Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Erica Bonelli. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Erica, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

In February of 2024 I was working as an executive at a tech company (where I have been for the last 6+ years,) and was feeling like I needed a creative refresh so I decided to host a party at my apartment for some friends and go all out on the decor, the theme, hand-made & hand-written invites, all of it.

That month, I was seeing this bright orange color everywhere, and it sparked something in me. I decided to lean into that color as inspiration. I researched the meaning of the color orange and found that it evokes optimism, confidence, warmth and joy. It also conveys a strong sense of individuality, self-expression, and eccentricity. Orange energy inspires artistic endeavors, innovation, and embracing our unique creativity.

It felt like a sign.

In the handwritten invites I explained my orange inspiration and asked guests to think about the following questions to share at the party:
What’s inspiring you right now?
What’s your creative outlet?
How did you discover your love for a passion or hobby?
Where do you look for inspiration?
What types of food, music, spaces get your creative juices flowing?

What happened next was magical. The overwhelming, emotional response I got from guests (and the emotions I felt myself) after a morning of sharing in creative inspiration led me down the path to creating Philo: a place where being immersed in beauty while creating deeper connections and magical moments around a table would be the cornerstone of the business.

It felt like the universe was giving me a stamp of approval: this is what I’m meant to do. After that day I decided that I wanted to create the magic everyone felt at that party for others again and again. I decided to just start and lean into my intuition, and figure it out as I went.

Philo is inspired by the Greek word Philoxenia – the ancient Greek art of hospitality. Philoxenia literally translates to “Love Strangers” – and that’s what Philo is all about. Bringing people together, especially women, to create magical moments around a table, learning something, and developing a connection with someone new.

Philo is a love letter to the art of hospitality passed down through my Greek family – starting with the most gracious hosts & cooks – YiaYia & Pappou. It was actually my 90-year-old Yiayia who came up with the name Philo, when I described to her what I wanted to invoke with the name.

Growing up in a first-generation Greek family meant there was always an open door – if you stopped by the house you were welcomed with “Something light!” as the Greeks say – though by most standards it was anything but. Greeks also take pride in their gardens – there was always a basket full of fresh tomatoes, eggplant, and Horta – a dandelion variety – piled high.

Appreciation for good food and a welcoming table were instilled in me from the time I was born and I wanted to bring that Greek hospitality to the world.

After I decided I wanted to start Philo, I did some research to confirm what I had already been noticing as a lover of hosting myself:
Millennials and Gen Zers have been shifting to curating special experiences in the home
Searches for “dinner parties” on Evite increased 148% from this time last year
Pinterest searches for “wedding dinner party” grew 150% year-over-year in 2024
Martha & Ina have been repopularized to younger audiences with memoirs, Netflix documentaries, and the podcast circuit

In spite of that, or maybe in support of it, gathering around the table will never go out of style & is one of the oldest traditions across every culture around the world. The need for connection has never been greater – and not just surface level networking, but deep & meaningful connections. This was the foundation upon which I knew Philo would thrive.

Philo’s unique approach is really about story-telling and creating magic. I start with figuring out what central theme or story we want to tell at each event whether that’s nods to the guest of honor, or a theme like the orange party, and then weave elements of the story throughout the event whether in the food, drinks, decor, florals, or conversation topics. The visual aesthetic and intention create an ambiance of magic.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’ve always loved to tell a story. I was a journalism and business double major at the University of Maryland, and decided that alongside my reporting on imprisoned journalists around the world, I also wanted to write about food. That led me to an internship and later full-time gig at Tasting Table, which at the time was one of the top food media publications. There I not only wrote editorial pieces, but also took over the social media account, learning how to do food styling, creative direction, and brand partnerships. After that I joined Wunderkind, a Marketing Tech company that works with 1000+ of the world’s top eCommerce brands where I learned the art of performance marketing inside and out. On the Sales/Solutions Engineering team at Wunderkind, I was thriving – I had been promoted 5 times in 6 years, I was on the Senior Leadership team, but I still felt a strong urge to dive deeper into this creative energy that was calling to me. From my upbringing where I learned through my Mediterranean family the art of hosting, to my time at Tasting Table and then Wunderkind and finally through a love and passion of beautiful things, I knew I had what I needed to start Philo.

