AGBeat’s top 50 industry influencers

Top 50 influencers you must meet this year

[dropcap style=”style1″]T[/dropcap]here is endless talent in the world today, some are famous in their own industries, and others are just getting started, so we sought out to highlight 50 people that we believe have a lot to offer, are unique, and influential for various reasons.

In this list, you’ll meet artists, public relations folks, authors, politicians, and budding comedians. You’ll meet experts in everything from Facebook to photography, and it is our hope that by connecting with this group of people, you’ll expand your horizons beyond your own industry, because let’s face it – you’ve already seen the same ol’ people on every “Top 100” list in your world.

We challenge you to follow at least ten of the following influencers that you didn’t know yet, because we’re certain that they’ll enrich your life. They don’t know they’re being named, they didn’t petition for any votes, they are finding out as you are that we find them to be influential regardless of follower count, but based on their talent.

The influencers are listed in alphabetical order, not their level of influence. Enjoy!

Aaron Lee

[dropcap style=”style1″]M[/dropcap]alaysian talent, Aaron Lee is an extremely interesting figure who has become well known for his social media advice, which he gives freely not only on Twitter as @AskAaronLee, but his blog which is updated frequently.

He is a regular on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, and even Pinterest, and writes regularly on sites like The Huffington Post.

Lee gained notoriety as the social media talent behind Binkd (Facebook promotions platform), and has even created an online women’s clothing retail company with his girlfriend. He’s very much a generous renaissance man, which is why we forgive him for calling himself a ninja!

Adam Smith

[dropcap style=”style1″]W[/dropcap]ell known for his blog, ASmithBlog which showcases Adam Smith’s advice on living a purposeful life. Smith is a public speaker who teaches people about leadership, communication, creativity, and time management through discipline, and of course, using social media to better connect with others, but Smith has most influenced us with his advice on relationships. Smith speaks openly about his own family and shares his personal life in an effort to help others to improve their relationships, both personal and professional, as part of a purposeful life. He is the host of the popular Purpose Podcast and tweets daily from his @asmithblog handle.

Amanda Quraishi

[dropcap style=”style1″]A[/dropcap]manda Quraishi is one of the most selfless people you’ll meet in a lifetime, and she has worked hard at every step to give back to her community. Quraishi is the web administrator for Mobile Loaves and Fishes, which takes catering trucks filled with food and clothes directly to the homeless in the city to afford them basic dignities. Trust us, she goes above and beyond in her role at MLF and is becoming one of the most recognized voices on homelessness in her city.

She is involved at InterfaithActivism.org, blogs at muslimahMERICAN, is the Principal Web Strategist at BlogathonATX, and founded Central Texas Muslimaat which is designed to help Muslim women make a difference. She is a brash cusser, a non-profit queen, a web strategist like no other, and one of the most fun people you’ll ever tweet with (find her at imtheq).

Amber Osborne

[dropcap style=”style1″]D[/dropcap]igital media strategist, Amber Osborne, has worked with startups and international brands alike and is admired for her marketing skills and magnetic personality. She’s known as MissDestructo on Twitter, proof that she doesn’t take herself too seriously (a rare trait in the social media world).

You’ve probably seen her on stage at tech and PR conferences, or in major news outlets, and you’ll be hearing about Meshfire (where she is the CMO), a social media management tool designed for collaboration, ensuring your team is always in sync, in real-time, as events happen.

Amy Lombard

[dropcap style=”style1″]W[/dropcap]e knew we would be Amy Lombard fans forever when she posted online that she nearly ruined a photoshoot with real life models because she wanted to photograph a fountain, “because art,” she said. Awesome.

Five years ago she up and moved to New York to pursue her BFA in Photography from the Fashion Institute of Technology, and she is already exhibiting her work around the globe.

She captured our attention when she published Happy Inside, a glossy book featuring photos of people in IKEA, writing that as a photographer, she is “not necessarily interested in staging reality so to speak. Instead, what I am interested in is someone else’s idea of a staged reality.” Genius.

