What We Learned from Bringing Together the Future of Finance

Last month, our team at Blue Onion hosted the first-ever Every Day Summit in New York City and I’m still energized by the momentum we created together in just a few short hours.

When we decided to host this event, the vision was clear: create a space for proactive, forward-thinking finance and accounting leaders to come together, share ideas, and build a sense of community around the challenges (and opportunities) we’re all navigating every day. And based on what I heard and saw from attendees, speakers, and our own team it’s clear that this community was ready for it.

Why “Every Day”?

The name "Every Day Summit" wasn’t accidental. At Blue Onion, we talk a lot about how proactive accounting isn’t a quarterly or year-end mindset; it's something that happens every single day. It’s about having the right data, the right tools, and the right processes to make better decisions in real time.

That same spirit carried through the entire event. From our opening conversation on the state of AI in finance, to tactical workshops on how to build cleaner data foundations, the day centered around helping finance professionals stay ahead every day, not someday.

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A Room Full of Builders

One of my favorite parts of the summit? The attendees. We had CFOs from hyper-growth startups, controllers from mid-market companies, VPs of finance, accounting leads, data analysts, and operations folks and they all have one thing in common - they aren’t afraid to challenge the status quo.

These were people who aren’t waiting around for finance to be redefined. They’re the ones actively building it. People who are tired of wrestling with bad data, manual close processes, and a tech stack full of duct tape and are ready to chart a new course. Hearing their stories and seeing the shared nods of recognition in the room reminded me why we started Blue Onion in the first place.

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Real Talk About AI

Of course, a large part of the event was focused on talking about AI. What stood out? Everyone’s excited about AI, but cautious and rightfully so. We talked about what it really takes to implement AI into finance workflows in a way that’s responsible, secure, and actually useful (hint: it starts with clean, trusted data). I appreciated the honesty of the conversation. No buzzwords, no hype. Just real talk about what’s working, what’s not, and what’s next.

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Reconciliation Is Just the Beginning

One of the big themes we explored throughout the day was how reconciliation is just the tip of the iceberg. It’s where most finance automation starts but it’s certainly not where it ends.

Blue Onion led a panel discussion in which we dug into how companies are using a clean data layer to unlock strategic planning, automate reporting, and build trust with leadership teams. It’s a powerful shift from spending hours chasing down inconsistencies to actually having the time to analyze trends, model future scenarios, and tell a clear financial story.

That’s the future of finance we believe in at Blue Onion. One where your systems work for you. Where your team has superpowers. And where finance becomes a true driver of growth and not a bottleneck.

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The Power of In-Person

This might sound old school, but hosting this event in person was such an important part of the magic. There’s something powerful about getting people in a room who might otherwise never cross paths. CFOs of DTC brands chatting with accounting leads from SaaS companies. Founders comparing notes on tech stacks. New grads asking seasoned controllers how they’ve navigated change.

I left the event with my notebook full of insights but more importantly, I left feeling connected to something bigger. And I wasn’t alone.

The feedback we’ve heard since the event has been incredible. People told us they felt seen. That they didn’t realize other finance teams were struggling with the same challenges. That they finally found a group of peers who get it. That’s the community we’re building.

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What’s Next

The Every Day Summit was just the beginning. We’ll be hosting more in-person gatherings in the coming months, continuing the conversation online, and sharing stories from finance leaders who are paving the way.

If you missed the event, don’t worry, we’ll be releasing videos, key takeaways, and a community newsletter in the coming weeks. And if you were there, thank you. Thank you for showing up, for speaking candidly, for asking hard questions, and for being part of what’s next in finance.

At Blue Onion, our mission is simple. It’s to help finance teams move faster with cleaner, more trusted data. But behind that mission is something bigger and a belief that the work of finance matters. That your insights are only as good as the data behind them. And that when finance teams are empowered, entire companies perform better.

To everyone who joined us for the Every Day Summit thank you for showing up and talking about the future of our industry. And I can’t wait to keep building with you.

With gratitude,
Lyndsey

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You can watch the recap of the Every Day Summit and full panel discussion on our YouTube channel.