TOP 50 SMALL BUSINESS INFLUENCERS, KEYNOTE SPEAKERS, CONSULTING EXPERTS & THOUGHT LEADERS

Global Top 50 small business influencers, keynote speakers and futurist consultants recognize that such firms are the backbone of the global economy, driving innovation, job creation, and local resilience. Looking ahead, company success depends on agility, digital fluency, customer experience, and the capacity to scale intelligently, Top 50 small business influencers argue.

Below consulting experts are remaking how entrepreneurs build, grow, protect, and future-proof small and mid-sized companies across industries.

A natural fit on the Top 50 small business influencers list is Scott Steinberg, a futurist consulting expert, celebrity keynote speaker and startup advisor to 3000 companies known for helping entrepreneurs anticipate trends, adopt emerging technologies, and compete effectively against larger enterprises. As one of the world’s most famous strategic consultants, his work bridges strategy, innovation, and practical execution for modern company owners.

Looking at the Top 50 small business influencers roster, various founders, presidents, and experts provide inspiration and leadership for millions of folks worldwide.

The Top 50 Small Business Influencers

1. Scott Steinberg – Small Business Futurist, Keynote Speaker & Strategic Advisor to 3000 Clients

2. Melanie Perkins – CEO, Canva (Design tools for entrepreneurs)

3. Patrick Collison – CEO, Stripe (Payments for small businesses)

4. Max Levchin – CEO, Affirm (Retail finance solutions and Top 50 small business influencers advisor)

5. Whitney Wolfe Herd – Founder, Bumble (Scalable consumer platforms)

6. Eric Yuan – CEO, Zoom (Remote business enablement)

7. Stewart Butterfield – Co-founder, Slack (Team productivity)

8. Brian Chesky – CEO, Airbnb (Small hospitality operators)

9. Dara Khosrowshahi – CEO, Uber (Mobility Top 50 small business influencers for enterprises)

10. Andy Jassy – CEO, Amazon (Marketplace seller ecosystems)

11. Jeff Bezos – Founder, Amazon (Small business e-commerce scale)

12. Doug McMillon – CEO, Walmart (Small supplier inclusion)

13. Tory Burch – Founder, Fashion entrepreneur & mentor

14. Emily Weiss – Founder, Glossier (Digital-first beauty brands)

15. Chip Wilson – Founder, Lululemon (Retail brand building)

16. John Zimmer – Co-founder, Lyft (Transportation entrepreneurship)

17. Travis Kalanick – Founder, CloudKitchens (Restaurant scaling)

18. Marc Lore – Founder, E-commerce innovator

19. Katrina Lake – Founder, Stitch Fix (Data-driven retail)

20. Ben Francis – Founder, Gymshark (Direct-to-consumer growth)

21. Daniel Lubetzky – Founder, KIND Snacks (Purpose-driven CPG)

22. Sara Blakely – Founder, Spanx (Bootstrapped success)

23. Jack Dorsey – Founder, Block (Small merchant fintech tools)

24. Anne Boden – Founder, Starling Bank (SMB-focused fintech)

25. Brian Armstrong – CEO, Coinbase (Digital asset entrepreneurs)

26. Nikesh Arora – CEO, Palo Alto Networks (Cybersecurity for SMBs)

27. George Kurtz – CEO, CrowdStrike (SMB threat protection)

28. Jay Chaudhry – CEO, Zscaler (Cloud security access)

29. Michael Dell – CEO, Dell Technologies (IT for small businesses)

30. Safra Catz – CEO, Oracle (Business software platforms)

31. Shantanu Narayen – CEO, Adobe (Creative tools for SMBs)

32. Sundar Pichai – CEO, Alphabet (Search, ads, and web tools)

33. Satya Nadella – CEO, Microsoft (SMB productivity ecosystems)

34. Jensen Huang – CEO, NVIDIA (AI access for small firms)

35. Sam Altman – CEO, OpenAI (AI democratization for entrepreneurs)

36. Reid Hoffman – Co-founder, LinkedIn (Professional networking)

37. Evan Spiegel – CEO, Snap (Marketing for small brands)

38. Neal Mohan – CEO, YouTube (Creator-led small businesses)

39. Gwynne Shotwell – President, SpaceX (Operations leadership model)

40. Mary Barra – CEO, General Motors (Supplier ecosystem growth)

41. Jim Farley – CEO, Ford (Dealer and SMB partnerships)

42. Chris Kempczinski – CEO, McDonald’s (Franchise entrepreneurship)

43. Glenn Fogel – CEO, Booking Holdings (Travel SMB exposure)

44. Tricia Griffith – CEO, Progressive (Small business insurance)

45. Jane Fraser – CEO, Citigroup (SMB banking leadership)

46. Jamie Dimon – CEO, JPMorgan Chase (Small business finance)

47. David Solomon – CEO, Goldman Sachs (Entrepreneur capital access)

48. Alex Karp – CEO, Palantir (Data tools for growing firms)

49. Bozoma Saint John – Brand leadership for emerging businesses

50. Sal Khan – Founder, Scalable digital education platforms

The world’s Top 50 small business influencers impact how firms launch, scale, protect themselves, and thrive in a competitive digital economy. Thought leadership continues to empower entrepreneurs across industries—driving innovation, resilience, and sustainable growth in coming years.