Our Mission
Go Custom Travel aims to design one-of-a-kind active vacations and authentic adventures worldwide. We strive to grow our business by building deep relationships with each of our clients and boutique suppliers, to handcraft crazy fun, immersive experiences that are a thousand miles from ordinary.
About Us
Go Custom travel was born as her next baby. Like any beloved child, this biz is near and dear to her heart. It's made her laugh, hug, struggle, cuss, cry and leap for joy. Many cups of coffee have been consumed pulling it all together, along with a few celebratory glasses of wine. Now, more than a decade later, she couldn't be more proud of her family and her business, who somehow managed to grow up together.
When not hatching itinerary ideas or juggling Zoom calls, Laura can be found scouting local mountain trails, star gazing from her sleeping bag, or paddling lakes with her pup on a SUP.
Favorite place: A rustic old retired ski lodge for our annual snowshoe/sledding romp. No beds, no electricity, no running water. Just silent snow, a crackling fire and a pile of friends.
Secret Weapon: Badass kickboxing moves
Fun Fact: The Field of Dreams is in her hometown
Confession: She was a Seattle grunge era rock groupie, working as a radio intern before realizing she actually needed a paycheck. Still has a crush on Eddie Vedder.
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Laura Mandelkorn
Co-Founder & Adventure Specialist
Meet Laura: Wife, mom, dreamer, entrepreneur and outdoor enthusiast... Queen of far fetched ideas and bogus adventures. Luckily she figured out how to iron out the kinks with friends and family before putting together client trips.
Laura grew up hiking and canoeing the cricks in small town Iowa, the youngest of 5, finding any excuse to get wet, get dirty and play outside. As the daughter of a Marine Corps fighter pilot, she inherited the adventure gene and the desire to jet off and see the world. (BTW- The retro plane in our logo is a salute to her Dad.) She first set foot on an airliner alone at the age of nine, and the rest is history... The itch to travel still sets her hair on fire.
Laura graduated from the University of Iowa with a communications degree and the gift of gab. She made her way to the Northwest and started her career in sales... in the toy industry, in franchise sales and in the coffee industry. Trade shows took her all over the U.S. and abroad, which fanned the flames for her desire to travel. Fascinated by new people and places, she was frustrated by the lack of time to immerse in the countries she visited.
Soon she met a tall handsome guy from Seattle, married Ted and started a family: two active boys, two shaggy dogs and too many fond memories to share. Although the boys are now grown young men, they were the guinea pigs for this crazy business, part of many wild adventures across the globe as Laura figured out the travel gig.
Ted Mandelkorn
Co-Founder & Operations
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Margaret Carpenter
Marketing & Sales Coordinator
Hailing from Gainesville, GA, Marg has jumped in as our new marketing & sales coordinator. Adventurous and passionate, she loves a good challenge and is as persistent as she is charismatic. After spending the past four years at the College of Charleston (SC) earning a marketing degree, she is ready to take the world by storm. Her college experience also included an incredible semester abroad on New Zealand’s South Island. Throughout her time there, she discovered a love for backpacking, photography, and learning about authentic and unique cultures. Margaret adores cuddling with her dogs, trying new foods and curling up with a good book.
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Favorite place: Her next adventure!
Secret Weapon: Insane pickleball skills
Fluent in: Southern charm and hospitality
Confession: Once convinced her twin brother to eat a dog treat by telling him it was a teddy graham. She’s a little proud of it.
Murphy Mandelkorn
Loyal Adventure Companion
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