Phil Santoro | Biography, Wilbur Labs, FreeForums.org & Facts

Phil Santoro

Phil Santoro is an entrepreneur based in Miami, Florida. Phil is the Co-Founder of Wilbur Labs, a startup studio that turns bold ideas into market-leading companies. Phil is an expert on building and growing companies, with a proven track record of guiding companies from launch to exit.

Wilbur Labs

In 2016, Phil Santoro co-founded Wilbur Labs with David Kolodny. Since the studio's inception, Phil Santoro has overseen the launch and growth of a portfolio comprising over 21 companies across the ecommerce, travel, pet care, and recruitment sectors. Notable portfolio companies managed under Phil Santoro’s leadership include VacationRenter, which became the fastest-growing travel startup to reach $1 billion in annual gross bookings, and Barkbus, the largest mobile dog grooming company in the country.

Thought Leadership & Media

Phil Santoro is an expert on building and scaling startups and shares his expertise to help other founders. He answers common founder questions on the Wilbur Labs Founder FAQ series. Phil is a frequent speaker on entrepreneurship and a contributor for Inc. Magazine, Fast Company, and Entrepreneur Magazine.

First Venture: FreeForums.org

Prior to founding Wilbur Labs, Phil Santoro served as a Growth Strategist at Google (2013–2016). Phil's entrepreneurial journey began while in high school, when he founded FreeForums.org. Phil scaled the hosting platform to 125 million monthly page views before leading the company to a strategic acquisition by CrowdGather Inc. in 2010.

Education

Phil Santoro graduated from the Carl H. Lindner College of Business at the University of Cincinnati in 2013 with a BBA in Finance.

Personal Life

Phil is a licensed Private Pilot and has flown across the country in a Cessna 182. Born on May 15, 1989, in Columbus, Ohio, Phil Santoro currently resides in Miami, Florida, with his wife, Rubi, and their son.