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Who is Matt Forrest?

Matt Forrest is a prominent voice in geospatial data science, known for demystifying modern GIS, spatial SQL, and AI integration through accessible content. As Field CTO at CARTO and founder of WHEROBOTS Inc., he consistently publishes educational insights that serve the professional geospatial community.

June 11, 2025
Sarthak Ahuja
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Sarthak Ahuja

Sarthak Ahuja is a marketing enthusiast currently contributing to digital marketing strategies at Favikon. An alumnus of ESCP Paris with over 2 years of professional experience, he has held multiple marketing roles across industries. Sarthak's work has been published in journals and websites. He loves to read and write about topics concerning sustainability, business, and marketing. You can find him on LinkedIn and Instagram.

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Matt Forrest: Championing Geospatial Innovation Through Education and Tech Advocacy

Matt Forrest is the Field CTO at CARTO and founder of WHEROBOTS Inc., where he focuses on scaling modern GIS and spatial SQL across enterprise and academic spaces. His background combines engineering precision with educational clarity, making spatial data workflows easier to adopt. He is known for translating technical complexity into clear, actionable guides for developers. His work centers on spatial analytics, AI integration, and database optimization for geospatial use cases.

He frequently publishes tutorials and video content that explore real-world applications of spatial SQL, often tied to platforms like Snowflake and CARTO. His teaching style avoids general commentary—instead, he walks users through queries, pipelines, and performance tips. This detail-oriented approach attracts an audience of data engineers, GIS professionals, and spatial product teams. His consistency has earned him a strong following across both LinkedIn and YouTube.

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Matt Forrest at ELIS: Promoting Geospatial Innovation and Product-Led Growth with Wherobots (Source: @mbforr, LinkedIn, April 2025)

Matt’s influence is rooted in routine output and platform integration. He regularly posts at 8 AM EST on LinkedIn and 7 PM EST on YouTube, building habits among viewers seeking technical content. His audience growth is steady, with nearly 4% monthly growth on LinkedIn and over 58K followers. He engages with tool builders, CTOs, and data scientists in the U.S. and Europe, fostering a professional network centered on emerging geospatial solutions.

He is also a frequent collaborator within the spatial tech ecosystem, tagging brands like Esri, Meta, NOAA, and CARTO. His work reflects the changing role of geospatial intelligence in business operations and urban planning. Rather than aiming for personal brand virality, Matt positions himself as a reliable conduit between innovation and implementation. His voice is grounded, specific, and shaped by years of engineering-first thinking in the geospatial field.

An Influencer Active on Social Media

Matt Forrest shares content primarily through LinkedIn and YouTube, with LinkedIn driving most of his influence in the geospatial data space.

Matt's Social Media Strategy Analysis

LinkedIn: Where Technical Insights Meet Daily Use Cases

Matt Forrest uses LinkedIn as his main platform to educate, update, and engage with the geospatial data community. His feed highlights specific challenges faced in spatial SQL, modern GIS, and AI integration within enterprise environments. With a consistent publishing schedule of 30 posts per month, Matt creates daily touchpoints that blend concise technical tips with industry context. Each post is carefully timed—8 AM EST uploads cater to data professionals reviewing content after work.

His tone is structured yet informal, prioritizing real value over promotional fluff. Matt doesn’t share generalized thoughts—he shares applied insights, such as how to optimize data pipelines using CARTO or build scalable architectures with WHEROBOTS. His most engaged posts often involve screenshots, code snippets, or annotated diagrams. This visual-first format has helped him stand out in a feed filled with vague business jargon.

He tags thought leaders and tools strategically, using them to contextualize solutions rather than name-drop. Brands like Meta, NOAA, and Esri show up in his posts because they intersect with his actual work—whether through product testing, API integration, or geospatial modeling. This habit reinforces his role as a practitioner, not just a commentator.

With an average view count of 58.9K and a monthly growth rate of +3.99%, Matt’s reach continues to expand among data science and GIS audiences. His posts are often bookmarked and revisited for their instructional quality, not just their topical relevance. This makes him a key figure for ongoing education in the spatial tech field.

  • Username: @mbforr
  • Influence Score: 96.4 / 100
  • Followers: 58K
  • Activity: 30 posts/month
  • Engagement Rate: 0.38%
  • Growth: +3.99%
  • Average Engagement: 218
  • Posting Habits: Daily at 8 AM EST

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YouTube: Supplementing Written Insights with Visual Demonstrations

Matt Forrest supplements his LinkedIn microcontent with long-form videos on YouTube, designed to demonstrate spatial workflows in real time. His videos average 2.6 uploads per month and typically focus on end-to-end tutorials using platforms like CARTO, Snowflake, and WHEROBOTS. These walkthroughs include live demos, screen recordings, and voiceover commentary aimed at engineers and analysts implementing solutions.

