Coucou teachers – all native French speakers – are the hosts on your French language journey.
All extensively trained in our unique method, they bring their own experiences in education, literature, art and entertainment to lead open-minded and stress-free lessons.
Alex was born and raised in Lyon and then moved to Paris to study finance. He did a semester of exchange in Saint Petersburg, Russia and really wanted to discover the US. He arrived first in California, in March 2020 and then moved to NYC in June 2021. In addition to his full time job, Alex loves to teach French and speak about French culture. He also likes skiing, scuba diving and travelling as well as playing soccer.
Angèle grew up in Normandy and Paris. She experienced teaching in multiple countries (France, Russia, Cameroon, Morocco, Taiwan, China and the UK). She moved from London to New York and joined Coucou in 2022. Passionate about games, Angèle will always find playful ways to challenge her students and get them to learn their vocabulary!
Anicet was born in Gien, a small town in the South of Paris, and raised in the Loire Valley. Anicet came to the US in 2018 and joined Coucou a few months later. When it comes to language nerds, Anicet has the full package! In addition to a Master’s degree in Classics, with a specialty in linguistics and language history, he is a trained professional singer. His career has taken him worldwide singing regularly in more than 6 languages.
Anka was born and raised near Geneva, Switzerland. After working in banking for several years, she moved to LA in 2013, where she went back to school to study art and painting. Anka joined Coucou in 2021. She enjoys exploring American national parks and loves to bake.
Born and raised in the French Alps, but Parisian at heart, Anna has lived in England, Canada, Belgium and Namibia. In 2017, she moved to sunny LA, where she has been involved in several cultural and environmental projects, and later joined Coucou in 2020. She is fond of art, always eager to wander galleries and museums, and loves to draw. Special skills: Wonder Maman & environmental advocate!
Aurélien was born in Le Chesnay, near Versailles, and raised in Montpellier, south of France. After completing his degree in filmmaking (production and direction) in Minneapolis, he moved to LA in 2020 by way of Boston, Paris and New York. Aurélien joined Coucou in 2019 and is passionate about cinema and sports and loves traveling. He’s a talented basket player and margarita maker!
Aurore was born and raised in Paris. She obtained a Bachelor’s degree in history and political sciences and a Master’s degree in photo, video and set design. Aurore joined Coucou in 2022. She loves good wine and food, crime novels, long walks in the streets of NYC and running.
Carson was born and raised in Paris, France. She came to the US several years ago to complete her undergraduate studies and has been loving it ever since. Carson joined Coucou in 2022. She’s passionate about cars, driving, photography and drawing. Carson is also fluent in Spanish.
Cécile was born in Aix-en-Provence, in the South of France. After studying acting and law at the IFP (Institut Français de Presse) in Paris, as well as Acting, she worked extensively on stage and in film throughout France. She spent 6 years in New York where she built her career as a fashion photographer and filmmaker. She is now back in Los Angeles and joined Coucou in 2022.
Claire was born and raised in Ville d’Avray, near Paris. She lived in New York City and Monterey, CA, and is currently based in Montreuil, France. She has a background in visual arts, design and writing, and has worked for Coucou since 2017. Besides teaching French, she is also a translator and is part of several literary communities in the US and Paris. She has a passion for all aspects of language, from etymology to poetry.
Born in Paris and of Guinean and French descent, Djaka is a classically trained actress who started her career in theater and musical theater. Djaka is also a filmmaker and joined Coucou in 2021. Her passions include cinema, sushi, kindness, wine and sarcasm. Her special skill: Dancefloor Queen. Fun fact: Djaka was recently the face of badass fighter Halima in the video game “Call of Duty.”
Elena was born in Georgia (the country not the state!) and raised all around Europe: Germany, Ireland, France. She has a Master’s Degree in International & Business Law and currently works remotely for a Parisian start-up. Elena moved to NYC and joined Coucou in 2022. She loves learning languages, traveling, singing as well as the world of wine (specifically champagne since she comes from the Champagne region!).
Éléonore was born in Paris, grew up near Nice and went to college to study film in Lyon. After a career in film distribution, Éléonore joined Coucou in 2015 as a teacher. Since then, she’s been a member of Coucou’s creative team and worked on developing teaching material, such as the Coucou exercise books and Flashcards. Éléonore is passionate about films and series and took on the role of Content Producer at Coucou in 2022.
Born and raised in Lyon, Elsa moved to NYC in 2019 to study Business Law and Real Estate. Born of French and Congolese descent, she grew up in a culturally mixed household which awakened her desire to discover the world. Elsa is a published author in France and is passionate about literature, creative writing and arts in general. She loves learning new languages and meeting people. In her free time, Elsa loves to develop her photography skills, spend time with her dog and discover new places to visit in NYC.
