New York City influences the entire world when it comes to things like fashion, food and culture, but who are the top influencers in NYC, who are behind it all?
Let’s talk a little bit about the term influencers first. By definition an influencer is a person who has above average impact on a given process, and is a person many people look up to for advice and for guidance. In modern society, influencers are key people for various reasons as they form opinions. When it comes to business and the corporate world, they can be very important for public relations and a marketing asset for an organization. Influencers can also act on their own behalf as well, and in this age of information technology, influencers have a lot of power in shaping people’s opinions about things. Often influencers operate through social media and many have reached celebrity status which you can see on our list of 25 Biggest Influencers on Social Media. On that list you will find some of the top social media influencers in 2016 & 2017 like the channel Dude Perfect, comedian Jenna Marbles, and fitness guru Emily Skye who all make a substantial income based on their social media presence and followers. There are several social networking websites out there where these social media celebrities spread their influence, however the most notable are probably Instagram and YouTube. Instagram started out as a photo sharing platform but soon became much more than just that. Now, the top Instagram influencers in 2017 by user following are currently Ariana Grande and Selena Gomez.
If we analyze the trends, we find that millennials currently make up the top social media influencers at this point in time, and the face that PewDiePie, Ariana Grande and Selena Gomez are the top millennial social media influencers right now proves that point. Like we mentioned earlier, influencers can go beyond just the screens of social media and be a great marketing asset for a company as well. Top internet marketers 2017 like Jeremy ShoeMaker, Yanik Silver and Darren Rowse bring in an astonishing amount of money from their marketing blogs.
In this article, we will localize our research and try to find out who are some of the top influencers based right in The Big Apple. NYC is home to over 8 million people, and someone who can influence the decision of that many people is definitely well-known.
It does not matter whether you are a sales manager looking for a person to do marketing for your company, or just a curious New Yorker who wants to learn about the top neighborhood influencers, this article will definitely provide you with the answers you seek. New York City is one of the largest cities in the world, and to come up with the list of its top influencers was no walk in the park. Thankfully, there are websites that we can use for our research, like Media Kix, City And State NY and The Shelf. We also employed the help of Google to help us in our quest as well. As the title suggests, this list is based on influencers active in New York City only, and that helped us narrow down our search. We looked into all the boroughs of the city to find out who’s making a difference in the community. One more important thing to note here, is that these people are not “social media influencers” these are the people who influence the lives of others and in a more traditional way. Every influencer who made it on the list is equally important in their respective fields, thus we did not opt for a ranking for this particular article. Also, because these are not social media influencers, there’s no way to rank them based on the number of “followers.”
Check out the full list, and find out how many of the influencers on our list of top 25 influencers in NYC you know by name.
25. Kathy Zamechansky
Post: President, KZA Realty Group Inc.
The first NYC influencer on our list comes from a business background, and she is the President and founder of KZA Realty Group Inc. KZA is a commercial brokerage and consulting company based in NYC. Under her capable leadership the company has made millions of dollars in profit, and when it comes to real estate, she is one of the top influencers in the city.
24. Young Woo
Post: Founder and Principal, Youngwoo & Associates
Youngwoo & Associates is spearheading perhaps one of the most exciting real estate projects of the decade, which is the conversion of the Bronx General Post Office into a commercial hub. When it comes to real estate, Mr. Young Woo is one of the best New York has to offer.
23. April Horton
Post: Director, External Affairs and Government Affairs, Verizon
When it comes to wireless communication Verizon is perhaps the largest wireless communications provider in the country. Holding a position of power at Verizon is not an easy feat, and April Horton is making it all seem too easy. She is also involved heavily in community affairs as well.
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22. Dr. Sridhar Chilimuri
Post: Chairman, Department of Medicine, Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center
Dr. Sridhar Chilimuri oversees one of the busiest hospitals in the area, which receives around 1.1 million visits each year. He is responsible for about 100 residents, 200 physicians and 15 major divisions as the physician in chief of the Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center.
