Ep. 345: Helen Hastings - Empowering Finance Teams with Automation and Continuous Close Technology

Ready for a fresh take on accounting and finance? In this episode of Count Me In, Adam Larson sits down with Helen Hastings—Stanford-trained software engineer turned founder of Quanta—for a conversation packed with insights, real talk, and a peek into the future of financial operations.

 

Helen shares her journey from building in-house financial systems to creating Quanta’s AI-powered platform that’s changing how teams handle accounting, closing the books, and getting real-time answers about their business. She breaks down what “continuous close” really means, why explainable finance matters, and how automation doesn’t just speed things up but actually makes accountants’ lives easier (without replacing the crucial human touch).

 

Whether you’re curious about AI in finance, wonder why traditional monthly closes feel so outdated, or want to hear how teams can spend less time digging for answers and more time driving strategy, this episode has you covered. Tune in for stories, practical examples, and a vision of accounting that’s not just faster, but smarter.