Who should I follow to learn about Community building?

If you want to **actually learn community building - not just community management** , I’d follow a mix of practitioners who approach it from different angles: 1. **David Spinks** - probably my #1 starting point. Founder of CMX and author of _The Business of Belonging_. He’s particularly good on **community strategy, business value, and designing communities intentionally**. [The Community MBA](https://www.cmxhub.com/the-community-mba?utm_source=chatgpt.com)[The CMX Social Identity Cycle: How to Build Thriving Communities](https://www.cmxhub.com/blog/the-cmx-community-engagement-cycle?utm_source=chatgpt.com) [CMX](https://www.cmxhub.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) 2. **Richard Millington** - follow him for the **psychology and mechanics of participation** : why people join, contribute, return, and develop a sense of belonging. He runs FeverBee and is one of the deepest thinkers in the field. [Announcing CMX Summit Speaker, Richard Millington - The Psychology of Communities](https://www.cmxhub.com/blog/announcing-cmx-summit-speaker-richard-millington-the-psychology-of-communities?utm_source=chatgpt.com)[The Indispensable Community](https://www.feverbee.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/TheIndispensableCommunity.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com) 3. **Paz Pisarski** - especially worth following if you're interested in **modern, human-centered communities, cohorts, and community-led growth**. She co-founded The Community Collective and has built communities across multiple countries. [CMX Summit 2026 | The Premier Conference for Community Professionals](https://www.cmxhub.com/summit-2026?utm_source=chatgpt.com) 4. **DeMario Bell** - great for understanding how to move from _“I run community activities”_ to **community as a strategic function**. He has scaled large communities and focuses heavily on strategy and growth. [CMX Summit 2026 | The Premier Conference for Community Professionals](https://www.cmxhub.com/summit-2026?utm_source=chatgpt.com) 5. **Jessie Jacob** - follow her if you're interested in **events, experiences, belonging, and making communities feel alive** , rather than treating them as Slack/Discord groups. [CMX Summit 2026 | The Premier Conference for Community Professionals](https://www.cmxhub.com/summit-2026?utm_source=chatgpt.com) 6. **Santiago Espinosa** - particularly interesting for **community design and belonging**. He has built 50+ communities and takes a deliberately human-first approach. [CMX Summit 2026 | The Premier Conference for Community Professionals](https://www.cmxhub.com/summit-2026?utm_source=chatgpt.com) 7. **CMX as an organization** - honestly, I'd put this on your must-follow list even though it's not a person. CMX has a large professional community, research, events, frameworks, and a continually updated body of material. [CMX: Helping Community Professionals Thrive](https://www.cmxhub.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)[Reports - Data & Insights on Community Building](https://www.cmxhub.com/reports?utm_source=chatgpt.com) ### If I were starting from zero I'd go: **David Spinks → Richard Millington → Paz Pisarski → DeMario Bell → Jessie Jacob** And don't just consume their content. **Study what they build.** For every community you encounter, ask: > **Who is this for? Why would someone join? Why would they return? What do members get from each other that they couldn't get alone?** That's where community building starts getting interesting. If you tell me whether you're interested in **startup/customer communities, online communities, creator communities, local communities, or building a community around your own business** , I can give you a much more targeted “10 people to follow” list. Log in for advice and recommendations tailored to you. Log in Sign up for free

**If you want to learn about community building, follow practitioners like Richard Millington (FeverBee), David Spinks (CMX), and Sarah Leary (Nextdoor), alongside social impact leaders such as Jacqueline Novogratz (Acumen) and Beth Kanter. These voices combine practical frameworks with real-world experience in building thriving communities.** ## 🌍 Key Community-Building Experts to Follow Expert| Role / Background| Why Follow Them ---|---|--- **Richard Millington**| Founder of FeverBee, author of _Buzzing Communities_| Offers deep insights into community strategy, engagement, and sustainability.[Top 10 Community Platform Experts - Ian Khan | AI Keynote Speaker for Hire | Futurist, Author, Thinkers50](https://www.iankhan.com/top-10-community-platforms-experts-to-follow-a-future-ready-guide-for-2026/) **David Spinks**| Co-founder of CMX, global community professional network| Shares frameworks and case studies for professional community managers.[Top 10 Community Platform Experts - Ian Khan | AI Keynote Speaker for Hire | Futurist, Author, Thinkers50](https://www.iankhan.com/top-10-community-platforms-experts-to-follow-a-future-ready-guide-for-2026/) **Sarah Leary**| Co-founder of Nextdoor, investor, Harvard EIR| Experienced in scaling neighborhood-based communities and tech platforms.[The World’s Top Community Experts of 2025 | Intro](https://intro.co/top/community-experts) **Ed Giansante**| Former Global Head of Community at Dropbox & Wix| Practical advice on building communities inside tech companies.[The World’s Top Community Experts of 2025 | Intro](https://intro.co/top/community-experts) **Beth Kanter**| Nonprofit consultant, author of _The Networked Nonprofit_| Focuses on nonprofit and social impact community building.[Top Non-Profit & Social Impact Leaders of 2026 | The Industry Leaders](https://www.theindustryleaders.org/leaders/top-25-nonprofit-social-impact-leaders-2026) **Jacqueline Novogratz**| Founder & CEO of Acumen| Thought leader on social impact, “patient capital,” and global community building.[Top Non-Profit & Social Impact Leaders of 2026 | The Industry Leaders](https://www.theindustryleaders.org/leaders/top-25-nonprofit-social-impact-leaders-2026) **Dennis Crowley**| Founder of Foursquare, Hopscotch| Known for building location-based and grassroots communities.[The World’s Top Community Experts of 2025 | Intro](https://intro.co/top/community-experts) **Holly Firestone**| Head of Community at Atlassian, ex-Salesforce| Expert in tech community engagement and user experience.[Top 10 Community Platform Experts - Ian Khan | AI Keynote Speaker for Hire | Futurist, Author, Thinkers50](https://www.iankhan.com/top-10-community-platforms-experts-to-follow-a-future-ready-guide-for-2026/) ## 📌 How to Use These Voices * **For frameworks & strategy:** Follow Richard Millington and David Spinks for structured approaches to community growth and engagement. * **For tech & startup ecosystems:** Sarah Leary, Ed Giansante, and Dennis Crowley share lessons on scaling communities in digital platforms. * **For social impact & nonprofits:** Jacqueline Novogratz and Beth Kanter provide guidance on building mission-driven communities. * **For practical case studies:** Holly Firestone offers insights into managing large-scale corporate communities. ## ⚠️ Risks & Challenges in Following Community Leaders * **Overemphasis on tech models:** Many experts come from startup/tech backgrounds, which may not fully apply to grassroots or nonprofit contexts. * **Hype vs. substance:** Some voices focus on trends (like Web3/NFT communities) that may not be sustainable long-term. * **Global vs. local relevance:** Leaders like Novogratz operate globally, while others (Leary, Crowley) focus on local or niche communities - choose based on your context. 👉 To refine this list for you: Are you more interested in **startup ecosystems**, **nonprofit/social impact communities**, or **corporate/tech user communities**? That will help me point you toward the most relevant voices.