Amy Vernon

[dropcap style=”style1″]A[/dropcap]my Vernon specializes in viral content, grammar, and bacon – true story. Vernon is a former journalist and has a wicked sense of humor, but more importantly, she made the transition to new media where she has become a well respected conference speaker (you’ve seen her at SXSWi, SMX, ROFLCon, and others).

She operates the only bacon news aggregator online, and is a wicked writer, editor, a highly sought after social media strategist, and even web design. Vernon is well known in tech circles, and is a mentor at Women Innovate Mobile, is the NYC Chapter of Girls in Tech’s Board President, an Advisor at Bella Minds, and is involved at NY Tech Women, Women 2.0, NY Tech Meetup Leadership Circle. In other words, she gives back a lot of her time advising the next generation of startups.

Ann Handley

[dropcap style=”style1″]H[/dropcap]ands down the content marketing queen of modern times, Ann Handley is a veteran of creating and managing digital content to build relationships for organizations and individuals. She is co-author of the best-selling Content Rules: How to Create Killer Blogs, Podcasts, Videos, Ebooks, Webinars (and More) That Engage Customers and Ignite Your Business (Wiley). But to be honest, she has influenced almost all of the influencers on this and any list as the Chief Content Officer at MarketingProfs, where she has been since 2002. Let that sink in.

Ann Tran

[dropcap style=”style1″]S[/dropcap]ocial media consultant, travel and tech writer, Ann Tran has shown up on lists before due to her strong influence in the social media community.

Now, we’ve chosen to include her in our list of industry influencers because she’s so much more than just Twitter – just look at her blog and you’ll see her deep roots in the art community, her love of nature, affinity for wine, travel, and even photography.

Following @AnnTran_ on Twitter will give you a daily dose of inspiration on a variety of topics that will broaden your horizons.

Anne Weiskopf

[dropcap style=”style1″]S[/dropcap]pecializing in content creation, social media strategy, business development, publishing and media, Ann Weiskopf is well respected in the tech and social media sectors, having been in the industry for longer than most – she was even part of the launch team of TWTRCON (now the Realtime Report & Conference), and has a soft spot for brand positioning with a strong interest in journalism and new media.

Weiskopf is now the VP of Business Development at DIGIDAY:, a media company and community for professionals who work in the digital media, marketing and advertising industry. She has been a tremendous force in calling out fakes online and helping shape web culture (particularly media) away from moronic behavior.

Anthony Iannarino

[dropcap style=”style1″]A[/dropcap]nthony Iannarino is a sales coach and consultant that calls himself a cataylst, an instigator, and an agitator. We agree.

Iannorino makes no apologies about the B2B sales world and is never shy to share tactics with the world that many would consider secretive for the industry.

His sales blog is consistently thought provoking, educational, and never dry or boring. If any part of your job involves sales, you should definitely get to know Iannorino.

Anthony Foxx

[dropcap style=”style1″]B[/dropcap]est known as the youngest mayor in Charlotte, NC’s history, Anthony Foxx has since become the U.S. Transportation Secretary, barely having cracked his forties. He was responsible for bringing the 2012 Democratic National Convention to his hometown.

Foxx’s department oversees 11 separate federal agencies, including the National Transportation Safety Board, the Federal Aviation Administration, and others, employing over 55,000 people with a $70 million operating budget.

He has done so much at such an early age, and regardless of your political affiliations, you should watch Foxx as a potentially powerful force in the future.

Bijoy Goswami

[dropcap style=”style1″]B[/dropcap]ijoy Goswami is a Stanford graduate (although he never brings it up in conversation to act superior) who studied Computer Science, Economics, History and inter-disciplinary honors in Science, Technology, and Society. He has founded startups and is very well respected in the tech startup world. Bijoy is the author of The Human Fabric: Unleashing the Power of Core Energy in Everyone and is working on his second book presently. He is well known for mental models, as he maps out the interconnectedness of business sectors, cities, and so on. No matter his net worth, you’ll typically see him donning a t-shirt and jeans, as he is a minimalist (not to mention a bootstrapping expert), but the real reason you must meet him is because the information he shares online is invaluable to anyone looking to understand and grow their business.

