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Competition currently in progress
TRUEUP'S INNOVATION CHALLENGE
RACE THE AI
FOR ACCOUNTING STUDENTS AND PROFESSIONALS
Join the challenge where accounting students and professionals get hands-on experience using the latest AI tools to complete financial accounting tasks and find out how artificial intelligence is impacting the accounting profession.
SAVE OUR FINANCIAL FUTURE!
It is now the year 2050 and the global economy is on the brink of financial collapse because something has gone awry at FastLedger, the world’s largest AI vendor that supplies 70% of all businesses with their accounting AI models and products that automate accounting and financial reporting. Now after decades of relying on AI, these companies cannot afford for these models to fail.
It’s up to you to go back in time and join FastLedger's development team responsible for creating AI models that automate accounting and financial reporting. Your mission: Help FastLedger develop and test their AI models for any issues before they launch to the marketplace!
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Be diligent and on your game because once FastLedger releases their AI models to the marketplace, adoption will happen so quickly we won't be able to correct any mistakes. You will have TrueUp games and learning resources on AI to guide you to ensure your success!
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Are YOU up for the challenge?
ABOUT THE CHALLENGE
The challenge is 100% VIRTUAL and facilitated by TrueUp.
Access to all learning content, resources, games, and AI tools will be provided online.
ASSEMBLE THE A.I.
Students will learn the fundamentals of AI, including terminology, different kinds of AI, and how AI models are trained.
APPLY THE A.I.
Students will learn the right and wrong ways to apply AI to accounting cycles and financial reporting.
AUDIT THE A.I.
Students will learn factors to consider when assessing the use of an AI tool from a CFO perspective
There will be 4 TrueUp games and 3 hands-on exercises using real AI tools.
FINAL STAGE
Students will submit a 10-minute video presentation to share their AI Adoption Plan
(Meet the Virtual Judges below!)
STUDENTS AND PROFESSIONALS
Team Composition
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Each team may have up to 4 student members
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Each team will have access to accounting and finance professionals to ask questions and collaborate with on the TrueUp Learning Channel on Discord
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Each team may include faculty advisors at their school
Who Qualifies?
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Students must be registered at an accredited university based in the U.S.
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Students must be concentrated in Accounting, Information Systems, Finance, or Business as a major
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Students from any class level are welcome
There will be $3,000 in cash rewards to winning teams, a TrueUp Digital Badge to share on your résumé, and more prizes to be announced!
CHALLENGE DATES
REGISTRATION DEADLINE
OCT 14, 2025
Last day students can register a team
STUDENT REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED
WINNERS ANNOUNCED
NOV 12, 2025
Challenge Results via Live Virtual Zoom
CHALLENGE KICK-OFF
OCT 21, 2025
Live Virtual Challenge Kick-Off
FINAL SUBMISSIONS DUE
NOV 4, 2025
Final Video Submissions Due
Meet the Virtual Judges!
Opeyemi Oyekanmi, CPA, CGMA
Principal @ Blue Owl Capital
Opeyemi Oyekanmi is a Principal at Blue Owl and member of the Finance, Accounting & Operations Team. In his role, he focuses on supporting the executives overseeing the finance, accounting, financial reporting, internal control, investment, and investor operations functions.
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Before joining Blue Owl, Opeyemi was a Director at The Siegfried Group, LLP, a national accounting firm. Prior to that, he worked as a Senior Fund Accountant at Lubert-Adler Real Estate Funds, an institutional real estate investment manager. Opeyemi began his career as an External Auditor at KPMG.
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Opeyemi received his BBA in Accounting, magna cum laude, from Temple University and he currently holds a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license in Pennsylvania and a Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) designation from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA).
Kacee Johnson, MBA, NACD.DC
Board Member | Advisor | Innovation Partner
Kacee Johnson is a fintech executive and innovation strategist with a standout record in driving global SaaS growth, pioneering cloud and AI-powered solutions, and scaling startups to funding or exit. She’s recognized among Accounting Today’s Top 100 Most Influential People, CPA Practice Advisor’s Top 25 Thought Leaders, and named as one of the Most Powerful Women in Accounting by the AICPA.
