Bftcpa606: /* ATL264: AICPA ENGAGE 2026 and Thought Leader / 40 Under 40 Mashup */

2026-06-23T01:09:00Z

ATL264: AICPA ENGAGE 2026 and Thought Leader / 40 Under 40 Mashup

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	== ATL264: AICPA ENGAGE 2026 and Thought Leader / 40 Under 40 Mashup ==		== ATL264: AICPA ENGAGE 2026 and Thought Leader / 40 Under 40 Mashup ==
			'''Released''': June 26, 2026

	~~{{Infobox podcast episode~~		'''Recorded''': June 15, 2026
	~~\| title = ATL264~~: ~~AICPA ENGAGE 2026 and Thought Leader / 40 Under 40 Mashup~~
	~~\| series = Accounting Technology Lab~~
	~~\| episode = ATL264~~
	~~\| release_date = 2026-06-26~~
	~~\| location = Las Vegas~~, ~~Nevada, USA~~
	~~\| hosts = Randy Johnston, Brian F. Tankersley~~
	~~\| length = <!-- add runtime -->~~
	~~\| venue = AICPA ENGAGE 2026 / Thought Leader & 40 Under 40 Mashup~~
	~~\| topics = AICPA ENGAGE~~ 2026~~, Rise 2040, AI, private equity, associations, cybersecurity~~
	}}

	=== Overview ===		=== Overview ===

Bftcpa606: Created page with "== ATL264: AICPA ENGAGE 2026 and Thought Leader / 40 Under 40 Mashup == {{Infobox podcast episode | title = ATL264: AICPA ENGAGE 2026 and Thought Leader / 40 Under 40 Mashup | series = Accounting Technology Lab | episode = ATL264 | release_date = 2026-06-26 | location = Las Vegas, Nevada, USA | hosts = Randy Johnston, Brian F. Tankersley | length = | venue = AICPA ENGAGE 2026 / Thought Leader & 40 Under 40 M..."

2026-06-23T01:08:03Z

Created page with "== ATL264: AICPA ENGAGE 2026 and Thought Leader / 40 Under 40 Mashup == {{Infobox podcast episode | title = ATL264: AICPA ENGAGE 2026 and Thought Leader / 40 Under 40 Mashup | series = Accounting Technology Lab | episode = ATL264 | release_date = 2026-06-26 | location = Las Vegas, Nevada, USA | hosts = Randy Johnston, Brian F. Tankersley | length =  | venue = AICPA ENGAGE 2026 / Thought Leader & 40 Under 40 M..."

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== ATL264: AICPA ENGAGE 2026 and Thought Leader / 40 Under 40 Mashup ==

{{Infobox podcast episode
| title = ATL264: AICPA ENGAGE 2026 and Thought Leader / 40 Under 40 Mashup
| series = Accounting Technology Lab
| episode = ATL264
| release_date = 2026-06-26
| location = Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
| hosts = Randy Johnston, Brian F. Tankersley
| length = 
| venue = AICPA ENGAGE 2026 / Thought Leader & 40 Under 40 Mashup
| topics = AICPA ENGAGE 2026, Rise 2040, AI, private equity, associations, cybersecurity
}}

=== Overview ===
ATL264 is a fast-paced, conference-season “news” episode from the Accounting Technology Lab, recapping the AICPA ENGAGE 2026 Tech+ channel and the CPA Practice Advisor Thought Leader/40 Under 40 mashup in Las Vegas.<ref name="ep">{{cite web |title=ATL264 Transcript |publisher=CPA Practice Advisor |year=2026}}</ref> The episode features hosts Randy Johnston and Brian Tankersley sharing key takeaways on AI, the Rise 2040 vision project, associations, private equity, and technology adoption in the accounting profession.<ref name="ep" />

=== Episode Summary (≈200 words) ===
Randy Johnston and Brian Tankersley record on-site in Las Vegas to debrief a packed week around AICPA ENGAGE 2026 and the annual Thought Leader/40 Under 40 mashup. They open with the Rise 2040 vision project, highlighting mega-trends like the profession’s “great identity shift”, AI as a strategic force multiplier, globalization, and the emerging “trust paradox” created by artificial intelligence.<ref name="ep" /> The hosts describe intense roundtable discussions among young tech-enabled CPAs and seasoned thought leaders on associations, evolving business models, and how state societies must reimagine member engagement in a digital, AI-driven world.<ref name="ep" />

The conversation then tackles AI and private equity—“AIPE”—and how late-career partners, unfunded buyouts, and underinvestment in technology are driving firms toward PE ownership and forced modernization.<ref name="ep" /> They explore return-to-office realities, cybersecurity and AI-powered threats, including federal actions around advanced AI models, and the profession’s persistent self-confidence gap with technology.<ref name="ep" /> Randy shares ENGAGE highlights, including his 40th year speaking, a standing-room-only Tech Update and AI prompting session, and a 200‑vendor exhibit hall featuring every major publisher and cloud platform.<ref name="ep" /> They close with reflections on AI’s ubiquity at ENGAGE, main-stage guests such as Ryan Reynolds and Costco’s former CFO, and why networking at these events still moves the profession forward.<ref name="ep" />

=== Quotable Soundbites ===
The following quotations are drawn from the episode and include approximate time locations within the audio.

