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Kalani Leifer
Overcoming Underemployment
Kalani Leifer is the founder and CEO of COOP Careers, a organization focused on overcoming underemployment through digital skills and peer connections.
Background and Education
Kalani Leifer grew up in the Bay Area and graduated from Stanford University with a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations. They later earned a Master of Arts in Education from Lehman College, City University of New York (CUNY).124
Career
- Teach For America: Kalani began their career as a history teacher at Kappa International High School in the Bronx, NY, from 2008 to 2010.124
- McKinsey & Company: They worked as a fellow associate at McKinsey in Zurich and Dubai from 2010 to 2012.123
- Google: Kalani served as a project leader at Google in California from 2012 to 2013.123
- Other Roles: Kalani has also worked as a researcher at Stanford University, a legislative intern at the U.S. House of Representatives, and a strategy intern at Deutsche Bahn.3
COOP Careers
In 2014, Kalani founded COOP Careers, an organization aimed at addressing underemployment by providing digital skills training and fostering peer connections. COOP is part of the inaugural cohort of Obama Foundation Fellows, and Kalani is proud to represent the organization in this capacity.234
Expertise and Philosophy
Kalani's work is driven by a passion for making a difference and empowering others. They emphasize the importance of social networks and peer support in career advancement and economic mobility. COOP's approach includes a unique curriculum focused on "head, heart, and hustle" to help individuals navigate career challenges and achieve long-term success.14
Personal Life
Kalani lives in San Francisco with their partner and their dog, Snacks.4
Highlights
Dear COOP alumni and partners,
I'm proud to share an exciting article about COOP published by Bloomberg this morning. (Thanks to Ella Cerón for capturing our essence!) The article coincides with three major milestones for our community — milestones we could only reach together.
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This year marks our tenth anniversary. Over the last decade, COOP has developed a unique method to help first-gen grads secure their first good job, powered by peer cohorts and alumni captains. Our method reflects the powerful role of relationships in the labor market and the three qualities every job seeker needs: head, heart, and hustle.
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In February, COOP welcomed more than one thousand first-gen and low-income grads into the flagship program, our biggest semester yet. (I vividly remember starting with just a dozen of you back in 2014!) We’ll finish our anniversary year with over seven thousand alumni in New York, the Bay Area, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Miami.
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On the very same day in February, COOP officially received a $12 million gift from Yield Giving and MacKenzie Scott, one of the great philanthropists of our time. We are floored by this incredible act of generosity and so grateful for Ms. Scott’s singular vote of confidence. (Learn more about her giving pledge and the inspiring group of nonprofits we now join at yieldgiving.com)
So what does this all mean for COOP?
Ms. Scott’s contribution is equal to COOP’s annual budget, immediately strengthening our financial foundation and giving us room to innovate and invest in the years ahead. (Imagine a winning lottery ticket worth one year of salary: that’s how this feels for our organization.)
Fortunately, this opportunity strikes at just the right moment. COOP has spent the last year planning for the next decade of our journey — a plan we can now pursue with more confidence and momentum. In the years ahead, COOP will invest in infrastructure (including a brand-new learning platform), innovation (with new roles focused on design and evaluation), and integration (with long-time college partners).
Through all this change, COOP will continue to center the three elements that have always made us special: cohorts, captains, and a focus on full-time jobs. Every year, roughly half a million first-gen and low-income grads become trapped in long-term underemployment. We have a solution — now we have the chance to make it scale.
And we have this chance because of you. Thank you for investing in yourselves and in each other. Thank you for paying it forward, again and again. Thank you for sharing your power.
With gratitude and pride,
Kalani
