Julia Cosgrove is vice president and editor in chief of Afar, the critically acclaimed travel media brand that makes a positive impact on the world through high-quality storytelling that inspires, enriches, and empowers travelers who care. Afar launched in San Francisco in 2009 with Afar magazine and Learning Afar, a nonprofit foundation that has funded trips abroad and in the U.S. for more than 1,000 underserved high-school students. In its print magazine, digital platform, and podcasts, Afar’s credo is consistent: Travel can be a radical force for good for the planet, local communities, and travelers.
Under Julia’s leadership, Afar is the only brand to win a Lowell Thomas Award every year since launch and the only travel brand to be a National Magazine Award finalist for General Excellence across both print and digital. In 2018 Julia made the Folio: 100 list of the most influential people in magazine and digital media. Julia speaks frequently to large audiences about travel, and she has led panels, interviewed industry leaders, and delivered keynote addresses at the Travel Classics conference, the Society of American Travel Writers Editors’ Council, the Skift Global Forum, the IMAG Conference, the Women’s Travel Fest, the Family Travel Association Summit, the Symposium for Professional Wine Writers, the Public Relations Society of America Travel and Tourism Section Conference, and more.
Prior to launching Afar in 2009, Julia was a writer and editor at media companies big and small, including Time Out, BusinessWeek, and ReadyMade. A graduate of Barnard College, Julia has taught magazine writing and design at the d.school at Stanford University. She lives in Berkeley, California, with her husband and two daughters.
You can reach Julia at julia@afar.com.
