Paying it Forward: Meet the COOP Alumni Breaking Barriers at TikTok

At TikTok, we're committed to celebrating the diverse voices among us and creating an environment that reflects the diversity of our user and creator communities.

To further this mission, we launched our partnership with COOP Careers in Fall 2020. COOP Careers aims to close the social capital gap by recruiting and investing in diverse, low-income, and first-generation grads from urban public colleges. As part of this partnership, we engaged in 15 events for COOP students throughout the semester (including five skill-building workshops), which led to several COOP alumni being hired at TikTok after the program.

In 2021, we're excited to continue our partnership with COOP and serve as the program's Founding Tier One partner in Los Angeles. We're particularly proud to have four COOP alumni join us as full-time employees and break barriers at TikTok. Meet Jacqueline, Max, Liana, and Leo!

Jacqueline Catechis (Global Business Solutions)

Jacqueline Catechis grew up in New York and California in a multicultural Greek and Mexican household. After graduating from California State University San Marcos with a degree in marketing, she was building a career as an event manager when she was laid off in early 2020 due to the pandemic. It was at this time she joined COOP’s Digital Marketing Program in Los Angeles.

"COOP blew away all my expectations from the first day," Jacqueline says. "I was able to be part of a virtual community, develop many close relationships, and learn about the tech industry. My favorite part of the semester was putting together a media campaign presentation for TikTok employees that gave me a glimpse into creator-focused campaigns."

As a Client Solutions Planner at TikTok, Jacqueline now works on advertising campaigns for large movie studios and streaming services to promote their upcoming releases on TikTok.

"I love working in entertainment, but I also love everything else TikTok has to offer, especially the global community and fast-paced environment. Don't be afraid to try something new or switch paths -- every experience is an opportunity for growth!"

Max Reed (Talent Acquisition)

Max Reed grew up in Los Angeles and joined TikTok after graduating from San Francisco State University and spending two years with a recruiting agency. He joined the COOP program during his final semester of college in 2019, and most recently served as a COOP instructor in 2020.

"Like many, I was unsure about what I wanted to do after college, but COOP gave me the confidence to tackle post-grad life head on," Max explains. "It also introduced me to a community that is passionate about creating a better future for themselves and the people around them."

Now working on the Talent Acquisition Team for TikTok's Monetization Product, Max helps build world-class teams by serving as the first point-of-contact for candidates.

"It's hard to pinpoint my favorite thing about my work because every day brings something new, but I love the fact that creativity and self-expression are encouraged. No matter what you do at TikTok, you'll have an outlet to make a powerful impact."

Liana Acosta (Trust & Safety)

Liana Acosta is a first-generation college student and long-time member of COOP. She first joined the digital marketing program in 2017 and has since served as an instructor and executive captain. Now working as a Product Business Partner within our Trust and Safety team, Liana feels like she's landed in the right place.

"TikTok is in this unique stage where we have the scope of a large organization while maintaining the creative spirit and freedom of a start-up," she describes. "The mission of Trust and Safety is to keep our platform safe for all our users, which gives huge meaning and impact to my work."

But what kinds of challenges has she faced after nearly a year at TikTok?

"Being the first in my role in the US, I've faced the challenge of learning my scope and understanding how I can contribute. At the same time, this has been my favorite part of the experience so far: I get to shape my role and build the foundation of what I do from scratch."

Leo Santiago (Global Business Solutions)

Leo Santiago joined the COOP program after graduating from the University of California, Berkeley in order to develop his networking skills and dive into the digital marketing and tech industries. He used his experience in the program to land a role as a Client Solutions Planner at TikTok.

"Although it hasn't been easy adjusting to my first professional role in the tech space, I've grown immensely in the few short months I've been at TikTok. I've always wanted to work for a company that provides positivity, inspiration, and laughter to the world!"

After a positive interview experience in which he met his future teammates, Leo knew that he would receive the support he needed to succeed. He also felt confident that he could develop the skills for his ideal career path.

"In addition to building a network in the industry, developing your technical skills with tools like Excel or Salesforce will make you a more competitive candidate. The most important advice I can give is to believe in yourself and manifest the career you want."

These four COOP alumni are blazing a trail for others like them to break into and succeed in the tech industry. If you're interested in the COOP program, you can visit their website here; to look into roles at TikTok, browse our jobs page and follow us on LinkedIn to stay up to date on the latest openings!