JADONLI

EST. 2025

CIVICSTORYTELLER

JADON LI

/ CIVIC VIDEO
/ PODCAST DIRECTION
/ OP-ED & CAMPAIGNS
Jadon Li portrait
BASED IN FREMONT, CALIFORNIA

I TURN A CITY INTO A STORY —
CIVIC VIDEO, PODCASTS, AND CAMPAIGNS
THAT MOVE REAL NUMBERS

Speaking at a rally in Fremont

Rally · 500+ turnout

Editing timeline for a mayor video

Editing for the Mayor

Voices of Fremont with Jennifer Siebel Newsom

With the First Partner

RECENT WORK

ACity,Documented

BY THE NUMBERS/ ALL REAL

0k

/ Views per mayor video

grown from ~1k

0k+

/ Views in under a month

@li_locked.in

0k

/ Palm Ave Park promo views

700+ shares

0

/ FUSD families reached

Car Meet email blast

PRESS & ACCESSCalifornia · 2025

APodcastattheStateLevel

Voices of Fremont logo/ VOICES OF FREMONT

Directed & edited by Jadon Li

It started with a call from the Mayor himself — Mayor Salwan wanted a public outlet for city issues and events, and asked Jadon to build it from the ground up: concept, team, format, and distribution.

But it isn't only a platform for the Mayor. The goal is to make civics land with a younger audience — through modern, short-form content like the reel here, which rides a trend to carry a civic idea and reaches students, not just subscribers.

Format

~7 min

+ short-form

Reach

50k

views / month

On air

Fall '25

monthly

Jadon Li with California First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom

With California First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom

Also in the room

Met the Governor & California First Partner

As part of the California Love, California Strong initiative — civic journalism at the state level, and a direct result of the Voices of Fremont platform.

BROADCAST · L2 VIDEOGRAPHYMSJTV · Season 3

Theschool,ontherecord

The L2 Videography team in front of the Mission mural
L2 Vid — the team behind MSJTV On air
/ MSJTV

As part of L2 Videography, Jadon directs and edits MSJTV— the school's monthly broadcast of events, recaps, and opportunities — and directs the cinematic short filmsthe committee is known for. MSJTV is only one of L2 Vid's jobs; the initiatives below are ones he started this year.

Anchors· Jadon Li & Hanna R. (juniors), Luis H. & Jennifer L. (seniors).

Drone at HomecomingHomecoming RecapCinematic PromoTeacher Interviews
CINEMATIC CUTSshort films he directed
Winter Ball PromoTeaser · 0:30
Prom PromoK-drama · 500+ likes in a day
Charity Fashion Show PromoEvent promo
THE STORIESFremont, CA · 2025

FromtheField

Lead Story2025The viral origin

RevivingSweetTomatoes

By Jadon Li · @li_locked.in2025 · Fremont, CA → Tucson, AZ

The video that made him viral. He tracked down the realty company that owned the old Sweet Tomatoes location, then learned a Chinese couple had already bought it to open a Chinese food court. Jadon argued the location and local demographic wouldn't support it — and pitched a Sweet-Tomatoes-style restaurant instead. The owners were receptive. Working with the Mayor, they emailed the surviving Sweet Tomatoes in Tucson about Bay Area expansion.

He contacted the realty company, made the pitch, then emailed the Sweet Tomatoes location in Tucson about expansion.

Who / What / Where

ContactRealty company · new owners
IssueChinese food court planned for wrong demo
Pivot pitchSweet-Tomatoes-style restaurant
StatusMoving slowly · owners receptive
PartnerWorking with the Mayor
OutreachEmailed Tucson ST location

The campaign that put the viral origin on the map

Videography · PaidJun 2025 – Oct 2025

The Mayor's Videographer

Jadon Li · @li_locked.in · Jun 2025 – Oct 2025 · Fremont, CA

The Mayor saw his @li_locked.in channel and called. Now Jadon edits every event for the Mayor's Instagram.

