LinkedIn Top Voices 2018: Education

These are the 10 must-know writers and creators explaining everything from online learning to college admissions.

Think broadly, and education accounts for nearly $4 trillion of spending around the world. It represents almost 5% of global economic output, a share that keeps rising each decade. Turn your attention to a single classroom, and education is the sound of a six-year-old giggling when a teacher reads a silly story out loud. Everyone is an expert on education; everyone is still learning.

For our 4th annual LinkedIn Top Voices list, we are highlighting a uniquely diverse group of education experts and explorers. By following these commentators, you can connect with big ideas and join the conversation — no matter what aspect of education interests you the most.

Our list of must-follow professionals is based on a combination of data and editorial signals. We look at the way these standouts use original content to drive all sorts of conversations, as measured by engagement, including comments and re-shares. We track relative follower growth, too: Are these professionals attracting dedicated fans in their particular sector?

Finally, we emphasize quality and diversity, believing that our list should reflect the world we work in. All activity measured took place over a 12-month period, from mid-September 2017 to mid-September 2018. As with all LinkedIn Lists, we excluded LinkedIn and Microsoft employees from consideration.

Here are this year’s 10 #LinkedInTopVoices in education.

Robyn D. Shulman | Executive Editor, Influencer Inc.

What she talks about: Shulman’s big-picture work focuses on the intersection of education and entrepreneurship. She also interviews “Shark Tank” winners in the education field and shares insights about how to keep teens safe online.

Favorite conversation starter: In October, Shulman defused myths about introverted students and offered 10 ways teachers can support them. Her recommendations, including a suggestion not to force group work, got parents talking about their children’s own adjustment issues.

Where and when she does her best writing: “I write best in the morning after a long walk. I like to write in a silent room at the library or in my home when nobody is home. I write well when it's quiet.”

See more by Robyn D. Shulman.

Josie Ahlquist | Digital engagement and leadership consultant

What she talks about: She writes about higher education and the latest digital tools, focusing on how to humanize tech and how to post with a purpose.

Favorite conversation starter: In an article about thought leadership, Ahlquist argued that it’s not enough to be a digital influencer with a loud opinion. Instead, she urged campus leaders to use their platforms to “build relationships and start important dialogues.”

Favorite movie of 2018: “‘Ready Player One.’ I found myself smiling from ear to ear nearly the whole film.”

See more by Josie Ahlquist.

Marybeth Gasman | Professor, University of Pennsylvania

What she talks about: A long-time scholar regarding the role of historically black colleges in the United States, Gasman writes about issues of race and education, exploring themes of social justice.

Favorite conversation starter: In a recent post, Gasman previewed “Contemporary Issues in Higher Education,” a book, co-edited by her, that is due to be released in late December 2018. Her post attracted more than 160 likes or comments from provosts, admissions directors and fellow professors.

Favorite book: "The Subtle Art of Not Giving at F*CK." "I found it liberating and freeing. It helped me to get rid of some people in my life (professionally) that were negative; it was cathartic and necessary," she says.

See more by Marybeth Gasman.

Jim Tudor | Founder, Future Index

What he talks about: As the founder of a higher-education consulting firm in the U.K., Tudor brings a marketing perspective to topics such as program promotion and the creation of innovative institutions and course portfolios.

Favorite conversation starter: Tudor regularly highlights short videos that campuses around the world are creating to draw attention to their research. These span everything from Australian chatbots to jumping English spiders.

What’s not on his LinkedIn profile: “I once appeared on a prime time U.K. quiz show called 'Bob Monkhouse's Memory Masters.' It was a test of the memory skills contestants had been trained in. People watching at home just couldn't play along. It was awful.”

See more by Jim Tudor.

Frederick Daso | Graduate student, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

What he talks about: Daso, who’s also a LinkedIn Campus Editor, writes about college students starting early-stage tech companies, as well as recent trends in technology and entrepreneurship.

Favorite conversation starter: Once a week, Daso invites other students to ask him questions related to school and building a career. The best question gets a video reply, with everything organized under the hashtag #SodaSunday.

Favorite book: “Candide” by Voltaire. “It is up to us to cultivate our own gardens.”

See more by Frederick Daso.

Karen Gross | Senior counsel, Finn Partners

What she talks about: As an educator and author of books for adults as well as children, she covers leadership, the ways that current events influence education and the importance of early childhood education.

Favorite conversation starter: Gross says she is most proud of an August piece titled “Is civility partisan?" The article led her to subsequent writing for Inside Higher Ed and the New England Journal of Higher Education on how the confirmation hearings for Justice Brett Kavanaugh will impact educational institutions.

What’s not on her LinkedIn profile: “I have read my children’s books to young people in English and Spanish across the continent and to children in Tanzania via Zoom. Folks likely do not know that I wear costumes when I read and use a myriad of props to create engaged learning.“

See more by Karen Gross.

Kim Lifton | President, Wow Writing Workshop

What she talks about: As a specialist in teaching the writing skills necessary for college applications, Lifton regularly shares her thoughts on “the increasingly competitive journey to college.” She also writes about college leadership and family role models.

Favorite conversation starter: Should parents try to talk their children out of submitting college essays that appear to focus on the wrong subjects? “Bite your tongue and say good job,” Lifton argues in this article.

Where she likes to write: “At my desk after a long swim in the pool early in the morning.”

See more by Kim Lifton.

Farouk Dey | Vice provost, Johns Hopkins University

What he talks about: As Hopkins’ head of integrative learning and life design, Dey doesn’t hesitate to stretch from his career-service roots to encompass interrelated topics such as talent and leadership development, technology, and diversity and inclusion.

Favorite conversation starter: A piece he wrote more than four years ago, “10 future trends in college career services,” keeps stirring new discussions about accountability and the student perspective.

What’s not on his LinkedIn profile: “I once conducted research about how young Muslim-Americans form their identity in a post-9/11 world, and published a dissertation about it.”

See more by Farouk Dey.

Brandon Busteed | President, Kaplan University Partners

What he talks about: Formerly the head of Gallup’s education and workforce development initiative, Busteed focuses on the link between education and workforce outcomes. He blends classic faculty and student input with perspectives from alumni, staff and taxpayers, too.

Favorite conversation starter: A seemingly simple post, asking about the ultimate purpose of education, elicited more than 160 likes or comments, touching on the merits of independent thought, wider perspectives and the ability to change one’s mind.

How LinkedIn fits into his work tempo: “There isn't a day that goes by that I don't get a meeting invite/request, a speaking invite, a business lead, or a note from a new LinkedIn connection invite. I stay logged into LinkedIn throughout my entire business day, and it has also become my preferred news feed.

See more by Brandon Busteed.

Alison Dulin Salisbury | President, Entangled Studios

What she talks about: Salisbury often covers the innovative ways that education can promote economic mobility. She’s posted about the ways that elite club sports at college may hinder mobility, and how that collective action can help solve problems no single organization can address by itself.

Favorite conversation starter: In March, she wrote about Georgia Tech’s success in partnering with Udacity to create an online master’s program in computer science. A flurry of recent graduates joined the conversation to salute “an amazing program” and “one of life’s highlights.”

Where she gets her best ideas: “While hiking and debating with my husband, who has too many opinions for his own good.” Their favorite topics range from housing policy and data-driven philanthropy to science fiction. It all ties back to education one way or another.

See more by Alison Dulin Salisbury.

You’ve read about the Top Voices in education this year. Now, check out the #LinkedInTopVoices in philanthropy, data science, retail and more.

Correction: Marybeth Gasman's favorite book this year is "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*uck," not "Bad Blood" as previously stated.