ABOUT

"We don't lack information; we lack understanding."

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That belief has guided Isabelle Karamooz throughout her career and ultimately inspired the creation of French Quarter Magazine (FQM); an international publication dedicated to culture, diplomacy, history, travel, business, the arts, and meaningful global dialogue.

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Born in Versailles, France, Isabelle grew up immersed in one of the world's most remarkable cultural landscapes, where history, architecture, and the arts naturally shaped her curiosity and worldview. From an early age, she developed a deep appreciation for cultural heritage and its transmission to future generations. As a teenager, she completed an internship at the Louvre Museum in Paris, where she participated in the museum's educational workshops for children. As an educational workshop assistant, she guided groups of young visitors through the museum's galleries before leading creative activities, hands-on crafts, educational exercises, and projects inspired by the works of art they had discovered. This formative experience instilled in her the belief that museums are far more than places where collections are preserved; they are living spaces of learning, capable of inspiring curiosity, nurturing creativity, and fostering a lifelong appreciation for history and the arts.

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Driven by this passion, Isabelle pursued her studies in the United States, earning a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of California, Berkeley. She was later admitted to the University of Southern California (USC), one of the nation's leading private universities, where she pursued graduate studies in Education. 

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Before becoming a publisher, Isabelle taught French language and culture at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and the College of Southern Nevada, sharing not only the language but also the history, traditions, and values that shape French civilization. Earlier in her career, she worked at the Consulate General of France in Los Angeles, where she gained firsthand insight into diplomacy and international relations; an experience that profoundly influenced the editorial vision she would later develop for French Quarter Magazine.

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Founded in 2014, French Quarter Magazine began as a publication celebrating French culture and the Francophone world. Over the years, it has evolved into a broader international platform exploring the connections between culture, diplomacy, business, education, innovation, gastronomy, architecture, design, fashion, literature, travel, and public affairs. Today, with editorial hubs in Las Vegas and Washington, D.C., and readers across six continents, the magazine continues to demonstrate that culture is far more than entertainment—it is one of the most powerful instruments of diplomacy and international understanding.

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Under Isabelle's leadership, French Quarter Magazine has been recognized among Feedspot's Top France Magazines on the Web, while earning the respect of diplomats, cultural institutions, museums, international organizations, universities, luxury brands, tourism boards, performing arts organizations, and business leaders throughout the United States and Europe.

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For more than a decade, Isabelle has reported from embassies, museums, historic landmarks, opera houses, international conferences, cultural festivals, prestigious institutions, and major public events. ​Her reporting goes beyond documenting events. She seeks to understand the people, ideas, and institutions shaping our world. Through hundreds of original articles and interviews, she has explored subjects ranging from public diplomacy and historical preservation to entrepreneurship, gastronomy, performing arts, luxury craftsmanship, architecture, and international cooperation.

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Throughout her career, Isabelle has conducted conversations with ambassadors, ministers, members of Congress, authors, historians, journalists, artists, architects, museum directors, educators, entrepreneurs, military leaders, economists, internationally acclaimed chefs, opera directors, philanthropists, and business executives. Rather than pursuing headlines, she believes journalism should preserve conversations that remain valuable long after the news cycle has ended.

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Among the distinguished personalities featured in French Quarter Magazine are Catherine Pégard, former President of the Public Establishment of the Palace, Museum and National Estate of Versailles and current French Minister of Culture; former French Ambassador to the United States Gérard Araud; journalist and bestselling author Jan Jekielek; Rob Burton, former Acting Administrator of the White House Office of Federal Procurement Policy; Timothy O'Leary, General Director of the Washington National Opera; journalist and TV presenter Stéphane Bern; playwright Cyril Gély; Olympic champion Surya Bonaly; singer-songwriter Debbie Gibson; pianist and composer Chloe Flower; artist Elena Bulatova; Myriam Larnaudie-Eiffel, descendant of Gustave Eiffel; Michelin-starred chefs Alain Ducasse and Guy Savoy; hospitality leaders Elizabeth Blau, and Stéphane Grattier; along with diplomats, entrepreneurs, scholars, elected officials, and cultural leaders representing dozens of countries.​

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In 2026, Isabelle established Washington, D.C., as French Quarter Magazine's second editorial hub, reflecting the publication's growing focus on cultural diplomacy and international affairs. That same year, she became a Journalist Member of the National Press Club, further expanding the magazine's presence within the diplomatic and policy communities of the nation's capital.

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She is also the founder of the French Quarter Magazine Founding Circle, a private initiative that brings together ambassadors, diplomats, entrepreneurs, executives, academics, authors, artists, philanthropists, and cultural leaders through curated gatherings designed to foster meaningful dialogue and lasting international relationships.

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Whether attending a state reception at an embassy, interviewing an internationally renowned chef, exploring a historic château, speaking with an entrepreneur, or covering a major cultural exhibition, Isabelle approaches every story with the same question:

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"What can this person, this institution, or this culture teach us?"

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That question has become the editorial philosophy of French Quarter Magazine.

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Today, Isabelle continues to write, travel, interview, and build connections across cultures with one conviction at the heart of her work: journalism should do more than inform. It should preserve history, celebrate excellence, encourage thoughtful conversation, and remind us that understanding one another remains one of humanity's greatest achievements.