Piera Gelardi

Piera Gelardi is Executive Creative Director and co-founder of Refinery29, the award-winning global media company that empowers and inspires women around the world. Since launching Refinery29 in 2005, the company has grown from 4 to 400+ employees, received five Webby awards, eight American Photography and American Illustration awards, brought home a CLIO, and secured a spot for four consecutive years on Inc. 500's Fastest Growing Companies in the U.S.

Piera leads a growing team of creatives who bring the R29 brand to life online and IRL through original content, branded campaigns, and experiences. One of her favorite projects to date was the massively ambitious 29Rooms—an artistic, multi-sensory event that became a social media sensation reaching 45million people worldwide. She is an active member of the design and entrepreneur communities who speaks frequently on topics of leadership, design, style, and creativity.

In 2014, Piera co-authored her first book, the New York Times best seller Refinery29: Style Stalking. Prior to the launch of Refinery29, Piera was Photo Director at CITY magazine, which won an ASME for Best Photography as well as numerous SPD awards under her direction.

Webby Podcast
Founded in 2005, back when Destiny's Child was still a thing, Refinery29 is now one of the most-visited style, beauty, and lifestyle publications on the Internet.

Co-Founder & Executive Creative Director, Piera Gelardi, talks about how Refinery29 cultivates young writers and creators, how she built the brand into what it is today, the importance of brick-and-mortar experiences for digitally native brands, and how the publication is able to produce so much high-quality daily content.