Emeline was born and raised in the South of France. She has a degree in literature and foreign languages. She is also a certified yoga instructor who loves sharing the practice. She moved to the US in 2017 and joined Coucou in 2022. She loves traveling the world to discover its wonders, and when she’s not on the yoga mat, she likes cooking, listening to music and singing along.
Florian was born and raised in Perpignan, in the South-West of France. A graduated dance teacher, he moved to the US to continue teaching, with a focus on physical and emotional awareness coaching. He joined Coucou as an instructor in 2018. Outside of the classroom you’ll likely find him wandering the streets, in a park, or moving to a new country. His special skill is helping people feel they have more choices than they think.
Géraldine was born in the South West of France and grew up all around the country (Marseille, Vendôme, Tours…) before heading to Paris to study law and journalism. Passionate about traveling, writing and gastronomy, she decided to specialize in food journalism. She currently works for different french food magazines as a free-lancer. After living in Spain and China, she moved to New York and joined Coucou in 2023. When she is not teaching, Géraldine likes to cook and learn other languages. She can speak 4 languages but food is definitely her favorite!
Ghislain was born in Calais (North of France) and grew up on the French Riviera. He studied dance at the Conservatoire de Nice and then at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et Danse in Paris. He moved to Los Angeles in 2017 to obtain a Master of Fine Arts at UCLA and joined Coucou in 2022. Ghislain is passionate about dance, music and painting. He’s learning sign language to continue his work as a dance teacher for nonprofits advocating dance for all abilities.
Born and raised in Paris, Jean-Baptiste (aka JB) completed his finance and marketing degree at the EDHEC Business School in Lille, North of France. He joined Coucou in 2019 and particularly loves teaching conversation classes. His passions include sports (swimming, horseback riding and ski), baking, cinema, reading and travels.
Born and raised in Paris, Jordan started working as a French tutor in New York in 2013. He is also an actor and writer who creates installations and performance art exhibited by Baert Gallery in Downtown LA. Jordan is Coucou’s resident film buff, having hosted several workshops about French cinema. Jordan runs @filmsdulosangeles, an LA-based media company aimed at cultivating passion for international cinema.
Julie is from Besançon, in eastern France. After completing her Master’s Degree in International Law and Political Science, she moved to the US in 2011. She joined Coucou in early 2019. Julie is a mother of two and loves horseback riding and tennis. She also plays the flute.
Born and raised in Brive, in southwestern France, Keveen quickly relocated to Paris to pursue his passion for music. After teaching French and English in Peru, he settled in LA in 2011 and joined Coucou in 2020. He works as a language and music tutor and is also a touring musician and a fixture on the LA music scene, playing in several local bands.
Born in Paris, Laura was raised in a multicultural home. Upon graduating (Master’s Degree in Intercultural Management), Laura realized how much she enjoyed teaching and decided to continue in that direction. Laura landed in NYC in 2018 and joined Coucou while being a yoga instructor. She’s now based in Austin, TX. Her special interests include talking about feminism and sustainability… over a cup of matcha of course!
Mahaut /mah-oh/ is French and American. They were born and raised in Lille (northern France), where their mother is originally from. Mahaut studied English literature, journalism and museology. They moved to New York City to complete an internship in curation and contemporary art. Mahaut joined Coucou in 2021. When they are not teaching, Mahaut likes to make linocuts and illustrations and take photos. They can also play the kalimba.
Margot was born in Rambouillet, near Paris and grew up in Bordeaux. She received a B.A. in English Letters and Culture as well as an M.A. in American Culture. Margot split her time between Oklahoma and France from 2010 to 2016 when she officially moved stateside. She joined Coucou in 2022. In her spare time, Margot likes to ride and care for horses as well as hiking with her husband and their two dogs.
Marie was born in Aix-en-Provence, South of France. After living in Paris for several years where she ran three restaurants, she moved to NYC and launched an at-home bakery business. In 2020, she moved to LA to further develop her project and joined Coucou two years later. Marie enjoys hiking, dancing and reading. She’s a skilled stencil artist.
Melissa was born and raised in the Paris suburbs. After studying literature in France, Melissa moved to New York City to pursue her musical theater training. She is an actor, singer and dancer and also has experience in film dubbing. Melissa joined Coucou in 2021 as a teacher and never misses an opportunity to use her entertainment skills in her classes. Her other passions in life include ramen, history and ballet.
Nina was born and raised in Geneva, Switzerland. She moved to NYC in 2008 to complete her Master’s degree in Visual Arts and started working in the movie industry. She then reoriented her career towards illustration and graphic design. Nina joined Coucou in 2018 and loves finding ways to teach intricate topics in a light and motivating way. In her spare time, she plays the ukulele and runs after her 18 month-old son!
