If you’re deep in the world of data analytics like we are, you know that staying sharp means learning from people who actually do the work.

We wanted to share a list of 15 data content creators we personally follow - not just for inspiration, but for real, day-to-day best practices, career advice, and technical tips that help us level up.

These aren’t just thought leaders in the abstract sense - they’re practitioners who post regularly about SQL tricks, dashboarding tips, data engineering workflows, and career-building strategies.

Whether you're an analyst, engineer, or somewhere in between, these are the voices worth tuning into:

15 Data Experts worth following:

1. Alex Freberg (Alex The Analyst)

• Website: alextheanalyst.com

• YouTube: Alex The Analyst

  
  

Alex Freberg is the founder of AnalystBuilder.com and the creator of the "Alex The Analyst" YouTube channel, where he provides tutorials and advice for aspiring data analysts. He shares insights on topics like SQL, data visualization, and career advancement in data analytics. Alex also maintains a personal website offering courses and resources for data enthusiasts.

2. Andy Kriebel

• Website: nextleveltableau.com

• YouTube: Andy Kriebel

  
  

Andy Kriebel is an expert in Tableau training and one-on-one coaching for aspiring top performers. He is the founder of Next-Level Tableau and has been recognized as a Tableau Visionary Hall of Fame member and one of DataIQ's Top 100 Most Influential People in Data. Andy's content focuses on data visualization, Tableau techniques, and data analytics.

3. Kelly Adams

• Website: kellyjadams.com

• Newsletter: https://newsletter.kellyjadams.com/posts

  
  

Kelly Adams is a data analyst specializing in analytics engineering and product at Golden Hearts Games. She shares her experiences and insights on data analysis, emphasizing the importance of understanding business problems and following through on projects to assess their impact. Kelly also maintains a personal website where she offers resources and a newsletter for data enthusiasts.

4. Mike Girvin (Excel Is Fun)

• Website: excelisfun.net

• YouTube: ExcelIsFun

  
  

Mike Girvin, known as "excelisfun" is a prolific 17 year YouTuber dedicated to teaching Excel, Power BI, formulas & functions and data analysis. His channel offers free videos, full university level classes and practice files so you can follow along with lessons, have fun and gain power! No matter what level you are, he has you covered: basics, intermediate, advanced, and flat out crazy advanced to make the impossible possible.

5. Olga Berezovsky (Data Analysis Journal)

• Website: Data Analysis Journal

• Newsletter: https://dataanalysis.substack.com/

  
  

Olga Berezovsky is the head of Data & Analytics and the author of the "Data Analysis Journal" newsletter on Substack. Her newsletter provides a roundup of popular BI dashboarding tools, data analysis techniques, and industry insights. Olga's content is well-regarded for its depth and practical applications.

6. Luke Barousse

• Website: lukebarousse.com

• YouTube: Luke Barousse

  
  

Luke Barousse is a self-described data nerd who creates approachable, beginner-friendly content to help others break into data analytics. His YouTube channel is packed with tutorials on SQL, Excel, data portfolios, and building projects from scratch. Luke also offers free courses like “Excel for Data Analytics” and shares practical career tips and honest takes on life as a data analyst.

7. Nicholas Renotte

• Website: nicholasrenotte.com

• YouTube: Nicholas Renotte

  
  

Nicholas Renotte is the Head of AI Developer Advocacy at IBM and a go-to voice in the machine learning and AI community. His YouTube tutorials focus on building real-world ML and deep learning projects, from custom chatbots to computer vision models. Nicholas stands out for breaking down complex AI topics into highly actionable, beginner-friendly steps.

8. Baraa Khatib Salkini (Data with Baraa)

• Website: datawithbaraa.com

• YouTube: Data with Baraa

  
  

Baraa is a Big Data and BI expert at Mercedes-Benz AG who shares hands-on tutorials and end-to-end project walkthroughs. His “Data with Baraa” YouTube channel covers everything from data warehouse design to Apache Spark and Snowflake integrations. Baraa’s content is highly practical, especially for those interested in data engineering and building production-grade systems.

9. Tim Ruscica (Tech With Tim)

• Website: techwithtim.net

• YouTube: Tech With Tim

  
  

Tim Ruscica is the founder of Tech With Tim, a channel and website dedicated to helping people learn software engineering, data science, and Python programming. His tutorials are especially valuable for beginners and include everything from Python basics to machine learning workflows. If you're building coding skills alongside your data journey, Tim is a great person to follow.

10. Benjamin Rogojan (Seattle Data Guy)

• YouTube: Seattle Data Guy

• Newsletter: https://seattledataguy.substack.com/

  
  

Benjamin Rogojan, aka the Seattle Data Guy, offers deep, thoughtful content around data engineering, analytics infrastructure, and scaling data teams. He’s a consultant, writer, and speaker who frequently shares tips for building better data pipelines, working with cloud technologies, and improving team workflows. His blog posts and videos are must-reads for aspiring data engineers.

11. Axel Thevenot

Axel Thevenot is a Lead Data Engineer and Google Developer Expert for Cloud, known for his deep expertise in BigQuery and cloud cost optimization. He’s also been recognized as a LinkedIn Top Voice. Axel frequently shares frameworks, technical walkthroughs, and thought leadership on building efficient and scalable data platforms - especially useful for engineers working in modern cloud environments.

12. Balazs Vajna

Balázs Vajna is Head of Analytics at MarketingLens and a recognized expert in BigQuery and marketing analytics. With over 15 years in the field, his posts blend deep technical skill with business application -especially in the context of digital marketing and ePrivacy. He’s a frequent speaker at industry events like MeasureSummit and a go-to for those working at the intersection of marketing and data.

13. Katie Kaczmarek

Katie Kaczmarek is an Analytics Engineer who shares practical guides for working with BigQuery and GA4 (Google Analytics 4). Her posts often include copy-paste-ready SQL snippets and tips for navigating the quirks of event-based data. If you’re working with marketing analytics or learning how to wrangle GA4 data at scale, Katie is a must-follow.

14. Elliot Latil

• Website: gtm-analytics.com

  
  

Elliot Latil is a Digital Analyst at Cognizant who also runs his own freelance analytics consultancy. His content is especially relevant to those in web analytics, Google Tag Manager, and tracking infrastructure. Elliot regularly posts about balancing freelance and full-time data work, and he shares lessons learned from working with high-profile clients with a focus on Shopify ecommerce.

15. Constantin Lungu

• Website: https://datawise.dev

• Newsletter: Not Just SQL

  
  

Constantin Lungu is a Senior Data Engineer and the creator of Not Just SQL, a blog filled with code snippets, architectural diagrams, and best practices for cloud data engineering. He’s especially active around GCP, BigQuery, and Python, making his content perfect for developers looking to level up their technical stack in the analytics space.

—————————————————————————————

To sum it all up…

Whether you're just starting out in data or you've been in the game for years, learning from practitioners who share real-world experience is invaluable.

These 15 creators bring fresh ideas, practical tutorials, and honest insights that can help you grow your skills, stay sharp, and stay inspired.

Follow a few (or all) of them - you never know which post, video, or newsletter might unlock your next breakthrough.