KPMG US

☕ 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 As kids head back to school and onto the practice field, spending on sports has emerged as a big part of the back-to-school spending. According to our Consumer Pulse Back-to-School survey, 70% of parents plan to enroll their children in sports, with many also participating in extracurricular training and coaching. But what's driving the demand? Duleep Rodrigo, KPMG U.S. Consumer, Retail & Hospitality Leader, had this to say: "Sports have become essential spending for American families. It's tied to a family's routine, which makes it more resilient as consumers make tradeoffs elsewhere in the back-to-school budget. These aren't one-off purchases, either. If a brand can deliver, it can become the default destination for outgrown cleats, a new jersey, and the gear that gets replaced every season." Following a summer defined by marquee sports moments, it's clear why these activities remain front and center for so many American families. Mary Helen Sprecher at Sports Destination Management has the story: Study: Parents Prioritize Sports Spending as Kids Go Back to School: https://lnkd.in/e8gyvp6j

ICYMI: $145 billion flowed into U.S. venture capital in Q2'26, marking one of the strongest quarters on record. But a closer look reveals a market defined by hyper-concentration. With capital heavily favoring late-stage AI, what is the path forward for the broader startup ecosystem? KPMG Private leaders Erika Whitmore, Shivani Sopory, and Shari Mager recently unpacked the latest Venture Pulse findings. Watch the clip below as Shivani explains the forces shaping today's VC environment and where liquidity is heading next. 👇 #VentureCapital #VenturePulse #Startups #AI #KPMGPrivate

A well-deserved recognition for a voice shaping conversations on the economy. Congratulations to KPMG US Chief Economist Diane Swonk on being named to the Forbes 2026 50 Over 50 list. Her decades of insight have helped business leaders, policymakers and investors navigate change with greater confidence. https://lnkd.in/eBMaZuAh

KPMG Private Enterprise's Q2'26 Venture Pulse highlights a U.S. venture market that continues to operate at unprecedented scale. VC investment surged to nearly $145 billion during the quarter, fueled by massive AI and defensetech raises, while improving exit activity helped fuel optimism across the innovation ecosystem. Yet an important question remains: where does the market go from here? Join Erika Whitmore, Shivani Sopory and Shari Mager as they explore the forces shaping today's venture landscape, including: 🔹 Nearly $145 billion invested in U.S. venture capital during Q2'26, making it one of the strongest quarters on record 🔹 Continued concentration of capital into a small number of high-conviction AI and defensetech investments 🔹 Improving exit activity and growing expectations that liquidity could flow back into the broader startup ecosystem 🔹 Whether investors will continue doubling down on AI or begin expanding their focus to other emerging opportunities

What does it take to lead through disruption?   The answer was at the heart of the conversations that unfolded during the 2026 KPMG Tech & Innovation Symposium, where leaders explored how organizations can adapt, innovate, and create value amid rapid technological change.   In the latest edition of Opportunity (In)sight, we're recapping some of the event's biggest themes, including:   🔹 Adaptability as a competitive advantage in an increasingly unpredictable business environment 🔹 The leadership decisions required to turn AI ambition into business outcomes 🔹 Building trust, governance, and resilience as AI adoption accelerates 🔹 Preparing workforces to thrive alongside intelligent technologies 🔹 Emerging innovations shaping the future of industries, from robotics to quantum computing   Featuring perspectives from leaders including Tim Walsh, Atif Zaim, Stephen Chase, Rahsaan Shears, Aisha Tahirkheli, Brian Fields, and others, this edition highlights the ideas helping organizations move forward with greater speed and clarity.   Read the full newsletter ⤵️

As advances in quantum computing continue, organizations are evaluating how emerging risks could impact encryption, data protection, and long-term resilience. Join this timely LinkedIn Live conversation exploring the evolving quantum landscape, practical steps organizations can take now, and the role GenAI may play in accelerating readiness. More info below ⬇️

Companies today are managing an average of 3.5 transformations at once. In Transforming the Enterprise, we look at where transformation efforts slow down and what leaders can do to better orchestrate performance at scale in the age of AI. Explore the findings: https://ow.ly/6LuG50ZygZF

Trust. It was a reoccurring theme at KPMG's Tech & Innovation Symposium.   I spoke with Jason Clinton, Deputy CISO at Anthropic about cybersecurity in an age of increasingly capable AI systems, and many of Jason's comments resonated with me. "We need to fall in love with the basics again."   It's easy to get caught up in discussions about frontier models, agents, and what's around the corner. But trust still starts with the fundamentals: governance, accountability, risk management and importantly, people.   We also agreed on something else: zero risk is not an option. The opportunity is too significant. The real challenge is helping organizations move forward confidently while understanding and managing the risks that come with new technology.   Thanks, Jason, for a thoughtful conversation.

𝗜𝗻 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘁 | KPMG & The University of Texas at Austin recently unveiled the findings from its study exploring how early-career professionals work with AI, and why some consistently create more value than others.   𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴: Success with AI isn't determined by AI literacy, critical thinking, or domain knowledge alone. Researchers found that the biggest differentiator is how employees apply those capabilities, with top performers actively directing, challenging, and refining AI-generated outputs rather than simply accepting them.   As AI continues to raise the baseline for knowledge work, human value increasingly comes from judgment: how we guide, evaluate, and extend AI's contributions.   Deeper insights here: https://lnkd.in/eecgm3Tr

The future belongs to leaders who know when to trust experience—and when to trust the data. Hear from entrepreneur and investor Mark Cuban on how AI is reshaping decision-making and redefining competitive advantage. ▶️ Take a look. #KPMGTechandInnovation26