A curated network of the region’s senior-most technology leaders, long-tenured and first-time CTOs alike. Members learn from each other every month on Zoom and in person around the region.
Peers only. No selling.
2001to 2026Celebrating 25 years
Exception Handlers, episode 17 ·
Alex and Bill sit down with LA CTO Forum founders Oded Noy and Tony Karrer to celebrate 25 years of bringing LA's top tech leaders together, from scrappy early meetups to navigating dot-com busts, AI booms, and everything in between.
Sessions are built on members’ own experience: what they tried, what they measured, what they would do differently. Here is what has been on the agenda lately.
Some formats run on a set rhythm; others are there whenever you need them.
2nd Friday · 8–10 AM · Zoom · Members only
Members bring the challenges in front of them and get guidance from peers who have handled them.
Members only
A members-only roundtable each quarter, most recently in July.
In person · Members and VIP guests
Panels and conversations in person around Southern California, made possible by our sponsors.
Online · Some open to guests
Focused programs on a single topic, most recently “Real-World Lessons from Shipping LLM-Based Software.”
Discord and email · Accepted members
Ask a question, get an intro or compare notes with peers, without waiting for the next meeting.
The Exception Handlers podcast
Conversations with technology leaders about what is working now, on your own time.
Members lead technology at organizations across Southern California. Evening events meet in person around the region.
Members
Tech Talk features Exception Handlers, the Forum’s podcast hosted by Alex and Bill.
With Jennifer Wadella
Alex and Bill interview Jennifer Wadella, Engineering Manager at Chromatic, about how AI broke the hiring process. From thousands of near-identical resumes to fake candidates showing up for interviews, they explore what hiring managers and job-seeking engineers have to do to get past the AI gatekeepers.
With Michael Coletta
Alex and Bill interview Michael Coletta, CTO of Orbex Global Markets, about going all-in on AI in work and life - from a Claude Code morning briefing wired into every inbox and an agent that answers his messages, to a homegrown council of LLMs that red-team each other's output.
Alex and Bill deep dive on the nuts and bolts of software factories, from how they should be structured to why you should bother with them at all.
I feel lucky to have found the LA CTO Forum when I moved to LA. It is a great group of people with a wide range of experience and insight into the challenges of being an effective technology leader. I learn something at every meeting I go to, and I try to attend as many as I can.
Annual Sponsors
Sponsors like these allow the Forum to continue serving our members. Our thanks to them, and to all of you for your continued support.
The global talent platform for hiring AI-fluent software engineers, building nearshore teams in Latin America, Canada and Europe.
A CDW company and AWS Premier Tier Partner providing cloud managed services, consulting and AI solutions for AWS customers.
There is no membership fee. Members pay with their commitment to contribute to the group and to each other.
Tell us about your role, your company and the challenges in front of you.
Every application is reviewed by the membership committee.
About your company, your role, your key challenges and goals.
Once accepted, attend a meeting to complete your membership.
Within 3 monthsBring your challenges, and help with everyone else’s.
Questions first? Write to Tony Karrer at akarrer@techempower.com
