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 Resource Race for Rare Earths & Critical Minerals

Critical minerals and rare earth elements are the backbone of modern life—powering everything from EVs and batteries to advanced defense and aerospace systems. China’s dominance in critical minerals presents a clear strategic vulnerability for the U.S. This forum will examine the industrial, environmental, and geopolitical levers the U.S. can pull to secure reliable, ethical, and sustainable access to rare earths and critical minerals. We’ll explore opportunities for U.S. industrial policy, and reshoring, friend-shoring, and innovation in critical minerals extraction, processing and recycling.

Former Undersecretary, Economic Growth & Energy, U.S. Department of State.

José Fernández served at the highest levels of the legal profession, the U.S. government, public company boardrooms, and universities. In both the public and private sectors, his principal focus was on global infrastructure projects, including telecommunications, technology, energy, mining, and transportation. He was recognized for his expertise in mergers, acquisitions, financings, and strategic investments both domestically and internationally, as well as his deep understanding of the U.S. government and multilateral financial institutions.Most recently, he served as the Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment in the Biden Administration, overseeing several hundred foreign service officers and civil servants. As the top U.S. economic diplomat, he played a central role in the administration’s policies on trade and investment, supply chains, the environment, sanctions, and engagement with the private sector. He originated and chaired theMinerals Security Partnership, supported over a dozen countries in countering China’s economic coercion, led the State Department’s global economic engagement, promoted trade and investment opportunities abroad, developed economic support programs for Ukraine, and worked to implement the CHIPS and Inflation Reduction Acts. In recognition of his service, he received awards from Secretary Blinken and several foreign governments.During the Obama Administration, José Fernández served as Assistant Secretary of State for Economic, Energy, and Business Affairs, one of the bureaus he later oversaw as Under Secretary.Outside government, he spent more than three decades as an attorney advising U.S. and foreign companies, most recently at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. He represented clients in cross-border financings, mergers, acquisitions, and joint ventures across emerging markets and Europe, as well as in matters related to U.S. foreign investment regulations (CFIUS), sanctions, and commercial disputes. Several of these transactions were recognized in leading professional publications.Prior to joining the Biden Administration, he served as a Director and member of the Audit Committee of Iberdrola, S.A. (IBE:MC), one of the world’s largest electric utilities and renewable energy companies. Before joining the Iberdrola Board, he was a Director and Chair of the Audit Committee of Avangrid Inc. (NYSE: AGR).José Fernández graduated from Dartmouth College, where he later received an honorary degree while serving on its Board of Trustees, and earned a law degree from Columbia University School of Law. He was fluent in Spanish and nearly fluent in French and Portuguese.

Co-founder, Nomadic Venture Partners

Tem Tumurbat is the Co-founder and Managing Partner of Nomadic Venture Partners, an early-stage VC firm that invests in founders driving the Metals Transition. NVP focuses on making mining more responsible and uses innovation to help bridge the critical minerals gap between supply and demand. He focuses on fund strategy, fundraising, and portfolio management. Prior to co-founding NVP, Tem was an investment professional at Resource Capital Funds (RCF), a private equity investment firm focused on mining. In this role, he managed investments from early to late-stage, de-risked companies, commercialized their businesses, and successfully completed M&As that delivered hundreds of millions of dollars to investors.Before RCF, Tem worked for Newmont Mining Corporation, first as a mining engineer and later as a project engineer. He is also a co-founder of MNG Summit, a non-profit organization that supports Mongolian students and early-career professionals. He started his professional career as an entrepreneur, operating a transportation company during college to help pay for his tuition and support his extended family.

Tem served as a board member and treasurer for the Colorado Chapter of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME). He currently serves on the board of trustees for the Mongolian School of Colorado. He received his B.S. in Mining Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines. His favorite topics are minerals, mining, and geopolitics. In his free time, he enjoys golfing, hiking, and spending time with his family.

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.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

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

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