I guess the underlying question is how to spread the delegations in a way that won't be counter productive to Steemit and still achieve the desired results.
As you correctly pointed out, mass delegations go to a select few.. the @dlive, @busy, @utopian-io et al, but the truth is over time they have proven the delegations to be rightfully vested.
I would suggest formation of more groups. Not as big as them, but mini groups that can spread out to more genres and reach more users. That would significantly boost the sense of belonging on Steemit.
Example
If we had 30 mini groups, it's more likely one of them will come accross that hidden gem than the entire writing community waiting for that rare @curie upvote.
The smaller groups can even face specific subject matter, eg new projects, medical news and tips, cultural integration, etc. This way those who want to help minnows can actually reward them significantly (a 1 in 10 chance of getting $4 upvote is preferable to 1 in 1000 chance of $50 upvote)
My humble opinion.
I think @utopian-io is a good model for curated rewards. Imaging forking utopian to create a platform for rewarding creative commons stock photography and art, for example.