Top 50 Influencers to Follow for Insights and in the Cloud Industry
Let’s dive into these influencers and why they matter to you, and how they can assist you in the fast-changing world of cloud computing.
Why Follow Cloud Computing Influencers?
With the ever-accelerating pace of development in cloud computing, it is essential to stay up to date with the newest trends, tools and technologies. By following cloud computing leaders, you’ll have direct access to the know-how, practical tips, and an insider’s look at the industry’s future. Here’s why you should keep up with these visionaries:
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Insights from Industry Experts
Cloud Influencers are usually in the forefront of technology. They:
- Communicate how things work in real life with tools such as AWS, Azure and Google Cloud.
- Analyze industry trends, such as multi-cloud or serverless computing.
- Share best practices for designing, deploying and scaling cloud-based applications.
For instance, following an AWS evangelist might enable you to learn first about a new feature or best practice, thereby saving your team hours of trial and error testing.
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Professional Growth
Influencers can propel your career forward with training, certifications, and mentorship. Many share:
- Tutorials & guides for learning cloud technologies.
- News on certifications such as AWS Certified Solutions Architect or Microsoft Azure Fundamentals.
- Learn about demand-based professions such as DevOps, cloud security and data engineering.
Studying from experts lets you hone in on the most critical areas, so that you can excel in the most challenging roles in the cloud.
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Networking Opportunities
Networking with cloud influencers connects you to a wider professional community. By using webinars, social media posts or conferences you can:
- Join discussions about real-world problems and solutions.
- Find jobs or collaborative opportunities.
- Build a professional network of like-minded peers.
By actively connecting with influencers, you can also make meaningful professional connections that advance your career.
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Staying Ahead of the Curve
Cloud influencers tend to know the industry first-hand. They push out updates at the right time for you to stay on top of everything, whether it’s a major change to Google Cloud services or a breakthrough in Kubernetes orchestration.
Thinkers, for example, can contribute opinions on upcoming developments, including:
- The emergence of FinOps for cloud spending.
- Artificial intelligence/ML developments in the cloud.
- Security advancements addressing multi-cloud vulnerabilities.
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Inspiration and Innovation
Aside from technical expertise, a number of influencers inspire you by their personal careers. Their stories often highlight:
- How they started and succeeded in the cloud industry.
- What obstacles they overcome.
- How Cloud computing can help aspiring professionals.
- Learn from the experiences of cloud pioneers, and you’ll be inspired to take risks in your career.
Following cloud computing influencers isn’t just a matter of keeping up with the latest updates — it’s about getting into a healthy, fast-developing community that’s defining the future of technology. In the coming sections we’ll dive into why we rounded up these influencers, and make sure this is an all-inclusive selection of the most influential cloud voices out there.
Criteria for Selecting Influencers
To come up with a meaningful and comprehensive cloud computing influencer list, we took a process-driven approach. Our approach was to seek out people who not only were specialists in the area but are also part of the cloud community. These are the things we took into account:
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Relevance to Cloud Computing
This list of influencers covers topics relevant to cloud computing, for example:
- Open cloud providers such as AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud.
- Kubernetes, serverless computing, and containerization are all cloud native.
- Disciplines such as cloud security, DevOps, data engineering, and AI/ML in the cloud.
We decided to focus on cloud expertise and make this list a resource for anyone interested in cloud technology.
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Engagement and Activity
We picked influencers based on their involvement in the cloud community. We evaluated:
- Posting on Social Media: Continuously publishing tips, tricks, and news on LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube.
- Blog Posts: Write in-depth articles, guides, or blogs on personal blogs or business websites.
- Public speaking: Conferences, webinars, or panel discussions on cloud computing.
- Those who made meaningful, ongoing contributions were selected
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Impact and Recognition
We measured each person’s influence on the basis of their industry repute. This included:
- Prizes or accolades for their role in cloud computing.
- Leadership positions in companies implementing cloud innovation.
- Patents, publications or certifications that show technical proficiency.
We wanted to highlight people who have contributed meaningfully to the advancement of the field.
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Diversity of Perspectives
Cloud computing is a broad area that spans several disciplines. We made sure to include influencers in a variety of fields, including:
- Cloud architects: Design and develop scalable cloud architectures.
- Security experts: Experts who specialise in the security of cloud systems.
- Data Scientists and Engineers: Data and analytics innovation leaders using the cloud.
- DevOps Leaders: Advocates for automation and efficiency of cloud development processes.
This diversity means that the list appeals to a broad cross-section of cloud practitioners and enthusiasts.