To master community building, look to practitioners who specialize in scaling digital groups, brand communities, and cohort-based spaces. **Top Thought Leaders & Experts** * **Richard Millington:** Founder of FeverBee and author of _The Business of Belonging_ ; one of the longest-standing authorities on community psychology, metrics, and strategy. * **David Spinks:** Co-founder of CMX and author of _The Business of Belonging_ ; a staple follow for operationalizing community frameworks and event strategies. * **Rosie Sherry:** Founder of **Rosieland** ; widely known for pioneering independent, bootstrapped community building and sharing raw insights into the indie community landscape. [8 Must-Read Newsletters To Learn About Community Building - Unita](https://unita.co/blog/best-community-newsletters/#:~:text=Whether%20you're%20looking%20for%20inspiration%2C%20or%20want,how%20to%20create%20your%20community%20from%20scratch.) **Essential Industry Hubs & Resources** * **CMX Hub:** The premier professional network and resource center for community managers, offering regular case studies, events, and playbooks. * **Orbit (The Observatory):** Excellent for learning about community-led growth (CLG), developer relations, and quantitative metrics for tracking engagement. [8 Must-Read Newsletters To Learn About Community Building - Unita](https://unita.co/blog/best-community-newsletters/#:~:text=Orbit%20is%20a%20platform%20that%20provides%20community,Observatory%20is%20their%20free%2C%20weekly%20community%20newsletter.) * **Community Club:** A practical hub run by Rosie Hutton offering newsletters, AMAs with experts, and tactical guides specifically tailored for building community-driven businesses. [8 Must-Read Newsletters To Learn About Community Building - Unita](https://unita.co/blog/best-community-newsletters/#:~:text=Additionally%2C%20Community%20Club%20runs%20a%20community%20in,and%20resources%2C%20mentorship%20programs%2C%20and%20even%20courses!) What specific type of community are you looking to build (e.g., brand, developer, creator, or local)?

To master community building - whether for a brand, a startup, a creator economy, or a non-profit - it helps to learn from practitioners who specialize in **Community-Led Growth (CLG)** , member engagement, and organic human connection. [How To Turn Customers Into Your Growth Engine](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHndzaaDvJc&t=2089)[How to Build a Thriving Community with David Spinks](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jW48Kpc0XKg&t=1751) The top experts, creators, and resources to follow include: * * ** _David Spinks_** – Co-founder of CMX and author of _The Business of Belonging_. He is essentially the godfather of modern digital community building. Follow him on LinkedIn or listen to his podcast, _**Masters of Community with David Spinks**_ , for deep tactical frameworks on community strategy. [The Best Podcast Episodes For Community Builders - LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/best-podcast-episodes-community-builders-timothy-calder-g9rre) * ** _Rosie Sherry_** – A legendary voice in community building, known for her work with Indie Hackers and her focus on building authentic, human-first communities. She is a fantastic follow on X/Twitter and LinkedIn for contrarian and grounded advice on what _actually_ makes people care. * ** _Carrie Melissa Jones_** – An award-winning community strategist, researcher, and co-author of _Building Brand Communities_. She approaches community through the lens of sociology and psychology. Her insights are great for understanding the emotional and behavioral sides of belonging. * **Maxime Berthelot** & **Alex Garcia** – The creators behind **The Community-Led Growth Show** , an incredible podcast and content hub that breaks down how fast-growing companies leverage community as their primary growth engine rather than traditional ads. [LinkedIn·Timothy Calder] * **The Community Roundtable** (Led by Rachel Happe and team) – An essential industry group. Following their organization gives you access to benchmark reports like the _State of Community Management_ , which are packed with data on metrics, operations, and community maturity models. [Who are the strongest influencers in the community ... - LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/who-strongest-influencers-community-management-ernesto-izquierdo-?trk=articles_directory) * Are you looking to build a community for a **B2B SaaS product** , a **creator/passion brand** , or an **in-person local group**? Let me know so I can point you toward more tailored case studies or playbooks.