IT General

For years, Quenlin Blackwell has felt like the internet's funniest friend. She was the one spiraling in her car, oversharing in the kitchen, or somehow turning a trip to the grocery store into a full character study.

Now, the 25-year-old creator is becoming something bigger than a viral personality. Known online as @quenblackwell, Blackwell has amassed more than 13 million followers on TikTok, 4 million followers on Instagram, and over 3 million YouTube subscribers through a mix of chaotic humor, beauty content, fashion, cooking videos, and deeply quotable observations about everyday life.

Blackwell first gained traction as a teenager on Vine, but she's been posting online since she was 8. "I've had a camera in my face for my entire life," she told Complex in 2025. "It's the most brain-fried thing of all time, but it’s the life that I was given... I love it. I love the camera."

That early comfort in front of the camera has translated into a growing presence across mainstream entertainment. This past year, she appeared in the HBO series I Love LA, hosted the Vanity Fair Oscar Party livestream alongside fellow Mashable 101 noms Brittany Broski and Jake Shane, and continued growing her YouTube series, Feeding Starving Celebrities, where she cooks and chats with guests including Lil Nas X, PinkPantheress, and Addison Rae.

She has also become an increasingly visible force in fashion. After making her runway debut for Off-White in 2024, Blackwell spent the past year appearing in campaigns for brands like Charlotte Tilbury, MAC Cosmetics, and Glossier, and walking in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.

What makes Blackwell compelling is that none of these moves feel separate from the personality that made people follow her in the first place. She remains funny, unpredictable, and self-aware enough to keep it all feeling consistent. The internet hasn't just watched her evolve — it's evolved around her.

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage or see more of this year’s Mashable 101 to discover the internet's most exciting voices.  

Paige DeSorbo is so much more than Summer House. Sure, the hit Bravo reality show may have introduced her to a national audience, but that's no longer the headline. At 33, DeSorbo has evolved from reality TV personality into a bona fide multi-hyphenate: media host, entrepreneur, fashion authority, and digital tastemaker.

She co-hosts the wildly popular podcast Giggly Squad alongside comedian and longtime best friend Hannah Berner — herself a former Summer House cast member. What started as an Instagram Live distraction during the pandemic has grown into a touring, chart-climbing show with a fiercely loyal fan base. The expansion feels organic rather than opportunistic: inside jokes become live shows; live shows become community; community becomes cultural currency.

And then there's fashion. DeSorbo doesn't just influence style; she operationalizes it. In 2024, she launched her loungewear line, Daphne, translating her hyper-specific, tongue-in-cheek aesthetic into product.

More broadly, DeSorbo occupies a rare space in the influencer economy. She has 1.6 million Instagram followers, yes, but more importantly, she has intent. Her audience doesn’t passively scroll; they buy, they quote, they show up. She’s an It Girl, if such a thing still exists. If DeSorbo wears it, it's cool. If she says it, it's funny. Her deadpan, distinctly New Yorker delivery has become part of her signature — dry, self-aware, and endlessly meme-able.

She's transcended the "Bravosphere," a feat few reality stars manage. Many remain tethered to the ecosystem that made them. DeSorbo leveraged it — and then outgrew it.

Case in point: She got Martha Stewart to "bed rot" with her on Amazon Live. When a legacy lifestyle mogul willingly steps into your bit, you know you've made it.

If Summer House was the launchpad, Paige DeSorbo is now the brand.

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage or see more of this year’s Mashable 101 to discover the internet's most exciting voices.  

Social media creator and comedian Nikita Redkar, known online as @nikitadumptruck, has built a devoted following by explaining complex world events through an unlikely lens: the hyper-feminine satire of the “bimbo.”

Based in New York, 33-year-old Redkar rose to prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic, when her TikTok videos began translating dense political and economic topics — from geopolitics to tax policy — into humorously digestible explainers. Her videos often frame global power dynamics through pop culture references and the exaggerated “bimbofication” aesthetic popular in certain corners of the internet. She might explain geopolitics while putting on makeup, walking through New York, or speaking in the bright cadence of Legally Blonde’s Elle Woods.

In her recurring Explained for Hot Girls series, she translates complicated headlines into relatable social dynamics, like breaking down the Warner Bros. and Netflix deal as if it were messy party politics.

The format is intentional. A former finance major with a background in journalism and stand-up comedy, Redkar has said she prioritizes accuracy above everything else. “It’s fine if I’m not funny for a video,” she told The Emancipator in 2025. “But if I’m not factual, that’s a greater crime.”

