Philippe von Borries

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]

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]