AGBeat’s top 50 industry influencers

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!