LBJ Business Policy Forum

The LBJ Business Policy Forum

America’s long-term economic strength, global competitiveness and national security depend on smart, forward-looking public policies that empower U.S. businesses to lead, innovate and thrive. Today, that imperative is more urgent than ever. Geopolitical rivalries are deepening, global trade is rapidly shifting and technologies like artificial intelligence are redrawing the boundaries of economic leadership. The LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin is responding to this moment by launching the LBJ Business Policy Forum—a six-event series to be held throughout the 2025–26 academic year that will convene business leaders, entrepreneurs, technologists and policymakers on campus for high-impact discussions on pressing policy opportunities and challenges facing American business today. By connecting Austin’s vibrant innovation ecosystem with national and global leaders, the Forum will highlight how policy choices affect competitiveness in American business—and how business outcomes can inform smarter, more resilient policy decisions.

The launch of Large Language Models in China and partner nations rivaling U.S. systems, has upended assumptions about American dominance in AI. Despite U.S. export controls on advanced chips, U.S. competitors in AI are accelerating—at speed and scale. This inaugural LBJ Business Policy Forum convening will examine how public policy can secure U.S. leadership in AI, with a focus on building national AI infrastructure, expanding talent pipelines, and meeting the massive energy and compute demands of the AI era. From public-private partnerships like Stargate to federal and state-level R&D strategies, we’ll explore how the U.S. can maintain its technological edge and ensure AI advances serve U.S. national and economic interest.

Bakari Brock has built a career driving growth and strategic innovation across leading technology companies including Google, YouTube, Twitter, and Lyft. Currently serving as Senior Director of Global Partnerships at Microsoft for Startups, he oversees relationships within Microsoft’s startup ecosystem and advances initiatives that help founders scale their businesses. Before joining Microsoft, Bakari Brock was Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at Guideline, a fintech company providing 401K plans for small businesses, where he led efforts in revenue growth, strategy, and go-to-market execution. At Lyft (2014–2020), he developed key partnerships with regional and international airports, creating industry-first agreements that set new standards of transparency. He also spearheaded strategic initiatives across transit, higher education, and public-private collaborations, bridging data science with operational strategy. Earlier in his career, Bakari Brock played a pivotal role at Twitter as Legal Director for global revenue, where he helped design the company’s Developer Terms of Service (the “Firehose”) and managed legal support for international growth. At YouTube, he served as Corporate Counsel, supporting content licensing and syndication deals that expanded the platform’s global reach, including early mobile partnerships like Nokia. Through these roles, Bakari Brock has consistently focused on solving complex business problems and creating durable value for organizations at the forefront of innovation.

Amir Husain is a serial entrepreneur, veteran AI technologist, and author based in Austin, Texas. He has received widespread acclaim for his pioneering work, including Austin’s Top Entrepreneur award and inclusion in Austin’s 40 Under 40. His ventures have been lauded with CNBC’s fastest growing company awards and numerous other international recognitions. In 2013, Amir founded SparkCognition, now Avathon. Under Amir’s leadership, the company achieved a unicorn valuation, marking a significant milestone in its journey. As the Founder and Executive Board Member of this award-winning AI company, Amir led the firm as CEO from its inception until the end of 2023. Besides his contributions to SparkCognition, he also holds board positions at SpecFive, a mesh networking company, and Navigate, a decentralized data platform. Amir founded the defense technology company SGS, chaired by former Deputy Secretary of Defense, Robert Work, and served as Founder, CEO, and Board Director of SkyGrid, a joint venture with Boeing. An avid inventor, Amir has been awarded over 30 patents in AI and distributed systems. He serves on UT Austin’s Computer Science Board, NATO’s Innovation Advisory Board and the Board of Global Venture Bridge, fostering international entrepreneurial collaboration. His work has been featured in world-leading publications such as the BBC, Fortune, Forbes, and Proceedings from the U.S. Naval Institute. He is the author of the best-selling book “The Sentient Machine,” a co-author of “Hyperwar: Conflict and Competition in the AI Century”, and has recently published “Generative Art”, “Generative AI for Leaders” and “Serious Machines.”