Brian Carter

[dropcap style=”style1″]W[/dropcap]hat many people don’t know about Brian Carter, author of The Like Economy, LinkedIn for Business, and co-author of Facebook Marketing is that he is a comedian.

Sure, he’s well respected for his internet marketing expertise, and he’s a highly sought after keynote speaker, but he does stand up, and he’s actually funny (the proof is on YouTube, including some of our favorite cuss words).

Brian writes for two of the most popular marketing blogs, Search Engine Journal and AllFacebook, and his writing is almost as entertaining as his standup. Follow him on Twitter @briancarter and heckle him for some extra fun.

Charles Gaudet

[dropcap style=”style1″]F[/dropcap]ounder of PredictableProfits.com, Charles Gaudet has championed entrepreneur marketing and seeks to help those around him to create better visions of themselves. Unlike the gurus of the world, he actually inspires action – follow him on Twitter for five minutes and you’ll see what we mean.

Through a focus on accountability, honesty, and integrity, Charles drives businesses to set the bar high. He says that “When business owners find this higher purpose of providing true value, the culture of business shifts from a focus on profits to a focus on people – to the long-term benefit of everyone involved.”

Chris Treadaway

[dropcap style=”style1″]F[/dropcap]rom LSU to Microsoft to CEO of Polygraph Media, Chris Treadaway now helps helps organizations make better decisions with social data mining & analytics.

Facebook, Twitter, and other social media today are perhaps the greatest repositories of consumer data the world has ever seen, and Polygraph Media helps people unlock the potential of what is there.

Treadaway is a force in the tech industry, an author (Facebook Marketing: an Hour a Day), but most importantly, one of our favorite information sources about the geeky inner workings of big data, a crucial topic that most entrepreneurs still don’t understand.

Christopher Penn

[dropcap style=”style1″]W[/dropcap]ell known as one of the founders of PodCamp, Christopher Penn is a popular speaker, and a ninja. What? Yep. He actually studies martial arts, so he’s allowed to use the phrase.

But what is most inspiring about Penn is his consistent giving back to his community not only through tweets, but through events like Marketing Over Coffee which he cohosts. He is a marketing professor and the VP of Marketing Technology at SHIFT Communications.

He’s a busy guy, but is on a constant quest to share his wisdom, particularly through his Twitter account as well as his marketing blog.

Danny Brown

[dropcap style=”style1″]W[/dropcap]ith the number one marketing blog in the world, it is hard to argue with Danny Brown’s expertise. This year, he co-authored Influence Marketing, and is the founder of the 12for12k charity initiative. Brown is the Manager of Social Engagement and Insights at Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG), driving the development and execution of the social media annual and long range plan for OLG’s iGaming division. Irrelevant to why he influential, he is also fun to know because he has a thick Brogue accent (video proof) and one hell of a sense of humor.

Dave Kerpen

[dropcap style=”style1″]W[/dropcap]hat is fascinating about Dave Kerpen is not just that he is the CEO of Likeable Local (social media software startup for small businesses) and the chairman and former CEO of social media marketing firm, Likeable Media, but he is actually likeable – a difficult feat in the social media world.

Kerpen is a frequent keynoter and author of the NY Times bestseller, “Likeable Social Media” as well as his newest work, “Likeable Business.”

He’s an optimist in a sea of pessimists, and he is squarely focused on helping small businesses to become more effective online.

Dave Jones

[dropcap style=”style1″]V[/dropcap]ice President of Social Media at digital marketing agency, Critical Mass, Dave Jones is a well respected public relations veteran who has been involved with social media’s intersection with marketing and PR since 2005.

