In early December 2009, fellow Huffpost blogger Yasamin Beitollahi and I had a lengthy phone conversation about Twitter, and the men and women shaping conversation in the social space. We were excited about Twitter's rapid growth and believed we were witnessing something extraordinary. The more we talked, the more we understood the need for an ongoing series that profiled the people driving conversation and innovation in technology, business, journalism, activism, sustainability, health and fitness, among many other areas. Thus, the "Twitter Powerhouses Series" was born.
We wanted both interviews ending with the distinctive "How would you describe yourself in 140 characters" question as well as lists that included both seasoned veterans and accomplished newbies. That combination has been a huge hit with readers.
As avid readers of Huffington Post from day one, Yasamin and I witnessed its evolution from "promising start-up" to "contemporary world-changer." So naturally, we felt it was a great platform to launch a social media series that would bring on a substantive, knowledgeable, and diverse group of writers to enhance particular topics. Indeed, social media is at its best when people work together -- moving ideas from conception to reality
This infographic below (created by the awesome Christel Quek) includes the names and faces of these writers, a group with great respect in every corner of the blogosphere: Paul Steele, Elianne Ramos, Ann Tran, Mark Horvath, Amy Neumann, Barbara Ficarra, Kristen Durkin, AnneMarie Dooling, Jim Thomas, Jamie Schler, and Ramon Nuez. It also includes social media influencer and legal eagle Glen Gilmore, who has been the best advisor the series could ask for. Their contributions have been tremendous.
I am proud to call these men and women friends. They'll be more posts, with more HuffPost contributors who dig into the layers of the issues, and advance new ways of thinking about them. The Twitter Powerhouses Series is not a destination, it is a journey. And what a journey it has been. Thanks so much for making it an enjoyable and thought-provoking ride.
The Twitter Powerhouses Series profiles newsmakers in various fields that intersect with social media. It was co-founded by writers 2morrowknight and Yasamin Beitollahi, with the first post published on January 4th 2010.
Follow 2morrowknight on Twitter: www.twitter.com/2morrowknight
Huffpost blogger and business woman Christel Quek (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christel-quek/) did an amazing job on the infographic. I love the way everything turned out.
Thanks for your comment :) ...and stay tuned for more posts in the series.
~2K