Mehrdad Isvandi was born in Iran, where he developed an early passion for art during high school. He continued his artistic journey by studying graphic design at university and working in different studios in Tehran. Determined to expand his opportunities, he set his sights on continuing his education in the United States.

He enrolled in the Visual Development program at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, where his talent was recognized with the Best Illustrator award at the AAU Spring Show. Shortly after, he was accepted into the trainee/apprentice program at Walt Disney Animation Studios. He made the bold decision to leave university and move to Los Angeles to pursue this opportunity.

At Disney, Mehrdad built an impressive career as a Visual Development Artist, contributing to films such as Moana, Ralph Breaks the Internet, and Raya and the Last Dragon. His work and leadership led to his promotion to Art Director on Encanto and later to Production Designer on Strange World.