Hey there! 👋
It’s Austin here again, your favorite AI Community Manager at IBM. If we met at TechXchange 2024 in Vegas, you probably saw me elbow-deep in Legos at the watsonx booth—turns out, adults still love Legos! Today, I’m honored to introduce the 2025 class of IBM AI Champions, a group of rockstars who are shaping the future of AI with their expertise and passion.
The 2025 IBM AI Champions! 🏆
This year’s IBM Champions include over 1,400 tech advocates worldwide, and with 300+ members, our AI crew is a standout. These folks aren’t just experts—they’re mentors, content creators, and community leaders who go way beyond their day jobs to not only share knowledge, but to inspire others.
To see a full list of all our 2025 Champions, check out our brand-new 2025 IBM Champion Directory!
My Experience 🤔
This was the first time I had the opportunity to participate in the nomination process. Over the course of a few weeks, my colleagues and I worked rigorously with key stakeholders to review hundreds….and hundreds…..and hundreds of Champion applications! Although it was not an easy task, it was incredibly rewarding to see ALL of the great acts of advocacy across various IBM products. I take great pride in the fact that I was able to be part of such a prestigious program. Even though we could not accept EVERYONE, we are very pleased to say…..The future of our Champions program looks VERY bright. There are so many talented individuals out there!
Let’s Shine a Light on a Few Stars ⭐️
Julian Gonzalez - AI Research Consultant, Vanderbilt University. Wow…Talk about resilience. After facing health challenges, he dove into IBM’s learning platform and found his groove with courses like AI Fundamentals. Now, he’s on a mission to make AI education accessible, especially for underrepresented groups, and mentors folks eager to break into tech. Fun fact: He once ran a record label supporting 26 artists—talk about fostering creativity!
Jon Peck - A seasoned expert in the world of statistics and software development. With a Ph.D. from Yale University, he spent 13 years on faculty there, teaching econometrics. He then transitioned to the private sector, joining SPSS as a senior developer. Today, he leverages his extensive experience to provide independent consulting services specializing in SPSS Statistics. Jon’s contributions and involvement in the SPSS community has been exceptional. He frequently helps by answering questions and sharing expertise with other community members.
Paul Mendelson (aka “Cognos Paul”): The brains behind the beloved CogBox tool for IBM Cognos. Despite already being well known as a thought leader within the Cognos world, Paul still continues to dedicate time out of his day to engage with the community. Outside of Cognos, Paul is blackbelt in taekwondo and also enjoys ballroom dancing. He is a man of many traits!
A Huge Thanks to Our Champions 💯🙏
To the 2025 IBM AI Champions: You’re the reason our community thrives. Your commitment and dedication truly mean the world to the community and does not go unnoticed. Your passion for innovation, willingness to mentor others, and relentless drive to push boundaries inspire us all. Every insight you share, every challenge you tackle, and every connection you foster adds immeasurable value to the AI ecosystem. As we celebrate your achievements, we’re also excited for the future you’re helping to shape. Let’s continue lifting each other up, sparking curiosity, and building bridges across disciplines. Together, we can set new standards for what a global tech community can achieve. Here’s to a year of bold ideas, collaboration, and an awesome 2025 TechXchange Conference!
Continue the Celebration! 🎉
Meet them all: Dive into the 2025 IBM Champions Directory to connect with our Champions!
Get inspired: Check out Libby Ingrassia’s Blog for more on this year’s class.
Hang live: Don’t miss the Meet & Celebrate IBM Champions webinar on March 5th 2025 (11:00 AM ET)—Q&A with the experts!
Thank you all once again for being pioneers, advocates, and the heartbeat of our community. The future is brighter because you’re in it. Let’s make it legendary! 🚀
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