Accidental Mayor: From Debugging Chips to Solving City Problems | Liangfang Chao | TEDxCSTU
In this inspiring TEDx talk, Dr. Liangfang “Liang” Chao shares her remarkable journey from Silicon Valley technologist to civic leader—and offers a bold vision for bridging innovation and public service.
What happens when an engineer trades debugging code for navigating city politics? Dr. Chao never imagined herself in government. In fact, she hadn’t even voted before 2014. But when she witnessed irrational decisions affecting her community—from school policy to urban planning—she couldn’t look away.
In this powerful talk, she reflects on her transition from tech engineer and introverted professor to becoming the Mayor of Cupertino, California. Along the way, she challenges “feel-good” policies that often worsen the very problems they claim to fix, and she reveals how tools like AI can accelerate policymaking—but never replace human empathy.
This isn’t just a story about city hall. It’s a call to action for everyday citizens—especially those who think public leadership isn’t for them. Dr. Chao challenges each of us to give just 5% of our time to build what she calls social capital—the trust, relationships, and community that power meaningful change.
Whether you're a technologist, parent, student, or neighbor, this talk offers a powerful reminder:
You don’t need to be loud to lead.
You just need to care enough to begin—and the courage to stay.
Dr. Liang Chao is a technologist, educator, and civic leader who bridges the worlds of software engineering and public service. She began her career as an assistant professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Iowa State University and conducted research in Germany before moving to Silicon Valley, where she has spent over three decades developing software for hardware acceleration.
Currently, she is a senior software engineer at JITX, Inc., a startup reimagining circuit board design using AI. She holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Princeton University and a master’s in Computer Engineering from National Chiao Tung University in Taiwan.
Dr. Chao has served on both the school board and the Cupertino City Council since 2016. As Mayor in 2025, she launched initiatives spanning art, dance, entrepreneurship, and technology to build community and strengthen civic engagement. Her “Cupertino Stories” project, in partnership with California Science and Technology University, empowers residents to share their experiences, creating a unique dataset to train and apply AI in storytelling. She is passionate about empowering the next generation of innovators and creating spaces where every voice can shape the future.Event: TEDxCSTU
Date: May 18th, 2025
Location: California Science & Technology University (CSTU)
Website: https://www.cstu.edu?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=tedx2025&utm_term=liangfang_chaoSpeaker:
Learn more about the speaker:
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/LFChao
Website: http://cupertinostories.org/about/liang-chaoOrganizer: Leni Jin, Organizer of TEDxCSTU
Behind the scenes of TEDxCSTU:
Stories & notes: https://lenijin.com/tedx
More about the organizer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lenijin/
Organizer's channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Leni_JinPlease note: This talk was recorded at TEDxCSTU, an independently organized TEDx event hosted at California Science and Technology University under a license from TED. The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the speaker and do not necessarily represent those of TEDxCSTU, the university, or TED.#TEDx #TEDxTalk #Leadership #CivicEngagement #Technology #ArtificialIntelligence #PublicService #SocialChange #Community #Innovation #FutureOfWork #Changemakers #TEDxCSTU2025 Dr. Liang Chao is a Silicon Valley technologist and civic leader who brings people together through innovation and storytelling. With a Ph.D. from Princeton and decades of experience in chip design software, she now works at a startup transforming circuit board design with AI and automation. As Mayor of Cupertino in 2025, she launched initiatives blending art, entrepreneurship, and technology to strengthen community bonds. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
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