When you want to succeed in business, looking to those who’ve already made a place for themselves gives you insights that save you time, effort and setbacks. It takes hard work, ingenuity and creativity to be among the top influencers and thought leaders in the world of business. We’ve gathered 24 of the best — take a look and get inspired.
Business Influencers and Thought Leaders
- Brian Solis
- Marsha Collier
- Evan Kirstel
- Jonathan Aufray
- Mike Quindazzi
- Charlene Li
- Sam Hurley
- Gail Gardner
- Kevin L. Jackson
- Michael Krigsman
- Dave Ulrich
- Mark Lynd
- Robert Rose
- Erik Bergman
- Marie Forleo
- Everette Taylor
- Jim Marous
- Ben Holfeld
- Greg Verdino
- Peter Winick
- Helen Yu
- Daniel Newman
- Christoph Trappe
- Michelle Killebrew
Brian Solis is an eight-time best-selling author, keynote speaker and internationally recognized thought leader on innovation and digital transformation. Solis specializes in studying the effects of emerging technology on society and business to improve the lives of executives and the general public.
She wanted to grow up to be Lois Lane and is now a leading author, educator and radio personality focused on social media and customer service. Marsha Collier specializes in technology and online selling and is the Las Angeles host of Computer & Technology Radio.
As a B2B thought leader and technology influencer, Evan Kristel helps clients grow their social media audience and leverage Twitter for sales. He’s a go-to source for mobile and cloud technology, market convergence dynamics and disruptive technology.
Jonathan Aufray is CEO of Growth Hackers, a blog that specializes in digital marketing, entrepreneurship and startup marketing for growth. Followers turn to him for information on lead generation, advertising, brand marketing and a variety of topics for growing startups.
Onalytica recognized Mike Quindazzi as a top 10 influencer for artificial intelligence, robotics, augmented reality and digital transformation. He’s the Managing Director leading sales for US Digital Alliances and serves on the executive committee at the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation.
Charlene Li is a sought-after advisor to Fortune 500 companies on digital transformation and leadership and a New York Times best-selling author. She helps organizations and leaders excel with disruption.
The list of Sam Hurley’s achievements is long, including World’s #1 Influential Digital Influencer and the Top 50 UK B2B Marketing Influencers. He’s known for providing inspiration to marketers and growth hackers.
Founder of GrowMap.com, Gail Gardner is named by Dunn and Bradstreet among the Top 50 SMB Influencers on Twitter. She’s a marketing strategist who mentors small businesses, freelancers and bloggers. Gail helps readers save time by using Web analytics to measure and verify results so they know which methods are a waste of money and time.
Kevin L. Jackson is an internationally recognized expert in cloud computing as a business strategy, as well as an authority on cybersecurity and online commerce. As CEO of GCGlobalNet, he’s based in Manassas, VA. Kevin teaches professionals to apply advanced technology to their mission and business challenges.
When people want to hear top business and tech leaders tell their stories of innovation and opportunity, they turn to CxOTalk hosted by Michael Krigsman. Krigsman is an internationally recognized analyst, C-level commentator and writer.
Dave Ulrich has been called the “father of modern HR.” He’s a sought-after speaker, professor and author who’s created award-winning databases that assess alignment between HR practices and competencies with customer and investor results.
Mark Lynd is a top-ranked global thought leader with real-world experience in cybersecurity, data center and artificial intelligence. He’s the head of Digital Business at Netsync and focuses on making technology more valuable, effective and simpler for businesses and consumers.
Robert Rose shares top tips with businesses on content marketing. His role at The Content Advisory — an education and consulting group which he founded — is Chief Troublemaker. He’s an author, keynote speaker and innovator of creating content and engaging online followers.
After building a multimillion-dollar affiliate marketing business in the casino genre, Erik Bergman founded Great.com because he wanted a greater sense of purpose. It’s an organization that gives 100 percent of its earnings through online monetization to charity. Listen to him and his cohost on their podcast, Becoming Great. And head to Instagram to find his top tips, quotes, facts, figures and videos on business-related topics.
Marie Forleo’s mission is to help others succeed in business and in life. Through her Weebly Award-winning YouTube program, MarieTV, she interviews industry professionals and shares training and advice.
Forbes calls Everette Taylor a marketing genius. At the age of 19, he founded EZ Events, an event marketing technology company. He is now CEO of ET Enterprises which manages a portfolio of businesses. He says that being passionate about the product or service you’re offering—and not overly focusing on money—is the key to harnessing your fullest potential.
From Cleveland, OH, Jim Marous is rated among the top five most influential people in banking and is known for understanding the disruption of the banking industry. He’s featured in many of the top news and financial media outlets and hosts the Banking Transformed podcast.
Ben Holfeld is named among the top 50 thought leaders in health tech in 2020 by Thinkers360. His main interests are augmented reality and artificial intelligence. Holfeld shares his inspirational, entertaining and innovative thoughts and quotes on social media.
People turn to Greg Verdino for his insights on the “digital now.” He’s a keynote speaker, author and top thought leader on digital transformation, marketing innovation, technology trends and business strategy.
For two decades, Peter Winick has been helping organizations and individuals build and grow revenue streams via the design and growth of their thought leadership platforms. He’s the founder and leader of Thought Leadership Leverage.
On social media, Helen Yu reaches over 10 million people a month as a top influencer on Blockchain, AI, HR, revenue growth and startups. She’s the founder and CEO of Tigon Advisory, which helps startups get from where they are to where they want to be.
As an entrepreneur focused on the technology and digital space, Daniel Newman believes when people and tech work together to reach their potential, results follow. He’s the founder of four companies and shares his thoughts as an author, keynote speaker and contributor as well as through social media.
Christoph Trappe is a master of storytelling. He helps companies share their unique stories more efficiently so they can retain existing customers and reach new prospects. Those who want to be informed follow his content on social media and his blog, Authentic Storytelling. He helps people apply topics such as story development, audience engagement and distribution to their blogs, social media accounts, e-newsletters and other digital channels.
This data-driven marketing exec is passionate about digital marketing strategies that are innovative and deliver a superior brand experience at all stages. Michelle Killebrew is on multiple top business influencer and thought leaders lists, including TopRank, Onalytica and Entrepreneur Magazine.
Top business influencers and thought leaders not only inspire their compatriots, they also advocate for brands they believe in. For marketers looking for more influencers like these to join your next influencer marketing campaign, turn to IZEAx discovery tools.