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Global Reach
Cloud computing is a global phenomenon and its visionaries come from all parts of the globe. We included influencers who:
- Identify other areas, industries and cultures.
- Inform users about the cloud adoption trends in various regions.
In capturing the essence of a global community, the list reflects the full breadth of expertise and creativity in cloud computing.
- Shareability
Finally, we took into account influencers who are in direct touch with their audiences and can link to or share this list. This includes:
- People with strong personal brands who care about visibility.
- Those who encourage collaboration and building communities.
This strategy not only assures a rich and dynamic list, but also extends it across the cloud community.
Cloud Platform Experts
These influencers specialize in a particular cloud, providing real-life advice, guides, and news.
Jeff Barr
- Job Title: VP & CED, AWS
- Subject: AWS news and articles.
- Website: aws.amazon.com/blogs/aws
- Twitter: @jeffbarr
Alex Ellis
- Role: Founder, OpenFaaS
- Specialty: Serverless and Kubernetes.
- Website: openfaas.com
- Twitter: @alexellisuk
Linda Nichols
- Role: Cloud Advocate, Microsoft
- Specialty: Serverless architectures and DevOps.
- Website: lindanichols.com
- Twitter: @lynnaloo
Janakiram MSV
- Role: Cloud Analyst and Architect
- Areas of Expertise: Kubernetes, Azure, AWS, and Google Cloud.
- Website: janakiram.com
- Twitter: @janakiramm
Adrian Hornsby
- Role: Principal Cloud Architect, AWS
- Resilience engineering and distributed systems.
- Website: adrianhornsby.com
- Twitter: @adhorn
Mike Pfeiffer
- Role: Founder, CloudSkills.io
- Specialty: Cloud training and DevOps.
- Website: cloudskills.io
- Twitter: @mike_pfeiffer
Brian Dorsey
- Role: Developer Advocate, Google Cloud
- Specialty: Cloud infrastructure and serverless.
- Website: briandorsey.info
- Twitter: @briandorsey
Jorge Castro
- Role: Community Advocate, Kubernetes
- Passion: Kubernetes training, and open-source integration.
- Website: castrojo.io
- Twitter: @castrojo
Sacha Chua
- Role: Cloud Consultant and Speaker
- Focus: Data visualization and AWS.
- Website: sachachua.com
- Twitter: @sachac
Mandy Whaley
- Job title: Senior Director, Developer Relations, Github
- Expertise: Cloud development and open source software.
- Website: github.com
- Twitter: @MandyWhaley
Cloud Practitioners and Educators
These people regularly teach, write, and speak about cloud computing.
A Cloud Guru Team
- Role: Educators
- Specialty: Cloud certifications and training.
- Website: acloudguru.com/blog
- Twitter: @acloudguru
Forrest Brazeal
- Job Title: Google Cloud Head of Content
- Focus: Cloud jobs and serverless computing.
- Website: forrestbrazeal.com
- Twitter: @forrestbrazeal
Stephanie Wong
- Role: Developer Advocate, Google Cloud
- Specialty: Hybrid and multi-cloud solutions.
- Website: stephrwong.com
- Twitter: @stephr_wong
Kesha Williams
- Role: Senior Principal, Slalom
- Competency: AWS AI/ML.
- Website: kesha.tech
- Twitter: @KeshaWillz
Quinn Chavez
- Type: AWS Solutions Architect and Blogger Job Description:
- Quest: AWS certifications and trainings.
- Website: cloudcertpro.com
- Twitter: @quinnchavez
Andrew Brown
- Role: Founder, ExamPro
- Specialty: Cloud certification training.
- Website: exampro.co
- Twitter: @andrewbrown
Matt Wallace
- Role: Author and Cloud Architect
- Focus: AWS, Azure, and hybrid cloud solutions.
- Website: matt-wallace.com
- Twitter: @mattdwallace
Gwyneth Pena-Siguenza
- Role: Cloud Advocate, Microsoft
- Specialty: Cloud basics for beginners.
- Website: madebygps.com
- Twitter: @madebygps
Rahul Wagh
- Role: Cloud Architect and Blogger
- Expertise: Google Cloud and multi-cloud strategies.
- Website: rahulwagh.me
- Twitter: @rahulwagh
Neal Ford
- Role: Software Architect, ThoughtWorks
- Specialty: Cloud-native design and DevOps.
- Website: nealford.com
- Twitter: @neal4d
Cloud Security Specialists
Aiming at securing cloud environments and compliance.
Ashish Rajan
- Role: Host, Cloud Security Podcast
- Expertise: Managing AWS and multi-cloud infrastructure.
