It’s irrefutable that technology and the internet have completely changed the way that business is conducted worldwide. In many cases, it has created entities which exist because of a global awareness. Kris Naudts had a unique idea for a company built on this premise; one which highlighted the many differences of the world. If you haven’t heard of Culture Trip already, you will soon. As founder and CEO, Naudts wanted to create an online travel publication that communicated a personal sensory experience of other cultures rather than the standard fare. The uniqueness of his vision required the best and most progressive team members, leading Kris to work with Tom Vaughan of London’s La Fosse Associates. Vaughan procured an impressive list of candidates from Silicon Valley’s biggest names including: Facebook, Google, Airbnb, and others. The difference between which startups make it and which don’t is as reliant on those who make up the team as the business premise itself. The Culture Trip team has received massive attention in a very short time and become one of the most admired and acclaimed businesses in recent times. It’s a testament to the company’s belief that investing in the right people is paramount.
It’s hard to find something on the web that is innovative, intuitive, useful, and entertaining. The disparity between black hole/time waster and applicable tool is vast, which is why Culture Trip has gained so much traction and attention so quickly. Its content includes food, art, music, books, film, design, and is produced by three-hundred plus paid contributors living locally around the world who deliver a diverse array of articles, photos, videos, illustrations, and animation. The ultimate goal is to communicate stories which reveal what is unique and special about a place, its people, and its culture. Whether you want to deeply investigate a potential vacation in a more personal manner or you simply want to learn more about the world on a whim, Culture Trip provides a feeling of direct sourced information. It’s the next best thing to having a friend who is living somewhere with the inside scoop. Culture Trip has been named by Forbes as one of the fastest-growing companies to watch.
Culture Trip truly operates on a global scale; it’s at the heart of what they do. As a member of La Fosse UK, Vaughan pitched and won the global campaign to find Culture Trip's leadership team. The nine-month assignment targeted candidates from all over the world- specifically focusing on C-Level execs from the top technology/ consumer businesses, many of which were located in Silicon Valley. Relocating top Execs from Facebook, Google, NETFLIX and Group-On was no mean feat- a strategy widely disputed by the headhunting industry but Tom and his team at La Fosse pulled off the impossible.
Culture Trip's new Exec team have been paramount to their extraordinary growth. The site has grown from just 132,641 to over 18 million unique visitors per month. Their 330,000 Facebook followers evolved into 4.3 million fans. Investors have also taken note- to date the business has raised $100million and has plans to IPO within 3-5 years.
Culture Trip has become a darling of the industry, a resounding and seemingly immediate success. Kris Naudts attributes the company’s prominence to two key factors: employing the best people who understand and share the idea of Culture Trip, and an awareness of the millennial lust for real authentic experiences presented in a savvy social media-first approach. This DNA is inherent to the team which Vaughan and La Fosse helped them to acquire. The company’s CEO relates, “Everyone working at Culture Trip is driven by a shared vision: to inspire people to go beyond their cultural boundaries and connect with the world around them. We want to bring the world to everyone and in doing so bring everyone closer together. That begins with us and other people feed off of our enthusiasm.” Culture Trip has alluded to the notion that TV productions and even virtual/augmented reality platforms may be among their next incarnations, not a surprise for this proactive and exciting company.