Born and raised in Paris, Pascal came to the US in 2009 to study Politics and Italian at NYU. He joined Coucou in 2022. Theater aficionado, Pascal is also a skilled horseback rider and occasional painter.
Pia was born in the US and raised in the South of France. After obtaining a Bachelor’s degree in Archeology and a Master’s in Management, she started working in the corporate world, but then decided to follow her true passions: acting and producing, two domains within which she now thrives. Pia joined Coucou in 2016. She also loves dance, theater, cinema, and travel.
Pierre was born and raised in the Ain region, nestled between Lyon and Geneva. He studied Classics (French, Latin, and Greek) in Lyon and lived in Paris and London before moving to NYC in January 2020. Pierre is a member of the admin team and has been a teacher at Coucou since 2020. When not teaching French, you will find him discussing politics over a meal or talking about food while reading the news.
Quentin is French and American and was raised between the French Riviera and Maryland. He studied Performing Arts and specialized in Musical Theater. He joined Coucou as a teacher in June 2018. Quentin is a real showman and he loves using tools and games from his professional acting training to help his students better their language skills in a fun, caring, and conscious manner.
Sophia was born and raised in Paris. After studying Haute Couture embroidery, she honed her craft working for world-renowned fashion icons like Chanel and Jean Paul Gaultier. However, when she’s not busy with her needle and thread, she loves to check out art exhibits at museums, going to the movies, cooking and drawing. She moved to Los Angeles at the beginning of 2023 and joined Coucou in May. And she loves her two little cats Amato and Mnouchkine.
Sophie was born in Paris and grew up between Paris and California. A professional classical vocalist, she is currently pursuing a doctorate in voice performance. Sophie joined Coucou in 2019. She enjoys art, reading, eating, and cooking for people. As a singer, Sophie is trained to explain the physical technicalities of pronunciation.
Stéphanie was born and raised in Metz, in eastern France. After completing her Master’s degree in Art History at University of Strasbourg, Alsace, she decided to live abroad and arrived in NYC in 2020. Stéphanie joined Coucou in 2022. She loves to teach the past tenses and French slang, key elements of improving conversational skills! Stéphanie is passionate about art in general, especially contemporary art. She loves museums, exhibitions, reading and writing. In her spare time, she likes to take pictures and make linocuts.
Théo was born and raised in Bruxelles, Belgium. After studying law and living in Paris and London, he shifted his interests towards music. Théo joined Coucou in 2022. When he’s not teaching French, he thrives as DJ/music producer. He enjoys traveling and reading, and is a big soccer fan. Théo is also well versed in French politics.
Thibaut grew up in Lille, the biggest city in northern France, and his love of travel led him across Europe, Canada and Mexico. In addition to that, he is a sound engineer and guitar player. Thibaut joined the Coucou team in 2021. His taste in music is, according to him, pretty extreme – so if you are a fan of French AND heavy metal, he’s your guy. Thibaut is also very handy and can repair just about anything!
William was born in Switzerland and grew up in Paris. After studying design, he worked for several French design agencies and international brands. In 2022, he moved to NYC and joined Coucou. As a designer, William is passionate about branding, architecture and graphic design, but as a Swiss, he’s also a mountain addict!
Discover the team behind the scenes!
Chief Executive Officer
Victoire was born and raised in Paris and moved to NYC in 2014 to pursue a Master’s degree in Music Sociology at Brooklyn College. She joined Coucou as a teacher in 2016 and was quickly promoted to Marketing Manager. Since then, her role has continued to expand and she is now overseeing all operations in Coucou NYC. An interior design aficionado, she is also a skilled impersonator and cannot be missed at a Coucou party: she’s the queen of the dance floor.
Chief Marketing Officer
Margaux was born and raised in Bordeaux. After traveling the world working in a wide array of industries (HR, data analysis, marketing) she joined Coucou in 2013 and, with founders Léa and Marianne’s support, opened Coucou LA in 2017. Margaux enjoys surfing and running in the hills of LA. She loves visiting museums with her partner and dancing with her two daughters. Margaux can knit a whole sweater and is fascinated by Google Analytics!
Student Support Manager
Alaina is from Long Island, NY. Upon completion of her Master’s Degree in French Studies, she was an English teaching assistant in France in 2021-22. She started at Coucou in May 2022 as our Student Support Manager. Alaina is passionate about all things French. In her spare time, she loves drawing and painting.
Project Manager
Anka was born and raised near Geneva, Switzerland. After working in banking for several years, she moved to LA in 2013, where she went back to school to study art and painting. Anka joined Coucou in 2021. She enjoys exploring American national parks and loves to bake.
