Here's your big challenge.

The movers + shakers are busy working, so likely you'll only have people on your site which... aren't working... aren't movers + shakers... have free time to network...

The best way I've found to make connections with great people is to contact them about an interview.

So change your site slightly to a Podcast where you interview movers + shakers.

Call up a niche player + ask them to divulge all their secrets, likely you'll hear uncontrolled laughter followed by a click + dial tone.

Call up a niche player + ask to interview them + they'll likely tell you all their secrets.

It's all a matter of how you position yourself.

On a side note, I've contacted authors of books I've read + enjoyed... just out of the blue + asked if there might be some way I can assist them... as a thank you for their great book.

This has netted me an impressive Rolodex (that term dates me) of people in the business stratosphere.

Another trick I've used to meet people, is to track where they'll be speaking, then submit a speaker proposal to the same event. Then I can end up in the green room with them + make a connection.