Mashable

When the internet decided “everyone was Chinese now," Sherry Zhu didn’t need to learn about Chinamaxxing, it was her life. As a self-described “Chinese baddie”, Sherry has spread the baddie lifestyle to the internet. Taking a stern but loving big sister approach, Sherry passes on wellness tips based in Chinese culture, gently scolding her viewers for drinking cold water instead of hot.

Posting under the username @sherryxiirui, Sherry is only 23, but has a mature wisdom inspired by her parents and grandmother. Her content runs deeper than just advice to embrace a “very Chinese life,” instead including messages about the importance and significance of Chinese culture. “I think sharing my culture and my life with people has created a deep connection towards Chinese culture and to me,” Sherry says.

On her primary platform, TikTok, Sherry had under 5,000 followers as of November 2025. As of March 2026, her follower count has grown to 743K. Her follower count quickly accelerated as she focused her content on how to become a Chinese baddie.

Her quick growth and maintained audience is an impressive feat in leveraging a trend into a following. But it’s not all business. Sherry maintains a levity and playfulness that meet the moment. Her content has clearly resonated, gaining over 10.4 million likes as she continues to remind followers to put on the sheet mask when the weather gets cold and always wear slippers around the house.

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. 

Shawna Lander, also known as @shawnathemom, isn’t just another actor on Instagram. She’s created an entire ecosystem of characters for her one-woman skits — which, let’s be real, could be staged somewhere Off-Broadway. Lander boasts over 3 million followers across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. Her TikTok leads, with over 2.1 million as of this writing.

She’s best known for her skits as several members of the “McCallister Family.” The lore goes so deep that Lander uploaded every McCallister skit in order across two videos, totaling nearly 4 hours. And those were uploaded months ago, so the lore absolutely continues.

As the 42-year-old explains on TikTok, she does a lot of one-off sketches as well, with characters seen once and never again. Given that the main players are family, the skits, some featuring babydolls, explore motherhood and interpersonal dynamics, subjects so universal that millions of people are tuning in.

When she’s not donning wigs and baseball caps, Lander discusses her breast cancer recovery. She also gives rare behind-the-scenes glimpses of her TikTok skits.

In a Yahoo profile earlier this year, Lander explained that it takes around 14 hours to produce a 5-minute skit. But for her fans, it’s all worth it. Just look at the comments on her videos and you’ll find followers enraptured, already asking for the next installment.

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. 

Chicken wings are not the only thing getting progressively "hotter" in 2026: Sean Evans, the host of the viral YouTube series Hot Ones, has a few exciting things in store as well.

The 29th season of Hot Ones premiered in January, and Evans has already interviewed celebrities such as MrBeast, Daniel Radcliffe, Teyana Taylor, and Charlie Puth. Evans has also been announced as the commencement speaker for the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he will deliver remarks to the graduating class on May 16. Evans graduated from the university with a degree in broadcast journalism in 2008, which certainly came in handy on Hot Ones.

Evans started the show with Chris Schonberger in March 2015. He’s interviewed dozens of celebrities within the past decade, ranging from musicians, actors, scientists, comedians, public figures, and more.

There’s just something about watching our favorite celebrities down wings while succumbing to increasing degrees of spiciness. I mean, where else would we see Gordon Ramsay down a whole bottle of Pepto-Bismol, or Jennifer Lawrence crying in disbelief? However, the success of Hot Ones is also in part to Evans’s thoughtful interview style – he's known for asking personal, specific questions that took hours of research on the celebrity in question, leaving many celebrities shocked and sometimes speechless.

For example, he once asked Lady Gaga about her high school band, Mackin Pulsifer, and he asked Sydney Sweeney about her favorite extracurricular (robotics team, or the academic club “Math is Cool”). One notable guest is Keke Palmer, known for her viral “this one has a little sweetness to it” reaction back in 2021. Evans recently admitted he had a celebrity crush on Palmer, and the two even shared a kiss during an episode in September 2025.

