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README.md

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-# Gradio Champions 🏆
+# Gradio Experts 🎓
 
-A community of builders who push Gradio forward—one project, tutorial, or helping hand at a time.
+An invite-only network of exceptional developers recognized for their contributions to the Gradio ecosystem.
 
-## What is this?
+## About the Program
 
-Gradio Champions are community members who go above and beyond: building cool things, helping others in Discord, writing tutorials, or just being incredibly helpful humans in the Gradio ecosystem.
+Gradio Experts represent the top tier of the Gradio community—developers, educators, and builders whose work has meaningfully advanced how people build ML interfaces.
 
-This isn't about being the "best"—it's about being *active* and *generous* with your knowledge.
+This is a selective program. Experts are nominated based on demonstrated impact, not applications.
 
-## How do you become a Champion?
+## Recognition Criteria
 
-Champions are nominated by the Gradio team or by existing Champions. We look for people who:
-- 🛠️ **Build** — Ship Gradio apps, custom components, or MCP integrations
-- 🤝 **Help** — Answer questions in Discord, Stack Overflow, or GitHub
-- 📝 **Teach** — Write tutorials, create videos, or give talks about Gradio
-- 🌍 **Organize** — Run local meetups, hackathons, or study groups
+Experts are selected based on sustained, high-quality contributions in one or more areas:
 
-No formal application—just keep doing great work and we'll find you!
+| Track | What it looks like |
+|-------|-------------------|
+| **Builder** | Shipped production-grade Gradio apps used by others; created popular custom components |
+| **Educator** | Published tutorials, courses, or talks that help others learn Gradio |
+| **Contributor** | Merged PRs to Gradio core; filed high-quality issues; improved documentation |
+| **Community Leader** | Organized events, mentored newcomers, moderated spaces |
 
-## What do Champions get?
+## Expert Benefits
 
-- 🎖️ "Gradio Champion" badge on Hugging Face
-- 🚀 Early access to new Gradio features
-- 💬 Direct Slack channel with the Gradio and Huggingface team
-- 🎁 Early event invites
-- 📣 Amplification of your work on Gradio's socials
+- **Professional Recognition** — You can officially use "Gradio Expert" credential for LinkedIn, portfolios, and resumes
+- **Insider Access** — Private Slack with Gradio and Huggingface team; early access to roadmap and betas
+- **Amplification** — Featured from official gradio handles
 
-## Current Champions
+## Current Experts
 
-*Coming soon! Our first cohort is being selected from the MCP 1st Birthday Hackathon community.*
+*Inaugural cohort launching in early Q1 2026*
 
-| Champion | Focus Area | Notable Work |
-|----------|------------|--------------|
-| TBD | | |
+## Path to Expertise
 
-## Champion Highlights ✨
+There's no application form. The best way to be considered:
 
-*We'll showcase what our Champions are building here.*
+1. **Build something great** with Gradio and share it publicly
+2. **Help others** in our Discord, forums, or GitHub
+3. **Teach what you know** through content or talks
+4. **Be visible** — we can't nominate what we can't see
+
+Questions? Reach out to the Gradio team on [Discord](https://discord.gg/gradio).
 
 ---
 
-*Born from the energy of 6,000+ builders at the [MCP 1st Birthday Hackathon](https://huggingface.co/MCP-1st-Birthday). Want to join the next one? Follow [@Gradio](https://twitter.com/Gradio) for announcements.*
+*This program is inspired by the incredible builders from our hackathon series. Learn more at [gradio.app/hackathon-winners](https://gradio.app/hackathon-winners).*