Fortune - USA (2021-10 & 2021-11)

FORTUNE OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2021 121

BEN THOMPSON

Newsletter author

Readers pay $120 a year

to read Thompson’s

Stratechery Daily

Update newsletter. But

it’s essential reading for

anyone in the business of

technology or media.

BLACK FORAGER

TikTok

2.8M followers

Alexis Nikole Nelson is a

Columbus-based TikToker

whose gleeful foraging

content encourages

viewers to pay closer

and kinder attention to

the natural world while

reminding us that food is

inherently political.

DADA EATS

Instagram

215K followers

Samah Dada has spun

her food blog, Instagram

account, and an NBC Page

Program placement into a

regular segment on NBC’s

Today, her own show

on streaming service

Peacock, and a cookbook.

DEDE RAAD

Instagram

1.1M followers

Fashion blogger Dede

Raad has built her sizable

audience with her chic

but attainable styles

and her unflinching

honesty in navigating

pregnancy. Nordstrom

took notice, and

Raad has frequently

collaborated with the

retailer on collections.

HUMPHREY YANG

TikTok

2.3M followers

After experimenting with

YouTube, former Merrill

Lynch adviser Yang found

a willing audience on

TikTok who latched onto

his entertaining style,

snappy editing, and

savvy financial tips.

JOJO SIWA

YouTube

12.3M subscribers

Pop star Siwa got her

break on traditional

television, but her rise

to international stardom

and arena tours came

from engaging with her

young fans with dance

moves and vlogs on

YouTube.

LIL NAS X

Twitter

7.1M followers

Starting his hilarious

and provocative Twitter

account to “stan” Nicki

Minaj, Montero Lamar

Hill re-created himself as

rap superstar Lil Nas X. A

string of hit singles and

his unflinching openness

regarding his sexuality

have made him a vital pop

culture figure.

MAXIMILIAN DOOD

YouTube

1.42M

The prolific fighting game

streamer Maximilian

Dood has posted videos

to his YouTube account

daily, putting his tally at

5,761 and counting.

NICK QUAH

Podcast critic

Quah is the Internet’s

preeminent podcast

critic. His site HotPod

was recently sold to

Vox Media, and he has

since taken his talents

to New York magazine’s

Vulture.

YOGA WITH ADRIENE

YouTube

10.3M subscribers

The online fitness world

is full of flash-in-the-

pan influencers telling

you to grind and hustle.

Adriene Mishler, however,

started her YouTube

channel in 2012, and

through consistency and

reliability she has won

over fans with her kind

and gentle approach.

Meet the Creator 25

Fortune’s editors have compiled a list of

the TikTokers, Instagram influencers,

newsletter writers, and podcasters that

you need to know about. Read the full list

online at fortune.com/creator-25

JoJo Siwa has spun YouTube fame into a pop empire.

ILLUSTRATION BY MATT CHESSCO