10-03-2025
Meet Delaware's Most Influential People on Social Media in 2025
Alexis Harris is the de facto Delaware influencer. Her "First State Destinations" has nearly 50,000 followers on TikTok and 100,000 on Instagram. The 28-year-old Dover resident's content showcases "food, views and vibes" in and around Delaware, "because we're Delaware-based, not bound," as she often says.
"It's time to retire the outdated notion that 'Delaware is boring'—because that couldn't be further from the truth," Harris said. "There is so much to experience here, and I want to continue shifting that perspective."
In addition to First State Destinations, Harris runs a marketing business, helping others effectively leverage social media marketing and content creation. Last year, the New Castle County Chamber of Commerce gave her an Impact Award.
Now, Harris's social media accounts are exploring a new part of her life: pregnancy.
After starring on MTV's "Teen Mom 2," Kailyn Lowry has since transformed her reality TV fame into a thriving social media brand across multiple platforms.
Now at age 32, Lowry is a mom of seven with over 8 million followers.
She shares family moments, book recommendations and insight into her personal life with her audience.
Lowry is a Delaware State University alum whose passion for podcasting led her to founding the KLLR Podcast Network in 2021, a company that allows her to mentor and guide rising podcasters.
The influencer also has written multiple books, including "Pride Over Pity," a New York Times bestseller.
Senior TikTok sensation Larry Pennington of Rehoboth Beach recently has become one of Delaware's new stars on the app.
The beloved boomer is popular for sharing videos of his "thrifted home," while he also models his favorite outfits, many of which are colorful blazers.
The retired educator, boasting more than 230,000 TikTok followers, has featured his husband David Lasher in some of his content. Pennington's senior's newfound fame has caught the attention of news outlets like The New York Times and Newsweek.
The 21-year-old daughter of television's "Cake Boss" is studying hospitality business management at the University of Delaware while managing a sizeable social media presence. She has over 126,000 followers on TikTok and 328,000 on Instagram.
"I grew up on social media and TV and it just became normal to me," Valastro said.
Valastro's content is a mix of videos from her current day-to-day life, at school and at home in New Jersey, and "Cake Boss" clips. She shares videos of herself baking as a little girl, at her sweet 16 birthday party, working in the bakery and more. Posting just once or twice a month, most of her videos get views in the hundreds of thousands and some more.
After graduation, Valastro plans to work for the family business and hopes to "grow it to another level," she said.
Green thumb on social: Delaware influencer 'Black Plant Man' brings green theme to Newark's newest restaurant
Wilmington native Jymere Stillis-Stanford loves to guide his 24,000-plus Instagram followers on a journey through northern Delaware's hidden gem restaurants and other cool shops, including places in Philly where he lives.
Stillis-Stanford's background is as dynamic as his food adventures. He graduated with a dual bachelor's degree in mass communications and psychology from the University of Delaware before earning a master's in social work from the University of Pennsylvania.
But his love for adventure isn't limited to food and city life. Stillis-Stanford currently works in Philly as a flight attendant, so visiting cool places is his life (in more ways than one).
Newark resident Jaymi Carnazza, known on Instagram as Jaymi Devin (or JaymiKnowsFun), is a laid-back mom passionate about museums, state parks, gardens, history and great food.
She inspires her 62,000 Instagram followers to explore beyond the usual spots.
Always on the move — like a modern-day Carmen Sandiego, minus the red trench coat — Carnazza brings a fresh perspective to the Small Wonder. Whether it's a historic site or a must-try restaurant, she keeps her audience engaged with fun destinations worth discovering.
Taylor Reilly has a rare disorder called chondrodysplasia punctata, which causes dwarfism. She stands at 4-feet 2-inches tall and has had over 30 surgeries.
The disorder also causes respiratory problems; you may know Reilly from when she went viral on Vine as "inhaler girl."
Post-Vine, the 27-year-old Delaware native has over 171,000 followers on TikTok, 42,000 on Instagram and 500,000 on YouTube. Reilly makes content about everything from pop culture to her cat, and some of her videos have millions of views. YouTube was a full-time job for her for a few years, she said, but she eventually moved away from the platform.
"After sharing so much of my life online for some of the major formative years (15 to 25), it really began to take a toll on my mental health," Reilly said.
Now, after taking some time to figure out who she is without the camera, she's planning a content comeback.
"All I know is I love to entertain and bring people together with laughter and silliness," she said. "And if an added bonus to that is representing other little girls and boys that look like me and bringing awareness to disabilities of all kinds, that's pretty awesome, too."
It's not uncommon for influencers to have critics and Matt Walsh might have the most of anyone on this list.
That comes with the territory when you're a provocative political commenter and podcaster.
A favorite guest on "The Joe Rogan Experience,' Walsh is a former Georgetown resident who analyzes news with a conservative perspective.
He's amassed over 3 million followers each on YouTube and X. Walsh is best known for his controversial documentary "What Is A Woman?" (2022), followed by his latest doc, "Am I Racist?" (2024).
'Bros defying physics':: Delaware TikTok star has over 130 million views for dancing on air
Before becoming famous, Walsh cut his teeth in media, working as a radio personality at WZBH 93.5 FM The Beach in Georgetown. He was co-host of "The Matt and Crank Program" with Andrew Murr from 2009 to 2011. While hosting the show, Walsh shed light on struggling and living in a roach-infested apartment in Georgetown.
When the podcaster was in his 20s, he jokingly ran for mayor of Georgetown in 2010 against Republican Brian Pettyjohn. Walsh didn't win.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delaware's Most Influential People on Social Media in 2025