That combination of research-driven reporting and internet-native satire has helped Redkar cultivate nearly 1 million followers on TikTok and a distinctive niche in digital media. Her videos frequently go viral for “yassifying” intimidating political topics, comparing international alliances to Mean Girls cliques or treating geopolitical rivalries like petty social drama. The style has also sparked debate about whether complex political issues can be translated through humor without losing their gravity.

For Redkar, the point isn’t to trivialize the news but to make it accessible. By translating politics into the language of online culture, she has created a space where viewers — particularly women and queer audiences often excluded from traditional political commentary — can engage with current events without feeling shut out of the conversation.

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage or see more of this year’s Mashable 101 to discover the internet's most exciting voices. 

If you don’t know who MrBeast is, congrats on being the last person to learn. The most-subscribed YouTuber has fully parlayed that fact into mainstream, big-time fame. He’s racked up more than 470 million subscribers, giving him the power to become a Hollywood force and household name.

Real name Jimmy Donaldson, the 27-year-old has entered homes and markets in countless ways: Amazon’s Beast Games, Feastables chocolate, and, of course, his YouTube videos, where he often gives away scores of cash for ridiculous feats. Survive 30 Days Stranded With Your Ex, Win $250,000; Lose 100 LBs, Win $250,000; Last to Leave Their Circle Wins $500,000 — these are real, recent titles of MrBeast videos. It’s how he made his name, and his videos continue to rack up unimaginable numbers.

His brand is worth billions and, as far as creators go, he’s about as big business as they come. Don’t expect to escape MrBeast’s influence any time soon.

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage or see more of this year’s Mashable 101 to discover the internet's most exciting voices. 

For anime fans, Mother’s Basement is a trusted authority.

Created by YouTuber Geoff Thew, the channel has built a dedicated audience of more than 1.5 million subscribers on YouTube through in-depth analysis videos that break down anime trends, storytelling techniques, and industry shifts. Over the past year, as anime has continued its global expansion, Thew's commentary has only become more relevant.

His videos balance humor with thoughtful critique, making complex ideas accessible without losing depth. Whether he’s ranking seasonal anime, unpacking genre tropes, or analyzing the evolution of specific series, Thew approaches the medium with enthusiasm and rigor.

Mother’s Basement has remained a consistent presence in anime discourse, particularly as streaming platforms continue to invest heavily in the medium and global audiences grow. The channel’s longevity is notable in a space where trends shift quickly.

Part of that staying power comes from trust. Viewers return not just for recommendations, but for deeper context — an understanding of how and why anime works the way it does.

As anime continues to move further into the mainstream, creators like Mother's Basement help shape how audiences engage with it.

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage or see more of this year’s Mashable 101 to discover the internet's most exciting voices. 

Virtual performer Mori Calliope has become one of the most recognizable figures in the rapidly expanding world of VTubing. Performing as an animated reaper character with pink hair and a scythe, Calliope is part of Hololive Production, the talent agency widely credited with helping transform virtual streaming into a global entertainment industry.

Since debuting as part of Hololive’s English-language lineup, Calliope has built a massive international audience. Her YouTube channel boasts more than 2.6 million subscribers, and she draws more than 600,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, where her songs regularly rack up millions of streams.

Unlike VTubers who focus primarily on livestreaming, Calliope has established herself as a recording artist whose music blends hip-hop, J-pop, and anime-inspired storytelling. In 2025, she expanded that crossover further by performing an opening theme for the anime Gachiakuta, marking a rare moment for an English-speaking VTuber in the anime music space.

That visibility has helped position Calliope as one of the clearest examples of how virtual performers are expanding beyond streaming into music, animation, and live entertainment. As she told Mashable, “We’re just like any other musicians. The only difference is how we look.”

For fans, the animated avatar isn’t a barrier to authenticity. It’s simply the stage.

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage or see more of this year’s Mashable 101 to discover the internet's most exciting voices. 

If you've ever wished the news came with a catchy hook, Mikey Angelo has already beaten you to it.

The 28-year-old creator built his following by turning headlines into musical satire. Known online as the “singing the news” guy, Angelo recaps the week’s biggest cultural and political stories through parody songs that are equal parts absurd and strangely informative.

