2026 Digital Evolution Summit Livestream (DESWEB)

Kacee Johnson

Kacee Johnson is a fintech executive and innovation strategist with a standout record in driving global SaaS growth and scaling startups to funding or exit.

Recognized among Accounting Today's Top 100 Most Influential People, CPA Practice Advisor's Top 25 Thought Leaders, sits on the Forbes Technology Council, and is named one of the Most Powerful Women in Accounting by the AICPA, Kacee brings a rare combination of operator experience and strategic vision.

As Principal at radical, she helps organizations navigate disruption through provocative presentations, strategic guidance, and events that catalyze change. She also serves as Executive Director of the AI Native Accounting Foundation, an independent non-profit initiative which she co-founded to equip firms and finance teams to adopt AI with confidence through education, research, and recognition.

Kacee serves as an independent board member and advisor, 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.

She hosts the AI Native Accounting Podcast and is a sought-after keynote speaker and conference emcee.

Janel Sykora

Mark Martukovich

Mark Martukovich, CPA, is Executive Director at Harness Advisory Platform, where he works with firm owners nationally on the shift from compliance-based practices to advisory-led businesses. Before joining Harness, Mark spent more than a decade leading his own high-growth firm through that same transition — growing advisory revenue by more than 580% and tripling the rate of new business after repositioning around advisory services. He has spent years on the national accounting conference circuit, sharing what that transition actually requires in practice: the pricing changes, the client conversations, and the operational shifts firm managers have to execute, not just approve. Mark is a frequent presenter at industry conferences, including an upcoming session at Digital CPA 2026, and has been featured in industry research and trade publications on advisory-led firm transformation.

Svetlana Toohey

Lana Toohey, CPA, MAcc
Controller SDII Global LLC | Co-founder of PythonMuse LLC

Lana Toohey, CPA, MAcc, is Controller at SDII Global LLC, a multi-entity forensic engineering and consulting firm serving clients across the United States and Canada. She leads financial reporting, consolidations, foreign currency translation, lease accounting, and operational finance initiatives for a complex and growing organization.

Lana began her career as an auditor at Deloitte, building a strong foundation in discipline, structure, and technical precision. She later spent nine years with Mettler Toledo, supporting capital investments, factory transformations, restructurings, business-unit consolidations, and a major SAP migration.

These experiences shaped her leadership approach: strong fundamentals, collaboration, and respect for compliance in an increasingly complex business environment.

In recent years, Lana has focused on a critical question: How can finance operate smarter? That focus led her into automation, AI copilots, and coding. She now applies AI-enabled development and productivity tools to design better processes, troubleshoot reporting, automate data tasks, and accelerate analysis.

This journey led to PythonMuse (www.pythonmuse.com), a learning platform helping accounting and finance professionals use Python, AI, and automation in a responsible, audit-ready way.

Lana's mission is to help shape the future of accounting by preparing finance professionals to work effectively alongside AI and an increasingly agentic workforce. Her message is simple: AI will not replace you—but professionals who know how to use it will redefine the role.

Shelly Weir

Jason Harrell

Jason Harrell is the FICPA Chief External Affairs Officer responsible for leading all aspects of the Institute’s public policy, advocacy, governmental affairs and regulatory affairs. He serves as the liaison to the DBPR and Board of Accountancy and is responsible for all advocacy-related external communications and campaigns to increase the value of the CPA license. Jason brings numerous years of experience to this role, previously serving as director of government relations for Florida Court Clerks and Comptrollers Association and budget and communications director for the Clerks of Court Operations Corporation, serving in key roles under two Speakers in the Florida House, and serving in the Executive Office of the Governor in the Office of Policy and Budget and Chief Inspector General’s Office.

Sarah Ference

Sarah is the Risk Control Director for the Accountants Program at CNA. She oversees risk control services provided to CPA firms. She previously practiced public accounting for 15 years with a Big Four firm.

While in public accounting, Sarah provided internal control and risk management consulting services and external audit services to clients in multiple industries. She partnered with clients to help supplement or outsource functions typically performed in-house and served in a senior management role for a publicly-traded financial institution client for a 10-month period. Sarah was a national instructor for her firm, educating audit and advisory staff on the firm's audit process and internal control assessment methodology.

At CNA, Sarah and her team provide risk control services to insured CPA firms. Services include consultations on ways to help mitigate professional liability risk, development and delivery of risk management training and education products, authoring monthly risk management articles for the Journal of Accountancy, and creating other tools to assist CPA firms in managing their professional liability risk.

Levi Gruver

Deborah Defer

Deborah Defer is a visionary leader in client advisory services (CAS) and serves as Director of CAS at Woodard. With more than two decades of experience in accounting, financial management, and strategic advisory, she is dedicated to helping small- and mid-sized businesses gain financial clarity, strengthen operational efficiency, and build sustainable growth models. In recognition of her impact on the profession, Deborah was named one of Accounting Today's Top 100 People to Watch in 2026.

At Woodard, Deborah designs and leads innovative CAS strategies that empower firms to modernize their practices, streamline workflows, and deliver high-value advisory services. She is passionate about leveraging technology and automation to transform data into real-time insights that drive better business decisions. Her expertise spans CAS pricing, spend management, and stepping into controllership roles for growing organizations.

An award-winning educator and mentor, Deborah is known for her dynamic workshops, webinars, and coaching engagements. She champions change management, technology adoption, and balanced firm cultures that prioritize innovation and client success. Her mission is to inspire firms to elevate CAS beyond compliance and create measurable, lasting value for the clients they serve.