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
More from TED
- 18:01Why a child's zip code shouldn’t determine their future | Jillyan McKinney | TEDxFolsom"What if your child’s future was determined not by their brilliance or determination, but by their zip code? In this talk, Jillyan McKinney exposes the hidden barriers that lock millions of students out of opportunity and shares powerful stories of what happens when inclusion and belonging open the door instead. With heartfelt urgency and practical insight, she calls for transformative action, reminding us that when every child is seen, valued, and supported, our entire society benefits. " Jillyan McKinney is an educational leader with over 20 years of experience advancing equity and inclusion across K-12 public education systems. She currently serves as the Coordinator of Inclusive Practices and Integrated Systems at the Sacramento County Office of Education, where she leads initiatives that foster inclusive learning environments and promote academic and social-emotional success for all students, particularly those with disabilities and students from underserved and under-resourced communities.Whether serving as a Senior Director for the Equity and Wellness Institute, piloting an Ethnic Studies program, or facilitating global education initiatives in Ghana, Jillyan brings a unique blend of visionary leadership and practical expertise to the transformative work of systems change. Her mission is simple but powerful: to build spaces where every story is valued, voice is heard, and equity is standard. 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
- 9:32WHY SUBTRACTION IS MORE POWERFUL THAN ADDITION? | Drishti Kedia | TEDxDPS Siliguri YouthIn this talk young entrepreneur Drishti emphasises on the power of removing, letting go, and simplifying. In a world obsessed with adding more — more goals, more stuff, more noise she explored on how true growth often comes from subtraction. It’s her earnest belief that by clearing mental clutter, cutting out what doesn’t serve us, and focusing on what truly matters, we can create space for clarity, creativity, and peace. A final-year Communications student at Christ University, Bengaluru, She is the master of momentum with a creative spark and caffeine-fuelled hustle.She’s the Co-founder of @tattva.in, Chief of Staff at the UN-accredited youthofindiafoundation, and a published writer who believes every story has the power to shift perspectives. Whether it's building brands, driving youth movements, or brewing the perfect cup of coffee Drishti does it all with heart, hustle, and a whole lot of curiosity, and you know what ? she’s just getting started. 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
- 9:41Can Grief Break The Cycle of Abuse? | Selysa Love & Monica Padilla | TEDxFolsom"Trigger Warning: This talk discusses sexual abuse of a minor.How do you grieve someone who hurt you? In this vulnerable piece blending story and interpretive dance, Selysa Love and Monica Padilla reveal the forbidden grief that often silences survivors of abuse. Drawing on lived experience and years as a trauma-informed grief practitioner, they bring unexpected lightness and healing to a taboo subject. " Selysa Love is the founder of Sacramento Reiki Center and the creator of the Emotion & Trauma Release Technique—a blend of Reiki, somatic processing, and nervous system retraining. She has supported hundreds of clients and leads a team offering integrative care for mental health, chronic illness, and grief. Her work helps individuals navigate full-spectrum grief, especially after the end of an abusive relationship.After the complex loss of her parents at a young age, she departed on a five-year world schooling journey through 20 countries, where she studied traditional healing systems and acrobatics. Her circus training and performances deepen her understanding of the body’s role in healing, transmuting her own pain into peace. Selysa’s mission is to break cycles of generational trauma while preserving legacies of ancestral giftsMonica is a multidisciplinary artist that specializes in aerial acrobatics and dance. She fuses together aerial and decades of classical ballet training, making her known for her grace and poise in the air. Monica has an insatiable thirst to continue growing as an artist and coach. She currently lives in Sacramento, CA and when not performing you can catch her teaching in the community. 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
- 18:38Movement as Our Collective Heartbeat | Tanvi Hegade | TEDxIBS PuneIn this talk, Tanvi Hegade explores the power of movement as a universal language that connects us to ourselves and to each other. Drawing from dance psychology, her personal journey, and her work in dance movement therapy, she highlights how movement fosters empathy, resilience, healing, and collective well-being. From the science of mirror neurons to social dancing traditions and therapeutic practices, Tanvi reveals how our bodies hold wisdom that words often cannot express. She invites us to see movement not just as expression, but as resistance, revolution, and our collective heartbeat. Tanvi Hegade is a contemporary dance artist and dance movement therapist based in Pune. With over a decade in contemporary dance and physical theatre, she explores expression through movement at the intersections of language and social impact. As Head of Community Outreach and Dance in Education at Avartan Dance Foundation, she leads programs like Dance for PD for persons with Parkinson’s Disease. She has performed internationally, serves as Secretary (West Zone) of CMTAI, represents India on the ITI/UNESCO International Dance Committee, and is a recipient of fellowships from The Red Door India, Singapore International Foundation, and Georgetown University. 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
- 19:21Prescribing Paints | Bhoomika Ananth | TEDxRVCEIn her talk “Prescribing Paints”, Dr. Bhoomika Ananth invites audiences to imagine the invisible walls of fear and monotony that surround us, and then to rewrite those walls into canvases of possibility. A mural artist and medical student, she shares how her journey began with one childhood memory at Airlines Hotel that grew into Creatibeeti, a movement turning dull public spaces into living works of art. From books to canvases, body art to massive murals, including the state’s largest rendition of Van Gogh’s Starry Night, she shows how guided workshops can empower anyone, even non-artists, to create. Bhoomika recounts hosting thousands of people, transforming schools and neighborhoods, and proving that public art connects communities more deeply than perfect art ever could. For her, art is not an escape but a way of making life more bearable, beautiful, and human hence reminding us that painting dreams on walls can change how we see ourselves, one mural at a time Bhoomika Ananth distinguished mural artist, medical student and the visionary founder of Creatibeeti, an initiative dedicated to transforming communal spaces through art. She is a thoughtful and passionate, artist and vissionary, creating multiple projects that aimed to inspire and elevate the aesthetic sensibilities of students and adults alike. Her projects now adorn cafés, iconic cityscapes, and notably, feature the state’s largest rendition of Starry Night at Airlines Bhoomika’s collaborations with industry giants such as Amazon, TVS, Cocoblu, and Ather have further amplified her impact, allowing her to impart the therapeutic benefits of art to diverse audiences. Her pieces meticulously crafted to resonate with its environment, narrating stories that are both contextually relevant and emotionally evocative. 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
- 19:14My Game, My Rules | Jay Khatri | TEDxSVKM NMIMS Navi MumbaiIn his TEDx talk at SVKM NMIMS, Navi Mumbai, Jay Khatri AKA ToasterRoaster shares how failure, persistence, and innovation shaped his journey. He reflects on turning setbacks into stepping stones, pushing himself beyond comfort zones, and daring to chase ideas that once seemed out of reach.Through stories of highs, lows, and key turning points, Jay highlights the lessons that built his resilience and vision. His talk is not just about personal growth—it’s about showing that today’s struggles fuel tomorrow’s success, and that anyone can create impact with courage and consistency. Hi, My name is Jay Khatri but you might know me as “ToasterRoaster” or “Toasty”. I’m a 23 year old Live-Streamer and A Gaming + tech content creator. I also was a finalist in Playground Season 1 & 2 (World’s first gaming reality show with digital content legends like CarryMinati, triggered insaan, scout and mortal) I’m popularly known for my Valorant Livestreams and PC Tech Content.I’ve done BA hons in Mass communication (digital media) from USLM @ KU 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
