30 Small Business IT Influencers to Follow in 2023

Alicia Butler Pierre is the CEO of Equilibria, plus a speaker, author, podcaster and Lean Six Sigma consultant. She offers consultations to small businesses, helping them scale their operations in a way that improves their processes, supply chain and workflows.

Anita Campbell is a well-respected, expert voice in the small business space. She is the founder and CEO of Small Business Trends, which details the latest in IT along with practical suggestions for how organizations can make the most of their technology. Campbell's industry leadership is backed by a following in the hundreds of thousands.

An entrepreneur, technologist, and B2B digital creator, Antonio Grasso is one of the most popular influencers in small business. He is the founder and CEO of Digital Business Innovation, a sustainability advocate, author and researcher.

Anurag Agrawal, the founder and chief global analyst at Techaisle, is a well-known industry leader with over 30 years of industry experience and is considered one of the top 10 analysts to follow in small business. On Twitter, he helps a strong following of IT professionals navigate today’s trends.

Carla Gentry has more than 23 years of experience in the small business space. As the owner and chief data scientist at Analytical-Solution, she shares valuable insights on business analytics, Big Data, data science and machine learning for IT leaders.

Known as Dr. Data Scientist in the small business world, Craig Brown bridges the gap between data and insights. Over the course of his career, he’s demonstrated how businesses can get the most out of the data they collect for maximum success. Small businesses in particular can follow Brown to learn about the latest trends and how they can lead to growth.

Dana Gardner brings his 30 years of tracking IT advances and disruption to API security startup Traceable, where he delivers digital business transformation insights. With an audience of 18,000 Twitter and 179,000 LinkedIn followers, he is an important voice.Dana Gardner brings his 30 years of tracking IT advances and disruption to API security startup Traceable, where he delivers digital business transformation insights. With an audience of 18,000 Twitter and 179,000 LinkedIn followers, he is an important voice.

As Deloitte’s cloud strategy officer, David Linthicum is a globally recognized expert on cloud computing, edge computing and security. He shares his knowledge through keynote speeches, books, radio and podcasts, and has published in Forbes and The Wall Street Journal.

Dr. Rana el Kaliouby is an AI thought leader, machine learning scientist and deputy CEO of Smart Eye, a developer of products that support machine vision systems. She is also the co-founder and former CEO of Affectiva and author of the book Girl Decoded. Known as the AI Girl Boss, she encourages businesses to use emotional AI to stay innovative and achieve success.

When it comes to the future of work and how small businesses can stay competitive, Dion Hinchcliffe is an expert. The author and keynote speaker shares extensively on the topics of cloud and the digital workplace. SMBs can use this insight to strategize about their ideal digital workspace.

A self-described “B2B techfluencer,” Evan Kirstel tweets prolifically at his hundreds of thousands of followers on a range of topics, from open banking to artificial intelligence, digital customer experience and much more.

As an industry analyst, IT thought leader, speaker and author, Holger Müller frequently advises small businesses about artificial intelligence, next generation apps, the future of work, staffing and software development.

Ignacio Alonso Delgado has a knack for helping businesses navigate the cloud, automation and data architecture. He is an IT enterprise architect at technology services provider Kyndryl and an associate professor at the IE Business School in Spain. He brings a global perspective to IT, encouraging small businesses to think big.

This B2B tech influencer focuses on digital transformation, the cloud, robotics, automation and how small businesses can embrace the Internet of Things to stay on the cutting edge of the future.

James McQuivey is a vice president and principal analyst at Forrester who specializes in small business, guiding companies through challenges that come from digital disruption. With over 15 years of experience and a doctoral degree in mass communications, McQuivey can expertly identify the trends small businesses should prioritize.

IT optimization, cloud computing and cybersecurity are among the topics that Jo Peterson covers regularly. The Air Force veteran focuses on tech through the lens of business as part of her work on the Forbes Technology Council. Peterson is vice president of cloud and security services for IT consulting firm Clarify360 and is a staunch advocate for the advancement of women in tech.

The CTO Advisor brand that Keith Townsend founded in 2016 encompasses a podcast, video series and deep dives into the latest in IT. His popular Twitter posts offer a wealth of knowledge, covering everything from live events to consultancy tips.

