Hootan Nikbakht

Hi, I'm Hootan Nikbakht 👋🏻

I'm a technology leader with a passion for building and scaling engineering teams while crafting innovative software solutions. Over the years, I’ve had the chance to launch products and refine tech stacks across industries like gaming, sports tech, entertainment, and finance. Every challenge has been an opportunity to push boundaries and create something meaningful.

Outside of work, I’m all about the outdoors. Whether it’s hitting the slopes, hiking scenic trails, or biking along the coast, I find that staying active helps fuel my creativity. There’s something about being in nature that sharpens my problem-solving skills and keeps me inspired.

That’s a little bit about me—I love blending technology and creativity to build impactful solutions that truly make a difference.

Recent Projects
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Work Experience
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  • Nov2024 - Current
    Staked AI, Los Angeles, CA
    Advisor - Technology & Product

    As a strategic technology advisor, I partner with the founding team to architect and execute scalable AI solutions in the sports tech space. I provide hands-on leadership in product strategy and technical architecture, leveraging multi-agent platforms like CrewAI to develop AI-powered personalized sports content for B2B integrations.

    I lead the design of AI-driven workflows that enable end-to-end automation of content generation and real-time data insights. By implementing advanced multi-agent architectures, my expertise helps optimize partner integrations and maximize fan engagement across the sports ecosystem, while ensuring robust, scalable architecture decisions that support rapid growth.

  • Feb2017 - Sep2023
    Lucky Day Entertainment, Inc., Beverly Hills, CA
    Chief Technology Officer

    As the Chief Technology Officer, I led the development of our engineering team and architecture, scaling our user base to an impressive 10 million Monthly Active Users (MAU) and driving annual revenues exceeding $80 million. I expanded our engineering teams from a tight-knit group of 4 to a robust 30+, all while maintaining high standards of quality and fostering a collaborative culture.

    In my daily role, I provided technical leadership, conducted architecture and code reviews, and successfully launched multiple games and a game services platform on AWS. Collaborating closely with key stakeholders, I shaped product and revenue strategies, working cross-functionally to optimize outcomes. Partnering with product managers, I developed and launched innovative features, ensuring they met our high standards for quality and reliability while remaining cost-effective. I consistently stayed ahead of industry trends, keeping our team competitive and agile in a fast-paced environment.

Let's Connect

If you want to chat about tech, collaborate on a project, or just say hi, feel free to reach out on social media or drop me an email.