Private Lessons Manager & Events Manager
Claire was born in Boston, MA and moved to NYC in 2015. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Theater Performance and has a passion for travel, education, and the arts. Claire joined Coucou in June 2022 as our Private Lessons Manager and Events Manager. She’s also a flower designer and runs her own flower atelier.
Operations Manager
Cynthia was born and raised in Taverny, Île-de-France. After studying radio journalism, she became press secretary for a record label, where she met her husband. Cynthia followed him to LA and worked in varied industries. In 2017, she met Margaux, owner of Coucou LA, and decided to join Coucou. Cynthia enjoys playing ping-pong, singing karaoke, buying groceries at the market and unwinding with a good book.
Content Producer
Éléonore was born in Paris, grew up near Nice and went to college to study film in Lyon. After a career in film distribution, Éléonore joined Coucou in 2015 as a teacher. Since then, she’s been a member of Coucou’s creative team and worked on developing teaching material, such as the Coucou exercise books and Flashcards. Éléonore is passionate about films and series and took on the role of Content Producer at Coucou in 2022.
Office manager & Receptionist
Helen was born and raised in the Bronx, New York. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and plans to pursue a Doctorate of Physical Therapy. Helen loves to read and craft (resin, stickers, glassware, you name it) during her spare time. Her special skill lies in gaming; namely RPG’s and arcade rhythm games.
Director of Education
Julien was born and raised in Lausanne, Switzerland. After completing his Master’s Degree in Linguistics, he moved to NYC to pursue a career in contemporary dance while tutoring in French. He joined Coucou in 2019 as a teacher and is now Director of Education. Julien is also fluent in Japanese and passionate about Japan, where he lived for 3 years.
Training Manager
Born in Paris, Laura was raised in a multicultural home. Upon graduating (Master’s Degree in Intercultural Management), Laura realized how much she enjoyed teaching and decided to continue in that direction. Laura landed in NYC in 2018 and joined Coucou while being a yoga instructor. She’s now based in Austin, TX. Her special interests include talking about feminism and sustainability… over a cup of matcha of course!
Social Media Director
Melissa was born and raised in Minneapolis, MN. She started learning French at 19 while completing her Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and is now fully fluent. She joined the Coucou team in the fall of 2018 and has now become our Community and Social Media manager. Melissa is an accomplished hoop dancer and a plant lover.
Creative Marketing Manager
Melissa was born and raised in the Paris suburbs. After studying literature in France, Melissa moved to New York City to pursue her musical theater training. She is an actor, singer and dancer and also has experience in film dubbing. Melissa joined Coucou in 2021 as a teacher and never misses an opportunity to use her entertainment skills in her classes. Her other passions in life include ramen, history and ballet.
General Operations Manager
Pierre was born and raised in the Ain region, nestled between Lyon and Geneva. He studied Classics (French, Latin, and Greek) in Lyon and lived in Paris and London before moving to NYC in January 2020. Pierre is a member of the admin team and has been a teacher at Coucou since 2020. When not teaching French, you will find him discussing politics over a meal or talking about food while reading the news.
HR Director
Valentine grew up in Tours (Loire Valley) and Toulouse (southwestern France) and completed her Master’s degree in International Relations in Montpellier. She worked in Paris, Milan and Annecy as a headhunter. She moved to Berkley, CA in 2020 and joined Coucou in 2021. Valentine enjoys exploring California with her husband and her two kids.
Founder
Léa grew up in Tours and Toulouse, and moved to New York in 2008. Before opening Coucou, she worked in another New York language school for several years. During her time there, she realized what she wanted to do differently at Coucou, namely to focus on culturally relevant content and intimate classes.
Léa uses her skills as an avid poker player to take calculated risks in all her business decisions. Never afraid to mix business with pleasure, Léa married one of her students! To unwind, she likes to travel to the French Caribbean with her son and husband.
Founder & Chief Operations Officer
Marianne was born and raised in Paris and moved to London to study English literature at UCL. After graduating, she moved to Berlin and worked in the music industry, where she gained experience in the day-to-day running of creative small businesses. In 2013, Marianne joined her cousin Léa in NYC to start the Coucou project.
She is now based out of our location in LA. When she’s not managing the Coucou admin team and class schedule, she can be found cruising around Silver Lake on her blue e-bike. After work, Marianne is always down for an apéro with her friends.
Tu es passionné·e de grammaire ? Ça te dirait d’animer un cours de conversation ?
Si le français est ta langue maternelle et que tu es disponible en soirée et le weekend, envoie ton CV et une courte lettre de motivation (en français) à hr@coucoufrenchclasses.com pour qu’on fasse connaissance !