Lives of Consequence
Ashley Isaacs Ganz '95
Founder and CEO, Artisans of Leisure
A noted travel industry expert specializing in international luxury travel with a cultural focus, Ashley Isaacs Ganz ’95 is the founder and CEO of Artisans of Leisure, a leading luxury travel company specializing in exclusive, customized private tours around the world.
Prior to starting Artisans of Leisure, Ganz spent more than a decade living and traveling internationally, including working in Japan for two years under the Japanese Ministry of Education’s JET program. As an executive with an international tour operator in New York City, Ganz went on to organize trips and develop an extensive network of global contacts.
Utilizing her background, Ganz founded Artisans of Leisure in 2003 to provide her clients with a higher level of luxury and cultural depth. “Shortly after forming my company, Japan’s national tourism organization recommended us to the New York Times and Artisans of Leisure was featured in an article,” she told The Pulteney Street Survey. “And then my phone started ringing. A lot.”
With a team of travel experts whose expertise include art, architecture, design, cuisine, fashion, photography, music, foreign languages, history and international relations, Artisans of Leisure creates personalized tours which emphasize culture and, as Ganz says, “all the little hidden gems we’ve discovered.”
In 2018, Artisans of Leisure was named the No.1 World’s Best Tour Operator by Travel+Leisure magazine, noting that “the company curates activities and experiences that deepen travelers’ understanding of the culture and land around them.” Artisans of Leisure is often featured in leading publications and travel guides, including Departures, Town & Country, Frommer's, Fodor's, Lonely Planet, Conde Nast Traveler, National Geographic Traveler, Food & Wine, Afar and Bon Appetit. Artisans of Leisure is the preferred tour supplier for prestigious associations and organizations, including Virtuoso.
Ganz is frequently interviewed by the consumer and trade media as an expert on the luxury market, and serves as an adviser to various tourist boards and tourism suppliers. She is a member of many cultural, civic and professional organizations including the Royal Society of the Arts.
While working in the travel industry, Ganz earned a master’s degree in sociology and historical studies at the New School for Social Research and completed Ph.D. coursework at the London School of Economics, focusing her thesis on the history and sociology of luxury travel and consumer culture. A Philadelphia native, Ganz graduated magna cum laude from William Smith, where she majored in sociology and women’s studies, and completed the Honors Program. She spent a semester abroad studying Aboriginal Art at the University of Sydney, Australia and was a member of the Farm Club and Waves organization. Ganz received the Ann Palmeri Prize and was a Helen Heath Scholar.