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 the former president of Lonely Planet.[3]
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]
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 stepped down from a Refinery29 management role in 2019 after Vice Media's acquisition of Refinery29 for a reported $460 million.[11] His wife, Piera Gelardi, continued as Refinery29's executive creative director.[11] 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.[12]
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.[13][14][15] In 2018, Refinery29 laid off ten percent of its workforce.[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]