21. Allen Spiegel
Post: Dean, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Another extremely important healthcare influencer on our list of influencers in NYC is Dr. Allen Spiegel currently occupying the position of Dean at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He is currently in charge of over 300 laboratories, a thousand students and over 2000 faculty members at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
20. Eleanor Larrier
Post: Executive Director and CEO, Bronx Community Health Network Inc.
Eleanor Larrier is one of the most influential leaders of the healthcare world with over 30 years of experience in the field. She is currently occupying not one, but two leadership positions at Bronx Community Health Network Inc., which she has done for over 18 years now.
19. Michael Max Knobbe
Post: Executive Director, BronxNet
BronxNet is a non profit organization that has been providing the residents of The Bronx with local television programming for ages. Michael Max Knobbe assumed the position of Executive Director at BronxNet in 2002. Since then he has worked his hardest at connecting local organizations with the viewers of BronxNet as well as the development of The Bronx as a whole, which made him one of the top influencers in NYC.
18. Patrick Dolan
Post: Majority Owner of the Newsday Media Group
The Dolan family controls the New York Knicks, the New York Rangers and AMC Networks and also the historic Madison Square Garden. Patrick Dolan is a journalist and executive who runs the News 12 Cablevision Network and now has over 75% ownership at Newsday Media Group. The person who controls the media is certainly a force to be reckoned with.
17. James Simons
Post: Founder, Renaissance Technologies
James Simons is a mathematician and he used his exceptional mathematical skills to found Renaissance Technologies, an investment management company. All those numbers have paid off and his organization has done tremendously well and is now considered one of the best investment management companies based in NYC, what put him on the list of influencers in NYC.
16. Daniel Eichhorn
Post: Incoming President and Chief Operating Officer, PSEG Long Island
PSEG is a contractor working for the Long Island Power Authority. PSEG is responsible for operating the power grid that spans most of the Long Island area. So figuratively and literally the headman of PSEG is tasked with energizing Long Island and he is Daniel Eichhorn.
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15. Stuart Rabinowitz
Post: President, Hofstra University
The job of a president at a highly reputed university is no easy task and a lot of people look up to them and the decisions they make. Ever since Stuart Rabinowitz took over at Hofstra University in 2000, he has not limited himself to only academic matters. Per his role, he is involved in a number community events and functions on behalf of the university. He is one of the best-known-academic influencers in NYC right now.
14. Bruce Stillman
Post: President and CEO, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Dr. Bruce Stillman is a native of Australia, but it did not stop him from gaining an influencer status here in the United States. He is a celebrated scientist and an influencer in the filed of healthcare and medicine. His research primarily focuses on genetics, and for that he has received numerous awards over the years.
13. William Floyd
Post: Head of External Affairs, Google New York
We are half way through our list of top 25 influencers in NYC, and at number 13 we have William Floyd the head of external affairs at Google New York. Now, holding the position of a company as massive as Google is saying something. Google has a huge amount of influence and his job is to work as a liaison between the company and the rest of the world. He is definitely more than worthy of being on our list.
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12. Samuel Stanley
Post: President, Stony Brook University
Stony Brook University was founded in 1958, and since then it has emerged as one of the country’s top research universities. The president of such an institution has a lot of power to influence those around him. Dr. Samuel Stanley is continuing to build a strong reputation for this pride of the SUNY system. If you are wondering, then yes Dr. Samuel Stanley has his own Wikipedia page.
11. Doon Gibbs
Post: Laboratory Director, Brookhaven National Laboratory
Doon Gibbs is at the helm of a multi-program, U.S. Department of Energy laboratory with about 2,700 employees that commands a budget of over $600 million each year. The DOE has its hands full more than ever with climate change and the environment, and the research done at the Brookhaven National Laboratory has brought seven Noble Prizes over the years.
10. Jonah Peretti
Post: Founder and CEO, BuzzFeed
So, we are starting with the countdown of the 10, among 25 influencers in NYC. Buzzfeed is an internet phenomenon started by Jonah Peretti in 2006. Will millennials in NYC and beyond look to Buzzfeed everyday, Peretti has no intentions of getting comfortable. He is always taking on new challenges and meeting them head on and is certainly one of the best examples of tech influencers who help make the internet a more enjoyable and fun place to be.