One of his most popular bits — a Nicki Minaj–inspired parody — has been viewed nearly 19 million times, while his rapid-fire news recaps regularly rack up millions more. Wearing his now-signature black bucket hat and glasses, Angelo delivers the headlines with a deadpan delivery that highlights just how surreal the news cycle has become.

His end-of-year musical recap of 2025’s biggest stories became a standout moment for fans, compressing a chaotic year of internet discourse, politics, and pop culture into a single song.

Angelo has amassed 4.4 million followers on TikTok, where his mix of comedy, music, and current events fits perfectly with the platform's fast-moving attention economy. But his reach now extends well beyond the app. In 2025, he opened the TikTok Awards in Los Angeles and popped up on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, signaling his transition from viral creator to mainstream entertainer.

The news is only getting stranger, and Angelo seems uniquely equipped to keep singing about it.

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage or see more of this year’s Mashable 101 to discover the internet's most exciting voices. 

Mel Mitchell serves comedy with a side of commentary.

A stand-up comedian, actor, and digital creator, Mitchell has amassed more than 1 million followers across TikTok and Instagram, where her videos move fluidly between cultural critique and character-driven humor. Whether she's breaking down a pop culture moment or reenacting a familiar online interaction, the throughline is the same. The joke lands because the observation is precise.

That precision comes from stage work as much as screen time. Mitchell began doing stand-up in 2018, using comedy to process personal loss and instability. "Laugh to keep from crying" became a motto and a method. It's still visible in her work today, where even the sharpest jokes carry an undercurrent of lived experience.

Over the past year, her career has expanded quickly. Mitchell has opened for comedians Roy Wood Jr. and Zainab Johnson, as well as for artist Ari Lennox, and she also completed a tour with KevOnStage. In 2024, she headlined and sold out shows in Atlanta and continued to draw crowds in New York and beyond. At the same time, she has moved into on-screen work, filming the series Scare Tactics with Monkeypaw Productions and appearing in TikTok's talk show series Tik Talk. She even launched her own podcast, Jokes On You.

Brand partnerships with companies such as Nike, Apple, and Bumble have further extended her reach, but they follow the same logic as her content: the voice remains consistent and authentic.

Mitchell's rise reflects a broader shift in how comedy works now, where the internet is just as important as the stage work. It's a good thing Mitchell excels at both.

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage or see more of this year’s Mashable 101 to discover the internet's most exciting voices. 

Maya Higa is the founder and executive director of the Alveus Sanctuary in Texas, a 15-acre wildlife sanctuary and education center that houses animals that are unable to return to the wild.

The 28-year-old former zookeeper first captured our attention in 2019 when her video with a red-tailed hawk went viral. Since then, Higa has continued to harness the power of social media as a tool for wildlife education, with some 35 million daily viewers tuning in to the sanctuary’s Twitch stream. Beyond Twitch, audiences can follow Higa and Alveus across YouTube (1.1 million), Instagram (489,000), and TikTok (308,600).

“Our goal is to inspire online audiences across the world to get involved with conservation efforts,” reads a passage on the Alveus website.

Earlier this year, National Geographic announced that Higa will be a part of its very first Creator Cohort, a group of digital creators in the world of science, nature, travel, and more, who are working to foster a digital presence within these content areas. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the “inaugural program will run for six months, after which the participating creators will be considered for ongoing opportunities with Nat Geo, including marketing and programming activations.”

In 2025 Higa was awarded the League of Their Own award at the Streamer Awards. According to the awards show, “this award goes to a streamer who creates truly one-of-a-kind content, pioneering a niche or category that no one else does, a creator who is simply in a league of their own.”

In her acceptance speech, Higa shared the story of how, before she was a Twitch streamer, she was a zookeeper who visited schools, birthday parties, and other events, educating people about animals. It was a job that provided her with a lot of fulfillment.

“But now, because of all of you watching, and all of you in this room, and all the creators who have uplifted me throughout my career, I’m doing that same job, just at an unfathomable scale,” Higa said.

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage or see more of this year’s Mashable 101 to discover the internet's most exciting voices. 

Ever wondered what the last meal on the Titanic was? Or what was served at a medieval tavern? Ever wanted to replicate these meals? Well, there’s a man who can answer all of these questions, plus help you make your dreams of venison and pottage come true. Max Miller, 42, the creator of Tasting History with Max Miller, has 4.27 million followers on YouTube and his videos have earned a staggering number of views — 849,056,068 and counting.