# “If you don’t adopt the new technology, you’re going to end up where the people that smoke cigarettes with their 10-keys at their desk and have five- and seven-column paper are right now—which is not a good place.” (≈ 3:45–4:10)<ref name="ep" />
# “AI has created this trust paradox; it actually creates the need for more trust instead of less—and we’re in the trust business.” (≈ 3:30–3:55)<ref name="ep" />
# “Everywhere you turn now it’s AI discussion—often gratuitous AI discussion—and I can’t quite put my finger on it, but there’s a frantic response from many people.” (≈ 6:40–7:25)<ref name="ep" />
# “There are a lot of partners who delayed retirement during the pandemic, and now their buyouts are unfundable—so they’re going to private equity for the cash, and PE is saying, ‘Fine, but we’re forcing technology into your firm.’” (≈ 7:45–9:00)<ref name="ep" />
# “You could just see the eyes light up across the room when we showed that a single Copilot could talk to Claude, OpenAI, and Microsoft 365—and keep all that proprietary data out of training.” (≈ 15:20–16:15)<ref name="ep" />
# “Tech is being de‑emphasized in the branding, but it lives everywhere at ENGAGE—and AI was pretty much everywhere this year.” (≈ 18:20–19:10)<ref name="ep" />
# “The rumor that I’m retiring is greatly exaggerated—I at least want to see AI running on quantum computers before I think about stopping.” (≈ 12:10–12:35)<ref name="ep" />

=== Social Media Promotion Ideas ===
The following short promotional texts are intended for use on social media to promote the episode.

# “AI isn’t killing trust in the profession—it’s increasing the demand for it. Hear how ENGAGE 2026 framed AI as a strategic force multiplier in ATL264.”<ref name="ep" />
# “Still clinging to 10-keys and seven-column paper? ATL264 explains why firms that don’t modernize are heading to the same museum as cigarette-smoke-filled write-up rooms.”<ref name="ep" />
# “Rise 2040 is the new long-range vision for the profession—identity shifts, globalization, AI, and the ‘trust paradox’ all in one roadmap. Get the field report from Las Vegas in ATL264.”<ref name="ep" />
# “From Thought Leader Think Tank to 40 Under 40 mashup: we sat in on the cross‑generational debates about AI, PE, and the future of firms. Catch the full debrief in ATL264.”<ref name="ep" />
# “Is ‘AIPE’ the new four-letter word? Randy and Brian unpack how AI and private equity are reshaping firm ownership, culture, and tech adoption in ATL264.”<ref name="ep" />
# “Late‑career partners, unfunded buyouts, and forced tech upgrades: we dig into why so many firms are suddenly flirting with private equity in ATL264.”<ref name="ep" />
# “Associations and state societies are being forced to reimagine member engagement in an AI-first world. Hear what young pros and thought leaders told us in Vegas on ATL264.”<ref name="ep" />
# “Return-to-office isn’t one-size-fits-all: from hybrid ‘middle three days’ to fully virtual, ATL264 shares what firms are actually doing post-pandemic.”<ref name="ep" />
# “Cybersecurity plus AI: we revisit Claude Mythos, fable being classified under ITAR, and why AI-driven threats are accelerating. ATL264 connects the dots.”<ref name="ep" />
# “Standing-room-only Tech Update. 900+ for AI prompting. 200 vendors on the floor. ATL264 walks you through the tech pulse of AICPA ENGAGE 2026.”<ref name="ep" />
# “Many attendees had never seen Copilot wired to multiple LLMs—with indemnification and data protections intact. ATL264 breaks down why that demo changed minds.”<ref name="ep" />
# “ENGAGE 2026 had 6000+ attendees with a goal of 10,000—yet tech is still the quiet backbone of every track. Hear why in ATL264.”<ref name="ep" />
# “From Ryan Reynolds to Costco’s former CFO, the ENGAGE main stage brought star power—but AI, data, and trust were the real headliners. Dive deeper in ATL264.”<ref name="ep" />
# “The profession has a self-confidence problem with technology. ATL264 explores why many CPAs would rather talk about vacations than their tech stack—and how to change that.”<ref name="ep" />
# “Quantum dreams: Randy sets the record straight on ‘retirement rumors’ and explains why he wants to see AI running on quantum before he thinks it’s time to hang it up. Hear it on ATL264.”<ref name="ep" />
# “Thought Leader/40 Under 40 mashup: one room, multiple generations, and a whiteboard full of ideas on AI, trust, and the profession’s identity. ATL264 takes you inside.”<ref name="ep" />
# “From camera kits and green screens to fewer flights, ATL264 shares how content creators in the profession have reinvented their model post‑pandemic.”<ref name="ep" />
# “State societies built on in‑person contact are wrestling with digital-first members and AI-enabled learning. ATL264 surfaces what leaders are actually worried about.”<ref name="ep" />
# “AI frenzy or rational evolution? ATL264 parses the hype from the hard trends coming out of ENGAGE and the Rise 2040 project.”<ref name="ep" />
# “If you missed Las Vegas, ATL264 is your highlight reel for AICPA ENGAGE 2026 and the Thought Leader mashup—complete with tech, talent, and a little ‘Viva Las Vegas.’”<ref name="ep" />

