What LA CTO Forum does

LA CTO Forum is a private, invite-only, non-profit professional membership organization for software CTOs in Southern California, founded in 2001. It curates a network of 350+ preeminent technology leaders who are typically the senior-most person at their organization for software, data, and web/mobile development. The organization runs on a 'give-back' model: membership is free, and members 'pay' by contributing expertise and time to the community. Members are admitted via a committee-reviewed application followed by a provisional period, supporting quality control of the peer pool.

The organization's core deliverables are member gatherings — monthly member-only meetings (second Friday, 8–10AM, currently via Zoom), quarterly roundtables, and six annual evening meetings open to members and VIP guests — held across Santa Monica, Orange County, Pasadena, Hollywood, and Torrance. It has extended its value proposition beyond in-person programming through the 'Tech Talk' content property and the 'Exception Handlers' podcast, covering AI, agentic systems, AI security, and CTO careers, distributed via Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and a members-only Discord channel.

The business model is community-led and non-commercial at the membership level. Revenue mechanics are not disclosed; AWS is the sole named commercial sponsor, and the organization co-programs with the Product Management Association Los Angeles (PMA.LA). Leadership comprises co-founder and chairman Oded Noy (also CTO of Crexi and an active senior operating partner in private equity) and board member Tony Karrer (also of TechEmpower). There are no disclosed funding rounds, no parent entity, and no commercial product line — LA CTO Forum's operating surface is its membership network and its derivative content properties.

Name

LA CTO Forum

Legal name

LA CTO Forum

Website

https://lactoforum.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

LA CTO Forum is a private, invite-only Southern California membership network of 350+ software CTOs, founded in 2001, operating on a free give-back model with monthly meetings, roundtables, and the Exception Handlers podcast.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Technology Leadership Association

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Executive Summits & Invitation-Only Forums (MPAGAGAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

Keywords

• Technology leadership community
• Professional networking
• CTO peer group
• Executive membership
• Software leadership

Headquarters

HQ city

El Segundo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership (Free): Membership is free; CTO Forum members 'pay' for membership with their commitment to contributing to the group and to fellow members. The organization has AWS as a sponsor.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

LA CTO Forum operates a private, invite-only membership network for senior-most technology leaders (CTOs) in Southern California. Members exchange ideas, share experiences, and support each other through monthly member meetings, quarterly roundtable discussions, six annual evening meetings, and curated content via Tech Talk and the Exception Handlers podcast.

Product overview

LA CTO Forum is a professional networking organization, not a software product company. It offers a membership-based community network for CTOs in Southern California, comprising monthly member meetings, quarterly roundtable discussions, and evening events. The organization also produces Tech Talk content including the 'Exception Handlers' podcast series covering technology leadership topics such as AI, agentic systems, and software development economics. The portfolio consists of the core membership network and associated knowledge-sharing content properties.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LA CTO Forum Membership Network Private, invite-only membership network for software CTOs in Southern California, providing peer exchange of ideas, shared experiences, and mutual support. Application-based admission reviewed by a membership committee.
• Monthly Member Meetings Members-only meetings held on the second Friday of every month from 8-10AM where CTOs raise challenges and receive guidance from peers in a collegial atmosphere. Currently conducted via Zoom, with in-person meetings historically in Santa Monica, Orange County, Pasadena, Hollywood, and Torrance.
• Quarterly Roundtable Meetings Quarterly peer discussion sessions where members raise challenges, share experiences, and provide feedback to fellow CTO community members.
• Evening Meetings Six evening meetings per year open to members and VIP guests, featuring presentations on technology ecosystem topics and networking opportunities.
• Exception Handlers Podcast The official podcast series of LA CTO Forum featuring interviews and discussions on technology leadership, agentic AI, AI security, the new economics of software, and CTO careers. Available on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and RSS.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• AWSminorOthersAWS serves as a sponsor for the LA CTO Forum, providing support for the organization's events and activities.
• Product Management Association Los Angeles (PMA.LA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint events with PMA.LA include panel discussions on product development and AI topics. The two organizations collaborate on sessions like the annual Product and Engineering meeting and AI-focused discussions.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Pavilion: Pavilion is a paid membership community for senior go-to-market and technology leaders featuring local chapters, peer learning, and events. Comparable to LA CTO Forum because it operates chapter-based peer networks and content for senior tech buyers.
• Chief: Chief is a private, invite-only membership network for senior executives (with a CTO/CPO-track). Comparable to LA CTO Forum in its curated, peer-driven model for top technology and product leaders, though broader in persona and paid.

Regional players

• Built In LA: Built In LA is a regional tech community and content platform covering the Los Angeles tech ecosystem. Comparable to LA CTO Forum in serving the SoCal tech community with events and content, but is open and content-driven rather than invite-only CTO peer group.

Others

• Insight Partners (ScaleUp, CTO events): Insight Partners hosts CTO/engineering leadership summits and peer communities tied to its portfolio. Comparable to LA CTO Forum in serving CTO peer learning, but it is funded by and gated to a single VC's portfolio.
• First Round Capital CTO Summit: First Round Capital runs a recurring CTO Summit and broader CTO community programs for portfolio and invited engineering leaders. Comparable because it is an invite-style peer event series targeting CTOs, but it is hosted by a venture firm rather than an independent member organization.

Broad incumbents

• YPO (Young Presidents' Organization): YPO is an invite-only peer network for CEOs with chapter-based forums, events, and learning programs. Comparable in the curated, chapter-driven senior-executive forum model, though much larger and more diversified globally.
• Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO): EO is a global, paid peer network for entrepreneurs with chapter-based meetings and curated member access. Comparable to LA CTO Forum's chapter-style in-person peer gatherings and invite-gated community for senior operators.
• Vistage: Vistage runs paid, facilitated peer-advisory groups for CEOs and senior executives worldwide. It is comparable to LA CTO Forum because it monetizes an invite-style peer community for technology and business leaders, but at significantly larger scale and with structured paid membership.

Emerging players

• On Deck (On Deck Founders/Engineers): On Deck runs curated, paid cohort-based communities for founders and engineering leaders with peer programming and events. Comparable to LA CTO Forum in offering vetted peer communities for senior tech talent, though delivered as paid online cohorts.
• CTO Craft (by Honeypot / community): CTO Craft is an invite-style community and content platform for engineering leaders across Europe. Comparable to LA CTO Forum in its target persona (senior software/engineering leaders) and curated community approach, but operates primarily online and internationally.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/lactoforum
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/la-cto-forum

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 LA CTO Forum