Sponsored Content

9 Influential Entrepreneurs To Follow In 2020 They believe it is not just about turning an idea into a business. One has to combine creativity, grit and skills to achieve success

By Srivatsa KR

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

You're reading Entrepreneur Asia Pacific, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

Entrepreneur

Entrepreneurship has proven challenging for some and successful for others. Successful entrepreneurs are able to turn any situation into a positive one. They didn't learn these skills in a classroom, these were skills that they developed over time with hard work and perseverance.

At the end of the day everything is based on the commitment to the cause and what the entrepreneur is willing to do to achieve the goal. After all, it is not just about turning an idea into a business. One has to combine creativity, grit and skills to achieve success.

Let us get to know the top nine entrepreneurs of 2020 who have found the right formula.

Gary Vaynerchuk

Hailing from Belarus and with more than 12 million followers across his social media platforms, Gary Vaynerchuk is a successful entrepreneur, highly sought-after public speaker, and five-time New York Times bestselling author.

He is the chairman of VaynerX, a modern-day media and communications holding company. He is also the CEO of VaynerMedia, a global advertising agency providing services to Fortune 100 clients across the company's four locations. He is also a prolific investor and has early investments in several companies including Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Venmo and Uber. Gary is currently the subject of an online documentary series called DailyVee which highlights his experiences as a CEO and a public figure.

Grant Cordone

Grant Cordone, who has a $1.5 billion portfolio of multifamily properties, is the author of 21 bestselling books. An investor, international speaker, successful entrepreneur, philanthropist and international social media influencer, Cordone was named the number one of the "25 Marketing Influencers to Watch in 2017" by Forbes. He also regularly appears on Fox News, Fox Business, CNBC, and MSNBC as a commentator and guest. Cordone is also the brain behind Cardone University which is the premier online sales training tool in the world with over 50,000,000 users and owns seven privately held companies.

Julian Jewel Jeyaraj

Julian Jewel Jeyaraj is an American AI researcher and business personality, he is prominently known for creating JJAIBOT. Jeyaraj builds high-performance teams to manage, implement and streamline complex next-gen concepts such as blockchain, artificial intelligence and predictive analytics. He is also a songwriter, producer and director who uses JJAIBOT themed music videos to globally spread awareness towards the environment, mental illness and wildlife conservation.

JJAIBOT is an initiative created by Jeyaraj to create technology awareness towards environment protection, wildlife conservation and mental illness. JJAIBOT initiative develops computer software that helps with these urgent issues.

Frankie Quiroz

Frankie Quiroz is a serial e-commerce brand genius who has successfully built 8-figure brands. Quiroz is the co-founder of Tuned in Tokyo and several other clothing brands. Starting from rock bottom in a small town in Riverside, California; Quiroz achieved acclaim by building his first 7-figure clothing empire known as Tuned in Tokyo (the leader in automotive apparel and social media popular brand with over 1 million organic followers) in the summer of 2015.

He also co-founded Drip Creationz in 2017 that is currently doing more than 8-figures per year and is on the top 1 per cent of Shopify stores started in 2017. What started out as a dream has blossomed into a global business with a social network of 30 million followers and 30-plus team members in a 7,000 square foot office.

As a brand aficionado, Quiroz has successfully helped other 7-8 figure entrepreneurs strengthen their digital marketing strategy and e-commerce infrastructure. Aside from his own business ventures, Quiroz is on a mission to inspire and empower a new generation of e-commerce entrepreneurs. Frankie provides all of his educational content for free on his YouTube channel and his private Facebook groups.

Justin Schuble

At only 25, Justin Schuble is a powerful social media influencer and entrepreneur. While studying finance and marketing at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University as an undergrad, Schuble started a side hustle posting food photos through his Instagram accont. This eventually spiraled into a powerful media empire, and he has since amassed a following of over half a million on Instagram alone.