Jones says, “I’ve worked in sports (my first love) and the beer business (guy heaven), but most of my career has been spent on the agency side where I’ve been lucky to work with dozens of well-known brands and organizations on a variety of communications challenges.”

He is inspiring for his calm, level-headed approach to social media, and deep insight into how people think and react online and how brands can take advantage of that. Learn from him on his blog or over on Twitter.

Eve Mayer

[dropcap style=”style1″]E[/dropcap]ve Mayer is the CEO of Social Media Delivered and you’ve probably seen her on stage or read her book, The Social Media Business Equation.

But what Mayer most inspires us with is her deep knowledge about LinkedIn, a professional network that many people misunderstand, misuse, and worse, ignore.

Check her out on Twitter, or of course, on LinkedIn – she really is the LinkedIn Queen!

Evelyn

[dropcap style=”style1″]L[/dropcap]ike Cher, Evelyn goes by one name online, and is just as fabulous. She is one of the most active and popular Pinterest users, offering deep insight into what other Pinterest users are enjoying.

With over 7.6 million followers and approaching 30,000 pins she has posted, Evelyn posts a wide variety of beautiful images from nature scenes to haircuts to vintage images. She has inspired us by showing us naturally, and with no agenda, what Pinterest is all about – high quality photos, proper attribution, a willingness to remove any item a photographer requests, and interacting with commenters. Spend some time on her Pinterest page to gauge what’s hot on the site right now.

Glen Gilmore

[dropcap style=”style1″]G[/dropcap]oogle Glass Explorer, Glen Gilmore is a practicing attorney who teaches digital marketing, crisis communications, and social media law at Rutgers University Center for Management Development. Gilmore trains Fortune 500 companies on social media, and is the author of “Social Media Law for Business: A Practical Guide for Using Facebook, Twitter, Google +, and Blogs Without Stepping on Legal Landmines, out this April. What has captured our attention is not just Gilmore’s ease of explaining the tricky laws of the web land, but for his niche Twitter accounts @SocialMediaLaw1 and @HealthcareSMM which are both highly informative and influential, and the fact that he’s a restaurateur. He’s one busy man!

Jane Wang

[dropcap style=”style1″]W[/dropcap]ith over 8.3 million followers on Pinterest, Jane Wang is one of the most popular individuals on the photo sharing site.

What interests us the most about Wang is that unlike several other top Pinterest users, she has less boards and manages to devote her time to very specific topics ranging from DIY to happy to food art. All of her pins are popular and highly shared – she is representative of what people want to see on Pinterest. What she shares is glossy photos that link to relevant sources, and she keeps it simple. Go take a peek!

Jeff Bullas

[dropcap style=”style1″]A[/dropcap]ustralian digital marketing specialists, Jeff Bullas is the account director for digital agency, Infinity, author of Blogging the Smart Way, a consistent best-seller on Amazon.

Bullas is a freelance social media strategist, and he freely shares his experience and wisdom on his popular blog, JeffBullas.com where he shares tips for Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Blogging, and SEO.

He has influenced many people to be found online by avoiding smarmy tactics and sticking to the basics and offering value.

Jeff Jarvis

[dropcap style=”style1″]B[/dropcap]logging at his popular site, BuzzMachine.com, Jeff Jarvis is an Associate Professor and the Director of Interactive Journalism at City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate School of Journalism.

For the past eight years, he has been a new media columnist for the Guardian, and oversaw the creation of leading web services associated with metro daily newspapers and national magazines at Advance.net (includes nj.com, cleveland.com, nola.com, epicurious.com, concierge.com). You may know him as the creator and founding editor of Entertainment Weekly, or his book Public Parts, What Would Google Do? Jarvis has influenced the masses with his higher level thinking and refusal to sit still.

