By Khalida Sarwari
Jason Li’s genius has never been in question. When this newspaper interviewed the 16-year-old in March 2012, he had just been named the “Next Teen Tycoon” after creating a startup that pays people to send in their old electronics and then either resells or recycles them. As part of his prize, Jason received $4,000 and a trip to New York City to attend 2013 TEDxTeen.
While that may have been a major highlight of his high school career, it certainly wasn’t the only one.
Jason, the founder of iReTron and a senior at Saratoga High, is now also one of the world’s 50 smartest teenagers, according to The Best Schools, an independent organization without ties to any educational institution. Jason, along with his peers, was selected “on the basis of a variety of weighted factors, including overall academic excellence, IQ and, most importantly, their impact in a given field.”
And he wasn’t even the first to know it. The news was delivered to Jason via a “tweet” from a friend, suggesting he “check out No. 25” on the list. Jason’s immediate reaction: “Oh, that’s me!”
“I think when I first saw it, I was very surprised, and to be honest I know so many other people who deserve it,” said Jason. “I’m definitely honored and I’m definitely humbled to be recognized as one of these people.
“It’s nice to have achievements and to be recognized for these things, but at the same time, the school that I go to, all of these people are so accomplished,” he said.
While being recognized is nice and “makes you feel all the hard work you’ve put in hasn’t gone to waste,” Jason said he plans to continue working hard. He conceived the idea for iReTron three years ago after injuring his back in judo, a sport he got involved in right after moving to the U.S. from China with his family. For years, judo was a big part of his life, Jason said. He’d competed at the state and national levels and was preparing for international competitions when he broke his back, effectively ending his chances of advancing in the sport.
Stuck in a hospital bed for a month, Jason realize that judo had taken up so much of his life that he was empty. “I didn’t know what to do.”
One of the few things he could do was read. So, Jason read books on social entrepreneurship and how social enterprises could help Third World countries. He realized he enjoyed empowering people, had a passion for helping the environment and liked business. It wasn’t long before these realizations gave birth to his startup.
But, being one who quickly deflects attention away from himself, Jason credited his father, a man he described as being “very self-disciplined and logical,” for being his role model.
“He’s always been at my side, helping me,” Jason said. “Whether it’s giving me a ride to a speaker convention or $2,000 funding, he’s always there. Every time I win something, he’s always the first person that comes to my mind.”
So besides his father, who else impresses one of the world’s smartest teenagers? That would be none other than Jason’s 9-year-old sister, Jennifer. The precocious Blossom Hill Elementary student plays the cello and is taking art classes, two things Jason said he’s never attempted.
When he’s not working on building and growing his startup or, you know, going to school and applying to colleges, the Los Gatos resident devotes his time to his hobbies–photography and speech and debate. He is the captain of Saratoga High’s speech and debate team and editor-in-chief of his school’s yearbook club.
Jason’s accomplishment garnered him attention from publications and news outlets such as the San Francisco Chronicle, Fox Business and the Huffington Post. Just recently, Jason was approached by a producer to be featured on a national TV show.
He’s also been busy entering national and international competitions and speaking at high schools, colleges and conventions.
Despite these accomplishments, Jason wants people to know he’s “just like everyone else.”
“I feel like being one of the smartest people, or to be named one of the smartest people, it creates like a gap between high school students and people on that list. That’s one thing I have a problem with,” he said. “Although I’m doing things a lot of students can’t do or don’t have time do, I want to inspire other students to try and not be scared.”
Added Jason, “When you’re 15 and starting your own business, the amount of risk is incredibly high. I came to America at 6, and I go to a public school. There’s nothing special about me; if I can do it, so can anyone else.”
For a complete list of The Best School’s ‘World’s 50 Smartest Teenagers,” click here..
