What CTO Forum does

CTO Forum is an independent, non-profit membership organization founded in 2005 by Silicon Valley entrepreneur Basheer Janjua. It convenes senior technology and business leaders from Fortune 500 organizations through a selectively gated, application-based membership model, operating programs under Chatham House Rule to enable candid peer-to-peer dialogue. Its offerings include the Six Series I and II (digital transformation and emerging technology curricula), the Technology Management Series (eight-module program), the Enterprise AI Leadership Series (launched for 2026), the Tech Titans Roundtable (quarterly executive forums), and the RETHINK STRATEGY program co-developed with Harvard Business School. The organization delivers programming through in-person events in Silicon Valley, New York, San Francisco, and select European cities, supplemented by a gated web-based Knowledge Center containing over a decade of keynotes, panels, interviews, and Q&A video content. Its core technology is a standard member portal and event management platform with video content delivery; no proprietary AI/ML systems are built or licensed as a product.

Revenue is generated exclusively through recurring membership dues from Fortune 500 enterprises; pricing is not publicly disclosed and the organization operates without external investors, sponsorships tied to product promotion, or commercial advertising. The model emphasizes trust and non-commercialism: company pitches and product spiels are explicitly prohibited. The advisory board draws executives from organizations including AMD, Analog Devices, Apple, Autodesk, Bank of America, Bread Financial, GE, Google, Home Depot, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Humana, IBM, Intuit, Kaiser Permanente, Medtronic, Nordstrom, Pinterest, PSEG, Siemens, Smurfit Westrock, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Verizon, VSP Vision, Walmart, Wayfair, Wells Fargo, Whole Foods Market, and Zappos, spanning technology, financial services, healthcare, retail, industrial, telecommunications, manufacturing, utilities, and life sciences verticals.

Name

CTO Forum

Legal name

CTO Forum

Website

https://ctoforum.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CTO Forum is an independent, non-profit membership organization founded in 2005 that convenes Fortune 500 C-level technology and business executives for peer learning and strategic dialogue under Chatham House Rule, delivering curated programs and a gated video knowledge center across multiple cities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Education & Peer Forums

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Executive Summits & Invitation-Only Forums (MPAGAGAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Executive Leadership Summits (C-Suite, Board, Strategy Offsites) (THAHAMAA), Functional Summits (HR, Finance, IT, Marketing, Procurement, Legal) (THAHAMAJ)

Keywords

• Executive peer forums
• Technology leadership programs
• Non-profit member networks
• Executive education programs
• C-suite roundtable series

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Clara

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Revenue derived from membership fees for Fortune 500 senior technology and business executives. Organization operates as independent non-profit with no commercial or profit-driven agenda.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CTO Forum is an independent, non-profit membership organization that convenes senior technology and business executives from Fortune 500 companies in a trusted, non-commercial environment for peer-to-peer knowledge sharing, executive education, and selective roundtable discussions. It delivers curated multi-module programs (Six Series I, Six Series II, Technology Management Series, Enterprise AI Leadership Series, Tech Titans Roundtable) and a members-only Knowledge Center of keynotes, panels, and interviews under Chatham House Rule.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Six Series I: A series of programs covering Rethink Customers, Rethink Strategy, Rethink Culture, Rethink Operations, Rethink Data, and Rethink Technology - examining key aspects of digital transformation.
• Six Series II
• Technology Management Series (TMS)
• Enterprise AI Leadership Series (EAILS)
• Tech Titans Roundtable
• RETHINK Strategy

Products and services

• Enterprise AI Leadership Series (EAILS) A four-module executive program launched in 2026 for senior technology and business leaders examining how AI is reshaping enterprise leadership, governance, scaling, and competitive positioning.
• Six Series I A multi-program series covering six digital transformation themes (Customers, Strategy, Culture, Operations, Data, Technology) for senior technology and business executives.
• Six Series II A follow-on series of six programs focused on emerging technologies including AI, immersive tech, computing, data science, robotics, and generative AI.
• Technology Management Series (TMS) An eight-module program designed to help technology leaders navigate digital transformation, covering AI leadership, supply chain, financial management, human-centered design, and annual in-person gatherings.
• Tech Titans Roundtable Series A selective, non-commercial quarterly roundtable forum for Fortune 500 C-level executives examining AI's strategic, cultural, and operational impact, held under Chatham House Rule.
• Knowledge Center Video Library Members-only archive of recorded keynotes, panels, interviews, and Q&As from leading innovation thought leaders, curated over more than a decade.

Named customers30 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Harvard Business SchoolflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Exclusive executive education program collaboration for the RETHINK STRATEGY series. Jointly developed curriculum addressing challenges senior technology and business executives face in fostering innovation, corporate renewal, and systemic growth. Program provides academic rigor combined with industry practitioner insights.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Evanta (a Gartner Company): Operates invitation-only executive communities and summits for CIOs, CISOs, CHROs, and other C-suite leaders. Closely comparable peer community + events model to CTO Forum, with similar Chatham House-style governance and Fortune 500 audience.
• World Economic Forum: Invites a curated, invitation-only community of CEOs, heads of state, and senior executives to high-level summits under Chatham House-adjacent rules. Directly comparable to CTO Forum in operating invitation-only C-suite forums, though at a much larger scale and broader agenda.
• Chief Executive Group: Membership organization and event operator for Fortune 500 CEOs and senior executives, hosting roundtables, summits, and peer learning programs. Directly comparable executive peer model targeting the same buyer profile as CTO Forum.
• Forbes Technology Council: Invitation-only membership community for senior technology executives offering curated content, events, and peer networking. Closely comparable to CTO Forum in member profile (C-suite tech leaders) and selective community/event model.
• The Executive Agenda: Invitation-only peer membership organization for senior executives, hosting CEO and C-suite roundtables and forums. Directly comparable selective membership + roundtable format and target buyer to CTO Forum.

Broad incumbents

• MIT Sloan Executive Education: Major executive education provider offering C-suite programs in technology strategy, AI, and innovation — overlapping with CTO Forum's Technology Management Series and RETHINK Strategy content areas, with deeper academic resources.
• Harvard Business School Executive Education: Premier executive education arm of HBS already partnered with CTO Forum on RETHINK STRATEGY. Competes for the same C-suite learning budget and serves an overlapping audience of senior technology and business executives.
• Gartner: Global research and advisory firm serving CIOs, CTOs, and senior technology executives with research, advisory, and executive programs. Comparable in serving the same Fortune 500 technology leader audience, though via research/content rather than peer forums.

Others

• Aspatore (Thomson Reuters): Publishes books, articles, and thought leadership from senior business executives and C-level leaders. Adjacent to CTO Forum's Knowledge Center content strategy and serves an overlapping C-suite audience as content provider rather than event operator.

Emerging players

• WITI (Women in Technology International): Professional network and conference organizer for women in technology, including senior executives. Comparable audience (senior technology leaders) and event-based community model, though focused on a specific demographic segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/116577395039897
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cto-forum
• Xx.com/ctoforum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CTO Forum