Philippe von Borries is a German-born entrepreneur.[1] He co-founded Refinery29 and served as co-CEO of the company.[2] He is currently entrepreneur-in-residence of Red Ventures and president of Lonely Planet.[3]
Philippe von Borries | |
|---|---|
| Born | Cologne, Germany |
| Education | Columbia University (BA) |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
| Employer | Lonely Planet |
| Known for | Co-founder and former CEO of Refinery29 |
| Title | President |
| Spouse | Piera Gelardi |
Biography edit
von Borries was born in Cologne, Germany. He graduated from Concord Academy in Massachusetts,[4] and received his bachelor's degree in history from Columbia University.[1][5] He attended high school with Grizzly Bear singer Ed Droste.[6] Upon graduating from Columbia, he moved to Washington, D.C., to join the Globalist, an online international affairs magazine that focuses on the economics, politics and culture of globalization.[1]
In 2005, von Borries co-founded Refinery29 with his high school friend Justin Stefano,[7] his wife Piera Gelardi[8] and Christene Barberich as a localized New York platform for discovering independent boutiques and shops.[9][10] The company later evolved to include digital media and e-commerce features. The company raised around $130 million from investors including First Round Capital, Floodgate Fund, Stripes Group, WPP plc, Scripps Networks Interactive, and Hearst Communications.[1]
von Borries was named one of the "Silicon Alley 100" in 2013 and 2015 by Business Insider and named to the 2016 New Power New York List by Variety magazine.[11][12][13] In 2018, Refinery29 laid off ten percent of its workforce.[14]
Vice Media sale edit
von Borries stepped down from a Refinery29 management role in 2019 after Vice Media's acquisition of Refinery29 for a reported $460 million.[15] His wife, Piera Gelardi, continued as Refinery29's executive creative director.[15] von Borries later joined Red Ventures in November 2020 and became the head of Lonely Planet.[3] In 2022, Lonely Planet bought Elsewhere, a website that links travelers directly with experts who assist in designing trips.[16]
In 2020, von Borries wrote a letter with Refinery29 cofounder Justin Stefano apologizing to the company's Black and employees of color for tokenizing staff and making them feel that they didn't belong.[17]
References edit
- ^ a b c d Cremades, Alejandro. "This Entrepreneur Built A $500 Million Business By Seeing Women As More Than A 'Niche' Market". Forbes. Retrieved 2022-07-15.
- ^ Borries, Justin Stefano,Philippe von. "A Letter From Our Co-Founders and Former Co-CEOs". www.refinery29.com. Retrieved 2022-07-16.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b Stenberg, Mark (December 20, 2021). "Publisher Lonely Planet Expands to Travel Booking". Retrieved 2022-07-15.
- ^ "CA Magazine Fall 2012 by Concord Academy - Issuu". issuu.com. Retrieved 2022-07-15.
- ^ "This week in GSSC: Giving Day and Halloween - Columbia Spectator". Columbia Daily Spectator. Retrieved 2022-07-16.
- ^ "Mile Runner: Grizzly Bear Singer Ed Droste Goes to His Little Red House on Cape Cod". Vogue. 2014-08-27. Retrieved 2022-07-16.
- ^ Moses, Lucia. "Inside the Vice Media-Refinery29 deal and what it means for the future of digital media". Business Insider. Retrieved 2022-07-16.
- ^ Lovley, Jamie (2019-06-14). "Piera Gelardi's Favorite Place". Down East Magazine. Retrieved 2022-07-16.
- ^ Lagorio-Chafkin, Christine (2013-09-30). "The Way I Work: Philippe von Borries, Refinery29". Inc.com. Retrieved 2022-07-16.
- ^ "Philippe von Borries & Justin Stefano are part of the BoF 500". The Business of Fashion. Retrieved 2022-07-15.
- ^ D'Onfro, Megan Rose Dickey, Jillian. "SA 100 2013: The Coolest People In New York Tech". Business Insider. Retrieved 2022-07-16.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Stanger, Maya Kosoff, Emmie Martin, Melissa. "SILICON ALLEY 100: Meet the most inspiring and influential people in New York tech right now". Business Insider. Retrieved 2022-07-16.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "The New Power New York List". Variety. 2016-09-27. Retrieved 2022-07-16.
- ^ Stanger, Todd (2018-10-23). "Refinery29 Lays Off 10% of Staff as 2018 Revenue Comes Up Short". Variety. Retrieved 2022-11-13.
- ^ a b Spangler, Todd (2019-11-04). "With Vice Deal Done, Refinery29 Founders Moving Out of Management Roles". Variety. Retrieved 2022-07-16.
- ^ Rashaad, Jorden (2022-02-15). "Lonely Planet Buys Local Experts Site Elsewhere for Trip Planning". Refinery29. Retrieved 2022-11-13.
- ^ von Borries, Philippe. "A Letter From Our Co-Founders and Former Co-CEOs". Refinery29. Retrieved 2022-11-13.