French-born and one of nine siblings, Rey obtained a degree in engineering in agronomics (agricultural engineering). This technical academic expertise paired with social and political consciousness led Rey to Cameroon and The Ivory Coast, West Africa, where he worked as a cocoa and coffee-buyer in the bush. Rey began to develop his dedication to a win-win-win business model, starting by teaching traditional growers on their small plantations how to produce premium quality product more effectively, increasing the monetary value of their crops as well as empowering them as independent business-people. Leveraging his intimate knowledge of cocoa production, Emmanuel moved to the Netherlands to become a cocoa trader. His personal connection to the people and places behind the commodities gave him a unique perspective. The experience deepened his awareness of exploitative practices in worldwide markets and revealed an emerging opportunity to create products for people who were seeking ethically sourced goods.

After earning his MBA, Emmanuel began his career in the international beauty business and spent 10 years at L'Oreal where he ended as tenure as General Manager for L'Oreal Paris in Portugal. Searching for a way to use his beauty experience as a path to expressing his belief that ecological and profit goals are mutually achievable, Emmanuel joined Aveda. Quickly rising to the position of Senior Vice President and General Manager for Aveda North America, Emmanuel was instrumental in developing Aveda into a natural, sustainable and profitable brand.

After leaving Aveda to focus on personal growth, Emmanuel intensified his long standing passion for yoga and became certified as an Ashtanga yoga teacher. His experience as a “yogi” gave him new insights regarding the needs of people who strive to make mindfulness a part of their active lifestyle and YUNI was born from those insights.