- Website: cloudsecuritypodcast.tv
- Twitter: @ashishrajan
Ian McKay
- Role: Cloud Engineer, AWS Hero
- Expertise: Security and automation in AWS.
- Website: iann0036.github.io
- Twitter: @iann0036
Liz Rice
- Position: COO, Isovalent
- Focus: Security of Kubernetes and container environments.
- Website: lizrice.com
- Twitter: @lizrice
Chloe Condon
- Role: Cloud Developer Advocate, Microsoft
- Specialty: Cloud security education.
- Website: chloe.dev
- Twitter: @ChloeCondon
Andrew Krug
- Description: Cloud Security Expert, AWS Hero
- Specialty: Security automation and governance.
- Website: akrug.github.io
- Twitter: @andrewkrug
Abhishek Tiwari
- Role: Cloud Security Consultant
- Specialty: Securing AWS environments.
- Website: abhishek-tiwari.com
- Twitter: @abhishektiwaris
Ana Ferreira
- Role: Cybersecurity Analyst
- Focus: Cloud compliance and incident response.
- Website: anaferreira.dev
- Twitter: @anasecurecloud
John Gruber
- Role: DevSecOps Specialist
- Expertise: Cloud-based security solutions and practices.
- Website: gruber.cloud
- Twitter: @johngruber
Niche Experts and Developers
Dedicated to certain tools, platforms, and products of cloud computing.
Nader Dabit
- Job Description: Developer Advocate, Edge & Web3
- Focus: Web applications and Decentralized cloud.
- Website: naderdabit.com
- Twitter: @dabit3
Charity Majors
- Role: CTO, Honeycomb.io
- Specialty: Observability in distributed systems.
- Website: honeycomb.io/blog
- Twitter: @mipsytipsy
Bobby Allen
- Role: CTO, CloudGenera
- Focus: Cloud Cost Reduction and Management.
- Website: cloudgenera.com/blog
- Twitter: @bobbyallen
Phil Estes
- Role: Senior Distinguished Engineer, AWS
- Specialty: Containers and open-source development.
- Website: estesp.com
- Twitter: @estesp
Benedict Evans
- Role: Independent Cloud Analyst
- Competence: Market research and cloud management.
- Website: ben-evans.com
- Twitter: @benedictevans
Jessica Dean
- Role: Principal DevOps Advocate, Microsoft
- Specialty: Kubernetes and Azure DevOps.
- Website: jessicadean.dev
- Twitter: @jldeen
Nicolas Frankel
- Role: Cloud Developer Advocate, Elastic
- Specialty: Observability and cloud performance.
- Website: nicolas-frankel.dev
- Twitter: @nicolas_frankel
Lisa-Marie Namphy
- Role: Developer Advocate, Cockroach Labs
- Profession: Distributed databases and data storage in the cloud.
- Website: lisam.dev
- Twitter: @SWDevAngel
Rising Stars
Fresh faces in cloud computing with fresh perspectives.
Michael Cade
- Role: Developer Advocate, Kasten
- Specialty: Kubernetes storage and backup.
- Website: michaelcade.com
- Twitter: @MichaelCade1
Ana Margarita Medina
- Role: Senior Chaos Engineer, Gremlin
- Confession: Cloud resilience engineering.
- Website: ana.medina.dev
- Twitter: @Ana_M_Medina
Matt Stratton
- Role: DevOps Advocate
- Expertise: CI/CD, and cloud-native deployment.
- Website: mattstratton.com
- Twitter: @mattstratton
Katie Gamanji
- Role: CNCF Ambassador
- Specialty: Kubernetes and container ecosystems.
- Website: kubernetes.io/blog
- Twitter: @Gamanji
Additional Influencers
- Alex Hudson – Cloud transformation advisor. alexhudson.com
- Maxime Beauchemin – Cloud-based data engineering. maxb.io
- Manuel Pais – Cloud DevOps blogger. teamtopologies.com
- Kaitlyn Tierney – Cloud career blog. tierneycloud.com
- David Linthicum – Multi-cloud expert. cloudtechguru.com
- Helen Anderson – Data analytics on the cloud. datahelen.com
- Phil Whelan – Cloud API development. philwhelan.dev
- Tim Warner – AWS educator. awsdojos.com
- Michael Jolly – Azure tutorials. azurebytes.dev
- Keisha McCarthy – Cloud beginner tutorials. keishacloudguide.com
This list features naive start-ups and veteran experts to inspire curiosity and give readers diverse, practical advice.
