IBM Champions Program Digital Badges
An IBM Champion is recognized as an innovative thought leader in the technical community who has demonstrated exceptional expertise and consistent contributions in helping others derive greater value from IBM software, solutions, and services. An IBM Champion is a non-IBMer IT professional, business leader, developer, or educator who influences and mentors others through blogging, speaking at conferences, moderating forums, leading user groups, and authoring books or articles.
IBM Champion badges
To earn this badge, the individual must be nominated and selected as an IBM Champion. Nominees must show expertise in one or more IBM products and then demonstrate specific advocacy on behalf of IBM technologies, all beyond the scope of their job. Nomination criteria include the following:
- Evangelize and advocate for IBM
- Share knowledge and expertise
- Help grow and nurture the community
- Expand reach across the IBM portfolio
- Share feedback with IBM teams
Individuals who earn the IBM Champions status (and badge) in multiple years are eligible for the 3, 5, 7, 10, and 15 year milestone badges. The criteria are the same and the status does not need to be continuous.
Updates are coming to the IBM Rising Champions Advocacy Badges program in 2026: please check back for updates
All the above nomination criteria, both for the IBM Champions status and the other advocacy badges, may be demonstrated in the form of the following activities:
- IBM TechXchange Community Engagement: Create original technical content in the form of a blog, a forum comment / answer, add a document, with a minimum of 150 words.
- User Group or Community: Actively run, volunteer for, moderate, or play a leadership role in a forum, meetup, or user group that focuses on an IBM technology.
- Content Creation: Create or translate and publish content about an IBM solution (e.g., blog posts, articles, videos, podcasts, case studies, white papers, and books).
- Events: Host, facilitate, or support an IBM solution-related face-to-face event or virtual event such as webinars, meetups, etc.
- Present: Present a session on IBM solutions at user groups, webinars, podcasts, or industry events such as IBM TechXchange, THINK, User Groups, or industry events etc.
- Feedback: Provide product feedback and/or technical contributions by participating in councils, surveys, online product reviews, and beta testing opportunities.
- Marketing, Sales, or Analyst Reference: Provide a quote/testimonial, participate in a peer-to-peer IBM sales call, complete an analyst survey, interview, or product review.
- Teaching and Research: Create and teach one or more IBM technology-related courses or participate in an academic research project about an IBM solution.
- Code: Contribute code to at least one or more IBM-related open-source projects, such as Hyperledger, or a Call for Code Project.
PLEASE NOTE: The recommended pre-requisite for IBM Champion designation is the IBM Influencer-level from either the IBM Rising Champions Advocacy Badges or the IBM Z Advocacy Badges, or both.
ALSO NOTE: These credentials are not available to IBM employees.
Digital badges are issued via Credly.
NOTICE: IBM leverages the services of Credly, a 3rd party data processor authorized by IBM and located in the United States, to assist in the administration of the IBM Digital Badge program. In order to issue you an IBM Digital Badge, your personal information (name, email address, and badge earned) will be shared with Credly. You will receive an email notification from Credly with instructions for claiming the badge. Your personal information is used to issue your badge and for program reporting and operational purposes. IBM may share the personal information collected with IBM subsidiaries and third parties globally. It will be handled in a manner consistent with IBM privacy practices. The IBM Privacy Statement can be viewed here: https://www.ibm.com/privacy/us/en/. IBM employees can view the IBM Internal Privacy Statement here: https://w3.ibm.com/w3publisher/w3-privacy-notice.
For matters related to the issuance of IBM Champions badges, please contact ibmchampions@ibm.com. For matters related to the issuance of IBM Rising Champions badges, please contact IBM Rising Champions. For matters related to your Credly account, please contact Credly support directly.