Beyond the Books: How Founders and Finance Teams Win Together

​The relationship between founders and their finance teams is changing. The best startups aren't treating accounting as a back-office function any longer. They're building real partnerships with finance professionals who help them move faster, make better decisions, and scale with confidence.

​Join us for a candid, moderated fireside discussion bringing together founders and finance professionals who are leading that shift. We'll dig into what modern startup finance actually looks like, how the founder-accountant relationship has evolved, and what it takes to build a financial operation that grows with your company.

​The discussion runs 30-40 minutes, followed by open networking with light bites, a full bar, pinball, and a DJ at Europa in Pioneer Square.

​5:00 PM - Moderated fireside discussion
6:00 PM+ - Light bites, open networking, DJ, full bar, and pinball

​Speakers

​Peter Buss leads KBF Advisory, where he specializes in the complex tax challenges that come with rapid startup growth. He guides venture-backed and PE-owned companies through specialty tax issues including M&A purchase accounting, stock-based compensation, and uncertain tax positions. He brings a practical, in-the-trenches perspective on the financial challenges that trip up founders as they scale. LinkedIn

​Nicole Alvino is a repeat founder who has built multiple companies from zero, giving her hard-won perspective on what it actually takes to navigate the financial complexity of scaling a startup. Most recently as co-founder and CEO of Firstup, she grew the company to $100M ARR and 25% EBITDA margins; a level of financial performance few founders ever reach. Now building her next company at the intersection of AI and the future of work, she brings the kind of real-world financial insight that only comes from having done it more than once. LinkedIn

​Hosted by COUNT + KBF Advisory

COUNT is a modern accounting platform built for collaborative finance. It combines the books with the conversation, so accountants and their clients can work together in real time.

KBF Advisory is a financial services firm specializing in startups and growing companies. They work alongside founders to build the financial infrastructure, strategy, and clarity needed to scale with confidence.