[Webinar] The Hard Part of AI Isn't AI: What It Actually Takes to Automate Your Finance Function
- Date
- Friday, September 11, 2026
- Time
- · Midday
- Venue
- Location provided upon approval
- Format
- Virtual
- Access
- Free
About this event
In this webinar, Charlie O'Donnell of nextNYC talks with Propeller Industries founder Chris Fenster to talk about why the hard part of AI isn't AI. It's the dirty data, the processes that were never actually written down, and the accountability question nobody on LinkedIn wants to answer: when the number goes to your board, who signs? Everyone on LinkedIn says AI will run your finance function by Friday. So why did McKinsey find that only 39% of companies can attribute any bottom-line impact to AI, and why is Microsoft hiring 6,000 humans to deploy it? Chris Fenster has spent 18 years inside the finance functions of high-growth companies as founder of Propeller Industries (1,500+ companies served, 24 unicorns). He'll break down why AI demos fall apart on contact with real companies, why the "AI guy" on your team is a liability disguised as an asset, and what "finance-grade AI" actually requires before an auditor, board, or acquirer will trust the output. If your company is somewhere between "we should be using AI" and "why isn't this working," this session is for you. This is event is hosted by nextNYC. To learn more about nextNYC and/or sign up for their newsletter, visit http://next.nyc
Who it is for
- Operators
- Founders
Nontechnical orientation
What happens there
- Content
Topics
- AI
- Fintech
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