Emmanuel is a first-generation Assyrian-Jordanian, born and raised in America. Both his parents fled the Middle East, escaping religious persecution and the horrors that come with war-torn countries. By the age of 21, while obtaining his undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering, Emmanuel created and founded Lazy Intellectuals, a social media platform that initially started as a book summary and analysis page. Just one year later, Emmanuel graduated with his master's degree in Science and Engineering, becoming a full-time engineer at the age of 22.

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Unhappy with the structure of traditional American universities, Emmanuel took matters into his own hands and started reading a plethora of book genres to expand his mind beyond what was being taught to him at the university. After reading over one hundred books, Emmanuel decided to create short-form videos summarizing and emphasizing the main takeaways that he implemented in his own life, leading to personal improvements. These videos became known as the Lazy Intellectuals book review series.