After being furloughed from Disney at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Miller focused his time and energy on his YouTube channel. He posted his first video, "How to Make Medieval Cheese," on Feb. 25, 2020. His channel has been nestled at the intersection of food and history ever since.

Focusing on the channel proved to be a worthy endeavor, and in the six years since his first video, his reach has extended beyond YouTube. His cookbook Tasting History: Explore the Past through 4,000 Years of Recipes was a New York Times bestseller and he co-hosted the Roku Original show, Clash the Cookbooks, with comedian Phoebe Robinson.

His channel is more than a cooking show, delving impressively into ancient texts and recipes. To call his videos lessons would make them seem boring: They’re entertaining deep dives into language and geography. He describes what life was like in eras long gone as he cooks, providing context around the food he showcases. His weekly videos have cultivated a rich community with an active subreddit community of 12,200 weekly visitors and a Patreon with 8,400 members.

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage or see more of this year’s Mashable 101 to discover the internet's most exciting voices. 

What started as a simple joke has become one of the internet's most enduring feel-good institutions. Matt Nelson, the creator behind WeRateDogs, built a following by doing something deceptively simple: celebrating dogs with unwavering sincerity.

Today, WeRateDogs reaches more than 15 million followers across X, Instagram, and TikTok. The format is familiar. Dogs are rated well above any logical scale. But what keeps the account relevant is not the premise. It is the tone. The internat often rewards irony or detachment; Nelson has stayed committed to earnestness.

That consistency has turned a meme into a lasting brand. Over the past year, WeRateDogs has continued to expand through merchandise, partnerships, and charitable initiatives. The account regularly raises funds for dogs in need, turning viral attention into tangible impact.

The success of WeRateDogs points to something bigger about internet culture. Positivity is often framed as soft or unserious, but it travels just as far as outrage when it is done with intention. People return to what makes them feel good. They share what feels generous.

WeRateDogs works because it understands that instinct. It offers an emotional clarity that's increasingly rare online.

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage or see more of this year’s Mashable 101 to discover the internet's most exciting voices. 

There is no bigger tech creator in 2026 than Marques Brownlee, or, as he's known online, @mkbhd. He’s got more than 20 million YouTube subscribers and nearly immeasurable influence through his product reviews and podcast.

Brownlee, 32, is an essential voice for scores of people looking to cut through the ocean of hype surrounding tech products. He's enthusiastic about the things he loves — and openly critical of the things he doesn’t. To wit: Brownlee praises Tesla when he loves something and criticizes it when he doesn’t, even if that means drawing the ire of its billionaire CEO. Brownlee is one of the rare figures in the tech world who both covers the news and creates it.

For any enthusiast, he’s a ubiquitous, powerful voice.

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage or see more of this year’s Mashable 101 to discover the internet's most exciting voices. 

Mark Fischbach, 36, better known as Markiplier, has been a YouTube mainstay since 2012. With 38.6 million YouTube subscribers as of May 2026, he’s firmly among the platform’s gaming elite and a bona fide entertainment brand.

Across Instagram (12.6 million) and X (12.7 million), his total reach exceeds 63 million followers, powered by hit series, community livestreams, energetic "Let’s Play" style, horror-game commentary, and top-ranked podcasts such as Distractible.

But 2026 has already been a major year for Markiplier, with his pivot to cinema. Having starred in and executive produced the series The Edge of Sleep on Prime Video in 2024 to 2025, Markiplier saw his feature debut, horror movie Iron Lung, hit cinemas in January — it gave Sam Raimi's castaway horror Send Help a run for its money at the box office and enjoyed an extended theatrical release.

Markiplier's influence goes beyond views: He's raised millions for charity and inspired a generation of creators to embrace authenticity, compassion, and innovation. Whether building a horror universe or redefining online entertainment, he remains a guiding light shaping digital culture today.

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage or see more of this year’s Mashable 101 to discover the internet's most exciting voices. 

Explaining sports for the girls, gays, and theys. That’s what Mariah Rose aims to do on TikTok, where she has 774,000 followers. Though she’s not an athlete herself, her father is Jalen Rose, a sports analyst and former NBA player. Rose hosts the podcast Hoops for Hotties and has tackled topics including WNBA players’ salaries, Tiger Woods’ problematic timeline, and NFL Hall of Fame snubs.

Rose covers the happenings across sports in a way that feels like you’re chatting with your bestie over brunch. It’s more than just who’s winning, who’s getting traded, and straightforward sports news. She explains all the messy drama happening in the sports world as well.

