Ambassador Membership
Our most exclusive level of membership in the CTO Craft Community
Why become a cto craft ambassador?
A CTO Craft Ambassador helps articulate the embodiment of our mission, vision, ethos, values, purpose and goals through words and actions.
Join us as an Ambassador and represent CTO Craft as a VIP Member, Shareholder and part-owner in a positive diplomatic capacity on behalf of other members and the CTO Craft brand.
Ambassador Membership is our most exclusive level of membership within the CTO Craft Community offering substantial benefits including discounts, and preferred status, but also an opportunity to become a part-owner by acquiring shares in CTO Craft Limited, the company behind the community. As a shareholder, you gain a voice in the business and stand to benefit from the value we create and grow together.
For UK citizens, this membership also provides the added advantage of EIS Tax Relief on your investment.
To qualify:
- You need to be a Chief Technology Officer or Senior Engineering or Technology leader and qualified to be a member of the CTO Craft community.
- You need to invest more than £5,000 as part of the current funding round running at that time. Typically, Ambassador members invest £10,000 per person.
- Be passionate about what we do at CTO Craft.
- Have read and accepted the Legal Disclaimer
We have a number of Strategic Partners who have secured Ambassador status for their own CTO’s. They are supporting the Community in multiple ways including investing in the business to help us grow.
Ambassador Membership Benefits
shareholder status
As a shareholder and part owner of CTO Craft, your investment directly contributes to securing, building, and expanding the resources needed to better serve our members.
If you’re a UK resident, you may also qualify for EIS Tax Relief, a government-backed initiative that allows investors to claim up to 30% income tax relief on EIS-eligible investments.
As a shareholder, you’ll have a voice at the Annual General Meeting, with the ability to vote on key matters, giving you a real influence in shaping the company’s growth and direction.
If the company pays a dividend this means you will be paid proportional to your investment and shareholding. And if we have an exit event or IPO participate in any shareholder distribution.
In essence, by working together, we aim to grow the business, deliver on CTO Craft’s Vision and Mission, and generate a positive return on your investment.
CAMPUS
You will automatically get free Campus access for 3 years post becoming an Ambassador member.
Like a University, ‘Campus’ is the online gateway to our membership services giving you access to CTO Craft resources, our continually growing intellectual property repository and the expanding offering of services we are building to serve our Members.
Furthermore, if you recommend anyone to us including new members or members of your own team they will get access to Campus at a 50% discount.
Annual Campus membership is currently £399+VAT per annum, your introductions will get that for £199+VAT per annum. Remember by making introductions you are helping us grow the CTO Craft membership community and in turn helping grow your investment.
EVENTS
Ambassador Members automatically get Discounted Pricing on all events that you book, and VIP status if you attend. Plus if you book on behalf of your team then they get access to preferential discounts as well.
This means not only will you get the best seats in the house at our events, but you will get significant savings for you and any colleagues you book on their behalf through your Ambassador Status.
MENTORING CIRCLES
Sponsorship or Partnerships
Should the company you work for or introduce to us be interested in sponsoring or partnering any of our events, or online digital campaigns, or programmes then they will get special discounted prices as a result of your Ambassador Membership status.
You will also get preferential services with selected Partners.
For example:
Albany has set up a special service offering for CTO Craft Ambassador Members.
Skiller Whale will allocate larger Grants to CTO Craft Ambassador Members for those that qualify.
Merchandise
Upon signing up, you’ll receive one of our iconic CTO Craft mugs as a welcome gift – a perfect addition to your workspace.
But that’s just the beginning, for the first three years of your Ambassador Membership, you’ll also enjoy exclusive surprise branded merchandise.
As we design and release new items for events and special occasions, we’ll send them directly to you, making sure you’re always part of our evolving journey. Each item serves as a token of appreciation, celebrating your role in shaping the CTO Craft community.
Our CTO Craft ambassador co-chairs
We’re thrilled to introduce Lee-Jon Ball and Emma Hopkinson-Spark as Co-Chairs of the Ambassador Member VIP Community, representing its interests at the highest level. Both have personally invested joining CTO Craft Limited as Non-Executive Directors and Strategic Advisors, ensuring that the voices of Ambassador Members and minority shareholders are strongly represented in the company’s decision-making and strategic vision.
Emma Hopkinson-Spark
Many of you will already know Emma, as she has served as one of the Chairs for both our online and in-person conferences over the years and has facilitated several of our Mentoring Circles.
Originally a professional musician, Emma transitioned to software and data engineering in the early 2000s. She became deeply involved in the agile movement, eventually becoming a subject matter expert for the Scrum Alliance, where she authored professional standards and exams, and hosted the Global Scrum Gathering in London.
Emma is an award-winning coach, creator of the Agile RPG game, and an active speaker in the tech community. After playing a key role in growing tech consultancy 101 Ways to investment, she now serves as the Director of Business Change at Bromford Housing Group and is a Board Trustee for Vision North Somerset, applying her expertise to support social enterprises and non-profits.
Emma is also the Chair of the Remuneration Committee.
Lee-Jon Ball
You’re likely also familiar with Lee-Jon, who has served as one of the Chairs for our online and in-person conferences over the years. Since January 2024, he has also been a Strategic Advisor, instrumental in shaping the growth strategy for CTO Craft.
With a PhD in nuclear magnetic resonance, he’s officially known as Dr. Lee-Jon Ball. A former academic and scientist, Lee-Jon’s entrepreneurial spirit led him to edit a lifestyle magazine and run two nightclubs in Manchester, the UK’s music hub. Nowadays, you can often find him rock climbing in his free time.
Lee-Jon has advised major companies like Expedia, AIG, Notonthehighstreet, and M&S on technology, innovation, and organizational design. He is passionate about helping people achieve exceptional results by fostering the right environment for success. In addition to working with large enterprises, he has mentored startups across various sectors, including healthcare, social impact, property, and e-commerce. He takes great satisfaction in helping others find simple solutions to their most challenging problems, often through the art of coding.
Lee-Jon is also the Chair of the Creative Committee.