Jennifer Stauss Windrum

[dropcap style=”style1″]I[/dropcap]f you live in Omaha, Nebraska, you probably remember Jennifer Stauss Windrum as a news reporter on Channel 3, but if you live anywhere else, you may know her now as the founder of SMAC! Sock Monkeys Against Cancer, which provides tangible support to those battling cancer.

You can read about her massive professional accomplishments on LinkedIn, but she has influenced us and many to focus on the philanthropic opportunities all around us. She’s an accomplished social media expert, but has inspired many to focus on cancer victims.

“Cancer can be a very lonely existence,” Windrum says. “Family and friends can’t always be there. My Mom lived more than 1,200 miles away, making her appointments, tests, scan results and treatments that much harder for both of us. This is why I created SMAC! — to give Mom a “buddy” she could hug to remind her that I am with her.”

When you buy one SMAC! monkey, a second is given to a cancer patient to remind them that they’re not alone. Other charities are already following her lead, influenced by her grit and determination.

Jenny Lawson

[dropcap style=”style1″]I[/dropcap]f you don’t have a sense of humor, don’t follow Jenny Lawson. Don’t check out her book, Let’s Pretend This Never Happened – a Mostly True Memoir, and whatever you do, do not read her blog.

Lawson used to write for the Houston Chronicle but said she needed somewhere that didn’t censor her, that let her talk about ninjas, and lets her cuss. So she built her own place, and now graces stages across the nation. Lawson has inspired a generation of bloggers to let their hair down and to allow their sense of humor show. Thanks for making the f-bomb more acceptable, Jenny!

Kami Watson Huyse

[dropcap style=”style1″]F[/dropcap]ounder of boutique social media marketing strategy and communication firm, Zoetica Media, Kami Watson Huyse is an extremely talented public relations veteran, practicing since 1994 and blogging since 2005.

Huyse asserts that shiny trends may come and go, but people are always looking for ways to authentically connect.

She was a 2010 fellow of the Society for New Communications Research where she pursued a study on how cause marketing in social communities can benefit companies. She is is also the cofounder and organizer of the Social Media Breakfast Houston.

Her ideas are frequently referenced by top social media strategists, and she has influenced the industry in a tremendously positive way, helping people to understand how to communicate effectively.

Laura Fitton

[dropcap style=”style1″]B[/dropcap]est known as Pistachio on Twitter, Laura Fitton is one of the original breakout stars of Twitter, founding the first Twitter for Business consultancy (Pistachio Consulting) and has gone on to co-author Twitter for Dummies, and founded oneforty.com which was acquired by HubSpot in 2009.

She has said many times on stage that she believes that everyone can benefit – dramatically – from realtime technologies like Twitter because of their power to overcome isolation.

Fitton is an influential figure not only for being one of the first talents to recognize the value of Twitter, but for her continued efforts to help brands to understand how to be effective, yet never condescending her followers (which isn’t exactly a common trait for someone of Fitton’s caliber).

Liva Judic

[dropcap style=”style1″]A[/dropcap]s the Director of Merrybubbles Communications, a marketing and communications agency that caters primarily to the technology ecosystem, Liva Judic mentors the next great innovators to go international.

She served for four years as the Head of International Communication at the Office of President of Madagascar, and advised as part of the official delegation at the 1st World Summit On The Information Society.

Judic writes at Wired, VentureBeat, as well as ClickZ and Search Engine Watch – she knows what she’s talking about and has influenced her industry to stay on the ball, and she never lets up on pursuing the truth and illuminating the path for others.

Liz Strauss

[dropcap style=”style1″]I[/dropcap]nfluential for her social media expertise, Liz Strauss is an international business strategist and a professional speaker on leadership, attracting customers and community building.

She is the CEO and Co-Founder of interactive business strategy summit, SOBCon, as well as Managing Partner at Inside-Out Thinking, a business creation partnership, and author of the popular Successful-Blog.com.

