Speaking Engagements

A Voice That Cuts to the Heart of Medicine, Power, and Justice

For decades, the world has watched drug prices spiral while access to life-saving medicines remained out of reach for billions. Tahir Amin has spent two decades doing something about it — and he's one of the most compelling voices in the world explaining why.

As co-founder and CEO of I-MAK (Initiative for Medicines, Access & Knowledge), Tahir brings more than 30 years of intellectual property law expertise to one of the defining challenges of our time: how do we build a world where the medicines people need are actually available to them? His answer — rooted in rigorous legal analysis, global policy experience, and an unflinching commitment to equity — makes for speaking engagements that inform, provoke, and inspire.

About Tahir

Tahir Amin, LL.B., Dip. LP., trained as an intellectual property attorney and honed his craft for a decade at two of the United Kingdom's leading IP law firms, as well as serving as IP Counsel for multinational corporations. He pivoted that expertise toward the public interest, becoming a former Harvard Medical School Fellow in the Department of Global Health & Social Medicine and a trusted legal advisor to institutions including the European Patent Office and the World Health Organization. Tahir currently serves on New York City Mayor, Zohran Mamdani's Transition Committee on Health.

He has testified before the U.S. Congress, the Federal Trade Commission and the U.S International Trade Commission on intellectual property, unsustainable drug prices and access to medicines. Tahir's work and writing have appeared in Foreign Affairs, Nature, the New York Times, STAT News, and CNBC, among many others. He has also appeared on VICE News, NBC News, Al Jazeera and the BBC. In addition, Tahir has spoken at forums ranging from The Big Think to international health policy convenings.

At I-MAK, Tahir leads work that challenges and reshapes IP laws and the global political economy — not in the abstract, but with real consequences for real people. His focus is on the structural power dynamics that allow health and economic injustices to persist, and on what it will actually take to change them.Speaking Topics

Speaking Topics

Tahir speaks with authority and clarity on:

• The patent system and drug pricing — why the problem isn't a mystery, and what change would actually look like

• Economic justice and the freedom to access medicines — the systemic forces keeping life-saving treatments out of reach globally

• The political economy of intellectual property law and the public interest — how IP frameworks were built, who they serve, and how they can be changed

• Corporate power and democratic accountability — the political economy of pharmaceutical markets

Available For

• Keynote Speaking — Tahir delivers keynotes that ground complex policy issues in human stakes, offering audiences both the analytical framework and the moral clarity to understand what's at play in the global medicines system.

• Fireside Chats — In conversation, Tahir is thoughtful, direct, and engaging. He draws on decades of frontline legal and advocacy experience to go beyond headlines and offer genuine insight — ideal for conferences, summits, and leadership forums.

• Panel Appearances — Whether alongside policymakers, industry leaders, clinicians, or activists, Tahir brings a rare combination of legal expertise and movement credibility that elevates any discussion on economic justice, health equity, the political economy of "innovation", or corporate accountability.