Rose has been featured in Adweek, appeared on The Jennifer Hudson Show, and was named MVP of the year at the TikTok Awards. She’s also partnered with Gatorade, CoverGirl, and Nike.

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage or see more of this year’s Mashable 101 to discover the internet's most exciting voices. 

A Saturday Night Live cast member since 2022, Marcello Hernández has evolved from breakout rookie on the show into something like its leading man. SNL doesn't officially designate that role, but longtime viewers can feel when a performer becomes the center of gravity. Lately, that gravitational pull has belonged to Hernández.

With 7 million followers across Instagram and TikTok, the 28-year-old embodies a new generation of SNL star, one whose audience was cultivated online before they ever tuned in on Saturday night. His comedy arrived on network television with a built-in fan base that continues to grow well beyond Studio 8H. Young viewers follow Hernández’s life the way they would their favorite digital creator, keeping up with his friendships, appearances, and off-camera moments as closely as his sketches.

That crossover appeal is part of what makes him so effective. Even as he racks up buzzy SNL appearances and a hit Netflix special, Hernández moves easily through the broader pop culture ecosystem. He has surfaced in old episodes of Summer House, Bravo's influencer proving ground, and broke out nationally as Domingo in what became one of SNL’s biggest sketches in recent years.

Hernández's rise feels distinctly 2026. His stardom is platform-agnostic and constant, fueled by social clips as much as live broadcasts. It exists everywhere at once, on every screen you own, and it suggests he may not just be SNL's current focal point, but one of its next defining stars.

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage or see more of this year’s Mashable 101 to discover the internet's most exciting voices. 

Maggie Nelson is the founder and designer of sustainable clothing brand Poppy Lu Clothing, which has 1.1 million Instagram followers and over 608,000 on TikTok.

Nelson started the brand in 2023 after teaching herself how to sew during the pandemic, she recounts on her LinkedIn page. At Poppy Lu Clothing, Nelson upcycles discarded textile materials and handcrafts beautiful, modern pieces of clothing, from flowy dresses and tops to cozy sweaters.

Poppy Lu’s namesake is rooted in love: Poppy honors Nelson’s late grandfather-in-law, while Lu honors Nelson’s “spirited and stylish” daughter.

"Together, Poppy and Lu represent the perfect blend of tradition and creativity — something old and something new,” Nelson writes on the brand’s website. The statement hints at Nelson’s catchy phrase in her viral videos: “Something old, something new, say hello to Poppy Lu.”

Nelson’s growing platform speaks for itself: Nelson regularly uploads videos of herself thrifting for new textiles and repurposing them into custom pieces. She initially sold the pieces on Etsy before creating a website for the brand. Nelson’s pieces are wildly popular and sell out quickly, so Nelson posts updates on her Instagram page for new items.

Aside from creating a new space for sustainable fashion on TikTok, Nelson also has over 15 years of experience in the advertising industry. She’s currently the executive assistant to the co-founder and creative chairman at advertising agency Johannes Leonardo, and she’s previously held stints at McCann New York, BBDO Worldwide, and BFG Communications.

Nelson also uses her platform to educate on upcycling, sustainable fashion, and sewing. She has resources and sewing patterns available on her website, and regularly posts about her creative process in detail.

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage or see more of this year’s Mashable 101 to discover the internet's most exciting voices. 

Perhaps Kayla Sims (@lilsimsie) was destined to play The Sims, Electronic Arts' hit life simulation franchise. Yes, that's her real name. But when she uploaded her very first YouTube video in 2015, a playthrough of The Sims 4's Get Together expansion, she probably never expected the game to change her life the way it did.

Sims, now 27, currently counts over 2.2 million YouTube subscribers and more than 954,000 followers on her main Twitch channel, where she streams Monday through Saturday. She occasionally plays other cozy games, but TS4 is her bread and butter.

As one of the biggest "Simmers" in the biz, Sims' influence can be felt in the game's very code. Since 2020, she's teamed up with EA on two expansions and a "Comfy Gamer" pack. Some in-game objects are actually named after her or her characters, including the iconic Cowplants. She's also the mastermind behind several popular player challenges.

Many of Sims' fans have grown up with her. They tune in not just for her helpful tutorials and creative builds, but also for her refreshingly wholesome vibes. "I love how positive and genuine she is, and I respect what she stands for," one fan wrote on Reddit.

