Born and raised in Atlanta, Amir Farokhi spent his youth exploring downtown's canyons and the halls of Atlanta colleges, where his parents worked as educators at Georgia State University and Morris Brown College. It was from these experiences that Amir learned Atlanta's rich history and began to recognize that although Atlantans held different perspectives and needs, Atlantans were drawn to the city by the promise of more, not only for themselves, but also for the city itself.

It is his belief that Atlanta can build grow from a "brave and beautiful city" into an inspiring world-class city that calls Amir to public service today.

Growing up in Atlanta, Amir attended The Galloway School and spent his summers surrounded by energized college students, absent-minded professors, and the pulsing diaspora of a growing city. He was exposed early to differences in race, ethnicity, culture, and class. From these experiences, Amir developed a deep understanding of others and an appreciation for Atlanta's diversity and history.

Following high school, Amir attended Duke University. At Duke, through his role in student government and motivated by his Atlanta roots, Amir introduced legislation calling on the university to recognize Martin Luther King Jr. Day as an official school holiday. Soon thereafter, Duke, for the first time, began an annual tradition of treating Dr. King's day as a university-wide day of celebration and service.

After earning a degree in political science from Duke, Amir, seeking broader experiences, traveled to Taiwan where he taught for a year at the Taipei American School. In his year working abroad, Amir had the opportunity to travel to some of the world's great cities: Hong Kong, Bangkok, London, Rome, Amsterdam and Beijing. Each of these cities offered something different but instructive about what makes cities great: the importance of affordable housing integrated throughout a city, the role a vibrant street life, experienced on foot, plays in giving a city depth, identity and safety, the necessity of abundant greenspace and public space, how great architecture and public art inspire a city's residents and attract tourists, and the need to embrace a city's history as it moves forward.

These travels, more than any other experience, made Amir realize his deep pride in Atlanta and his desire to work to make Atlanta become a world-class city; merging the best of its history, the South, vibrant business, educational and arts communities, and a global, dynamic and open people.

Amir returned to Duke for law school and then to Atlanta where he currently practices law at a prestigious local law firm. Amir lives in the shadow of downtown, near the entrance to Historic Oakland Cemetery. Surrounded by a rapidly changing neighborhood, striving to allow old and new to flourish together, it is not lost on Amir that he lives on a street named for Atlanta's greatest son, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Amir serves on the Board of Directors of the Charles R. Drew Charter School in East Lake and the Board of Trustees of The Galloway School.  Further, Amir is an Associate with the Truman National Security Project.