Borna Niknahad
Full-stack software engineer & iOS developer
from Southern California
About
My first encounter with programming was in seventh grade when I discovered basic HTML and web development. I was fascinated by the endless possibilities it offered. This early exposure sparked a passion for solving problems through code that has only grown since.
Now, I'm studying Computer Science & Engineering at the University of California, Davis. For the past two summers, I developed impactful features and helped scale businesses as a Software Engineering Intern at Vimbly Group, a tech startup in NYC.
Here in Davis, I run and organize Hack Nights. I have also worked on several rewarding projects as a full-stack developer at CodeLab, the largest software and design agency at Davis.
In my free time, I like to read, lift weights, swim, and craft unique sandwiches.
Languages
- Java
- TypeScript
- JavaScript
- C
- C++
- Python
- Swift
- HTML/CSS
- SQL
- Go
- x86 Assembly
Frameworks
- React.js
- React Native
- Node.js
- Redux
- Next.js
- Express.js
- SwiftUI
- Spring Boot
- Mongoose
- PyTorch
Technologies
- PostgreSQL
- MySQL
- Xcode
- MongoDB
- Vercel
- Git
- AWS
- Postman
- Linux
- Android Studio
Experience
Lead Software Engineer
ASUCD Innovation and Research Lab
Oct 2024 — Present
- Lead and manage ucdhacknight.com, where I guide 50+ students in building and shipping technically complex personal projects
Software Engineer Intern
Vimbly Group
May 2024 — Aug 2024
- Deployed a scalable email & SMS verification system for Mobile Text Alerts in TypeScript and React, reducing account fraud by 28% and driving trial-to-paid conversion by 6% across 20,000+ businesses
- Optimized complex MySQL queries and restructured backend database schemas in Node.js, improving data retrieval efficiency and reducing average query time from 3.5s to less than 400ms
- Documented and resolved all iOS and Android platform related issues, leading debugging efforts and collaborating with cross-functional teams to ensure a stable mobile application for over 20,000 businesses
Software Engineer Intern
BillionMinds
Sep 2023 — Dec 2023
- Designed and deployed comprehensive web dashboards to showcase real-time adaptability and resilience metrics using Next.js, MongoDB, and Express.js
- Implemented data aggregation with AWS Lambda serverless functions, cutting data processing latency in half and enhancing dashboard responsiveness
Software Engineer Intern
Vimbly Group
May 2023 — Aug 2023
- Drove 5,000+ new weekly users by leading end-to-end development of core mobile app features in TypeScript and React Native, including a redesigned Settings screen and seamless onboarding experience
- Revamped the admin platform's infrastructure and frontend using React and Node.js, saving the customer support team over 120 hours per month in complaint resolution time
- Led QA efforts by owning the testing life cycle, from writing unit tests to CI/CD pipeline validation across platforms
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Dr. Hell's Lab
Jun 2022 — May 2023
- Developed a peptide analysis program via MATLAB, collaborating with a team to improve its functionality and performance by over 150%
- Conducted fluorescence-based protein synthesis on 2×10⁵ beads weekly and dissected high-quality membrane tissue protein samples
- Conducted weekly code reviews to ensure proper syntax quality for readability and functionality
Projects
Minesweeper DDQN
Training a scalable Double Deep Q-Network (DDQN) AI agent to play Minesweeper at expert difficulty
ASL Translation App
An open source ASL Detection and Translation App bridging the communication gap between ASL users and spoken language
TrainingTool
An online learning platform for Davis' largest software and design agency, enhancing scalability and performance for 200+ active users
Due Today
A dashboard that collects assignment deadlines from Canvas LMS and sorts them into an interactive calendar with real-time data access
No Bland Breakfast Sandos
A fun, lighthearted app to gauge my friends' taste and style in breakfast sandwiches
The Plant Paramedic
An automated plant watering system built with a TI CC3200 Launchpad