By Vanessa Pappas, General Manager, TikTok US 

As a global platform for creative expression, TikTok has become a home for teens, grandmothers, teachers, celebrities, families, travelers, pet owners, and brands alike to show their creativity, enjoy genuine and original content, and have a whole lot of fun along the way. 

Over the past year, our US team has grown to over 400 employees who support and foster the app experience for this diverse and inspired community. We're proud to be bringing more jobs to the Los Angeles area and we've built a talented, passionate team here, including key leadership hires across functions like product, content, music, safety, and operations.

Today, I'm excited to share that we've moved into a new home in Culver City that's large enough to accommodate our growing team as we continue to scale our local operations. Located between the innovative tech companies in Silicon Beach and the streaming content companies at Hayden tract, TikTok truly sits at the intersection of technology and entertainment, physically and figuratively. While we are a global company, having a permanent office in LA speaks to our commitment to the U.S. market and deepens our bonds with the city, and the talent and companies, that call it home.

TikTok fosters creativity, inclusivity, and joy, which is why it was important for our new space to inspire everyone who walks through the door and brings the magic of our platform to life. Our new five-story office features a fully open floor plan, a stadium-style presentation and gathering space, colorful murals, and terraces to support indoor-outdoor work – all of which was designed to embody TikTok's fun and joyful personality. 

As part of TikTok's commitment to inspire and encourage a new generation to have a positive impact on the planet, we also selected a LEED Gold-certified building that exceeds California standards. The new office features design and building strategies aimed at energy and water conservation, reducing C02 emissions, and improving indoor environmental quality. 

Welcoming the TikTok community into our space is important in order to learn from one another as we grow, and everything we build towards goes back to what is best for our community. In the summer of 2020, we look forward to completing TikTok's own content-creation studio, which will provide more opportunities for collaborative and entertaining videos from TikTok creators and partners. And our new dog-friendly office even allows our beloved canine creators to visit and engage with our community.

We look forward to growing and building the app experience for our users from our new home in Los Angeles.