During her tenure as an international publisher and instructional designer, Liz was consistently hired to rebuild companies and reignite teams. Liz trained hundreds of employees to understand the needs of their market and the ways leaders move action through a company. She has worked with C-Suite executives and interdepartmental teams on four continents.

One of Strauss’ most influential characteristics isn’t one she chose, rather one she is, and that is kind to the core. In the race to be bigger, better, stronger, and louder, Strauss has stayed the course and stuck to her principles, inspiring others to be authentic and kind, just as she is.

Lori Ruff

[dropcap style=”style1″]T[/dropcap]he LinkedIn Diva, trainer Lori Ruff, is not only the CEO of Integrated Alliances Social Media, specializes in B2B sales and marketing, she is one of the top connected women on LinkedIn. Ruff credits passion, persistence, and courage for her success.

She and her partner Mike O’Neil co-host “RockTheWorld with LinkedIn” radio and her next book, “Keep It Real: Living Life Fearlessly” comes out Spring, 2014. She offers a plethora of free information at RockLinkedIn.com, which offers more than your typical individual training package. Ruff is always light hearted and willing to help, and is influential for her generosity of her time and talent.

Lou Adler

[dropcap style=”style1″]L[/dropcap]ou Adler is an influential force on LinkedIn, posting of the most interacted with posts on the site for all of 2013.

Adler is the CEO of The Adler Group which was established 36 years ago, and he’s more than a LinkedIn force, he is an expert in hiring, publishing several books, such as Hire With Your Head.

What we respect about Adler is that he has long helped businesses to embed performance-based hiring training with the executive search process, and has continued to innovate in his field.

Lucky Shirt

[dropcap style=”style1″]W[/dropcap]hen long-form blogging platform, Medium.com launched, we suspected that it would be the usual suspects filling the pages, but from the first days, Lucky Shirt captured our attention.

If there is such a thing as a God on Medium, it’s Lucky Shirt. Each month, when Medium rounds up the most read posts, his pieces are almost always included, and with stories like “I Never Win Because I’m a Girl,” and “Dear Guy Who Just Made My Burrito,” it’s no wonder why the world can’t stop reading his hilarious columns.

He is directly influential on Medium for responding to the anti-Medium rhetoric boiling over in the earliest days of the platform, with his column, “Why I Write for Medium.”

Mari Smith

[dropcap style=”style1″]O[/dropcap]ne of the best known Facebook experts, Mari Smith is one of the most elite social media experts in the land. She has penned The New Relationship Marketing and coauthored Facebook Marketing: An Hour A Day.

Smith is brilliant with relationship marketing and is an industry veteran, which is why she is highly sought after as a keynote speaker and trainer.

Sure, she has a huge following, but she makes our list for always being poised and polished as she helps shape business’ social media efforts.

Marsha Collier

[dropcap style=”style1″]M[/dropcap]arsha Collier specializes in writing, social media marketing, eBay business, e-commerce, user experience, community relations and online customer service.

What is most fascinating about Collier is that she has already written over 45 books, several of which are a part of the “for Dummies” series. She sold over one million books by 2007 and now spreads her passion for social media to universities and conferences around the world and hosts #techradio.

Few people in the industry have worked as hard as Collier, and her determination and devotion are clear in her accomplishments.

Matt Hixson

[dropcap style=”style1″]C[/dropcap]o-Founder and CEO of social media prediction company, Tellagence, Matt Hixson is passionate about changing how businesses approach social media by identifying trusted relationships in social networks and predicting behaviors within specific topics of interest. Prior to Tellagence, Hixson spent over a decade delivering corporate initiatives from bringing an enterprise startup from concept to market in nine months, to pioneering social strategies, to driving strategy development at an $80 million organization. Hixson never puffs his chest, never condescends, yet is one of the smartest people in his industry and his company Tellagence, is poised to explode in 2014.

Meghan McCain

[dropcap style=”style1″]E[/dropcap]xamining important topics for Millennials on her television show, Raising McCain, Meghan McCain has offered a unique insight into a budding generation.

