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Financial Cents Launches MCP Server to Put Firm Data to Work Inside Everyday AI Assistants

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New Model Context Protocol server lets accounting, bookkeeping and tax firms ask questions and take action on their Financial Cents data from Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini and other AI tools — scoped to one account, authorized by the firm and revocable anytime.

ATLANTA, Oct. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Financial Cents, a leading accounting practice management software, today announced the launch of the Financial Cents MCP, a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that connects a firm’s Financial Cents account to the AI assistants it already uses, including Claude, ChatGPT and Gemini. Once connected, firms can ask plain-English questions about their work — like “What’s overdue this week?” or “Which invoices are still unpaid?” — and have their assistant take action, from logging time to creating tasks, without copying data out of their practice management system.

The launch comes as firms are adopting AI faster than they can connect it to their actual work. In Financial Cents’ recent State of AI in Bookkeeping & Accounting: 2026 Report — based on a survey of nearly 500 accounting and bookkeeping professionals across North America — 95% said they already use AI in some capacity, yet only about one in five could point to a clear, measurable return. Part of the reason is structural: a firm’s real data lives inside its practice management software, separate from the chat window where their AI runs, so getting value has required constant copy-pasting and tab-switching.

The Financial Cents MCP closes that gap. A firm connects its account once and lets its assistant read and update its Financial Cents data directly (within the firm’s set permission levels), turning the status checks, time logging and client follow-ups that eat up the day into simple, plain-English requests.

“Firms don’t need another place to work — they need their work to show up where they already are,” said Shahram Zarshenas, CEO of Financial Cents. “Your clients, deadlines and numbers shouldn’t be trapped in one more tab you have to open. With the MCP, you just ask, in plain language, and the answer comes from your own real data. And because this tool runs on your existing permissions and confirms with you before changing anything, you still stay in control of every decision.”

How Firms Use the MCP

A bookkeeper can check this month’s close across clients or spin up a client’s recurring tasks; a tax preparer can find who still hasn’t uploaded documents and assign the follow-ups; a firm owner can see what’s overdue, who owns it or what’s outstanding in unpaid invoices — in seconds, and within their own permissions.

Control and Security Built In

Control and security are part of how the connection works. Authentication uses OAuth 2.1, so no password or API key is ever shared with the AI client, and each connection is bound to a single firm account. The assistant confirms before it makes any changes, every action is audited and rate limited, and access can be revoked in one click. Deletes are intentionally not available over the MCP at all, and the connection runs inside Financial Cents, which is SOC 2 certified and encrypts data in transit and at rest.

The MCP is the latest in a series of releases meant to give small firms a practical path into AI. In recent months, Financial Cents has launched three free AI agents (AI File Renamer, AI File Validator and AI File Router) for repetitive document work, published its State of AI report and released an AI edition of Two Cents Magazine. The through-line is AI that fits the way firms already work, rather than asking them to adopt a new system.

“The firms getting the most out of AI right now aren’t those with the biggest tech stack, but those who kept it simple and stayed in control,” Zarshenas added. “Our job is to meet firms where they are. The MCP brings their real data into the tools they’ve already chosen, on their terms, so the technology handles the busywork and the human experts keep the judgment.”

The Financial Cents MCP is available now on the Scale plan. Firms can connect their assistant in minutes with a single server URL and standard sign-in — no developer setup — by following the setup guide. Firms new to Financial Cents can start a 14-day free trial. Learn more at financial-cents.com/mcp.

About Financial Cents
Financial Cents is a leading practice management platform built to help accounting and bookkeeping firms streamline workflows, improve collaboration and scale without chaos. Named Best Ease of Use in Accounting Practice Management and Tax Practice Management by Capterra for 2026, Financial Cents is rated 4.8 out of 5 by users on Capterra and 4.7 out of 5 stars on G2. Thousands of firms across North America rely on Financial Cents to manage their work, clients and teams in one place. Learn more at financial-cents.com.

