While a college student in Tehran, Iran during the 1990s, he tried to make a satellite dish for the receiver he'd purchased on the black market.
So, he and a friend made their own DIY dish out of scrap metal in his family's backyard.
Now 44 and a new dad, he lives in Los Angeles and directs NetFreedom Pioneers, a nonprofit that promotes freedom of information and aims to connect communities where internet is limited or government censorship restricts access.
Yahyanejad started NetFreedom in 2012 and four years later launched the organization's main project called Knapsack (or "Toosheh" in Persian).
His system lets Iranians bypass the country's strict internet censorship laws for free by transferring data over satellite TV.
Once it's saved, the user transfers it to a laptop or Android phone (iPhones aren't supported) to decode the content through the free Toosheh software.
