The Three Tech Innovators Changing the Way We Watch (and What We Watch)

Mary Ellen Coe grew up watching her father constantly adapt his plumbing and heating business to meet clients needs. It profoundly influenced how I think about innovation and entrepreneurship, she reflects. That early insight now informs her work at a much larger scale. As the chief business officer at YouTube, Coe manages everything from providing creators like Alex Cooper with essential tools to negotiating major deals with the NFL, shaping the future of digital entertainment.

In todays world, where platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok dominate our viewing habits, tech executives increasingly wield influence once reserved for Hollywood power players. Professionals such as Coe, Instagrams Claudine Cazian, and TikToks Dawn Yang are not only curating what audiences watch but also constructing entirely new frameworks for content creation.

The exciting part of tech is that one person can create and share content without waiting for traditional gatekeepers, says Cazian. With 15 years at Ryan Seacrests production company under her belthelping launch American Idol and assisting Seacrests hosting of Dick Clarks New Years Rockin Eveshe witnessed firsthand the shift toward digital storytelling. Standing at an Idol finale, she realized that content creation was moving online, prompting her move into tech.

Cazians achievements in Silicon Valley include rolling out Instagram Teen Accounts with updated guidelines aligned to PG-13 standards and securing Kris Jenner for Metas 2025 Ray-Ban Super Bowl campaign. When asked about binge-worthy shows, both she and Coe highlight series featuring female executives navigating power and strategy.

Dawn Yang, who transitioned from Paramount to TikTok five years ago, now serves as the platforms global head of entertainment partnerships. Her role spans from creating a Squid Game video game to collaborating with studios, ensuring creators have rights to official content from shows like The Summer I Turned Pretty and classics like Girls, fueling viral trends in 2025.

As digital platforms and traditional entertainment continue to merge, the influence of these executives is set to expand. Coe predicts that YouTube creators could even be Emmy-nominated as soon as this September, highlighting the shifting landscape of how content is produced and consumed.

Author: Maya Henderson