Top Cloud Voice Picks: 25 Experts to Follow in 2026
Whether you're a seasoned cloud architect, a developer exploring new technologies, or a business leader navigating digital transformation, staying connected with industry thought leaders is essential. This curated list features 25 influential cloud voice who are shaping the future of cloud computing through their expertise, innovation, and commitment to education.
From AWS pioneers to Google Cloud evangelists, from Kubernetes specialists to cost optimization experts, these professionals offer invaluable insights that can accelerate your cloud journey.
Why Follow Cloud Industry Leaders?
Following cloud experts provides several key benefits:
• Stay Current: Learn about the latest services, features, and best practices as they emerge
• Avoid Pitfalls: Benefit from their hard-won lessons and avoid common mistakes
• Network Strategically: Connect with a community of professionals facing similar challenges
• Accelerate Learning: Access tutorials, tips, and real-world use cases that accelerate your growth
• Gain Perspective: Understand industry trends and where cloud computing is heading
How to Use This List
• Diversify Your Feed: Follow experts across different platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) to get a well-rounded perspective
• Engage Actively: Don't just consume content—ask questions, share your experiences, and participate in discussions
• Apply What You Learn: Put insights into practice through hands-on projects and experimentation
• Share Knowledge: Help others by sharing valuable content and your own learnings
The Top 25 Cloud Voices for 2026
We’ve identified 25 key influencers to watch in 2026. These experts—ranging from practitioners and educators to strategists—play a vital role in demystifying complex subjects related to AWS, Azure, GCP, multi-cloud strategies, DevOps, and cloud analysis. They not only share insights on cloud technologies but also provide practical guidance on building, securing, and managing cloud costs effectively.
AWS Specialists
The individuals involved in the AWS ecosystem include architects, educators, and advocates who provide valuable insights and knowledge. They offer instruction on a range of topics, from serverless patterns to effective management of billing challenges, helping you navigate the complexities of AWS services.
Dr. Werner Vogels
Werner doesn't just explain AWS — he shaped its architecture. His posts blend distributed systems theory with strategic insight on resilience and scale, offering a rare view into how the platform evolved and where it's headed.
Jeff Barr
Jeff is AWS's official voice, chronicling every major release on the AWS News Blog. His deep technical write-ups turn product launches into learning opportunities, ensuring you understand not just what launched, but why it matters.
Viktoria Semaan
Viktoria makes AI on AWS feel approachable. Her decade of experience translates into accessible content that demystifies machine learning for developers at any skill level.
Adrian Cockcroft
Adrian pioneered cloud-native architecture at Netflix before AWS. His insights on microservices, DevOps, and building resilient systems remain essential reading for anyone designing applications that need to survive chaos.
Neal Davis
Neal translates AWS complexity into digestible learning paths. His certification-focused content is ideal for anyone starting their cloud journey or pursuing AWS credentials.
Nancy Wang
Nancy balances technical depth in data governance with advocacy for inclusive tech teams. Her perspective on building diverse organizations without compromising technical excellence is rare and necessary.
Linda Haviv
Linda makes cloud development fun. Her creative, beginner-friendly content transforms intimidating AWS services into approachable learning experiences through humor and strong community engagement.
Hiroko Nishimura
Hiroko specializes in making AWS less scary for non-engineers and beginners. She breaks down fundamentals with patience and clarity, building a welcoming space for people starting their cloud careers.
Corey Quinn
Corey turns AWS billing into entertainment. His newsletter "Last Week in AWS" and sharp commentary on cloud economics can save organizations thousands while making you laugh. Follow for the snark, stay for the savings.
Luca Mezzalira
Luca bridges architecture and developer experience, focusing on serverless systems and microservices. His content emphasizes how to design systems for maintainability and scale, not just functionality.
Lucy Wang
With over 216K YouTube subscribers, Lucy has built a following on accessible AWS education. Her journey from Solutions Architect to full-time educator gives her unique insight into both technical and career aspects of cloud.
Why follow them: They live in the world's most popular cloud and know where the sharp edges are. Follow to learn AWS patterns that survive production.
Azure Experts
Microsoft's cloud has its own personality — deeply integrated with enterprise systems and evolving fast. These voices keep pace.
Scott Guthrie
Scott oversees Azure's entire stack — from infrastructure to AI. His posts reveal where Microsoft's cloud and AI strategy is heading, straight from the top.
John Savill
With over 30 years of experience, John delivers detailed Azure tutorials on LinkedIn and YouTube. His technical deep-dives make complex Azure concepts understandable without dumbing them down.
Why follow them: Azure is evolving rapidly, and these voices help you stay current without reading every changelog.
Google Cloud Leaders
Google Cloud brings unique strengths in data, AI, and developer experience. These experts translate that into actionable insight.
Richard Seroter
Richard bridges technical depth with exceptional communication. A former 12-time Microsoft MVP and Pluralsight author, his daily reading lists and blog posts curate emerging tech trends you need to know.
Stephanie Wong
Stephanie turns complex cloud and AI concepts into engaging stories through videos, blogs, and podcasts. Her empathetic, accessible style bridges product capabilities with real-world use cases.
Why follow them: GCP has differentiated strengths in data and AI. These voices show you how to use them effectively.
Multi-Cloud & Platform-Agnostic Experts
Not everyone lives in just one cloud. These voices help you think across platforms and avoid vendor lock-in.