Dr. Vivek Mohindra is Senior Vice President and Special Advisor to the Vice Chairman and COO of Dell Technologies. He works in close partnership with Dell senior leadership on projects related to growth and AI-driven company transformation. Prior to this role, Vivek served as Chief Strategy Officer, responsible for developing and driving strategies to help ensure Dell’s continued market leadership. During his first tenure with Dell (2005-2008), he held key executive roles at the corporate level, in the Client Solutions Group (CSG), Marketing, and Sales. He returned to Dell in 2020, joining CSG to focus on modernizing the client product journey and accelerating the aaS businesses. Vivek’s industry experience includes serving as a Partner in the High-Tech practice of McKinsey & Company where he co-led the global semiconductor practice based in the U.S. and South Korea, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Business Transformation at Freescale Semiconductor working on its turnaround after privatization and a successful IPO, Operating Group Partner at TPG Capital working with the Tech buyouts team and portfolio companies, and Partner at New Science Ventures making venture investments in Tech and Life Sciences sectors. Vivek has served on the Board of Directors for over 10 public and private companies, including GlobalFoundries and CyberOptics. He currently serves on the Advisory Council of Carnegie Mellon University’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Vivek received his BE in Chemical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (Roorkee), and his MBA and PhD in Chemical Engineering concurrently from MIT.

Dilawar Syed is an entrepreneur, board member, and former U.S. cabinet official whose leadership has spanned various public and private sector organizations, including as Deputy Administrator for the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and Special Envoy for Commercial Affairs at the State Department. In a decades-long career in Silicon Valley, Dilawar led and scaled ventures in AI, software, and consumer web. After his public service, he has joined the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin as Senior Economic Policy Advisor, to lead a new initiative on advancing U.S. business competitiveness, and as faculty at the LBJ School and UT’s McCombs School of Business. He is advising several technology ventures as a board member. Dilawar’s most recent role as SBA Deputy Administrator began with a bipartisan vote of the U.S. Senate. Dilawar advanced the Biden Administration’s priorities for small businesses by democratizing access to capital ($56 billion in 2024), government contracting ($183 billion in 2024), and entrepreneurship enablement, especially in the underserved and rural communities. He coordinated SBA’s disaster response after Hurricanes Helene and Milton in the Southeast, the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore, MD, and the wildfires in Maui, HI. As Special Envoy for Commercial Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, Dilawar served as America’s top commercial diplomat, championing U.S. companies in markets abroad and strengthening U.S. competitiveness. He mobilized private sector support for Ukraine after Russia’s invasion, advocated for strategic deals in advanced tech, energy, aviation, and defense, and negotiated market access in his 24 bilateral engagements across the globe. Dilawar’s civic entrepreneurship has spanned local, state, and federal governments. Appointed by President Obama in 2010 to the White House Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, he led engagement with small businesses during the economic recovery. In 2017, he launched the California Entrepreneurship Task Force with the Governor’s Office to bridge Silicon Valley with rural communities and promote inclusive entrepreneurship. Dilawar has previously served as CEO of Lumiata, an AI healthcare company backed by Khosla Ventures and BlueCross BlueShields, and as President at Freshworks, where he founded the software company’s North America business. Freshworks had a successful IPO in 2021. Earlier, he held leadership roles at Yahoo! and Siebel Systems. Dilawar started his career in management consulting at Ernst & Young and Deloitte Consulting. Dilawar holds an MBA from The Wharton School and a BA in Computer Science and Economics from The University of Texas at Austin.

Info: The launch of Large Language Models in China and partner nations rivaling U.S. systems, has upended assumptions about American dominance in AI. Despite U.S. export controls on advanced chips, U.S. competitors in AI are accelerating—at speed and scale. This inaugural LBJ Business Policy Forum convening will examine how public policy can secure U.S. leadership in AI, with a focus on building national AI infrastructure, expanding talent pipelines, and meeting the massive energy and compute demands of the AI era. From public-private partnerships like Stargate to federal and state-level R&D strategies, we’ll explore how the U.S. can maintain its technological edge and ensure AI advances serve U.S. national and economic interest.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Robert B. Rowling Hall (Room 5.210), 300 West Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard, Austin, United States