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We’re posting a series of vignettes to celebrate Salesforce’s 20th birthday. Follow our digital scrapbook to get a behind the scenes glimpse of our history.

 

A Certified Technical Architect (CTA) is the pinnacle credential holder. Someone who demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and capabilities to design and build high-performance technical solutions on the Salesforce platform across all domains. They are still quite rare gems. But as Salesforce turns 20, times they are a changing! 

Did you know, the prestigious CTA credential was launched back in 2011? The very first 10 CTAs were certified in that September. And although they were quickly recognized for their excellence, there remained questions around the rigorous CTA Review Board exam and what was actually required to pass it.

To develop a clearer way for our Trailblazers to reach the top, the Architect Academy was launched in February 2016, providing the first official CTA preparation resources.




But the people wanted MOAR! To further empower our Ohana, the Salesforce Architect Journey was introduced at Dreamforce '17. Giving our budding Architects a clear path to follow with certifications for each Domain—essentially creating “stepping stones” to the CTA credential pinnacle. 




It was an immediate hit. And this clearly defined path continues to accelerate growth—doubling the Designer and Domain certifications earned by our Architect Trailblazer Community each year since launch. 


Fun fact: The Architect program got their first official stickers in 2018, including one from our first ever, exclusive CTA Summit at Dreamforce '18.



To help push the needle of gender equality in Tech Leadership, we held a Meet Up at Dreamforce '17 to encourage and support women interested in achieving Salesforce Architect credentials. The community also embraced this idea and the Ladies Be Architects group was formed in October 2017. 




Founder, Gemma Emmett, describes it as, 

“Just a bunch of WiT (Women in Tech) believing in ourselves and doing the Salesforce Architect certs together. With virtual study groups every month, ALL those on their #JourneytoCTA are welcome.”





A little over a year later, the group has over 1,200 members, including many amazing allies.




In fact, Gemma was awarded the Golden Hoodie at London World Tour '18 for her work in growing diversity at this top technical tier. 




Now, you'll find Architect trailmixes, Architect bootcamps at major in-person events, and even a CTA Candidate Preparation Workshop all designed (combined with a lot of hard work!) to help you join the CTA elite. 




Eight years after CTA inception, the need for Architect-related skills, experience, and credentials is greater than ever. If you have the knowledge, grit, and talent required, you'll open unlimited opportunities for advancement and leadership as one of the most respected and sought-after problem solvers in the tech world. 


Why not embrace your inner architect? Get started on your #JourneyToCTA path today.