Austin Graff
Austin Graff is a social media consultant, writer, travel guide, and founder of Curiosity & Connection, a social media and travel consultancy based in Washington, D.C.
Previously, Austin led talent brand for The Washington Post, social media and influencer marketing for International Justice Mission, the world’s largest anti-trafficking organization, and Honest Tea, America’s number one organic iced tea company.
He’s currently The Washington Post’s “By The Way”’s D.C. local guide and contributing writer.
Growing up in Tatarstan, Russia’s most independent and most Muslim republic, Austin’s family would often travel the world. He attended boarding school in Germany, lived in Kazakhstan, and studied in China. Currently, he’s been to over 80 different countries with the goal of one day visiting every country in the world.
Refusing to set aside travel once his daughter was born in 2017, Austin and his wife traveled to Havana, Cuba with their 12-week-old baby for an article with The Washington Post. It gave him and his wife the confidence to keep traveling as a family.
For the last several summers, they’ve spent two months abroad with Austin’s wife’s job as an executive at a tech company. Their most recent adventure was traveling to 23 cities in eight weeks throughout Europe. Packing up every few days for two months proved to Austin that all three of them love everything about travel, including the mundane like airport security and long train rides.
When asked what the trick is to traveling with a small child, Austin says: “Joy is contagious.” Because Austin and his wife enjoy all parts of travel, it’s rarely stressful. It’s an adventure! Austin’s daughter senses the joy and joins in on the travel fun. The result is a child who never fusses on overnight flights or during long airport lines.
An explorer at heart, Austin sets time aside to wander Washington, D.C., where he proudly lives with his wife, daughter, and housemate. He’s currently creating the first-ever guide to all 131 Washington, D.C. neighborhoods. Every week, he posts an Instagram Story about a D.C. neighborhood with an accompanying guide of what to eat, drink, do, and see on his Instagram.
A believer in community, he helps lead IGDC, D.C.’s first Instagram community of photographers.