9. Michael Schlein
Post: President and CEO, Accion
Accion is a micro finance organization that provides financial aid to millions of people around the world. At its helm we find Michael Schlein, who, over the years, he has proven himself to be an extremely capable and astute leader. These qualities make him an ideal candidate for our list. Money talks and when you head an organization that provides financial aid to millions, you certainly make an influence on someone.
8. Allison Sesso
Post: Executive Director, Human Services Council of New York
The Human Services Council of New York is an organization that allows all the nonprofit organizations of New York to speak in one voice. Allison Sesso holds her position of power with this organization with great conviction. What she also holds is the high place on our list of influencers in NYC. She, and the organization, do a remarkable job at extending welfare and human services to those in need.
7. Jonathan Gray
Post: Global Head of Real Estate, Blackstone Group
Blackstone Group has been termed as the largest real estate platforms in the world, and it has gained most of its fame under the leadership of Jonathan Gray, who joined the company back in 1992. Although the Blackstone group does have its fair share of controversy, Jonathan Gray is without a doubt an influencer in his respective fields due to his reputation and the position he holds at Blackstone Group. His impact is proof that whether good, or bad, someone can have a huge influence on others. He is without a doubt one of the top influencers in NYC.
6. Ronald Perelman
Post: Chairman and CEO, MacAndrews & Forbes
MacAndrews & Forbes own an impressive portfolio of brands. Being at the top of such an influential organization means that the person leading the company has to be a great financial visionary and must possess extraordinary leadership qualities. Mr. Roland Perelman possesses these attributes without any doubt.
5. Sanford Rubenstein
Post: Attorney, Rubenstein & Rynecki
Number five on our list of influencers in NYC is Sanford Rubenstein, the personal injury and civil rights lawyer working as the senior attorney at Rubenstein & Rynecki. He is well known for his remarkable victories and his drive to do good for society and fight for those who cannot fight themselves. Based on his life’s work alone, he has made a huge difference in the lives of many across the city.
4. Doug Forand
Post: Founding Partner, Red Horse Strategies
Red Horse Strategies is one of the most successful political consultancy firms in New York City. Politics is the means to influence the lives of millions of people for good or bad. At Red Horse Strategies, Mr. Doug Forand is one of the founding partners, and his firm has worked with many successful political leaders over the years and helped bring many welcome changes.
3. Joanne Oplustil
Post: President and CEO, CAMBA
One of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s top priorities is to create more affordable housing solutions for NYC, and CAMBA is spearheading this initiative. We all know NYC is one of the most expensive places in the world and CAMBA President and CEO Joanne Oplustil, number three on our list of influencers in NYC, was appointed by the Mayor’s Supportive Housing Task Force to combat this. If everything works out as planned, their efforts could seriously benefit New Yorkers and those who want to make NYC their home.
2. Michael Moran
Post: General Manager, John F. Kennedy International Airport
Mr. Moran is in charge of one of the largest and busiest airports in the United States. If we take a look at the numbers, John F. Kennedy International Airport generates an estimated $37.3 billion in economic activity in the region, and employs about 37,000 people. Mr. Moran took over the responsibility in 2014, and ever since he has operated this mammoth task with remarkable success impacting the travel of millions around the world each year.
1. Fran Biderman-Gross
Post: Founder, Advantages
The final entry in our list is Fran Biderman-Gross the founder of one of the most successful marketing agencies in New York City. The agency started out in 1992 as a two person operation but thanks to its rapid success, it now it has branches all over the world. You can find the firm’s work in various industries like CUNY’s York College, a line of screen-cleaning cloths, and even membership cards for Jay-Z’s sports bar. It is very possible Fran Biderman-Gross or rather her agency has influenced every New Yorker in some way or another.
This wraps it up for our list of top influencers in NYC.
