Aveda Arts & Sciences Institutes Acquires the Gary Manuel Aveda Institute

HAMMOND, La., July 9, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Aveda Arts & Sciences Institutes, a Neill company, expands to the Pacific Northwest by bringing the Gary Manuel Aveda Institute (GMAI) in Seattle into its family of schools. Aveda Arts & Sciences Institutes are dedicated to awakening people to the potential of beauty by elevating generations of creatives.

GMAI was founded in 2005 by Manuel Benevich and the late Gary Howse. It was the first Aveda Institute on the West Coast and set out to raise the bar of cosmetology education. It has given back to the community raising over $1.5M for Seattle's local Earth Month partner and the Puget Soundkeeper Alliance. Aveda has recognized the school for its fundraising and awareness efforts. GMAI's students' and graduates' work have been featured in Vogue, Allure and Seattle Magazine.

"We are thrilled to welcome the Gary Manuel Aveda Institute into the Aveda Arts & Sciences Institutes network. The school's mission is firmly aligned with Neill's strong roots in the community and makes for a natural addition to the Aveda Arts family of schools. Our team is excited by this new opportunity to expand our reach, transforming passion into purpose on the West Coast," says Edwin Neill, CEO of Neill.

Manuel Benevich adds, "I want to see the Northwest beauty community continue to grow and the best way for me to do that is to merge with a large organization of top tier schools. I am thrilled that GMAI will be joining the Aveda Arts & Sciences Institutes. Their commitment to education and excellence is aligned with Gary Manuel's values and is a great match."

Aveda Arts & Sciences Institutes is a network of eighteen campuses across ten states including New York, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Louisiana, Texas, Minnesota and Washington. It sees beauty through a lens of social justice and community engagement. It aims to ensure that all its graduates can serve any member of the community regardless of the texture of their hair.

Neill is a family business with a history of over 70 years in the beauty industry. Through its family of companies, including Aveda Arts & Sciences Institutes, Neill helps people reach their full potential.

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SOURCE Aveda Arts & Sciences Institute