She has a Master of Architecture degree from the University of British Columbia, where she won the UBC Architecture Alumni Henry Elder Prize. In 2005, Leila co-founded Diba Tensile Architecture, a company specialising in the design, manufacture and installation of membrane structures. She was chief architect and designer of the Tabiat Bridge in Tehran, a pedestrian bridge opened in late 2014 which has won several prizes, including the Popular Choice award in the Highways & Bridges category of Architizer's 2015 A+ Awards.