Jay Li attended one of the most prestigious high schools in Beijing and graduated from the University of Rochester in New York. Li, the only Chinese national in the Schwarzman Scholars program educated in the U.S., has tried to serve as the "bridge between the U.S. and Chinese Scholars…to help both sides mingle."
Following his college graduation, Li spent four years in New York working for the NBA in its global marketing department. He hopes to continue his work in the sports, media and entertainment sphere in his native country. He believes that certain sports have a built-in global audience, thereby creating connections and even resolving social issues.