Philo has four unique services:
1. Event Planning
-Philo specializes in intimate events for up to 50 people in the tri-state area including micro-weddings, baby showers, bridal showers, engagement parties, influencer dinners, brand activations, rehearsal dinners, birthdays and more. Various levels of service based on client needs.
-Philo also offers 1-hour consultations which provide easy to use templates for planning and establishing a vision and theme, plus advice on sourcing for your event without full execution
-Events over 50 people by request

Art Direction / Styling
-With years of experience in food styling, campaign direction and eCommerce marketing, Philo helps your brand campaign or photoshoot tell a story through the design, menu & details.

Community Gatherings by Philo
-Workshops, thoughtfully curated dinners, and partner collaborations hosted with the intention of building community.

Florals:
-Floral studio in Brooklyn specializing in micro-weddings and events, and brand activations
-All of Philo’s services include some florals & the option for floral add-ons

With Philo, we focus on creating a magical feeling through ambiance, and genuine human connection. At every Philo event, you’ll find the Philo magic; those details & moments that have you walking away from an event with that tingling feeling. It’s the same feeling you get when you fall in love – with a partner, your city, your passion. It’s heady, buzzy, magic.

Female-Founded
Philo was in part inspired by the amazing women in my life who have been incredibly important to me and to Philo’s ethos of “hospitality as a form of love”. I’ve found particular joy in recent events focused on women’s health, and supporting female founders.

Style
Philo has a collection of vintage and hand-sourced items for your events. Our collection includes a mix of modern and gorgeous vintage pieces that are often part of the story. Sourcing services are available for events.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

From the beginning, I have been extremely intentional about creating the “Philo moment” or magic at every event – these are those special details, feelings, etc. that make the event memorable. At all hosted events, I ensure there’s a thoughtful conversation around the table that ties back to the theme of the event. At a dinner party I co-hosted with Gage & Tollner, we had a discussion where attendees shared traditions around food they shared with friends or family as a nod to Gage & Tollner’s storied history as a New York institution. At a photoshoot for a saffron brand, I created a custom cocktail recipe that visually mimicked the vibrant purple Saffron flower with strands of delicate saffron as the garnish. At a baby shower for a client with an old soul, vintage children’s books were sourced from all over to decorate the tables and create a mini library for the mama to be. At a birthday dinner, each menu item was named after a decade of the guest of honor’s life.

These moments serve the dual purpose of being the special touches that make the event so great AND the thing that makes them memorable – those moments are what make guests think of Philo when they or someone they know wants to host an event and means a lot of opportunities find me. These magical moments are the best form of marketing.

Immersing people in thoughtfully curated, beautiful environments and very intentional conversation creates a level of connection that a lot of us are reaching for these days.

I’ve been amazed at how fast Philo has taken off, but I know this is just the beginning.
It’s been so fun to create with others, and to watch people respond to what I’m building; I know that the community will help shape what Philo becomes.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

After 6+ years as a VP at a 500+ person tech company, shifting back to a creative industry and starting my own business required unlearning many things, but the thing that’s been the most challenging and interesting is fully leaning into trusting my own instincts and decision making process. At a large company with many layers, there’s always someone you can outsource validation to – if you have an idea for a project, or a new process you want to implement, there’s always another person to give you feedback. Starting your own business you have to become your own sounding board on many of the day to day decisions. I’ve learned to use each continued success as that sounding board. Reminding myself that my instincts and acumen have gotten me all the successes I’ve had thus far helps with the indecisiveness or lack of trust. Feeling really connected to my own vision and purpose also keeps me grounded in my decisions.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://philo-studio.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philo_studios/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericabonelli/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@philo_studio

Image Credits

Shannon Sturgis
Molly Algeo
Adeeb Haidari