Timothy Alexander Phillips

Design shapes how people gather. Founder Timothy Phillips, a Yale-trained architect, brought together intentional space design and more than a decade of community building to create Lightning Society SoHo – a cultural institution that celebrates connection and belonging. Coffee and a book on the couch. Sunlit conversations on the rooftop. Yoga in the ballroom. A gathering you host yourself. Curious about membership? Link in bio.

The Lightning Salon is our setting for intellectual social events. I couldn't be more excited for the book launches, panel discussions, and fireside chats to come! Last night we hosted the very first of these evenings with a conversation between three photographers, Enzo Barracco, Keith Martine, and myself. We interviewed with Enzo about his transition from being a fashion photographer at Prada to an Emmy nominated nature photographer. Two expressions of photography that couldn't be more different. His stories of adventure, struggle, and pursuing his dreams were truly inspiring. I couldn't imagine a more perfect way to inaugurate this very special room. Huge thank yous to Enzo for sharing your gifts with us, Keith for organizing a beautiful event and joining the panel, Alex Kroke for your photography, and Lila our endlessly charming MC. These events are open to members and pending members by invitation. If you are interested in attending future evenings please enter your email at LightningSociety.com and start the application process. It's a the perfect way to check out the space, meet the community, and see if it might be a good fit for you.

Our home for big hearts and beautiful minds, where you meet bright and interesting people. Leave your info to join the waitlist to apply at the link in our bio.

Launching SoHo Ballroom! These painstakingly refurbished, 300-year-old, 12 foot doors open up into our 3,000sqft, “landmark ballroom for thoughtful events,” and the one public-facing, rentable venue at 45 Howard – @lightningsociety . What would I have said 20 years ago if you told me that less than a mile from where I grew up, I’d be on the founding team of a cultural institution? In one of the cast-iron buildings on Broadway – the backdrop this downtown-kid’s upbringing? No idea, though today-Lila thinks it’s pretty cool! Just as the final touches come together on this floor’s gut renovation, our landing page and brand are live 💫 Thank you, @natalierezex , for your design and web buildout, creating another beautiful brand with me that fields both function & form. Check out the website, sohoballroom.com, to see alllll the events this canvas space is poised to hold. We’ve already seen beautiful activations at @sohoballroom (photoshoots, showrooms, dinners, conferences) put on by brands like @westelm , @sezane , @cultgaia , and @fourhandsfurniture during construction, so I am in excited anticipation of what’s next. Landing page done, with the best yet to come. It takes a village, so here are just a few of our teammates making it happen: Founder: @timothyphillips Architect: @_sofiaherrero_ Director of sales: @james.richwine Director of production: @jackson.cs.kendall Head of events & programming: @bykeithmartine Web & brand design: @natalierezex

Candles lit, coats off, ears perked. One hundred people gathered in celebration. We opened the night with a blessing and intention to arrive fully for Svyatki, the midwinter season of gathering and reflection programmed by @apollosociety.nyc . We shared a multi-course dinner rooted in Slavic traditions. Seasonal dishes passed around the table. Music woven through the evening – opera, violin, piano, dance – amongst rituals and herbal elixirs… A pre-launch moment of co-creation with our members, opening the doors to communities like Apollo Society to share their traditions, visions, and ways of gathering, and setting the tone for how culture takes shape here, in its many forms.

We’re a cultural center where shared ideas and experiences connect you to the people around. We call it a playground for the intellectually adventurous, where each space is uniquely designed to foster, deepen, and expand the relationships around you. Find out more → link in bio.

People on the street kept stopping to look in, trying to figure out what was going on… Inside? Slavic Feast with Apollo Society - music, good food, piano, dance, opera, stunning outfits, and the kind of company that makes a night stretch without noticing time! Thank you @apollosociety for creating this night with us⚡️ If you want to know what’s coming next (and be part of it), check the link in our bio.

Romanticizing the in-between moments - From sketches to scaffolding, dust to detail, the unfinished edges, and the hands shaping this place day by day…

I spy… a room where people don’t stay in one place for long - seats to start conversations, and others to finish them. Moving from one place to another to meet, connect, drop in, observe. That rhythm is intentional. It’s how people find each other here. Your turn - what do you spy?

She said yes! 🤍 This lovely couple both work in the office across the street. They have been watching our construction since summer, curious to see what's happening inside. Apparently she's been dying for a tour so our intrepid groom-to-be reached out and asked if he could tell his love that he had managed to organize a behind the scenes tour. Little did she know he was planning to surprise her with the big question! Unbeknownst to her, all their relatives were hiding in the closets waiting for the moment when she said YES. We are so happy to hold the beginning of their forever. Congratulations!!

Years ago I realized I’d much rather inaugurate each year on a once in a lifetime adventure with friends than a rowdy party. Since then, I’ve watched the sunrise on New Year’s morning filled with awe and magic instead of groggy hangovers. It’s been a beautiful way to connect—and a majestic reminder of life’s potential—every single time. For the last three years, I’ve had to skip those adventures and so many others because building the new Lightning Society took every ounce of focus and energy I could muster to bring it into being. It was a sacrifice I was happy to make, but I’ve sorely missed my friends, my photography, and the world at large while doing it. I’ve started many companies before, but none quite like this. While I’ve never felt more aligned with my values or prouder of the team I’ve assembled, this experience has been far more experimental, far riskier, and far heavier to lift than anything I’ve tackled before. This year, I’m excited to be filled with hope for what’s next. This morning feels like those sunrises I’ve missed, and I’m eager to reclaim some part of my life for myself. To everyone I haven’t seen—thank you for your patience and understanding. My 2026 commitments are restoring balance, self-care, and new adventures. The summit is in sight, and I can’t wait to share the view with you. Happy New Year!!

If you had asked us six months ago where we’d be by now, we couldn’t have imagined the show of community banding around a construction site👷 We were dreaming. Sketching. Walking through empty rooms. Imagining what will live there. And yet, here we are… Still doing all of those things, yet the dream is close to a reality and the focus is more on sketching out member programming. We cannot wait for 2026. Happy New Year! ⚡️🎄