Founder, Artisanal Collective
Charles (Charlie) Kao is a veteran entrepreneur and visionary in the travel, technology, and sustainability sectors. He began his professional journey by founding and leading a number of travel and tour companies across the United States, Europe, and Southeast Asia. His early success in hospitality and tourism laid the foundation for a career that would continuously evolve with global market trends and technological innovation.
With the rise of the internet and digital platforms in the 1990s, Charlie shifted his focus to the creation of software companies tailored for the tourism and hospitality industry. These ventures supported the growing needs of tour operators, hotels, airlines, and destination marketers, ultimately expanding into eCommerce and Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) across more than 20 countries. He remained at the forefront of industry shifts by embracing social media as a platform for growth and collaboration in recent decades.
Charlie is widely known as the founder and Group Publisher of the TravelMole Media Group, a network that grew to include nearly 1,500 partners within the global travel industry. He also pioneered ‘VISION on Sustainable Tourism’ on LinkedIn, a community launched 20 years ago that remains the oldest and largest professional network of its kind, now boasting over 19,000 members.
In leadership roles, he has served as Vice Chair of Green Globe and Co-Chair of Innovation for Sustainable Development, where he championed the intersection of tourism and environmental stewardship. His passion for cultural heritage led to the founding of the World Heritage Collection, a curated group of sustainable travel experiences and destinations, which was rebranded in 2025 as the Artisanal Collection to reflect its refined focus on unique, locally rooted experiences.
Raised in Taiwan and Cuba, Charlie later immigrated to the United States. Today, he and his wife divide their time between Los Angeles and France, continuing to foster global dialogue and sustainable innovation within the travel and cultural sectors.
For further information or interview requests, please contact:
Arnelle Kendall
Strategic Communications Advisor, Global Engagement
E: pr***@*****************ve.org
W: https://artisanalcollective.org/