The people doing the work and shaping how Samba uses AI.
Twelve operators across teams who are already building, teaching, and influencing how their colleagues use AI. They're the program's distribution layer — the difference between "AI exists at Samba" and "AI is how Samba works."
The twelve.
Selected from heavy-usage data, peer nominations, and direct observation. Cohort expanding to 15 after the May 19 exec offsite.
Co-sponsor.
Madeline Brown
Chief of Staff to the CEO. Co-leads the AI adoption program with Sid Dani. Owner of executive sponsorship, manager-track communications, and the accountability layer. Madeline shaped the champion criteria — "process people, not raw usage" — and is the escalation path when org dynamics get in the way of progress.
Program led day-to-day by Sid Dani · Lead AI Product Manager · AI Task Force.
What being a champion means.
Three tiers. Tier 1 is the core commitment — about 2-3 hours per month. Tiers 2 and 3 are encouraged, not required.
| Tier | Responsibility | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Core | Use AI visibly in your daily work so teammates see it | part of daily work |
| Core | Attend bi-weekly champion sync (every other Friday) | 30 min / 2 weeks |
| Core | Answer peer questions when teammates ask "how do I do X with Claude?" | as-needed |
| Core | Surface feedback, blockers, missing features in #ai-champions | as-needed |
| Core | One show-and-tell per quarter — share something you built or use | ~15 min prep |
| Growth | Run a peer-teaching session for your team (15-30 min) | monthly, optional |
| Growth | Co-facilitate a Lunch & Hack with Sid | quarterly, optional |
| Growth | Nominate new champions; contribute tips to the newsletter | ad-hoc |
| Advanced | Build and share skills/agents in the Samba skill library | opt-in |
| Advanced | Present at All-Hands or exec offsite as a proof point | opt-in |
| Advanced | Mentor new champions as Wave 2 ramps up | opt-in |
Your regular job comes first. Being a champion is an investment in you — it's on top of your work, not instead of it.
What champions get.
CCA-F Certification
Samba pays the $99 exam fee for every champion. Claude Certified Architect — Foundations. Anthropic's official certification with a LinkedIn digital badge.
Personal welcome + setup 1:1
Personalized note from Sid and Madeline explaining why specifically you were selected, plus a 30-minute onboarding 1:1 to install your harness, configure connectors, and tune Claude for your role.
Direct Sid access
DM Sid for technical blockers — no ticket queue. Plus monthly 1:1 coaching, priority ATF support, and roadmap input.
All-Hands stage time
Champions get featured at All-Hands, in the newsletter, and on the leaderboard. Rare external visibility for IC-level operators.
Small-group expert sessions
Closed-door conversations with Anthropic practitioners and other AI experts from Sid's network. Champions only.
Private #ai-champions Slack
Closed channel for peer support, async Q&A, builds in progress, and feedback that shapes what ATF builds next.
Managers are informed, not asked.
The champions program is an enterprise-backed investment in your high performers. Managers receive program updates and team-level dashboards. Champions remain responsible for their regular work — the program runs on top of that, not instead.
What you get as a manager
• Team AI usage dashboard (always-on)
• Monthly team efficiency report
• Notification when policies change
• Direct line to Madeline for org-level questions
If you have concerns
Escalation path: Madeline Brown (Office of the CEO). Champion participation is ~2-3 hours per month and is part of how Samba is investing in your team's productivity.
How to get into the next cohort.
Wave 2 selection happens in Q3. Three paths in.
DM Sid
One sentence on what you've been building or using AI for, and what you'd want to share with a peer cohort.
Tell us about a teammate
Know someone who's quietly been doing standout AI work? Send their name to Sid or any current champion.
Show up and build
Lunch & Hacks are open to anyone. Show up, build something, share it. That's how a lot of Wave 1 got noticed.