On her Twitter account, she is authentic, brash, cusses, and is real, just as she is in her show. She is influencing not only her own industry, but viewers and listeners who desperately seek to understand Generation Y.

With her determination and refusal to accept the status quo, watch for McCain to be a voice for her generation for years to come.

Michael McClure

[dropcap style=”style1″]C[/dropcap]EO of Verified Professionals, offering a CPA- like certification for the real estate industry, Michael McClure is also the founder of Professional One Real Estate and the co-author of the Swanepoel Technology Report.

McClure is also a CPA and worked at Price Waterhouse for a decade before entering real estate where he went on to co-found RaiseTheBar Radio and the Raise the Bar Facebook Group.

One of the perpetual good guys, McClure has devoted an unfathomable amount of unpaid hours to helping the real estate industry to suck less.

Miriam Slozberg

[dropcap style=”style1″]A[/dropcap]s a SEO and Social Media Consultant, owner of Gemini Rising, and co-owner of Social Influence University, Miriam Slozberg is highly invested and influential in social media.

Slozberg has captured our attention through her evangelism for and expertise regarding Klout, social media scoring site.

She is one of the few excellent source of information about Klout and what it means for businesses, and freely on her Twitter account, @msmir.

Monique Nelson

[dropcap style=”style1″]A[/dropcap]s the CEO of UniWorld Group, she leads the longest-standing multi-racial advertising agency in the nation.

She is influential in her field not only for being on the cutting edge of demographic marketing, but for being a born leader, putting together a team and asking company founder Byron Lewis to put her in the lead – which he did.

She is a brand management expert with a strong emphasis on entertainment, youth marketing, and lifestyle, and is referred to as one of the hardest workers in the biz.

Reshma Sohoni

[dropcap style=”style1″]C[/dropcap]o-founding investment company, Seedcamp in 2007 thrust Reshma Sohoni into the spotlight for her devotion to her field. Her investment focus is on B2B, Fashion, Gaming, Travel, and Financial Services, and during her time at Seedcamp has managed companies like Mobclix, Zemanta, and Ubervu. Reshma was also on the board of Zoombu before it was acquired by Skyscanner and advises Launch48. Her accomplishments and record are impressive, and what is particularly influential is her ability to spot diamonds in the rough. She is a young talent who will long be a name in her industry.

Sandi Krakowski

[dropcap style=”style1″]I[/dropcap]t is tricky to nail down Sandi Krakowski’s skills, because they are abundant – although most are under the umbrella of digital marketing. She’s a content queen, a PPC expert, newsletter and e-zine specialist.

Her company, A Real Change Media helps small business owners and big corporations utilize the online space and social media for brand awareness, company growth and client loyalty.

Although one of the busiest folks in the biz, she does it with grace and always makes it look so easy – she’s fun to interact with, and always open with advice.

Sean Gardner

[dropcap style=”style1″]S[/dropcap]ocial media consultant and correspondent for Social Media Week, Huffington Post and Smedio, Sean Gardner and has appeared on CNN, PBS, and FOX. He has contributed to Fast Company, Buzzfeed, The Stimulist, Mission Hot Mama, Womentality Magazine and Essence.com, and has lectured at leading colleges and universities.

In addition to 20 years in marketing and public relations, he’s also done extensive work in the area of speech writing, arts advocacy, conservation, as well as promotional campaigns with celebrities, educational institutions, and for nonprofits such as Charity Water, Project Medishare, SeeYourImpact, and World Vision.

Gardner’s tweets are consistently inspirational without being cheesy, and we admire him for his nonprofit efforts and his distinct ability to rally people to take action.

Shelly Kramer

[dropcap style=”style1″]M[/dropcap]arketing and brand strategist, Shelly Kramer is one of the smartest people you’ll ever meet. Truly.

