Bongiovi received her graduate degree in Entertainment Management at the University of Southern California. She spent the first decade of her career working in both the United States and Hong Kong film industries. During this time, she was involved in productions including China Strike Force (2000, Hong Kong), Mail Order Wife (2004, U.S.), Confessions of an Action Star (2005, U.S.), and The Children of Huang Shi (2008, China). In 2009, she met actor Forest Whitaker and they partnered to form Significant Productions, a production company that produces films, documentaries, television series and digital content.