finance world as a whole, which is why its work intentionally covers the full spectrum of finance professionals.
"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."
Johnson said the organization's work will revolve around four pillars: education, research, scholarships and an awards program.
Nominations for the awards program, called the AI Native Accounting Awards, are now open. The awards recognize firms and practitioners making measurable progress with AI in real-world environments. The foundation intends to 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. 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. Award winners will be recognized on the main stage at the Scaling New Heights Conference, taking place June 14–16, 2026, in Orlando, Florida.
Johnson said the foundation is also going to develop industry research on model data and performance benchmarking, which she said will come around the third or fourth quarter. Meanwhile, they are also working to finalize criteria and structure for the scholarship, which Johnson expects will go live and be awarded by the end of the year.
Beyond Johnson and Kim, the foundation also has an AI Advisory Council that will serve to protect the integrity and credibility of its work, particularly the awards program and scholarship distributions. Among other duties, they will be the ones judging the awards as well as developing the framework for the scholarship.
The initial roster of advisory board members include: 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.
