The Refiner: Philippe von Borries

Growing up in his grandmother's and mother's hospitality business in the heart of Cologne, working and living alongside powerful women and hosting others became part of Philippe von Borries' DNA. Venturing out of Germany, he eventually landed in New York, where he, in 2005, co-created a virtual shopping mall for the many independent lifestyle brands popping up in his new home, Brooklyn: Refinery 29 – a virtual place to refine content and products, geared towards the next generation of women, with 29 shops on each virtual floor. What started as a sketch on a napkin he drew together with his partner, Piera Gelardi, and two other friends, ended up being a global internet business – sold to Vice Media in 2019 for $400 million.