Media Contact
marketing@financial-cents.com

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SOURCE Financial Cents

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HKAGE Showcases Gifted Students’ Learning Journeys at InnoCarnival 2026

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Promoting “Technology for Good” Through Innovation and Creativity 

HONG KONG, Oct. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Hong Kong Academy for Gifted Education (HKAGE) has been invited to participate in InnoCarnival 2026, organised by the Innovation and Technology Commission. Under the theme “Technology for Good, Innovation for All”, HKAGE will showcase the learning journeys of gifted students who have completed programmes on AI robotic arms, underwater archaeology, etc., demonstrating how technology can be harnessed to address societal needs.

Having proactively aligned its work with the education development strategies of the Education Bureau (EDB), HKAGE fully supports the EDB’s Blueprint for Digital Education in Primary and Secondary Schools, which seeks to advance the digital transformation of school education in Hong Kong. Building on its Talent Development Model, HKAGE systematically develops programmes, provides diversified learning experiences and engages in cross-sector collaborations to nurture gifted talents equipped with innovative capabilities, technological literacy, and a strong sense of social responsibility. At the exhibition this year, HKAGE will present how students applied knowledge gained through gifted education programmes and learning experiences in areas such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, environmental science, underwater archaeology and sustainable development to design socially conscious solutions. These experiences reflect the students’ ability to serve society with knowledge and respond creatively to diverse challenges.

Among the highlights is the learning journey of students in the “Artificial Intelligence Course: Creative AI Robotic Arm for Inclusion”. After acquiring foundational knowledge in artificial intelligence, robotics and sensor applications, students designed, tested and refined intelligent robotic arm prototypes through real-time data analysis and algorithms. With the aim of improving the quality of life for the elderly and caregivers, students explored various application scenarios for intelligent robotic arms. Another showcase features the “Environmental Science Course: Bat Echoes – Voices of the Night”. Through acoustic monitoring, the exhibition demonstrates how students recorded bat voices and analysed related activity data and characteristics. The programme enabled students to gain a deeper understanding of local biodiversity and explore practical approaches to ecological conservation.

The HKAGE exhibition booth also features an interactive photo-taking device, allowing visitors to take photos with different gifted programme themes and share the joy of learning.

On the first day of the exhibition, a “Build Your Own Glider Parent-Child Workshop” is specially organised by HKAGE for the visitors. Under the guidance of instructors and assisted by HKAGE students, participants will learn the basic principles of aerodynamics, including lift, gravity, thrust and drag. They will also learn to design, assemble and decorate their own gliders by using lightweight and durable materials, experiencing the joy of science and engineering.

Mr WONG Chung Po, Acting Executive Director of HKAGE, said: “The Academy is committed to providing gifted students with diversified learning platforms and encouraging them to transform knowledge into innovative practices that generate positive social impact. Participation in this exhibition not only provides students with a valuable learning experience that helps consolidate the knowledge acquired in gifted programmes, but also enables the public to better understand how gifted education nurtures a new generation of creative and socially responsible talents to jointly advance the philosophy of ‘Technology for Good’.”

InnoCarnival 2026 – The Hong Kong Academy for Gifted Education

Date:

24 Oct – 1 Nov

Venue:

The Hong Kong Science Park

Booth:

C08-09

Time:

10:00 – 17:00 (Mon to Fri)

10:00 – 18:00 (Sat & Sun)

 

About the HKAGE

Established in 2008 and subvented by the Education Bureau, the HKAGE offers gifted education services actively to local primary and secondary school students to unleash their potential. It also provides gifted education-related information and support for teachers, parents, and other relevant stakeholders.

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SOURCE Hong Kong Academy for Gifted Education

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LEAP Group Relaunches HumanView, a Growth Intelligence System Built to Explain Why Customers Behave the Way They Do

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Reimagined from the ground up, HumanView pairs statistical modeling with expert analysts to turn millions of real-world customer signals into business decisions

LOUISVILLE, Ky., Oct. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — LEAP Group today announced the relaunch of HumanView, its growth intelligence service. The new version has been rebuilt from the ground up and now has a dedicated home at leapgroupnetwork.com/humanview.

