October 6-7, 2026 | San Francisco, CA

Join us for Gusto Next 2026

A summit for the leaders building what's next in accounting.

Apply now

Gusto Next brings together accounting leaders figuring out what's ahead, together. Expect peer-led conversations, candid roundtables, and hands-on workshops. Plus, a firsthand look at what Gusto is building to help firms get ahead.

What to expect

A front row seat to what Gusto is building for accountants.

Sessions led by accountants already putting these ideas to work.

Hands-on workshops where you actually use AI, not just hear about it. 

Real connections with peers 
figuring it out together.

...and more!

illustration of three people playing instruments and walking

Event Agenda

Sessions marked with an asterisk (*) are CPE eligible. Specific credit amounts will be announced closer to the event. All sessions are first come, first served, and no pre-registration is required — just pick what you want to attend once you're onsite.

Tuesday, October 6

5:30 - 7:30 PM

Welcome reception

Kick off Gusto Next with a warm welcome and celebration of the accountant community.

Wednesday, October 7

7:00 - 8:00 AM

Morning meet up

Get outside and get moving with a small group before the big day ahead. Format and meeting point shared closer to the event.

8:00 - 9:00 AM

Registration

Grab a coffee, your badge, and a seat before sessions begin.

9:00 - 9:50 AM

Keynote: What's Next with Gusto

The accounting profession is changing faster than ever, and it needs a partner building for where it's headed. Join Gusto's leadership team for a firsthand look at what we're building for accountants and small businesses, and a preview of what's coming in the next Gusto Showcase.

Josh Reeves, Founder & CEO, Gusto · Bridgette Haymaker, VP of Product Management, Gusto · Colleen Oates, Head of Indirect Go To Market, Gusto

Featuring Gusto Partner Advisory Council member Tyler Otto, Specialized Accounting and Echo Zhong, Zhong and Sanchez

10:00 - 10:50 AM

The AI-Forward Firm, Built for Real*

AI is changing what a firm can be. Hear from the people building the models and the firms already using them to push what's possible for clients and their business.

11:00 – 11:50 AM

Fireside Chat: The State of Accounting*

A forward-looking take on where small businesses, the economy, and the profession are headed this year, grounded in new trends from Gusto's proprietary data across millions of businesses.

Twyla Verhelst, VP of Industry Relations & Community, Karbon

Nich Tremper, Head of Insights, Gusto

12:00 – 2:00 PM

Lunch, networking, and product booths

Eat when it suits you, and use the time to explore our product booths and community networking sessions.

1:00 – 1:50 PM

The New Org Chart: Accountant Roles Built Around Outcomes*

Most firms are focused on technology, but missing the bigger gap: how roles and teams need to change as AI takes over task-level work. This session shows how to rebuild your org chart around outcomes instead of tasks. Leave with a working plan you can put in front of your team next week.

Heather Day, Director of Education and Media, Woodard

2:00 – 2:50 PM

Choose your session

Built for Growth: Strategy, Services, and Technology That Accelerate Modern Firms*

What you sell, what you build, and how you grow are all connected. This session looks at how fast-growing firms are making those calls, and what it takes to scale without losing what makes the firm yours.

Tucker Haas, CTO, Current

Hands-On Workshop: Your Largest Expense Is Also Your Best Data Set*

Most firms read payroll one way, as a compliance task that either cleared or it didn't. In this hands-on lab, you'll work a single sanitized payroll file live to surface utilization and billable patterns, compensation and workers' comp thresholds, missing 1099s, and cost against revenue by crew, then see the client conversation each finding opens. Specific prep instructions will be shared beforehand.

Jan Haugo, Founder, SmartAccountant.AI

3:00 – 3:50 PM

Choose your session

The CAS Model of the Future*

AI is making accountants' judgment and trust more valuable, not less. This session looks at where the CAS model goes next, and how firms can rethink pricing and staffing to scale advisory services.

Matthew May, CAS Leader, Sorren

Hands-On Lab: Audit Your Firm's Services and Profitability Model*

Scaling a firm well means knowing which services actually pay off and which are quietly dragging on margin. In this hands-on lab, you'll audit your own service mix and profitability using a repeatable framework, so you can grow without overwhelming your team or your bottom line. Specific prep instructions will be shared beforehand.

Chase Damiano, Founder & CEO, Human at Scale

4:00 – 4:50 PM

Choose your session

Hands-On Lab: AI-Supported Payroll Automation and Cash Flow Forecasting*

Bring your laptop and build out real workflows in Gusto Pro alongside the Gusto product and engineering team who actually built them. You'll leave with new ways to run some of your most requested workflows, like payroll automation and cash flow forecasting, not just having watched a demo. Specific prep instructions will be shared beforehand.

Lauren Snyder, Product Lead, Gusto

Wyatt Kneaper, Founder & CEO, The Lighthouse Group

Hands-On Lab: Build Your Firm's AI Brain (and AI Budget)*

This hands-on session walks through how to build the most important thing about your firm (context) into every operating process you run today. The result is a firm that scales without depending on any one person, onboards faster, and holds onto institutional knowledge through any transition.

Toni Witt, Co-Founder & CEO, Sweet

Matt Gould, Head of Insights and Operations, Gusto

5:00 - 7:00 PM

Closing Celebration

A final celebration with the entire Gusto Accountant Community to send the event off right.

Plus, running all day

Accelerate your Gusto Partnership with 1:1 Meetings

Sit down with the Gusto team working on the things your firm cares about - build joint business plans, unlock co-marketing investment, and explore new product opportunities together.

Access expert advice from trusted practitioners

Book a working session with accounting focused sales, marketing, and AI implementation specialists. All meetings are first come, first serve and registration will open closer to the event.

Frequently asked questions

Gusto Next is a summit that brings together accounting leaders figuring out what's ahead, together. Expect peer-led conversations, candid roundtables, hands-on workshops, and a firsthand look at what Gusto is building to help firms get ahead. We’ll kick things off with a welcome reception on October 6th followed by a full day of programming on Wednesday, October 7th.

  • October 6th: Welcome kick-off reception (5:30 – 7:30 PM)

  • October 7th: Gusto Next (Gusto San Francisco Office, 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM)

Gusto Next is designed for accounting leaders and firm practitioners. Space is limited, so attendance is by application. You don't need to be a current Gusto program firm, but applicants will be prioritized based on program status.

There’s no cost to attend, but given limited space, we ask all interested attendees to apply.

Space is limited for this event. The application helps us ensure anyone attending gets real value and engagement from those in the room.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until capacity is reached. Space is extremely limited, so we recommend applying as soon as possible.

No, Gusto Next is designed as an in person only event. Sign up for our accountant email list below if you are interested in learning more about future events (including virtual event opportunities). 

Yes. Attendees are responsible for booking and paying for their own flights and hotel.

Our room block has sold out, but we recommend staying at one of the following centrally located hotels within downtown San Francisco:

Yes. If you require any accessibility accommodations to participate, please note it during registration or reach out to [email protected] in advance so we can make arrangements.

Sessions marked with an asterisk (*) are CPE eligible. Specific credit amounts will be announced closer to the event.

Email us at [email protected] and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.

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