Hot Ones is co-produced by First We Feast, an online magazine also started by Evans and Schonberger. First We Feast has 15.3 million subscribers on YouTube, with several videos garnering over a million views each.

As if irresistible celebrity interviews weren’t enough for the public, Hot Ones also lists hot sauces from its lineup for sale on its website. Evans may have cracked the code on this one, and we can’t wait to see who else he has on the hot seat this season.

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. 

Most people scroll past the internet's strangest images. A hydraulic press crushing random objects; a chicken bobbing its head; an emoji taken out of context. Sarah McCreanor sees choreography.

"I think one of the funniest things you can do is try to dance the undanceable," she told the New York Times in a 2024 profile.

That instinct — equal parts dancer, comedian, and internet anthropologist — has helped Aussie-born McCreanor, who performs under the online name Smac, build her following. Millions across TikTok (2.8 million followers) and Instagram (1 million followers) watch her transform viral clips and familiar digital images into physical comedy. Her videos feel deeply online but also timeless, drawing on the slapstick precision of performers like Lucille Ball and Rowan Atkinson (aka Mr. Bean).

What makes her work land is not just the idea, but the execution. The production is intentionally lo-fi. "Very high school drama department DIY," as she described it to the Times. Beneath that simplicity lies years of dance training and a keen understanding of how people watch content online. The timing is exact. The joke always reads.

Over the past year, that approach has translated beyond social platforms. McCreanor has collaborated with brands and entertainment properties, including contributing to Emotes for Fortnite as a resident choreographer. It's a natural extension of her work. She takes movement and distills it into something instantly recognizable. Something repeatable.

Her videos have also crossed into the art world. The National Gallery of Victoria featured her work in an exhibition, reframing viral content as performance art.

Her rise captures the logic of today's internet, where content isn't consumed passively anymore but remixed and reinterpreted through self-expression. For Smac, every video is raw material, an opportunity to unleash her creativity.

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. 

Sam Reich, the chief executive of comedic streaming service and production company Dropout, has a head for business and an eye for humor. The latter is evident not just in the shows he greenlights, but also when he steps in front of the camera, most notably as a host of Dropout’s long-running and innovative quiz show, Game Changer.

Reich also helps with writing and ideation for Dropout’s programming, which tracks, as he began as director of original content for CollegeHumor, Dropout's initial iteration, in the aughts. He's also cultivated a commanding online presence, with over 1.3 million followers on TikTok and Instagram.

Reich began his transition to new media business titan in 2020, when he ingeniously bought Dropout from its parent company, IAC.

"So I went and I offered IAC zero dollars, which was the amount of money I had to buy it,” Reich told YouTuber Hank Green last year. "There was another offer for $3 million, but it would’ve gone to a competitor … I think that they liked the idea of gambling, so my offer was $0. They would end up as the minority stakeholder. So it was sort of like idiot insurance for them.”

In the years since, Reich has helped turn Dropout into one of Hollywood’s rare success stories of the digital age. The network now has over 1 million subscribers, with paid subs rising 31 percent from 2024 to 2025. Die-hard fans of Dropout and its highly original roster of shows, from Dimension 20 to Very Important People, appear happy to pay for its content. Under Reich’s leadership, Dropout also successfully launched its “Superfan” membership, with viewers paying $130 annually for access to exclusive content and early access to live shows.

Being vested in the product he's making seems to be a winning formula for Reich, and one that sets him apart from most of the C-suite bean counters of Hollywood and Silicon Valley.

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. 

Sabrina Brier is known to many as the "Oh!" lady, but over 1.2 million followers on Instagram and TikTok know she's much more than that. Brier's surprised/annoyed reaction — deployed in one of her riotous social media sketches — certainly captured an emotion hard to put to words, making it instantly meme-able. But all of her videos mine complicated female friendship for laughs, exposing truth bombs about ego, competitiveness, and insecurity in the process.

"If I ever take anything directly from my friend's life, I ask for permission," Brier, 31, tells Mashable. "But, the other day, I posted one very loosely inspired by a friend's situation. She immediately commented on the video, 'Ummmm.'"

