Mouad Tiahi, 21
Mouad Tiahi: From Flower Crowns to Full-Stack Innovator, a Hacker Who Builds Community
Mouad Tiahi’s love for coding started in elementary school with a simple Raspberry Pi loaned from his school library. Preloaded with Scratch and PyGame, Mouad somehow created a Slither.io-style game starring kangaroos, his favorite animal. That early moment sparked more than just fun. It ignited a passion for building things from scratch and a curiosity about turning wild ideas into real projects.
His journey into hackathons began in Boston during his freshman year. After facing rejection from HackMIT, he applied to BostonHacks. With no team and no connections, he found a group of equally curious hackers. “Despite all our doubts, we kept lifting each other up, pushing through challenges, cheering every small win, and building late into the night,” he recalls. That weekend did more than earn him a win. It gave him a community he now calls family.
Before discovering hackathons, Mouad felt lost. College was confusing, and he struggled to find where he belonged. “For the first time, I felt like I’d found my people. The energy, curiosity, and openness pulled me out of my shell,” he shares. From shy and introverted, he transformed into someone who walks up to strangers at events just to ask about their projects and passions. Those connections have lasted beyond the hackathons themselves, with friendships forged over late-night karaoke sessions and mall hangouts.
Mouad is also a dedicated mentor, technical lead, and judge. His impact shines brightest in one-on-one moments where he inspires others to explore complex topics like quantum computing, machine learning, and full stack development. “I try to be the person who believes in others the way my first hackathon team believed in me, with genuine support, positive reinforcement, and a reminder that they belong here,” he explains. He views hackathons not just as professional stepping stones but as spaces to build kindness, creativity, and community.
At HackBeanpot, with 13 hours remaining, Mouad stepped away to attend a party, returning at 1 a.m. to find his team unable to connect his ML models to Flask. Still wearing a flower crown, he worked through the night to complete the project, resulting in both their success and a memorable photo at the awards ceremony.
When not hacking, Mouad enjoys reading across genres, from sci-fi to philosophy to obscure nonfiction.
That same deep curiosity and desire to explore the unknown now fuels his work in tech. As a Computer Science and Physics student at Northeastern University, he brings that sense of wonder to every project he touches. He currently works in the NUCAR lab under Professor Dr. Kaeli, whose mentorship continues to inspire and challenge him. Whether he's leading technical teams, diving into research, or singing karaoke with friends, Mouad is driven by a love of learning, a spirit of collaboration, and a belief that technology can bring people together in powerful ways.
Quick Facts
Mouad Tiahi, 21
Mouad Tiahi: From Flower Crowns to Full-Stack Innovator, a Hacker Who Builds Community
Mouad Tiahi’s love for coding started in elementary school with a simple Raspberry Pi loaned from his school library. Preloaded with Scratch and PyGame, Mouad somehow created a Slither.io-style game starring kangaroos, his favorite animal. That early moment sparked more than just fun. It ignited a passion for building things from scratch and a curiosity about turning wild ideas into real projects.
His journey into hackathons began in Boston during his freshman year. After facing rejection from HackMIT, he applied to BostonHacks. With no team and no connections, he found a group of equally curious hackers. “Despite all our doubts, we kept lifting each other up, pushing through challenges, cheering every small win, and building late into the night,” he recalls. That weekend did more than earn him a win. It gave him a community he now calls family.
Before discovering hackathons, Mouad felt lost. College was confusing, and he struggled to find where he belonged. “For the first time, I felt like I’d found my people. The energy, curiosity, and openness pulled me out of my shell,” he shares. From shy and introverted, he transformed into someone who walks up to strangers at events just to ask about their projects and passions. Those connections have lasted beyond the hackathons themselves, with friendships forged over late-night karaoke sessions and mall hangouts.
Mouad is also a dedicated mentor, technical lead, and judge. His impact shines brightest in one-on-one moments where he inspires others to explore complex topics like quantum computing, machine learning, and full stack development. “I try to be the person who believes in others the way my first hackathon team believed in me, with genuine support, positive reinforcement, and a reminder that they belong here,” he explains. He views hackathons not just as professional stepping stones but as spaces to build kindness, creativity, and community.
At HackBeanpot, with 13 hours remaining, Mouad stepped away to attend a party, returning at 1 a.m. to find his team unable to connect his ML models to Flask. Still wearing a flower crown, he worked through the night to complete the project, resulting in both their success and a memorable photo at the awards ceremony.
When not hacking, Mouad enjoys reading across genres, from sci-fi to philosophy to obscure nonfiction.
That same deep curiosity and desire to explore the unknown now fuels his work in tech. As a Computer Science and Physics student at Northeastern University, he brings that sense of wonder to every project he touches. He currently works in the NUCAR lab under Professor Dr. Kaeli, whose mentorship continues to inspire and challenge him. Whether he's leading technical teams, diving into research, or singing karaoke with friends, Mouad is driven by a love of learning, a spirit of collaboration, and a belief that technology can bring people together in powerful ways.