=== Organizations and Companies Mentioned ===
This section lists the products, services, and companies referenced in the episode, along with commonly used social media accounts.

{| class="wikitable"
! Organization / Product !! Description (episode context) !! X (Twitter) !! Facebook !! LinkedIn !! Instagram
|-
| AICPA ENGAGE / AICPA & CIMA || Flagship conference and vision projects (Rise 2040, Tech+, town hall, ENGAGE 2026). || @AICPA || [https://www.facebook.com/AICPA facebook.com/AICPA] || [https://www.linkedin.com/company/aicpa linkedin.com/company/aicpa] || @aicpa_ima
|-
| CPA Practice Advisor || Publisher of Accounting Technology Lab and the 40 Under 40 program. || @CPAAdvisor || [https://www.facebook.com/CPAPracticeAdvisor facebook.com/CPAPracticeAdvisor] || [https://www.linkedin.com/company/cpa-practice-advisor linkedin.com/company/cpa-practice-advisor] || @cpapracticeadvisor
|-
| Rightworks || Sponsor of the Thought Leader / 40 Under 40 mashup; owner of CPA Practice Advisor. || @Rightworks || [https://www.facebook.com/Rightworks facebook.com/Rightworks] || [https://www.linkedin.com/company/rightworks linkedin.com/company/rightworks] || @rightworkscloud
|-
| K2 Enterprises (K2) || Technology training and CPE provider associated with the hosts’ engagements. || @K2Enterprises || [https://www.facebook.com/K2Enterprises facebook.com/K2Enterprises] || [https://www.linkedin.com/company/k2-enterprises linkedin.com/company/k2-enterprises] || @k2enterprises
|-
| Microsoft Copilot || Demonstrated as a multi-LLM Copilot for Claude/OpenAI in Microsoft 365 with indemnification and data protections. || @Microsoft365 || [https://www.facebook.com/Microsoft facebook.com/Microsoft] || [https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/microsoft-365 linkedin.com/showcase/microsoft-365] || @microsoft365
|-
| Anthropic / Claude || AI platform referenced via Claude and Claude Code workshops and AI model discussions. || @AnthropicAI || [https://www.facebook.com/AnthropicAI facebook.com/AnthropicAI] || [https://www.linkedin.com/company/anthropic linkedin.com/company/anthropic] || @anthropicai
|-
| Wolters Kluwer || Major tax and accounting publisher exhibiting at ENGAGE. || @Wolters_Kluwer || [https://www.facebook.com/wolterskluwer facebook.com/wolterskluwer] || [https://www.linkedin.com/company/wolters-kluwer linkedin.com/company/wolters-kluwer] || @wolters_kluwer
|-
| Thomson Reuters || Major tax and accounting vendor on the ENGAGE exhibit floor. || @TRTaxAccountng || [https://www.facebook.com/ThomsonReuters facebook.com/ThomsonReuters] || [https://www.linkedin.com/company/thomson-reuters linkedin.com/company/thomson-reuters] || @thomsonreuters
|-
| Intuit || Key accounting technology vendor (e.g., QuickBooks) present at ENGAGE. || @IntuitAcctg || [https://www.facebook.com/Intuit facebook.com/Intuit] || [https://www.linkedin.com/company/intuit linkedin.com/company/intuit] || @intuit
|-
| Xero || Cloud accounting platform exhibiting at ENGAGE. || @Xero || [https://www.facebook.com/Xero.Accounting facebook.com/Xero.Accounting] || [https://www.linkedin.com/company/xero linkedin.com/company/xero] || @xero
|-
| Costco || Referenced via the retired CFO who appeared on the ENGAGE main stage. || @Costco || [https://www.facebook.com/Costco facebook.com/Costco] || [https://www.linkedin.com/company/costco-wholesale linkedin.com/company/costco-wholesale] || @costco
|}

ATL264 - Revision history

Bftcpa606: /* ATL264: AICPA ENGAGE 2026 and Thought Leader / 40 Under 40 Mashup */