Esfandyar Batmanghelidj is the founder and CEO of the Bourse & Bazaar Foundation, a think tank focused on economic diplomacy, economic development, and economic justice in the Middle East and Central Asia. He has published peer reviewed research on Iranian political economy, social history, and public health, as well as commentary on Iranian politics and economics. He has also conducted extensive research on sanctions and is a core member of the Advancing Humanitarianism through Sanctions Reform initiative. His research on the effects of sanctions has been funded by the Fourth Freedom Forum and the Swiss Network for International Studies. From 2021-2022, Esfandyar was a visiting fellow with the Middle East and North Africa programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Middle Eastern studies from Columbia University and an Executive Master's in Public Administration from the London School of Economics.