Lori MacVittie
With 25 years in tech, Lori offers platform-agnostic perspective on security, app delivery, DevOps, and AI. Her deep-dives cut through vendor hype to discuss what actually matters across clouds.
Walter Lee
Walter brings 20+ years across AWS, GCP, and Azure. His technical tips balance serious depth with entertaining memes, making multi-cloud engineering feel less isolating.
Gaurav Kheterpal
Gaurav combines multi-cloud architecture with hands-on DevOps and Kubernetes expertise. His insights span traditional cloud and integration platforms like Salesforce, offering broadly relevant enterprise perspective.
Why follow them: They help you avoid single-cloud tunnel vision and make smarter architectural decisions across platforms.
DevOps, Kubernetes & Container Specialists
Containers and orchestration run modern cloud infrastructure. These voices understand the stack from Docker to GitOps.
Michael Levan
Michael lives on the Kubernetes Release Team and shares deep insights on containers, orchestration, and platform engineering. Co-hosts the Kubernetes Unpacked Podcast for the latest in K8s trends.
Bret Fisher
Bret created the Docker Mastery series on Udemy and makes container complexity approachable. His updates on Docker, Kubernetes, GitHub Actions, and GitOps keep you current on modern DevOps.
Why follow them: Containers are the new normal. These experts help you orchestrate, optimize, and avoid common pitfalls.
Thought Leaders & Analysts
These strategists connect cloud technology to business outcomes, helping leaders think beyond tooling.
Bob Evans
With 20+ years of analyzing tech, Bob bridges cloud trends and business strategy. His focus on industry challenges and strategic solutions offers essential context for decision-makers.
David Linthicum
David brings decades of experience bridging cloud strategy and AI adoption. He cuts through hype to provide enterprise-level frameworks for digital transformation and AI/cloud integration.
Ronald van Loon
Ronald connects AI, cloud, big data, and IoT through strategic insights and real use cases. His content demonstrates how these technologies converge in business contexts.
John Furrier
John built the CUBE into "the ESPN of Tech," covering major conferences like AWS re: Invent and Google Cloud Next. His live interviews and analysis offer unmatched insight into cloud trends and AI infrastructure.
Zeus (Zee) Kerravala
Consistently ranked as a top independent analyst, Zee specializes in networking, cloud infrastructure, AI, and cybersecurity. His blend of tactical advice and strategic guidance bridges cloud platforms with the network infrastructure that powers them.
Why follow them: They connect technical decisions to business outcomes, helping you see beyond the immediate sprint. Follow to understand where the industry is heading, not just what was launched this week.
Key Cloud Computing Trends These Voices Are Discussing in 2025-2026
As you follow these experts, you'll notice several dominant themes:
AI and Machine Learning Integration: Every major cloud platform is racing to make AI more accessible. From AWS Bedrock to Azure OpenAI to Google Vertex AI, the integration of generative AI into cloud services is transforming how applications are built.
FinOps and Cost Optimization: With cloud spending under scrutiny, understanding how to optimize costs while maintaining performance has become critical. Cloud financial management is now a distinct discipline.
Multi-Cloud Strategies: Organizations are increasingly adopting services from multiple cloud providers, creating both opportunities and challenges around integration, data management, and skill development.
Serverless and Event-Driven Architectures: The shift toward serverless computing continues, with platforms offering more sophisticated tools for building event-driven, scalable applications without managing infrastructure.
Security and Compliance: As cloud adoption deepens, security practices are evolving. Zero-trust architectures, identity management, and compliance automation are top priorities.
Sustainability: Cloud providers and customers alike are focusing on reducing the environmental impact of computing, with more emphasis on carbon-neutral operations and efficient resource utilization.
Edge Computing: The boundary between cloud and edge is blurring, with more processing happening closer to data sources for latency-sensitive applications.
Building Your Cloud Learning Network
Following these 25 voices is just the beginning. Here are some additional steps to maximize your cloud learning journey:
Engage Actively
• Comment on posts with thoughtful questions
• Share your own experiences and learnings
• Participate in LinkedIn polls and discussions
• Attend virtual events and webinars these experts host
Diversify Your Sources
• Follow people across different cloud platforms
• Mix technical deep-dives with strategic business perspectives
• Balance established experts with emerging voices
• Subscribe to newsletters, podcasts, and YouTube channels
Apply What You Learn
• Build hands-on projects based on tutorials and tips
• Experiment with new services in sandbox environments
• Document your learnings and share them with others
• Earn relevant certifications to validate your skills
Stay Current
• Set aside time weekly to review your feed
• Create lists or collections of favorite contributors
• Use tools to organize and save valuable content
• Share useful resources with your team
The Takeaway
These 25 influential voices help in gaining access to a wealth of knowledge, real-world experience, and forward-thinking perspectives. Whether you're making strategic decisions at the executive level, architecting complex cloud solutions, or just beginning your cloud journey, these experts can help you navigate the challenges and opportunities ahead.
Remember, the cloud community thrives on collaboration and knowledge sharing. As you learn from these experts, consider how you can contribute back—whether through blog posts, open-source contributions, mentoring others, or simply sharing insights with your colleagues.
Who would you add to this list? Share your recommendations in the comments, and let's continue building a stronger cloud community together!