His video content avoids flashy intros or unrelated tangents. Instead, he dives directly into project setup, query structure, and result interpretation. For example, viewers can follow along as he builds spatial indexes, runs optimized joins, or integrates AI into location-based queries. This keeps his channel especially useful for job seekers, team leads, and solo developers.

While his engagement rate on YouTube is relatively low at 0.21%, his videos still average 1.4K views, pointing to niche appeal and evergreen utility. His core YouTube audience uses these videos as on-demand training modules rather than social content. Viewers value his clear speaking pace, precise examples, and minimal editing—hallmarks of a true educator over an entertainer.

He uploads once a week, typically around 7 PM EST—timed for accessibility to morning learners or global followers in different time zones. Though he’s less active here than on LinkedIn, his YouTube strategy adds depth and permanence to his teaching, offering an archive of tutorials that extend his influence beyond scrolling feeds.

  • Username: @MattForrest
  • Influence Score: 44.6 / 100
  • Followers: 30.2K
  • Activity: 2.6 videos/month
  • Engagement Rate: 0.21%
  • Growth: 0%
  • Average Engagement: 64
  • Posting Habits: Weekly at 7 PM EST

Newsletter: Weekly Insights for 71,000+ Geospatial Professionals

Matt Forrest runs a weekly newsletter that reaches over 71,000 subscribers, focused entirely on modern GIS, spatial SQL, and evolving geospatial tools. Each issue delivers cutting-edge updates, practical techniques, and platform walkthroughs that help readers grow technical skills and stay current with industry trends. His newsletter is designed for working professionals—engineers, analysts, and GIS leads—who need concise, actionable insights.

The newsletter stands out for its clarity and technical relevance. Instead of broad summaries, Matt includes specific code patterns, product highlights, and real-world use cases. This precision reflects his broader content strategy and makes the newsletter a trusted resource. It also functions as a strong partner platform—ideal for spotlighting tools, webinars, or sponsored educational content aligned with geospatial tech. With consistent publishing and a large, engaged list, Matt's newsletter is a central part of his influence in the spatial data space.

Matt Forrest's Social Media Influence Summary

Matt Forrest has an overall Favikon Influence Score of 8,061 points. He ranks in the Top 1% on LinkedIn in the United States (#193) and Top 1% globally (#676), with particularly strong placement in the Data Science category (#20 U.S. and #68 Worldwide). These ranks place him as one of the top LinkedIn voices in technical education for spatial data and modern GIS.

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Content Strategy: Technical, Consistent, and Community-Oriented

Matt Forrest’s content strategy is centered on clarity, utility, and repetition. He posts daily on LinkedIn using a mix of short explainers and extended reflections that often include product visuals or linked resources. These posts are framed to answer real questions from GIS professionals and data engineers—what tool to use, what workflow to adopt, and how to improve outcomes. He rarely posts personal anecdotes or high-level speculation. Instead, his voice focuses on data processes, spatial modeling, and how developers can save time or optimize systems. His YouTube content is an extension of this strategy—slower in cadence but deeper in scope, often with screen shares and live tech demos.

Reachability and Partnerships

Matt Forrest’s reachability is shaped by his consistent collaboration with high-profile geospatial companies like Esri, Meta Platforms, NOAA, and Snowflake. He has tagged WHEROBOTS Inc. 38 times, reflecting deep integration between his personal content and the product development pipeline. His LinkedIn posts often mention CARTO and Esri use cases, aligning him with platform engineers, CTOs, and applied GIS teams. This makes him a direct entry point for brands targeting hands-on data users.

An overview of Matt’s top influential connections across key industries. (Source: Favikon)

He frequently engages with figures like Javier de la Torre and Fawad A. Qureshi, bridging strategic roles in spatial analytics and enterprise tech. His visibility across both U.S. and European networks enhances his value for cross-regional partnerships. His brand safety rating, minimal political tone, and educational focus make him especially viable for sponsored product content and co-branded tutorials. Matt’s platform is structured for repeat engagement, not one-off visibility, making long-term partnerships more effective.

Conclusion: Teaching Spatial Data with Authority and Clarity

Matt Forrest is one of the leading educational voices in spatial analytics, modern GIS, and geospatial SQL. His content strategy is rooted in practical instruction, daily engagement, and platform consistency—especially on LinkedIn. With top rankings in Data Science and high growth across a focused technical audience, Matt’s influence is both measurable and respected. He doesn’t aim for mass appeal. Instead, he builds trust among developers and analysts who value clarity and application. As geospatial technology evolves, Matt remains a steady and informed voice—making him a go-to expert for tech companies, educational partners, and platforms advancing the next era of spatial innovation.

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