Schuble has become known as one of the most powerful food influencers in the world, reaching millions of consumers weekly and creating engaging content for top tier brands in the food, travel, and hospitality industries. He has spoken at major universities and consulted for several Fortune 500 companies on how to develop and grow their social presence. He is an invaluable partner for emerging and existing brands looking to reach and engage with consumers in the current climate of social media.

More recently, Schuble leveraged his following and experience to start his latest venture, Tidbit Social, a restaurant discovery app he co-founded. Tidbit Social is a dining decision app that simplifies the way we find places to eat. The user experience is based on one's network, tastes and location, providing a curated experience that makes it easy to find and filter for what you are craving. Justin is just getting started and has many ventures in the works. He understands the power of consumer behavior, social media and influence, making him a force to be reckoned with.

Kevin Leyes

Kevin Leyes is the Chairman of Leyes Enterprises, his own portfolio and group of companies, and the founder and CEO of Leyes Media, a social media marketing and public relations agency in where they help entrepreneurs, influencers, and artists to grow and boost their social media and digital presences, and Team Leyes, an urban jewelry brand and company.

Leyes also founded Ayudar, a recently launched app that aims to promote collaboration in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Ayudar app connects donors and volunteers with vulnerable people in need and NGOs. During the coronavirus, it also allows its users to request or offer help in special areas such as donations to hospitals, running errands, pickups and deliveries, and remote advice and activities.

Without having a perfect life, Leyes has managed to turn his ideas into great business opportunities. A humble and somewhat complicated life was not enough to stop this young Argentinean from Pontevedra, Merlo and born in Gonzalez Catán from starting the path to make his ideas a reality. What without thinking about it, would make him the owner of three big and well-known companies.

Leyes has been awarded as the youngest official member of the Forbes Business Council and Young Entrepreneur Council, he has been decorated several times by representing Argentina in other foreign countries and designed as the youth ambassador by the US Embassy in Argentina and the US Department of State. Leyes has an extensive audience and network of almost 4 million followers on social media.

John Lee

John Lee is the co-founder and CEO of Wealth Dragons Group PLC. He is also the founder of Wealth Dragons Online which is set to become one of the largest e-learning platforms for business entrepreneurs across the globe. He started investing in property in his early 20s. By the time he was 27, Lee had achieved his goal of becoming a self-made millionaire. Lee is the author of the bestselling book Wealth Dragon Way.

He gained an international reputation as a world-class speaker and has shared stages with Bill Clinton, Alan Sugar, Richard Branson, Jack Welch (ex-CEO of GE) and Randi Zuckerberg. Lee has been featured in Sunday Times, Huffington Post, Channel News Asia, Fortune Magazine, Edge, The BBC, The Wall Street Journal, and was awarded man of the year in 2017 by Global Women Magazine.

Tai Lopez

Tai Lopez is an investor, partner, and advisor to almost two-dozen multi-million-dollar businesses. Through his popular book club and podcasts, Tai Lopez shares advice on how to achieve health, wealth, love, and happiness with 1.4 million people in 40 countries. The Tai Lopez Show gets around 800,000 downloads per month. Lopez also owns the largest book shipping club in the world, Mentor Box.

Dan Lok

Dan Lok is a Chinese-Canadian entrepreneur, author and self-proclaimed "King of High-Ticket Sales". He's also a business consultant, global speaker and real estate expert. His YouTube boasts 1.2-plus million followers and 68-plus million views. He's published multiple books, including F.U. Money, Influence! and Unlock It!. Lok is well respected in the world of Internet marketing. He went from multiple failed businesses to making millions. His story of rags to riches is relatable and serves as a source of inspiration to his followers.

As an entrepreneur, you can also be one of these top entrepreneurs soon with your hard work and dedication. The line and the difference of entrepreneurs are separated in those who execute their ideas and bring them to reality, and those who simply stay with their arms crossed. What are you waiting for? Launch that business or work on that idea you have in mind today.
Srivatsa KR

Start-up enthusiast & Blogger