How It Works
APN membership is nomination-driven and committee-reviewed. Here is the complete four-step path from referral to welcome.
Get nominated
A current APN member refers you
Membership begins with a personal referral. A current APN member who knows your professional character and work nominates you using their referral code.
Every APN member in good standing holds referral codes. There is no limit on the number of nominations a member can make, but each referral reflects on them personally, so the social accountability is built in.
If you don't know a current member, reach out through the Contact page. The Membership Committee may be able to facilitate an introduction.
Submit your nomination request
Complete the nomination request form
Once you have a referral code, complete the nomination request form. You'll share your professional background, the area of expertise you represent, your location, and a brief statement of mission alignment.
The form is designed to feel like what it is, a request for consideration at a network you want to be part of. It takes thought, not a resume paste.
On submission, you will receive a confirmation with information on next steps and expected timeline.
Committee review
2 reviewers, quarterly ratification by the founding body
Your nomination request is reviewed by the Membership Committee. Two reviewers assess the nomination, at least one of whom is a Founding Member.
The Committee reviews professional standing, mission alignment, the nominator's vouching, and fit with the network's existing composition. Automated pre-checks on public professional presence run in the background and flag, but never auto-reject, anything unusual.
Admissions are ratified by the full Founding Body on a quarterly basis. Any Founding Member may escalate any admission for a full two-thirds vote within the ratification window. This ensures the founding body remains the final arbiter of who joins.
Welcome to APN
Agreements, profile, dues, and your own referral codes
Admitted members sign the Code of Conduct, Confidentiality Agreement, and Conflict-of-Interest Agreement, the foundational terms of APN membership.
You'll set up your member profile and configure your privacy settings. Public profiles are opt-in for Professional and Student members.
Dues are paid annually per the structure set by the Founding Members. Once in good standing, you receive your own referral codes to nominate professionals you know.
A note on founding seats
APN’s founding body consists of 9 seats. The founding cohort is complete. Founding Membership is by invitation of the governing body only, it is not open for nomination requests.
The four-step process above applies to Professional and Student membership. The path into the network is through these tiers. Founding seats are transparent in their scarcity because scarcity is what gives each seat its meaning, governance authority in a body of nine, not nine hundred.
What to expect on timeline
The Membership Committee reviews nominations on a rolling basis. Ratification by the founding body occurs quarterly. You will receive a confirmation when your nomination request is received and communication from the Committee as your nomination progresses.
We are deliberate, not slow, the process takes thought because membership takes thought. If you have questions at any point, reach out through the Contact page.