10. Max Rosenthal & Stacy Fischer-Rosenthal, Fischer Travel
Headquarters: New York, N.Y.
Areas of Expertise: Concierge-style travel
Need to Know: When founder Bill Fischer first pivoted to charging membership fees rather than commissions on bookings, he reinvented the travel-specialist model in a way that’s become the industry norm.
Max Rosenthal is the third generation of his family to join Fischer Travel. His grandfather Bill Fischer founded the New York–based firm, but the company currently run by his mom, Stacy. The nearly 40-strong operation is more like a members-only club than a conventional travel agency, with a $150,000 initiation fee and annual dues of $25,000. For that, the team opens up its little black book to create one-off experiences worldwide. Indeed, it was Fischer Travel clients who were the first to experience Camp Sarika at Amangiri, a month before it opened to anyone else. Another client wanted to see Wadi Rum in Jordan, but the local hotel didn’t pass Fischer’s quality control, so the team shipped in 10 staff members from the Kempinski in Aqaba to temporarily run the camp at a higher level.