Substacks recommended by Karen Smiley

Recommended by Karen Smiley

From Michelle Obama to Oprah Winfrey to Rihanna to Beyoncé, when Black women are in charge, the world is a much better place. We need more Black women in charge.

The Story Compass

By Amy Wilson Maroney

Amy Wilson—publishing fiction as Amy Maroney—is an award-winning novelist and creative coach who explores her love of writing, research, art, history and the natural world with The Story Compass.

AI Supremacy

By Michael Spencer

News at the intersection of Artificial Intelligence, technology and business including Op-Eds, research summaries, guest contributions and valuable info about A.I. startups.

Michael posts frequently to share timely insights on the ever-changing world of AI. Great stuff here.

- Karen Smiley

Towards Gen2200 with Jax

You're invited to read and apply ancient wisdom, living systems thinking and multi-generational considerations to your every choice, today. Towards Gen2200 is an ambitious and realisable movement for better futures, starting gently with you.

Ageling on Agile

By Willem-Jan Ageling

About value creation in our modern world

Own Your Ambition

By Bonnie Marcus

I write about women's empowerment and gender issues in the workplace and beyond.

The Noösphere

By Katie Jagielnicka

Weekly musings on humans and the big rock we live on through a social sciences lens.

Agile Guru

By Jasti Smythe

Thoughts and musing about all things Agile in the software industry, from myself and industry thought leaders. Finding all the ways we can push self-improvement, so that we can make a broader difference across the globe.

Indie Author Insights

By Kathy Gerstorff

Indie author insights, features, news, events, and support for the business side of writing.

AI for Families

By Shannon Kimberly Edwards

AI for Families™ equips parents, guardians and caregivers with essential AI guidance and digital parenting strategies. Get actionable tips, checklists, and ethical frameworks for navigating AI technologies.

The AI Treasure Chest

By Ravit Dotan @ TechBetter

Adopt AI the right way - resources, analyses, news

Peter Csathy's "the brAIn" - real media & AI intelligence

By Peter Csathy's "the brAIn" newsletter

An "Insider's" guide to AI and how it's transforming media, music, marketing, entertainment and the creative economy - from the mind of expert Peter Csathy of Creative Media.

Code Like A Girl

Code Like a Girl amplifies the voices of women and non-binary folks in tech. We’re a community sharing 2–3 stories a week about technical deep-dives, personal perspectives, and actionable insights that help shape a more inclusive future in tech.

Busy Book Builder ☕️

By Gunnar Habitz

Inspiring upcoming and existing busy authors to publish their books and adding a side income by writing online from anywhere - like I do in various cafés in Sydney and worldwide. I write about book marketing and real life networking with good coffee.

Product Release Notes

By Elena Calvillo

Weekly AI product insights, and career strategies that help ambitious product managers stay ahead of the curve. Get practical templates, real case studies, and the strategic thinking that separates great PMs from the rest.

PubStack Success

By Karen Cherry

A weekly newsletter for new Substack creators: how to start, how to grow, and how to monetize by a writer who built a $25K+ publication that's not writing about writing.

Karen's newsletter has outstanding advice for Substackers just getting started. If your head is spinning a bit about Notes vs Chats vs Threads, or other fundamentals, search here and you're likely to find useful guidance!

- Karen Smiley

techRISE

By Trecia Warnholz

Discover the hidden variables driving innovation, leadership, and success in the digital age. Join us on techRISE as we explore beneath the surface, uncovering the subtle yet powerful factors shaping technology and the future of work.

The Pragmatic Optimist

By Amrita Roy

The Pragmatic Optimist is an AI-focused investment research publication, where we help investors successfully navigate the evolving AI innovation landscape, and make long-term investments with proven alpha generating returns.

6 'P's in AI Pods (AI6P)

By Karen Smiley

AI affects People & Places we care about, Products & Platforms we build & use, and Practices & Processes we use daily. Wondering how data & AI impact these 6 'P's, and how to use them ethically & wisely? The AI6P newsletter is for you! 100% human-written.

This ethical AI newsletter covers impact of AI use and misuse on People & Places, Practices & Processes, and Products & Platforms we use and care about. Enjoy the "AI, Software, & Wetware" interviews plus some deep dives into AI technologies, ethics, fundamentals, and each of these P's!

- Karen Smiley

Blood in the Machine

By Brian Merchant

Writing and reporting on AI, tech, labor and power. Delivered twice a week. For everyone Silicon Valley is happening to.

Chapter 23 by James Garside

Become evil. Rule the world. Maybe drink tea first and sit down for a bit.

The Human Playbook

Hi, I’m Gil Almeida. After a decade in big tech, I now write about how the world is changing and how we can stay grounded and human as AI reshapes how we live, work, and think together.

Rebecca Mbaya

Breaking down walls and Building Bridges...Knowledge for All.

