Young Influencers List

April Young Influencers List + Top Ten Trends in Leadership for 2025

Check out the most recent version of the Young Influencers List. 20 Young Leaders to know and be aware of their work. Plus, the Top Trends in Leadership for 2025. Regardless of your current role, title, or industry, these will help you navigate the current leadership landscape regardless of change and innovation. And apply to any area of life. All on the H3 Leadership Podcast Episode 257. Listen in to the convo through Apple Podcasts or Spotify or on the Website.

This is an episode to share and discuss with your team, co-workers and boards. Make sure to access the Show Notes at the H3 Leadership website.

Special thanks to DIME and GENERIS for their partnership on this episode.

DIME

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GENERIS

One of the biggest challenges today is building a culture of generosity. But our friends at Generis have the proven giving strategies that will help accelerate generosity in your church, school, college or non-profit. For over 30 years Generis has helped thousands of churches and non profits develop a sustainable culture of generosity to fund their God-inspired vision. Get started at http://generis.com to schedule a conversation with one of their incredible consultants. It will be worth your time. Again, visit http://generis.com to get started. Generis has the experience and heart to inspire generosity, advance your mission, and grow your impact for the Kingdom.

Young Influencers List for April

Cleere Cherry – author, Bible teacher, podcaster and influencer

Justin Cramer – Managing partner of Sovereign Family Office in Myrtle Beach, SC

Maya Symone – worship artist, songwriter and part of the Passion City Church worship team.

Deb Williamson – entrepreneur, former NIKE marketing, and running her own agency.

Adam Johnson – lead pastor of Browns Bridge Community Church in north Atlanta.

Joel Delph – campus pastor at Seacoast Church in Charleston, SC.

Austin Rockwell – Phoenix based founder of Kamp Love.

Megan Ashley – host of the In Totality Podcast.

Gerald Murphy – senior leader of Garden City Church in Columbus, OH.

Aaron Judkins – campus pastor at LifePoint Church in VA.

Chloe Hamaker – executive director of Jennie Allen Ministries out of Dallas.

Jake Mulder – author, assistant chief of leadership for Fuller Seminary, and senior advisor for Fuller Youth Institute.

Mark Phillips – founder and managing partner of 11 Tribes Ventures.

Sara Wendland – Global marketing director at NIKE.

Kyle Kutter – Chief Development Officer for YouVersion.

Taylor Stutts – works for The Send on the executive team as the National Mobilization Director.

Emilie McCormack – helps lead Breakaway Ministry on campus of Texas A&M.

Shaylee Clark – entrepreneur and realtor in Colorado Springs.

Rachel Merritt – senior head of marketing for YouVersion

Avrielle Muse – digital creator, influencer, and marketer.

Jason Dyba – storyteller, videographer, and creative director.

Top Ten Leadership Trends for 2025

  1. Work is teaching life skills, compared to life teaching work skills.

  2. Lead with empathy, along with emotional and social intelligence.

  3. Connector in Chief is a new C-suite role- helping facilitate collaboration and integrate work across complicated and complex organizational structures and teams.

  4. Small is the new Big – gatherings and cohorts compared to events and conferences.

  5. Decrease in institutional trust and increase in individual trust of influencers and thought leaders.

  6. Change is constant, speeding up, and requires flexibility and agile leadership.

  7. Develop leaders in house- both raising up young talent as well as upskilling talent that’s been around for years.

  8. Continued rise and increase of the gig economy and side hustle mindset.

  9. Rise of the Kingdom entrepreneur and need for pastoral and servant leadership in the marketplace.

  10. Spiritual awakening sweeping across the world through organic movements and audience led and bottom up experiences.

You can also find additional interviews with Patrick Lencioni, Bob Goff, Adam Grant, Charles Duhigg, Andy Stanley, Coach PJ Fleck, Louie Giglio, Christine Caine, Kevin Kelly, NT Wright, Rick Warren, Michael Jr, Jon Gordon, Jessica Jackley, John Mark Comer, Scott Harrison, Lysa Terkeurst, and many more.

How to Be a Great Connector + 10 Leaders You Should Know

Check out my breakdown of being a Connector compared to a Networker on the H3 Leadership Podcast Episode 177 as well as below. Listen in to the convo through Apple Podcasts or Spotify or on the Website.

I break down the power of being a connector compared to a networker. Including why connectors are always invited into the room and networkers only want to get in the room. Plus check out the list of 10 Leaders You Should Know. Make sure to access the Show Notes at the H3 Leadership website.

Special thanks to KINSMEN JOURNAL and OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD for being our trusted partners on this episode.

OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD

Join in on the Shoebox Campaign this fall at http://samaritanspurse.org/occ. Be a part of sending the Gospel around the world by packing a shoebox Christmas gift! Millions of boys and girls around the world will be impacted and invited into the Greatest Journey discipleship course. Through OCC more than 17 million boys and girls have made a decision to trust Christ. Find everything you need to get started by visiting http://samaritanspurse.org/occ.

KINSMEN JOURNAL

Kinsmen Journal is a one of a kind publication, content hub, and community for men. Centered on Faith, Fatherhood, and Work, Kinsmen is a leading voice in the conversation surrounding spiritual formation and marketplace integration for men. Visit http://kinsmenjournal.com. Check out the FREE weekly newsletter as well as the FREE podcast on Faith, Fatherhood and Work with publisher and founder Peter Ostapko. Again, visit Kinsmen Journal to subscribe for FREE to the weekly newsletter and access the incredible content and community.

Connectors VS Networkers - Connecting Compared to Networking

Connectors are others focused. Networkers are me focused.

Connectors have an abundance and generosity mindset. Others winning is a win.

Networkers are small thinkers and protect and hoard. Others winning is a threat.

Connectors are multiplication minded because of collaboration as the lead story. Networkers are addition minded because of one on one acquisition as the lead story.

Connectors are relational and transformational. Networkers are transactional.

Connectors are long term. Networkers are short term.

Connectors are true Catalysts, focused on sparking a change but leaving no residue of themselves.

Connectors add value to others. Networkers subtract and pull value from others.

Networkers keep score. Connectors always win regardless of the score.

Connectors are kingdom minded. Networkers are temporal minded.

Connectors are generous. Networkers are selfish.

Connectors have influence and impact and legacy.

Connectors are memorable. Networkers I want to erase from my memory.

I look forward to seeing a connector. But networkers I try to avoid at all costs.

Connectors are power brokers. Networkers are power seekers.

Connectors are invited and included. Networkers are avoided and left out. 

Networkers are controlling. Connectors are releasing and empowering, which creates currency and appropriate power. 

Connectors have equity and credit, which leads to credibility. Networkers are renters and simply move on once they’ve gotten what they want.

Connectors control the room by inviting others in. Networkers work the room by trying to get in.

I stay away from networkers in the green room, but connectors I move toward and hope to get time with them

Networkers are one hit wonders. Connectors are long term contributors and participants.

10 Leaders You Need to Know

Raymond Chang – author, pastor, speaker, executive director of the TenX10 Campaign and movement, and president of the Asian American Christian Collaborative.

Carrie Williams – president of Leadership Network and Exponential NEXT.

Vincent Lacsamana – entrepreneur, artist, singer

Kevin Seoentrepreneur and co founder, Sonic Speed Café

Ben Chung – former member of Jabbawockeez dance group, now entrepreneur and part of KINJAZ

Noah Herrin – author of Holy Habits and lead pastor of Way Church in Nashville.

Taylor Jones and Eric Brown – co founders of Whiteboard, a Chattanooga based digital agency focused on branding, websites, and activation.

Jess Ekstrom – speaker, best-selling author, founder of Headbands of Hope and founder of Mic Drop Workshop.

Ryan Britt – executive pastor of Church of Eleven22 in Jacksonville, FL

You can also find additional interviews with Patrick Lencioni, Bob Goff, Adam Grant, Charles Duhigg, Andy Stanley, Coach PJ Fleck, Louie Giglio, Christine Caine, Kevin Kelly, NT Wright, Rick Warren, Michael Jr, Jon Gordon, Jessica Jackley, John Mark Comer, Scott Harrison, Lysa Terkeurst, and many more.

Next Gen with Gabe Lyons and Grant Skeldon from THINQ & Next Gen Summit + September Young Influencers List

Check out my interview with Gabe Lyons and Grant Skeldon on the H3 Leadership Podcast Episode 173. Listen in to the convo through Apple Podcasts or Spotify or on the Website.

The NEXT GEN Episode is here. Our guests are Gabe Lyons and Grant Skeldon from THINQ Media. Grant leads Next Gen and the NXT Gen Summit and hosts the Next Up Podcast, and Gabe is a speaker, podcaster, founder of Q and THINQ Media, The Culture Summit, and a best-selling author of multiple books, including UnChristian and The Next Christians. We discuss the history of Catalyst, collaboration, leadership transition, why they're hopeful about the next generation, how to lead well, and more. Plus check out the September Young Influencers List. Make sure to access the Show Notes at the H3 Leadership website.

And make sure to register to attend the Next Gen Summit happening November 10-11 in Nashville.

