My name is Andrea Yang and I'm a third-year student at Berkeley studying economics and legal studies. I was on the automotive vertical, primarily working on analyzing client campaigns and organizing data to report to our clients. I also did campaign reports and part-time client meetings with our clients like Mercedes, Nissan, Kia, Kia, and Toyota.

Additionally, I was able to travel to New York for one of our client meetings which was an incredible experience. (My office was based in Culver City, Los Angeles!) Understanding TikTok's ecosystem of the platforms that they use was really challenging at first, but once I got the hang of it, it got really efficient. Overall my experiences as a sales intern on the automotive vertical was really rewarding because of how I got to be on a lot of the client-facing side of how things work.

A particular project that I felt the most proud of was definitely TikTok Symphony. I was appointed as SME (Subject matter expert) for TikTok Symphony, TikTok's AI-powered creative suite that automates video production and personalization. I was able to present AI solutions to enterprise clients, driving adoption across key accounts.

Additionally, I also became the individual to train other interns from different verticals to utilize this tool in order to create demo videos for their respective client meetings as well. I began to create some videos for other verticals like retail, financial services, and telecommunications. I was also able to receive exclusive access to Symphony features that they haven't yet released to the public in order to give feedback on iterations to the product team. I was able to find my unique value proposition as an intern, and I was happy that I was able to drive impact with this Tiktok AI Symphony tool project.

This experience showed me how a corporate 9-5 truly operates, and I realized how important it is to be able to navigate my interpersonal skills and make connections with people on your team, as it opens you up to a lot of opportunities. Through my coffee chats with people on the East Coast team, I was able to have the opportunity to join the client meeting for Mercedes, because I made sure I was putting myself out there as a candidate that they can rely on.

Through Tiktok, I realized that I want to work at a company where I'm passionate about the product and where I can still feel challenged instead of being stagnant in my growth. I found the most excitement when I'm able to use my creativity for the team, and I think that's something that's truly non-negotiable in wherever I go next in my career journey.

More than 20 leading AI researchers from OpenAI, Google, DeepMind, and Meta have left their posts to join Periodic Labs, a new startup co-founded by Liam Fedus, a ChatGPT co-creator, and Ekin Dogus Cubuk of DeepMind. Backed by over $300M in funding from A16Z, the company aims to use AI to accelerate breakthroughs in physics, chemistry, and materials science—not just automate white-collar work.

Unlike OpenAI and Meadows' focus on superintelligence, Periodic Labs plans to combine machine learning with real-world experiments using physical robots, hoping AI can one day learn directly from trial and error to advance scientific progress. Read more HERE from NYT.

Apple has removed several apps, including the popular ICEBlock, which alerted users to nearby immigration agents, following legal threats from the Trump administration. Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed she demanded the removal of Comma while Apple stated it acted after a contract from “law enforcement.”

Officials accused the app and media reporting on it of encouraging people to evade authorities, prompting possible investigations. ICEBlock’s creator, Joshua Aaron, Defending the app as protected free speech, comparing it to navigation tools like Waze that warn drivers of police presence. Read more HERE from NYT.

Today's SF Tech Week lineup brings together founders, Investors, and innovators shaping the next wave of AI, fintech, and hardtech. Hosted across SF by a16z and leading sponsors like AWS, IBM, and Atlassian, sessions span from “The Complexity Advantage” with a16z to “Women in AI” with CEOs.

Expect conversations on scaling startups, trustworthy AI, and global innovation—Plus networking breakfasts, product showcases, and founder panels designed to support collaboration and meaningful partnerships.

Learn more here: https://www.tech-week.com/calendar/sf