Extra Bonus Material: Blogs, Podcasts, and Communities for Cloud Activists
Aside from following cloud computing influencers, consuming blogs, podcasts, and communities can give you some valuable insights into the cloud space. The following is a list of 50 blogs and websites that are mixed with known brands and hidden treasures that have an alternative viewpoint. This combination helps readers gain access to both expert voices and insider knowledge.
Blogs and Websites: Established Authorities in Cloud Computing
- AWS News Blog: The official Amazon Web Services blog, tutorials, news, and practices.
- aws.amazon.com/blogs/aws
- Google Cloud Blog: AI, machine learning, infrastructure news and insight from Google’s cloud computing group.
- cloud.google.com/blog
- The New Stack: DevOps, containerization, and cloud native.
- thenewstack.io
- Cloud Native Computing Foundation Blog: Explores Kubernetes, container orchestration, and open-source tools.
- cncf.io/blog
- InfoQ Cloud: Provides detailed technical blogs about cloud architecture and software development.
- infoq.com/cloud
Lesser-Known Gems and Niche Blogs
- Hybrid Cloud Insider: An indie blog about hybrid cloud design and usage.
- hybridcloudinsider.com
- CloudPundit by Lydia Leong: Aspective reviews of the cloud market by Gartner analyst Lydia Leong.
- cloudpundit.com
- Serverless Edge: dedicated to serverless and edge computing.
- theserverlessedge.com
- FinOps Foundation Blog: Guides to save money on the cloud and cloud finances.
- finops.org/blog
- Cloud Simplified: Simple tutorials that simplify complex cloud topics.
- cloudsimplified.io
- Cloudflare Blog: Pros and cons of performance, security, and the internet.
- nextplatform.com
- The Cloud Report: Blog independent about public and private cloud systems news.
- thecloudreport.net
- Kubernetes & Beyond: Dedicated to Kubernetes tutorials and reference materials.
- kubernetesandbeyond.com
- Medium: Cloud Computing: Blogs by independent cloud experts and enthusiasts.
- medium.com/tag/cloud-computing
- Sysdig Blog: Kubernetes Cloud Monitoring and Security.
- sysdig.com/blog
Specialized Cloud Content
- AWS Podcast: Each week — AWS products and their applications.
- aws.amazon.com/podcast
- Cloud Security Podcast: Discussions on cloud security and compliance issues.
- cloudsecuritypodcast.tv
- Kubernetes Podcast by Google: Current events about Kubernetes and containerization.
- kubernetespodcast.com
- Data Skeptic: Podcast on data science in the cloud.
- dataskeptic.com
- Day Two Cloud: Explores cloud operations, DevOps, and cloud native tools.
- daytwocloud.io
- Azure DevOps Podcast: Discussions with Azure and DevOps leaders.
- azuredevopspodcast.com
- HashiCast: Talk about infrastructure automation and multi-cloud tools.
- hashicorp.com/community
- Cloud Unfiltered: Real-world stories from cloud practitioners.
- cloudunfiltered.com
- On-Premise IT Roundtable: Debates on hybrid and multi-cloud strategies and architectures.
- gestaltit.com/podcast
Conclusion
Cloud computing is the heart of technology advancements and has powered the rise of AI, machine learning, cybersecurity and many other areas. Keeping up to date with this constantly changing field requires not just technical expertise but also direct contact with the right people and tools.
This article has offered a detailed guide to cloud computing, from following the top 50 trends shaping the industry, to blogs, podcasts and niche sites exploring specific aspects of the cloud. Whether you’re a developer seeking hands-on tutorials, a cybersecurity engineer looking for direction, or an executive looking to chart your company’s future, these experts and resources are your ticket to transformation.
How to Use This Guide
- Follow Influencers: Connect with the experts we featured to stay informed on industry trends and best practices in real time.
- Read Blogs and Websites: Bookmark multiple popular and niche blogs to keep up to date with the cloud and its use cases.
- Listen to Podcasts: Get insider tips on cloud, security, and future technologies while you’re working or on the road.
- Join Communities: Join forums, LinkedIn groups, and webinars to share insights and make connections within the cloud community.
Why It Matters
Cloud computing is not just a tool but an ecosystem that encourages innovation and industry opportunities. By leveraging thought leaders and specialized content you will be able to stay on top of the curve and become an authoritative voice in this industry.
Ready to dive deeper? Begin with a few of the influencers you follow and start reading some of these blogs. Send this guide out to your social circle and encourage others to stay up to date with the newest cloud computing developments. Let’s take a collective leap towards the future of this revolutionary technology.