# Behdad Esfahbod > Iranian software engineer **Wikidata**: [Q16052127](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16052127) **Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Behdad_Esfahbod) **Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/behdad-esfahbod ## Summary Behdad Esfahbod is an Iranian software engineer and programmer recognized for his significant contributions to open-source software and his long-standing career at Google. He is a recipient of the O'Reilly Open Source Award and was a top-ranked competitor in the International Olympiad in Informatics. ## Biography - **Born:** September 27, 1982, in Sari, Iran - **Nationality:** Iranian - **Education:** Sharif University of Technology; University of Toronto; Master of Business Administration from Rotman School of Management (2009–2012) - **Known for:** Open-source software development and international competitive programming - **Employer(s):** Google - **Field(s):** Software engineering, computer programming ## Contributions Behdad Esfahbod has made substantial contributions to the field of software engineering, particularly within the open-source ecosystem. His work earned him the O'Reilly Open Source Award in 2013, a distinction that recognizes individuals for their dedication to open-source projects and community leadership. Esfahbod is a prominent figure on platforms such as GitHub (under the username behdad), where he maintains various projects. His technical foundation was established through high-level competitive programming. He represented Iran at the International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI) two years in a row, securing a silver medal in 1999 (ranked 28th) and a gold medal in 2000 (ranked 9th). Professionally, he has been a long-term employee of Google, contributing to the company's software engineering efforts from his base in Seattle. His academic background is extensive, combining technical degrees from the Sharif University of Technology and the University of Toronto with a Master of Business Administration from the Rotman School of Management. ## FAQs ### Q: What is Behdad Esfahbod's most notable professional award? A: Behdad Esfahbod received the O'Reilly Open Source Award in 2013 for his contributions to the open-source software community. ### Q: What were Behdad Esfahbod's achievements in competitive programming? A: He was a highly successful competitive programmer, winning a silver medal at the 1999 International Olympiad in Informatics and a gold medal at the 2000 International Olympiad in Informatics. ### Q: Where did Behdad Esfahbod work? A: He is a software engineer at Google and has been affiliated with the company for several years. ## Why They Matter Behdad Esfahbod is a key figure in the intersection of international competitive programming and industrial software development. His early success in the International Olympiad in Informatics demonstrated a mastery of complex algorithms, which he later applied to large-scale systems at Google and within the open-source community. By receiving the O'Reilly Open Source Award, Esfahbod was recognized as a vital contributor to the shared tools and libraries that power modern computing. His career trajectory—from a gold medalist in Iran to a senior engineer in Seattle—serves as a benchmark for excellence in the global software engineering community. Furthermore, his work in typography and software standards has influenced how text and data are handled across various digital platforms. ## Notable For * **O'Reilly Open Source Award:** Recipient of the 2013 award for excellence in open-source contributions. * **IOI Gold Medalist:** Ranked 9th globally at the 2000 International Olympiad in Informatics. * **IOI Silver Medalist:** Ranked 28th globally at the 1999 International Olympiad in Informatics. * **Google Engineering:** Long-term software engineer at Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc. ## Body ### Early Life and Education Behdad Esfahbod, also known by the alias Seyed Behdad Esfahbod MirHosseinZadeh Sarabi, was born on September 27, 1982, in Sari, Iran. He attended the Sharif University of Technology and the University of Toronto for his engineering education. He later expanded his expertise into business, earning an MBA from the Rotman School of Management between 2009 and 2012. ### Competitive Programming Success Esfahbod's early career was defined by his performance in international informatics competitions: * **1999:** Won a silver medal at the International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI) with a rank of 28. * **2000:** Won a gold medal at the IOI, achieving a global rank of 9. ### Professional Career and Affiliations Esfahbod is primarily identified as a programmer and software engineer. He is a long-term employee of Google, which is headquartered in Mountain View, California, though Esfahbod himself resides in Seattle. His work is heavily documented through his personal website, behdad.org, and his GitHub profile. ### Digital Presence and Community Engagement Esfahbod maintains an active presence in the technology community through various social media and developer platforms: * **Twitter:** Active since July 2008 under the handle @behdadesfahbod. * **Mastodon:** Joined the typo.social instance in February 2023. * **GitHub:** Operates under the username behdad. * **Follower Count:** His social media influence reached over 9,400 followers by early 2021. ## References 1. LinkedIn 2. [Source](https://conferences.oreilly.com/oscon/oscon2013/public/schedule/detail/29956) 3. [Source](https://twitter.com/behdadesfahbod) 4. [Source](http://stats.ioinformatics.org/results/2000) 5. [Source](http://stats.ioinformatics.org/results/1999) 6. [Source](https://github.com/behdad/)