Sims hasn't shied away from speaking up about issues that matter to her. She's run an annual charity stream for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital since 2020, raising over $1 million for the cause in 2025. Separate fundraisers she's organized have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the National Immigration Law Center, the Trans Lifeline, and the Palestine Children's Relief Fund.

In late 2025, Sims announced that she was leaving the EA Creator Network after EA was acquired by Saudi investors. "The values represented by the people acquiring EA are fundamentally at odds with what I stand for and support," Sims wrote at the time. More recently, she's rallied other players to sign a petition calling to block the deal.

Sims isn't done playing TS4, but she's started to post more unrelated content on YouTube — a move that viewers have embraced. "I follow the creator, not the content," said one commenter. Sims' integrity has earned her the kind of community that Simoleons can't buy.

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage or see more of this year’s Mashable 101 to discover the internet's most exciting voices. 

After testing so many cool gadgets day after day, content creator Kyle Krueger has amassed an impressive collection of gear — and fans. In the past year, the Florida-based vlogger crossed 7 billion total views and reached more than 12 million total followers across his platforms, a major milestone for the 24-year-old tech enthusiast. Break that down by the numbers, and Krueger’s audience is comprised of 7.05 million subscribers on YouTube, 5.2 million followers on TikTok, and 730,000 followers on Instagram.

Krueger’s dedicated audience has come to know him for his friendly content, primarily unboxing videos and product demos. Krueger has the kind of boyish charm and wonder that makes it feel like we're discovering something right along with him, whether it's a brand-new Apple product, a Dragon Ball Z collectible, or new smart glasses. “I want to leave a net positive impact on someone's day,” Krueger says. “If they hit follow or subscribe, I hope my videos keep bringing them that same positivity.”

If early Instagram created a blueprint for influencer beauty, Kelsey Calemine helped define it — and she's now navigating what comes after. Known online as @fatherkels, Calemine rose to prominence in the mid-2010s with a highly curated feed of selfies and lifestyle posts that drew millions of followers and constant comparisons to Kylie Jenner and other celebrities.

Today, Calemine still commands an audience of more than 2 million followers on Instagram, but her presence has shifted alongside the platform itself. In 2025, her content has leaned into a more self-aware tone, blending the polished, aspirational imagery that made her famous with moments of humor and subtle irony.

That evolution mirrors a broader shift in influencer culture. As audiences have grown more skeptical of overly curated feeds, creators like Calemine have had to adapt — not by abandoning the aesthetic, but by acknowledging it.

Calemine's influence remains visible in the generation of creators who followed, many of whom replicate the visual language she helped popularize.

Her continued presence speaks to a different kind of longevity: Not constant visibility, but a sustained cultural imprint. In a landscape that moves quickly, Calemine represents an earlier era of internet fame that continues to shape what comes next.

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage or see more of this year’s Mashable 101 to discover the internet's most exciting voices. 

Even astronauts have down days.

Kellie Gerardi, the director of human spaceflight at the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences and the 90th woman to fly to space, is also just a working mom juggling it all.

When she’s not parenting or teaching astronauts-in-training about microgravity, Gerardi documents her fertility challenges and motherhood journey on Instagram — the research astronaut recently gave birth to her second daughter, who was conceived through IVF.

After more than eight years of secondary infertility, it was a vision finally realized. As a way to give back to her community, Gerardi teamed up with online registry site Babylist to establish a pair of IVF grants.

Gerardi, 37, is happy to serve as a role model for her 2.5 million followers on Instagram and TikTok, but not in the my-life-is-perfect way. Gerardi literally reaches for the stars, but also remains completely down to Earth about the heaps of expectations placed on women.

"I gained about 60 pounds across my most recent round of IVF and through this pregnancy,” Gerardi posted recently. "Those pounds are mostly still with me and I suspect they might be for a bit, and it’s such a relief to know I just… don’t have to spend mental energy feeling any sort of way about that.”

Two and a half years after visiting space on Virgin Galactic’s Galactic 05 Mission, Gerardi was recognized for her achievements when a Barbie doll was created in her likeness as part of a celebration of International Women's Day.

Gerardi had the perfect Instagram caption to mark the occasion: “When you worked your butt off the past 20 years so your daughter(s) can say Mommy is an astronaut AND a Barbie."

A throughline to much of Gerardi's online content is her belief that women — and girls — contain multitudes. It's not just something that she says, though; It's something she lives.

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage or see more of this year’s Mashable 101 to discover the internet's most exciting voices.