The Mayor spotted Jadon's @li_locked.in channel and reached out directly. Jadon films civic events and onstage talks, edits the footage, and delivers final cuts for the Mayor's Instagram. A 10× growth in per-video reach — from roughly 1k to 10k — is the proof of concept. The Intern Program layer added door-knocking and flyer distribution to gather constituent opinions.

Credential row

Client

Mayor Salwan · City of Fremont

Rate

$50 / video flat

First invoice

$600

Before

~1k views / video

After

~10k views / video

Editing for Mayor Salwan · @li_locked.in

Editing for Mayor Salwan · @li_locked.in

Before

~1k

views / video

After

0k

views / video

Rate

$50/video

First invoice

$600

Intern ProgramJun 2025 – Oct 2025

Mayor's Intern Program

Mayor Salwan · City of Fremont

Door-knocking and city events, handing flyers to constituents to gather opinions on city policy. 50 calls per week from the Mayor's call sheet — the analog side of civic engagement, paired with the video production work.

Weekly calls

0

from the Mayor's sheet

Mode

Door-knocking + events

DEEP DIVE2025 – present

SmallBusinessAccessibility

FromaBobaShoptoCityCouncil.

A family's boba shop was sued over a table a few centimeters too low. That's the story that started it all.

— Luke Wu's story · the inciting case

01ConnectionOrigin

Tr. Sherry introduced Jadon to Luke Wu, whose family boba shop had been hit by serial ADA litigation — sued over a table a few centimeters too low.

02Cold OutreachProf. Durazo · SF University

Jadon cold-emailed professors across Bay Area universities until Prof. Durazo at SF University agreed to advise the project.

03Op-Ed PublishedSan Mateo Daily Journal

They co-wrote and published an op-ed in the San Mateo Daily Journal, putting the predatory ADA litigation crisis on record for the first time locally.

04Chamber MeetingsBay Area Chambers

Met with Chamber of Commerce policy managers across the Bay to build institutional support and share the story of affected small-business owners.

05City CouncilFremont City Council

Presented the case directly to the Fremont City Council — public testimony, formal record, civic accountability.

06SB 84 PushSB 84 · Assembly Judiciary

Continued the fight alongside Luke Wu and Arissa around SB 84 — hitting a roadblock in Assemblymember Ash Kalra, who was adamant against letting it pass the judiciary.

People involved

Luke Wu

Co-advocate · boba shop owner

Arissa

Co-advocate · Year 2

Prof. Durazo

Faculty advisor · SF University

Tr. Sherry

Connector · original introduction

Ash Kalra

Assemblymember · opposed SB 84

Published

Op-Ed

San Mateo Daily Journal

Multiple

Chambers

Bay Area outreach

Ongoing

SB 84

Assembly judiciary

Presented

City Council

Public testimony

Civic Commission
Nov 2025 – present

0

of ~13

commissioners

selected from ~100 applicants

Fremont Youth Advisory Commission

One of 13 commissioners selected from ~100 applicants for a single open seat. Plans youth-issue events (mental-wellness workshops) and meets council-style the first Monday of every month.

One of approximately 13 commissioners selected from a pool of around 100 applicants for a single open seat. The role spans planning youth-issue events — including mental-wellness workshops — and participating in formal council-style sessions that meet the first Monday of every month. Civic governance, not just civic content.

“Civic governance, not just civic content.”

The commission on fremont.gov

/ Applicants

~100

for 1 open seat

/ Commissioners

~13

total seated

/ Meets

Monthly

1st Monday · council-style

/ Focus

Youth issues

mental-wellness workshops

City of Fremont · Youth Advisory Commission · Nov 2025 – present

FOLLOW THE DISPATCH

TheStoryDoesn'tEndHere

500K+ VIEWS IN UNDER A MONTH.
CIVIC VIDEO, BEHIND-THE-SCENES DISPATCHES,
AND THE GRIND — ALL ON INSTAGRAM

JADON LI