Rebecca is our first writer about AI and data who is based in Africa. Her voice deserves to be more widely heard. You do not want to miss her Unpopular Opinions and astute insights.

- Karen Smiley

Elderberries

By Avivah Wittenberg-Cox

Squeezing the juice from longer lives and careers. And sharing the lessons.

SmallStack

By Robin Taylor

A collection of the finest newsletters with fewer than 1,000 subscribers, with special love given to the under 500 subscriber stacks out there.

Agile Moose

By Bob Galen

Bob Galen's Substack focused on Agile Leadership, Coaching, Transformation, and Mindset.

Marcus on AI

By Gary Marcus

"Marcus has become one of our few indispensable public intellectuals. The more people read him, the better our actions in shaping Al will be." - Kim Stanley Robinson, author of Ministry for the Future

The Online Writing Club

By Kristina God

Helps you joyfully start, grow, monetize, market your writing on Substack & beyond in a soulful community of 17,000 like-minded writers, authors, dreamers & builders. TOP 25 Substack bestseller, award-winning brand manager, podcaster & mompreneur.

Kristina shares excellent, pragmatic, actionable advice to help other writers succeed.

- Karen Smiley

Rachel’s Reflections on this AI world

By Rachel Kimber

Are you worried about AI replacing your job? Do you work at a nonprofit? Do you have limited time to learn and feel panicked? We will explore the flight, fight, fear response and meet it with curiosity. Let's connect dots and build brave new futures!

Running DATAcated

By Kate Strachnyi

scaling a niche media company & running long distances

Kate shares great insights into delivering value, working with data, and running a business based on doing these things!

- Karen Smiley

Sarah Seeking Ikigai

🌸 Exploring purposeful living via the intersection of ikigai, bullet journaling & AI, to make work and life more meaningful - written by a GenX tech optimist from the Isle of Man who believes in the magic of our world 🌸

Creative Crones with Stella Fosse

Stella holds forth about creativity after midlife along with health, sexuality, anti-ageism, and building an age-positive culture for women.

Stella writes bold pieces about being, living, and loving as a woman in later years. I follow her to learn about content as well as writing style!

- Karen Smiley

Work Chronicles

Comics about work. Made with love and lots of coffee.

Missing Fundamental

By Ed Newton-Rex

Semi-regular thoughts about AI, tech, and creativity.

Happy Habits

By Gunnar Habitz

Do you want to improve your habits? Based on my new book, Happy Habits, I'm sharing weekly tips how to eliminate bad and increase more good habits using my structured 4P model (pause, plan, practice, partner).

M(AI)VENS

By Cheyenne Dominguez

The AI newsletter and network for non-techy women. Timely stories, monthly book club meetups, prompt parties, and intentional networking. As seen in The Hustle and Substack’s Top 100. 💃

She Writes AI Community

By SheWritesAI

We are building SheWritesAI as an accessible community and newsletter for women and nonbinary folks who write about AI and data here on Substack. Check out our weekly Digests, and please contact Karen Smiley with feature ideas or to volunteer!

New dedicated "She Writes AI" directory & community site to support & share writing about AI & data here on Substack by women & nonbinary folks. As of June 2025, this is now where it's at! Join us there!

- Karen Smiley

Writerly Things with Brooke Warner

I am an author advocate, publisher of She Writes Press, co-founder of Memoir Nation, book industry insider, and champion to writers who show up to the page because they must.

Saving Humankind-ness

By Jeanne Dietsch

What caring persons can do to shift the complex course of change, not just in politics but in communities and daily life.

Read the Instructions

By Amanda Rose

Stories for people who can't resist a challenge. From the busy intersections of an unconventional life.

Rose is a compelling writer with great insights and stories to tell. Subscribe to enjoy them with me!

- Karen Smiley

Rhythms of Reason

By Quentin Vandermerwe

My 2c about technology, math, music, and other things

A Bridge to AI

By AB2AI

Inside-out and outside-in perspectives on AI transformation: practical workplace and career strategies (A Bridge to AI) and how four global forces reshape our lives in the age of AI (The AI Inflection Point).

The Queenager with Eleanor Mills

By Eleanor Mills & Noon

The noon.org.uk newsletter: Midlife, joy, new chapters and everything in between.

Angela Stewart’s AI Substack

By Angela Stewart’s Substack

Daily insights on making AI accessible for all through real-world, actionable strategies.

The Gathering

By Allegra Chapman (she/her)

Stories shape our culture and our sense of belonging. Here, we come together to shape new stories for a new paradigm.

Allegra is one of those awesome people who makes Substack a welcoming, kind, truly human community for writers (and readers!)

- Karen Smiley

AI Kicks

I grew up in the 1980s, but it's time to get over my fear of AI and join the 21st Century.

Charlotte writes engagingly about learning to deal with our brave new world of AI, one "kick" at a time!

- Karen Smiley

Everyday Ethical AI

Recommended by Karen Smiley