Jessica DJ Li and Her Entrepreneurial Journey of Building Smarter Businesses and Organizations

Spotting a gap and daring to fill it signifies leadership. Jessica DJ Li saw such a gap in the technology and marketing fields, and instead of accepting the inefficiencies around her, she acted on them. That drive to create more intelligent, inclusive solutions led her to found Smartli, Inc., a digital marketing agency built on experience, innovation, and empathy.

As a teenager in the 1990s, Li was captivated by a story from the electronics world that would shape her path. The tale involved a CEO of a well-known company demanding a smaller version of a portable music device. When engineers insisted it was already as compact as possible, he dropped the prototype into a tank of water. Bubbles floated to the surface. “The CEO said, ‘If there are bubbles, there’s space.’ That moment made me pursue education in that field. I wanted to be the one to find that extra space,” says Li.

Li majored in electronics engineering with a minor in biomedical engineering. Her career in web development and technology took off, and she later joined renowned global tech companies, where she gained profound insight into the mechanics of search marketing and data systems.

While working with high-performance teams, Li noticed that hours were spent compiling reports manually, billing clients for time-consuming tasks that she knew could be automated in minutes. When she proposed building a system to streamline the process, the suggestion was shut down. Why? Automating the work would disrupt the billing structure.

“I was frustrated. I realized the traditional agency model needed to evolve. I thought that if I couldn’t build smarter from within, I’d have to do it on my own,” Li recalls. During her first entrepreneurial venture, she focused on digital strategy and performance. However, it was only the beginning. A few years later, she founded Smartli to continue driving the change she knew was overdue.

Li structured Smartli around performance and precision. It aims to bridge the gap between marketers and engineers, utilizing technology to produce measurable results for businesses that want to be visible and impactful. Its services include performance marketing, digital strategy, and multicultural media planning, to name a few.

Yet, for Li, Smartli is only part of the mission. Her work has a deeper purpose, which involves empowering the people usually left behind in the fast-moving digital world. As a Canadian immigrant and entrepreneur, she’s especially passionate about supporting nonprofits. “I believe Canadians are among the most generous people on earth, but many nonprofits in the country are in need of digital adoption,” Li remarks.

Multinational corporations can access top-tier technology. Meanwhile, nonprofits need more support to adopt advanced tools. Through Smartli, Li helps these organizations tap into free and discounted tools like major advertising grants, build compelling fundraising products, and thrive in the digital age.

Li’s motivation to empower others stems from her experiences. As a single mother and immigrant, she understands the challenges women, newcomers, and solo parents face in life and business. “There’s no such thing as perfect balance,” Li says. “When you’re with your kids, you feel guilty about work. When you’re working, you feel guilty about your kids.” Still, she credits her parents’ support and her children’s quiet encouragement for her continued motivation.

Li doesn’t pretend entrepreneurship is easy, but she insists it’s possible and necessary for more women, immigrants, and underrepresented voices to enter the arena. She advises aspiring entrepreneurs, saying, “Take initiative and build your confidence by putting yourself in new spaces. You’re not alone. We all have those fears, but you have to walk through them anyway.”

Today, Jessica DJ Li continues to lead Smartli with the same curiosity and conviction that once made her question whether bubbles in a portable music device meant there was more space to be found. She looks forward to building smarter systems, more accessible platforms, and more empowered people because she believes there’s always room to improve, shrink inefficiency, and grow together.