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As Principal and FinTech Innovation Leader at be radical, Kacee helps organizations navigate disruption through provocative presentations, strategic guidance, and events that catalyze change. She is also the host of the AI-Native Accounting Podcast, presented by Digits, where she explores the crossroads of AI and the future of finance in conversation with industry trailblazers.
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Kacee serves as an independent board member and innovation partner, bringing deep expertise in go-to-market strategy, product positioning and emerging tech adoption. She is NACD Directorship Certified™, demonstrating advanced proficiency in corporate governance, strategic oversight, and leadership for high-growth companies in the $10–300M ARR range.
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Deeply embedded in the fintech ecosystem, Kacee spent 7 years building the AICPA/CPA.com Startup Accelerator and recently completed Harvard Business School’s Executive Program for Private Equity and Venture Capital, expanding her focus into the private capital space.
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Based in Southern California with her husband and daughter, Kacee is committed to mentoring emerging leaders, advocating for women in technology, and supporting environmental preservation through community beach cleanups.
Ryan Andre
Director, Portfolio Operations @ Sunstone Partners
Ryan Andre is the Director of Portfolio Operations with a focus on the ’Office of the CFO’ at Sunstone Partners, a growth-oriented private equity firm that invests in technology-enabled services and software companies. Ryan works closely with management teams on creating scalable systems and analytics to enhance execution, reporting, and scalable finance function.
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Prior to joining Sunstone Partners in 2020, Ryan held FP&A roles at high-growth SaaS companies, including JFrog and Green Bits. In addition, Ryan has over four years of experience in Accounting Manager roles.
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Raised in Napa, CA, Ryan earned a BS in Accounting and Economics from the University of Oregon.
Donny Shimamoto, CPA, CITP, CGMA
Founder and Managing Director of IntrapriseTechKnowlogies LLC
Donny has revolutionized the way we leverage technology in the accounting profession, turning risks into opportunities and driving transformation across the board.
Donny is the guiding force behind the Center for Accounting Transformation, an incubator of innovative thinkers dedicated to helping accountants, auditors, and tax practitioners navigate the future of our profession. Their mission: accelerate business transformation to #improvetheworld. His numerous roles and accolades attest to his unrivaled commitment to our profession.
From co-chairing the National Conference of Lawyers and CPAs to being a former member of numerous AICPA committees for over 20 years, Donny's influence is far-reaching. He has been consistently recognized as a top thought leader since 2012 by CPA Practice Advisor and has been a regular on the Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting list for over a decade.
Patricia Johnson
Adjunct Professor, Southern New Hampshire University and Mercy University
Patricia Johnson is currently an adjunct faculty member at SNHU and Mercy University. She spent over 20 years teaching at Canisius College (now University) in Buffalo, New York where she developed and served as program coordinator of the master’s program in forensic accounting. Pat has a broad variety of experience – education, public accounting, and industry and maintains an accounting practice that focuses on small businesses and not-for-profit entities.
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She holds a Bachelor’s degree in accounting from St. Bonaventure University and an MBA from SUNY Buffalo. She is a CPA licensed in New York State, a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) and a Certified Global Management Accountant (CGMA).
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Pat has served on a number of nonprofit boards and committees, currently serving as a Vice President of the New York State Society of CPAs (NYCPA) and as a representative on the AICPA Council. She also serves on the editorial review board of The CPA Journal and actively participates in the nonprofit organizations’ community. Pat is also a member of the American Accounting Association, ACFE and AGA.
Sean Larkin
Founder & CEO, AvenueD • dPlaza • The Student Center
Sean is a leading voice in blockchain education and adoption, combining deep financial expertise with a mission to bridge traditional systems and Web3 innovation. As Founder & CEO of AvenueD, dPlaza, and The Student Center, he is building the infrastructure for decentralized marketing, commerce, and credentialing.
A Certified Blockchain Expert and Bitcoin Professional, Sean is also a co-founder at MM Blockchain Academy, whose mission is to help accounting and finance professionals navigate digital assets, AI, and distributed ledger technologies. He brings over a decade of experience as a CFO and advisor helping companies modernize operations, adopt blockchain responsibly, and capture value in the digital economy.
AI Adoption Plans due by November 4, 2025
Student videos to present their AI Adoption Plan are due November 4, 2025 and virtual judging will occur between November 5 to November 11. Results will be announced on Novembe 12th!
