Fall 2026 Series
About this Event
A New Social Contract: Skills, Jobs, & Economic Security in the Age of AI
The event will center on public policy: how we prepare workers for transition, preserve pathways to economic mobility, and make sure AI’s productivity gains translate into broader economic security. Amjad Masad, founder and CEO of Replit, will join as a panelist, bringing a front-line view of how AI is reshaping software work and entry-level pathways
About the Speakers
Amjad Masad, Founder and CEO of ReplitAmjad
Masad is a Jordanian American entrepreneur and engineer. He is the founder and CEO of Replit, the world's leading online programming environment and community. Before Replit, Amjad worked at Facebook, overseeing the JavaScript infrastructure team and building some of the world's most popular open-source developer tools. Before that, he was a founding engineer at Codecademy, the world's leading online coding school.
Dilawar Syed is an entrepreneur, educator, and former senior U.S. government official working at the intersection of business, technology, and public policy. He serves on the faculty of The University of Texas at Austin's LBJ School of Public Affairs and McCombs School of Business, and founded the LBJ Business Policy Forum to advance ideas that strengthen American competitiveness. Following bipartisan confirmation by the U.S. Senate, Dilawar served as Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration. He helped expand access to capital and federal contracting, and coordinated the SBA's response to major disasters. Earlier, as Special Representative for Commercial and Business Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, he was America's top commercial diplomat, championing U.S. companies globally and mobilizing private-sector support for Ukraine. For over two decades, Dilawar has built and led ventures in Silicon Valley — as CEO of Lumiata, an AI healthcare company, and in establishing Freshworks' North American business ahead of its IPO. He currently serves on the board of and advises AI startups. He holds an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School and a bachelor's degree from The University of Texas at Austin.
Agenda
🕑: 04:00 PM - 04:15 PM
Welcome Remarks
Host: J. Paul Pope
Info:
Interim Dean of the LBJ School of Public Affairs
🕑: 04:15 PM - 06:00 PM
A New Social Contract: Skills, Jobs, & Economic Security in the Age of AI
Host: Amjad Masad
Info: The event will center on public policy: how we prepare workers for transition, preserve pathways to economic mobility, and make sure AI’s productivity gains translate into broader economic security. Amjad Masad, founder and CEO of Replit, will join as a panelist, bringing a front-line view of how AI is reshaping software work and entry-level pathways.
Event venue & nearby stays
LBJ School of Public Affairs - Bass Lecture Hall, 2300 Red River Street, Austin, United States
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