After graduating from Smith College, Brier ground her way to social stardom, working as a writer's assistant for various shows before honing her comedy on Instagram during the pandemic. Her observant sketches of self-involved nightmare people endeared her to millions, securing her several brand deals and guest spots on shows such as Abbott Elementary.

Brier's distinct comedy style is inspired by someone close to home, she admits.

"My sister and I have a very comedic relationship! Sometimes when I'm trying out a new concept or character, in my head, I'm thinking, What would make her laugh? Those ones often turn out to be the funniest."

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. 

Romeo Bingham, 25, posted the simplest, sweetest jingle about Dr Pepper in December: “Dr Pepper babyyyyy, it’s good and nice. Doododo.”

Little did they know that short, goofy tribute would change their life. The video has racked up more than 140 million views, sending Bingham’s TikTok account from relative anonymity to 1.5 million followers almost overnight.

Dr Pepper quickly took notice. A glitzed-up version of the jingle appeared in a commercial during the College Football Playoff National Championship, watched by 33.2 million people. A random thought had suddenly turned into a national ad campaign.

Bingham has since parlayed that viral moment into brand deals with Hyundai and Vita Coco, capitalizing on the effortless charm that helped the original video take off. Their content blends quick-hit comedy, musical bits, and an easygoing sincerity that feels tailor-made for TikTok.

Bingham told the Tacoma News Tribune that they hope to turn their rising online fame into a full-fledged entertainment career.

“I’m posting with the intent to make people smile,” Bingham said.

Scroll through their account, and it’s clear they already do.

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. 

DJ Khaled and Drake helped make golf cool in the 2010s, but this decade, it’s influencers introducing the seemingly staid sport to younger generations.

Chief among these social media stars of the links is Robby “Brilliantly Dumb” Berger, the 33-year-old known to many as the head (and face) of Bob Does Sports. Calling Bob Does Sports a YouTube channel is underselling it — it’s a digital media enterprise under the umbrella of the creator-centered company Doing Things, with social media (over 5.5 million subscribers), merchandise (the popular Breezy Golf line), golf tournaments, and partnerships with brands and pro athletes.

Berger’s origin story is legendary among his fans: He began as a front desk person at the Four Seasons Beverly Hills, was promoted to Guest Services Manager, and, in the interim, developed an Instagram following that highlighted his humor and “breezy” conversational skills.

Bob Does Sports took off online with help from Berger’s numerous fun-loving collaborators, such as Joey Cold Cuts, who were keen to film themselves doing things like downing 18 Fireball shots in nine holes.

The name of Berger’s brand is not a misnomer. There's content that veers into other sports, including basketball and baseball. (Berger was a pitcher at Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham.)

Still, golf is at the center of Bob Does Sports, highlighting the conversation and camaraderie that define the sport. As far as Berger’s aptitude for the sport, he admits to Golf he has a long way to go: “I was a disaster when I started and still am, really."

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. 

31-year-old attorney Reb Masel’s videos explaining court cases are anything but dry. Her 2.6 million followers on TikTok and Instagram come for the skillful storytelling as she dramatically reenacts court transcripts, but they stay for the clear and concise explanations of legal precedents like birthright citizenship.

Her readings of transcripts, a series called Reading Iconic Court Transcripts, are so popular that she parlayed them into a book launch: The Book They Throw at You, which reached bestseller status in the Criminal Law books section on Amazon when it was released in fall 2025. In addition to making videos and writing books — oh, and practicing law — Masel also hosts the Rebuttal Podcast, which has over 50,000 subscribers on YouTube. On the podcast, she discusses offbeat court cases and anecdotes in the legal field. An episode of Rebuttal, “The Children: Alone in America,” was a 2025 Webby Award Honoree.

But when she’s not hosting her podcast, publishing books, or winning awards, Masel is uploading rants and chats about current events to TikTok, where most of her following resides (2.1 million).

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 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.