Career-defining, culturally important creative tour-de-force - Brand Director Refinery29 Employee Review

5.0
Mar 26, 2018
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

For transparency, I worked in the (then-named Brand Experiences) Branded Content/partnerships team. - Incredible briefs crossed our desk every day that would be the envy of any creative agency or publisher - a large sales force to aggressively pursue said briefs and close deals that helped bring everyones dreams to life - INCREDIBLE creative talent : the photography and art team in particular are second to none. Constantly imaginative, convention-bending, culturally-dialed-in visuals and storytelling that was inspiring to be around -work that will make you famous: 29rooms, other award-winning initiatives e.g the stock photo stuff for Getty images, is something that you will be able to talk about for the rest of your career. -Refinery29 is not b*tchy. I have never had a less dramatic or complicated social experience at work. Being surrounded by so many ambitious, talented, creative and intelligent women meant there was always an air of 'lets get this sh*t done'. Put your pre-conceived notions away! - throughout the org, there are some notably great leaders who are champions for positive change and creative solutions to big challenges both in the company and culture at large. Piera in particular is a consistent champion for representation, inclusivity and the power of imagination and creativity to effect change. Alison Meyer on the Brand solutions team is one of the best managers i have ever had in my entire career.

Cons

-experiences can vary wildly depending on the team/dept you are in. the culture is a little inconsistent between teams, but that is understandable. -process, siloed depts and a lot of different stakeholders can make new initiatives or thinking a little challenging

Explore other reviews about Refinery29

5.0
May 27, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Great culture, extremely nice employees, diverse workplace

Cons

Not very cutting edge with their approach to tech

4.0
Mar 23, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Refinery29 was training day, every day. The pace and creative expectations forced you to sharpen fast. I cut my teeth here over four years and came out a fundamentally better strategist. The work was culturally plugged in, the people were sharp, and you were trusted with real responsibility early. If you wanted to learn how brand, content, and audience intersect at speed, there was no better place.

Cons

The intensity that makes it a great training ground also means the environment runs hot. Not everyone thrives in that — and depending on your team, support structures varied. The company went through a lot of change during my time, which created some instability.

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