Yanghee Paik’s idea for her period care brand Rael germinated at an unexpected place — The Walt Disney Studios.
Speaking at WWD’s annual L.A. Beauty Forum, Rael cofounder and chief executive officer Paik, who previously worked as a consultant at BCG and as a director of distribution at The Walt Disney Studios, described how the idea for a company like Rael first came about. After landing her job at Disney, Paik met a woman who would eventually become her Rael cofounder who asked, “Do you know how tampons are made?” Paik was embarrassed that she didn’t and was disappointed to learn the truth.
“[They] were made with synthetic ingredients, and unfortunately, we’re putting plastic into our bodies,” she said. “I was shocked by the fact that these were not clean ingredients, but more by the