S11 Episode 74: Nathan Thornburgh - The Design Of Roads & Kingdoms

What happens when a foreign correspondent watches legacy media shrink, and decides to build something more human instead? In this Season 11 opener of Design Of, Justin Ahrens sits down with Nathan Thornburgh, former Time Magazine foreign correspondent and co-founder of Roads & Kingdoms, to explore journalism, leadership, American identity, and the future of immersive storytelling. Nathan spent nearly a decade reporting from Moscow and across Europe during a period of global change. As foreign bureaus closed and media shifted toward digital scale, he saw the rise of compassion fatigue — the growing distance between audiences and the people in the story. Roads & Kingdoms became his response. Built at the intersection of food, geopolitics, and culture, the company became a creative partner to Anthony Bourdain and a home for long-form journalism rooted in shared humanity. Today, it has evolved into a print magazine, curated travel experiences, and a membership community built around real-world connection. This episode explores: • The myth of journalistic neutrality • Why humility matters in global reporting • How food unlocks difficult cultural conversations • Leadership after loss • Designing a brand around depth instead of scale • Why community and in-person experiences are a strategic advantage For founders, marketers, and cultural leaders, this conversation is a powerful case study in values-driven brand building. If you care about storytelling, media, travel, culture, or building something that lasts in an automated world — this episode is for you. Listen now and discover what it means to design human-sized stories.