Kramer is the Founder and CEO of V3 Integrated Marketing. A 20+ year marketing veteran, she’s a brand strategist focused on delivering integrated marketing solutions and leveraging the web and inbound marketing to drive leads and sales. She’s an expert at content strategy and execution and tying social media to business initiatives.

Recognized by Forbes as one of the Top 50 Social Media Influencers, she’s half marketer, half geek, with a propensity for numbers, producing results and a dash of quick repartee. Her blog has been recognized by Forbes as one of the Top 20 Best Marketing and Social Media Blogs and by PostRank as one of the Top 100 Most Engaging Social Media Blogs. Find her on LinkedIn, Google+ or Twitter. She is a why social media douchebags are scared to be douchey – she’s not scared to speak up!

Steve Farnsworth

[dropcap style=”style1″]W[/dropcap]ell known for his B2B content marketing and inbound marketing work, Steve Farnsworth is a social media strategist working with tech companies and B2B. He offers advice and tips at The @Steveology Blog.

As a director with the Silicon Valley Brand Forum and an adviser to other professional organizations, Steve has moderated panels, spoken at or facilitated industry events at Intel, Yahoo!, HP, Sun Microsystems, Cisco, Adobe, Electronic Arts, Hewlett-Packard, and Stanford. In 2012, he was appointed the Communications and Social Media Advisor to TEDxSanJoseCA.

He’s highly invested in the tech world, and offers keen insight into his industry at every turn.

Ted Rubin

[dropcap style=”style1″]S[/dropcap]ocial marketing strategist, keynote speaker, brand evangelist, and acting CMO of Brand Innovators, Ted Rubin penned the book, Return on Relationship, a movement he started nearly five years ago. He has been involved in digital marketing since 1997 and worked for some of the largest brands around, and is on the Advisory Boards of Crowdsourcing Week, EvenVoice, Expressible, OpenSky, SheSpeaks, and Zuberance. Rubin is influential, not just because of his expertise, but because of his unrestrained enthusiasm – he is fun to listen to and is a highly engaging speaker and social media user.

Tonia Ries

[dropcap style=”style1″]T[/dropcap]onia Ries is a branding genius, no lie. She is an experienced media professional with a background in marketing in sales, and you may already know her for her #RLTM Realtime Report which has been around since 2009, or her co-founding of The Realtime Conferences (formerly TWTRCON).

In 2002, she founded and remains the CEO of Modern Media which builds media brands, produces conferences, and designs web sites and marketing strategies.

Ries is influential not only for her branding expertise, but has been on the cutting edge of digital media since before it was ever even referred to as social media. She never rests on her laurels and always pushes to innovate.

Tinu Abayomi-Paul

[dropcap style=”style1″]T[/dropcap]his East Coast gal is stuck on West Coast time, and once dreamed of being called the Honorable Abayomi-Paul. Tinu Abayomi-Paul is the Owner of Leveraged Promotions, established in 1998.

She is influential because she has long helped brands of all size to become visible online, which sounds easy but is not. She is the editor of Women Grow Business, and serves on the Social Web Advisory Board at Web.com.

Abayomi-Paul is a Website Promotion Specialist, Author, and Entrepreneur. She teaches search-centric traffic generation to entrepreneurs and builds custom online marketing systems for larger companies.

She shows people how to generate more leads using the internet, and how to leverage web visibility to make those leads into lifelong connections. Repeat business is the cornerstone of an empire. Bottom line: she is too smart for her own good.

Tristan Walker

[dropcap style=”style1″]A[/dropcap]t age 29, Tristan Walker is an entrepreneur-in-residence for Andreessen Horowitz, one of Silicon Valley’s biggest venture-capital firms.

He was one of the first employees at Foursquare, the founder of CODE2040, which gets highly motivated young students of color into tech internships.

Walker is a serial entrepreneur, but not because he fails over and over, but because he is a born leader. He hasn’t even cracked his 30s yet, so watch out for his name – he’s an entrepreneur star in the making.