Keren Elazari is a security researcher and frequent TED Talks speaker. Co-founder of Leading Cyber Ladies, a professional network for women in technology, Elazari tweets about cybersecurity issues that everyone, especially small businesses, should be aware of.

An experienced IT professional and analyst, Laurie McCabe is a longtime leader in the small business tech world. She is the co-founder and partner at SMB Group, and her sizable following and thoughtful insight keep her at the forefront of tech conversations.

Mark Thiele is the CEO and co-founder of technology company Edgevana. He is also a globally recognized speaker on the topics of edge computing, blockchain, cloud, data centers and growth strategies.

Meghan M. Biro is a globally recognized talent management and HR tech brand strategist, analyst, influencer, author and speaker. As founder and CEO of TalentCulture and founder of the #WorkTrends Community, she has worked with hundreds of companies, from early-stage ventures to global brands such as Microsoft, IBM and Google, helping them recruit and empower stellar talent. She also hosts the popular WorkTrends podcast.

Patrick Moorhead, founder, CEO, and chief analyst at Moor Insights and Strategy, was ranked the No.1 tech industry analyst by ARInsights and Apollo Research. He focuses on the internet, software, cloud, cloud computing and Platform as a Service for small businesses and is co-founder of The Six Five Media, which offers high-tech video analysis.

R “Ray” Wang is a tech influencer with many talents. He’s the founder, chairman and principal analyst of the tech advisory firm Constellation Research, a co-host of its weekly web series DisrupTV and a bestselling author. He frequently talks about the importance of digital transformation and having a strong digital strategy as businesses look to scale and succeed. He has appeared on BBC News, CNBC and NPR and in The Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, MIT Sloan Management Review and Forbes.

Rieva Lesonsky, CEO of GrowBiz Media, is known nationally as a small business advocate with more than 26 years of experience. She has appeared on the Today show, Good Morning America, CNN, MSNBC's Your Business and The Oprah Winfrey Show. The former editorial director of Entrepreneur magazine, Lesonsky is the author of the Business Week bestseller Start Your Own Business, now in its 4th edition, and has co-authored several other books while writing for the online publication Small Biz Trends. A member of the Small Business Administration’s Advisory Council for six years, Lesonsky was honored by the SBA as a Small Business Media Advocate and a Woman in Business Advocate.

Turning data into value is one of the most crucial goals small businesses can achieve. Ronald van Loon is an expert on data, the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and helping organizations in their journey to digital transformation. He offers his thought leadership with speaking engagements and insightful Twitter conversations.

For all things artificial intelligence and machine learning, look no further than Sam Charrington. He is the host of the AI-centered TWIML AI Podcast, and his Twitter feed tackles topics from bias in analytics to wellness at work. Follow him for the latest in all things data.

Sherrell Dorsey was ranked a LinkedIn Top Voice and is a host and writer for the TED Tech podcast. She specializes in data-driven analytics that help small businesses grow. In her podcast she tackles virtual reality, the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and more, encouraging IT leaders to tell stories of tech that drives social change. She is also the founder of BLKTECH Interactive (now part of City Startup Labs in Charlotte, N.C.), an award-winning hub supporting over 2,000 entrepreneurs and technologists of color.

Tamara McCleary is the CEO of Thulium, a global social media marketing agency. As a speaker and podcast host, she shares content on topics ranging from digital payments and leadership to responsible AI and using marketing to enhance employee cybersecurity training. McCleary’s holistic approach to digital products is useful for small businesses.

Former White House CIO Theresa Payton, one of the nation’s most respected authorities on secure digital transformation, is a visionary, leading the way as an inventor of new security designs with an approved U.S. patent in cybersecurity. As the CEO of the security firm Fortalice Solutions, Payton draws on her experience as a technologist and veteran cybercrime fighter.

This Week in Tech focuses on technology innovation and is the place small businesses should go for the latest tech news, trends and reviews. The podcast is a lively group conversation hosted by Leo Laporte, Jason Howell, Mikah Sargent, Ant Pruitt and friends.