Special thanks to OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD and OVERFLOW for being our trusted partners on this episode.

OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD

Join in on the Shoebox Campaign this fall at http://samaritanspurse.org/occ. Be a part of sending the Gospel around the world by packing a shoebox Christmas gift! Millions of boys and girls around the world will be impacted and invited into the Greatest Journey discipleship course. Through OCC more than 17 million boys and girls have made a decision to trust Christ. Find everything you need to get started by visiting http://samaritanspurse.org/occ.

OVERFLOW

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Young Influencers List September

Daniel Kim – Hawaii based entrepreneur, creative and founder of Merch Labs and Media3

Nathan Montgomery – songwriter, artist, and worship pastor at Rock City Church and Rock City Worship in Columbus, OH

Jordan Burroughs – American wrestler, Olympic gold medal winner and 6 time world champion

Katie Fisher – executive pastor at Rock City Church in Columbus, OH

Jacob Coyne – speaker, pastor, YouTuber, author of Stay Here, and founder of Stay Here, focused on suicide prevention

Jonathan Isaac – NBA basketball player for the Orlando Magic, author of Why I Stand, and founder of Unitus clothing line

Jared Fulks – Atlanta based entrepreneur and partner at Pureflow

Jami Nato – serial entrepreneur, coach, speaker and author of This Must Be the Place

You can also find additional interviews with Patrick Lencioni, Bob Goff, Adam Grant, Charles Duhigg, Andy Stanley, Coach PJ Fleck, Louie Giglio, Christine Caine, Kevin Kelly, NT Wright, Rick Warren, Michael Jr, Jon Gordon, Jessica Jackley, John Mark Comer, Scott Harrison, Lysa Terkeurst, and many more.

20 Young Leaders to Know - the latest Young Influencers List

Here you go, the latest edition of the Young Influencers List. You can find all the past lists here.

1. Kobe Campbell – trauma therapist, speaker and author of new book Why am I Like This?

2. Gloria Umanah – founder and visionary of Hope Booth and award winning spoken word artist

3. Charlie Hughes – teaching pastor at Church by the Glades in south Florida, and founder of Rally Nights

4. Erin Fujimoto – co-founder of Tommy John

5. Carlos PenaVega and Alexa PenaVega – Dancing with the Stars participants, actors, entertainers, musicians and influencers

6. Isaac Frere – pastor, church planter, Instagram influencer

7. Faith Eury Cho – speaker, pastor, church planter and founder of The Honor Summit

8. Meredith Knox – teaching pastor at Newspring Church in South Carolina

9. Kevin Kubandi – student pastor at New Vintage Church in CA

10. Henry Costa - entrepreneur and CEO and co-founder of Glorify app

11. Teo Hayashi – founder and lead for Dunamis Movement and senior pastor of Zion Church in Sao Paulo, Brazil. 

12. Brendan Groves – VP of Regulatory and Public Affairs for Skydio, one of the leading drone and autonomous flight companies in the world. 

13. Joanna Waterfall – speaker, podcaster and founder of Yellow Conference, a creative and entrepreneurial gathering and community for women leaders. 

14. Jules Moore – lead pastor of The Fathers House in Oakland 

15. Mackenzie Durham – co-founder of Delight Ministries and For the Girl, with a podcast, Bible studies, and creating community on college campuses.

16. Tim Benitez – student pastor at Hope Church in Roswell, GA. 

17. Michael Pittman – speaker, entrepreneur, and founder of Simple Money Academy, focused on growing financial literacy. 

18. Abby Raymond – member of TEAM USA weightlifting 

19. Jimmy McNeal – musician, songwriter, worship leader and elder at Austin Stone Church in Austin, TX

20. Simi John – author, speaker, and pastor of New Life Bible Church in Norman, OK.

Young Influencers List, June Edition

Here you go, the June Edition of the Young Influencers List. You can see all the past month’s lists here.

1. Sam Acho - Dallas based speaker, author of Let the World See You, former NFL linebacker, and analyst for ESPN.

2. Alexa PenaVega - American actress, singer, and co-author of What if Love is the Point.

3. Jimmy Darts - social media personality focused on generosity and kindness.

4. Amanda Pittman - Dallas based speaker, author, entrepreneur and founder of Confident Woman Co.

5. Dustin Nickerson - San Diego based comedian and author of How to be Married to Melissa.

6. Steve Smith - Chicagoland based host of the Gospel, Culture and Me Podcast, and executive pastor at Highpoint Church.

7. Wale Forrester - president and co-founder of Hustle Clean, and director at Free Play.