# Yanghee Paik

> Yanghee Paik is the co-founder and CEO of Rael, the Los Angeles consumer brand she launched in 2017 with Aness An and Binna Won. Born in South Korea and educated at Seoul National University and Harvard Business School, Paik moved from consulting at Boston Consulting Group to digital movie distribution at Walt Disney Studios before building Rael across Amazon, major U.S. retailers, and international markets. Her career is a study in translating ideas between Korea and the United States, and in turning corporate pattern recognition into founder-level execution.

- **Role:** Co-founder and CEO at Rael
- **Organizations:** Rael, Walt Disney Studios, Boston Consulting Group
- **From:** South Korea
- **Education:** B.A., Seoul National University, MBA, Harvard Business School
- **Known for:** Co-founded Rael in 2017 and led its expansion from one Amazon product into a multi-category consumer brand., Helped take Rael from digitally native sales into major retailers including Target, Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, Amazon, and Ulta., Led Rael's $35 million Series B financing announced in May 2022.

## Career timeline

- **2008** — Completed her MBA at Harvard Business School and later worked as a management consultant in Boston Consulting Group's Los Angeles office.
- **c. 2010-2017** — Spent approximately seven and a half years at Walt Disney Studios, focusing on digital movie distribution, strategy, and sales.
- **2017** — Co-founded Rael in Los Angeles with Aness An and Binna Won and launched the brand's first organic-cotton pads on Amazon.
- **2018** — Rael closed a $2.1 million pre-Series A round and established a second office in Seoul for product development and Asian expansion.
- **2019** — Rael entered Target stores nationwide, moving from a digital launch toward omnichannel retail.
- **2022** — Led Rael's $35 million Series B, bringing the company's announced total funding to $59 million.
- **2024** — Appeared in long-form conversations including Second Life and The Korea Society's Startup Scene program.
- **2025** — Won EY Entrepreneur Of The Year for Greater Los Angeles and was a national finalist in Consumer Products and Retail.
- **2026** — Named to Powered magazine's 2026 Powered 500 cohort.

## Achievements

- Co-founded Rael in 2017 and led its expansion from one Amazon product into a multi-category consumer brand.
- Helped take Rael from digitally native sales into major retailers including Target, Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, Amazon, and Ulta.
- Led Rael's $35 million Series B financing announced in May 2022.
- Built a cross-border operating model with headquarters in Los Angeles and product development in South Korea.
- Won EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2025 for Greater Los Angeles.
- Named a 2025 national EY Entrepreneur Of The Year finalist in the Consumer Products and Retail category.
- Named Innovator of the Year among the 2025 Entreprenista 100 honorees.
- Selected for the Powered 500 cohort for 2026.

## Latest updates

- **2026-08** — Scheduled to speak at Beauty Connect LA 2026 on product, operations, and profitability.
- **2026** — Named to Powered magazine's 2026 Powered 500 cohort.
- **2025-11** — Recognized as a national finalist in EY's 2025 Consumer Products and Retail category.
- **2025-06** — Won EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2025 for Greater Los Angeles.
- **2025** — Named Innovator of the Year among the Entreprenista 100 honorees.
- **2025-04** — Discussed Rael's growth and her career pivot on the Glam & Grow podcast.

## Links

- Website: https://www.getrael.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yanghee-paik-7534857

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/yanghee-paik
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-23