HumanView analyzes what customers say and do across social platforms, e-commerce sites, review platforms, search behavior and user-generated content, including signals from Reddit, TikTok, YouTube, Meta, Amazon and Walmart+ that general AI tools cannot always access. Because the data reflects unprompted, real-world behavior, it avoids the response bias built into surveys and focus groups.

The service works in three layers. HumanView captures signals at scale, decodes millions of records through validated statistical models such as regression, correlation and clustering, and then relies on experienced analysts to interpret the patterns. Clients receive clear, human-validated insights instead of another dashboard.

“Machines find the patterns. Humans find the point,” said Alan Gilleo, CEO at LEAP Group. “The first version of HumanView showed us how much customers reveal when nobody is asking them questions. This version is built to explain why they act the way they do, and to put those answers in front of everyone making decisions, from product to service to marketing.”

HumanView focuses on three areas:

Growth Intelligence: customer motivations and how people perceive a brand and its competitors

Market and Category Intelligence: product pain points, service friction, unmet needs and competitive gaps

Audience Intelligence: new segments, positioning opportunities and gaps in the market

Every model is designed and validated by data scientists and benchmarked before it informs a recommendation.

To learn more about HumanView, visit leapgroupnetwork.com/humanview.

About LEAP Group
LEAP Group is a boutique marketing agency holding company with offices in Louisville, Indianapolis, Cincinnati and Chicago. Guided by the belief that brands should “Market Less. Matter More.,” LEAP gives clients access to specialized experts across its entire network. Learn more at leapgroupnetwork.com.

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SOURCE LEAP Group

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STEPHEN A. SMITH ADDRESSES WHITE HOUSE DINNER ATTENDANCE, REAFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO HBCUs AND PROTECTING CORPORATE INVESTMENT IN BLACK EDUCATION

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NEW YORK, Oct. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Stephen A. Smith, media mogul, New York Times bestselling author, and proud 1991 graduate of Winston-Salem State University, is addressing the public discussion surrounding his decision to attend a White House dinner with President Donald Trump, emphasizing his commitment to the long-term financial stability of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

For Smith, the decision was rooted in a commitment to institutions that have educated generations of Black leaders, professionals, entrepreneurs, and public servants.

“I will always advocate for HBCUs and the students whose futures depend on them,” Smith said. “My reason for attending the White House dinner was to discuss the challenges these institutions face in securing long-term funding and to make the case that corporate America must continue to invest in them.”

Smith acknowledged federal support through the FUTURE Act while expressing concern that political tensions surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) could discourage private companies from supporting HBCUs. He maintains that these institutions deserve sustained corporate partnerships, philanthropic contributions, and public investment.

“If we truly believe in free-market capitalism, businesses should be able to support educational institutions and charitable causes without fear of criticism or repercussions,” Smith said. “HBCUs have made extraordinary contributions to this country. They deserve sustained public and private investment.”

Ashley Christopher, Esq., Founder and CEO of the HBCU Week Foundation, recognized Smith’s advocacy and decision to engage with the administration.

“Stephen A. Smith has been a powerful advocate for HBCUs, using his platform and influence to shine a national spotlight on our institutions,” expressed Christopher, “His continued support of HBCU Week helps advance our mission of connecting students with life-changing educational opportunities, and we are proud to have him as our ambassador.”

Since Smith became an HBCU Week Ambassador in 2019, the initiative has facilitated more than 15,000 on-the-spot college acceptances and raised and awarded more than $150 million in scholarships, according to the HBCU Week Foundation.

As public discussion continues, Smith is emphasizing the importance of ensuring HBCUs have the resources and partnerships needed to educate future generations and expand opportunities for students.

CLICK HERE to watch Smith’s full response to his White House visit.

MEDIA CONTACT:

media@mrsasinc.com

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SOURCE Straight Shooter Media

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