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Political masterminds Julián Castro and Will Hurd are experts on getting things done in a partisan environment. In this engaging session, they discuss America's possibilities for bipartisan collaboration and what it will take to futureproof our government.
Julián Castro has distinguished himself as a strong leader and successful public servant for nearly two decades. A former Democratic candidate for President, Castro served as the 16th Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Barack Obama from 2014 to 2017, and as mayor of San Antonio from 2009 to 2014. Today, Castro serves on the board of directors of the LBJ Foundation and is a political analyst for NBC News and MSNBC. From education to technology to safe and affordable housing, Castro has been at the forefront of some of the most innovative partnerships, programs and achievements in the public sector.
Known for putting good policy over party, Will Hurd draws on his tenure in Congress to share what is coming next in D.C. and his thoughts on how to move the country forward as a united nation. He is currently Managing Director at Allen & Company, a private investment bank, and author of American Reboot: An Idealist’s Guide to Getting Big Things Done. Offering insights informed by his time in the CIA and the government, Hurd helps organizations and individuals put threats into context and direct our focus toward unifying strategies for policy, economic empowerment, and America’s technological future.
Politician, author, and analyst Julián Castro has distinguished himself as a strong leader and successful public servant for nearly two decades. A former Democratic candidate for President, Castro served as the 16th Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Barack Obama from 2014 to 2017, and as mayor of San Antonio from 2009 to 2014. Today, Castro serves on the board of directors of the LBJ Foundation and is a political analyst for NBC News and MSNBC. Castro serves as CEO of the Latino Community Foundation, the nation’s largest Latino-serving foundation. From education to technology to safe and affordable housing, Castro has been at the forefront of some of the most innovative partnerships, programs, and achievements in the public sector.
His memoir, An Unlikely Journey: Waking Up from My American Dream, is a candid account of race and poverty in America. His views on equality, housing, and the future of America have been sought by America Votes, The National Association of Colleges and Employers, New York University, and more. In sharing lessons learned from the struggles and successes of his political journey, Castro gives audiences insight into how any group can make a significant change when it comes to America's most pressing issues.
Cybersecurity & AI expert, former U.S. House Representative, and former CIA officer Will Hurd is a leading voice for bipartisanship, inclusivity, and finding unity in the face of divisive issues. Prior to his work in politics, Hurd served as an undercover officer in the CIA. His service left him with an insider’s understanding of current national security concerns and the future of cybersecurity as the next domain of conflict. He helped build FusionX to combat cyber adversaries. While serving in Congress, Politico named Hurd “the Future of the GOP.” He was renowned for his ability to put policy ahead of politics – getting more substantive legislation signed into law in three terms than most lawmakers achieve in decades. Always forward-thinking, Hurd wrote the first national strategy on AI, held the first Congress hearing on AI, and published the first Presidential Plan for AI. As a presidential candidate for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, he introduced innovative AI and border policies. In his book, American Reboot: An Idealist’s Guide to Getting Big Things Done, Hurd provides a vision for leadership that is values-based and inspiring for audiences of all kinds. Hurd is celebrated as a transformative leader, dedicated to securing a better future for everyone.
As renowned cybersecurity expert, Managing Director at Allen & Company, a board member of OpenAI, and a trustee of the German Marshall Fund, Hurd was at the center of technology, national security, and public policy. Offering insights informed by his time in the CIA and politics, Hurd helps organizations and individuals put threats into context and directs focus toward unifying strategies for policy, economic empowerment, and America’s technological future.
Julián Castro has distinguished himself as a strong leader and successful public servant for nearly two decades. A former Democratic candidate for President, Castro served as the 16th Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Barack Obama from 2014 to 2017, and as mayor of San Antonio from 2009 to 2014. At HUD, Castro managed 8,000 employees and a budget of more than $46 billion, and he led progress at the Department that earned it recognition as one of the most improved federal agencies. Castro also co-chaired the United States delegation to the United Nations Habitat III conference, spearheaded efforts to reduce homelessness, and created Connect Home, a public-private partnership to deliver broadband to public housing residents.
Previously, as mayor of America’s seventh largest city, Castro brought a strong focus to expanding educational achievement and making San Antonio a leader in the 21st century global economy. Under Castro’s leadership, San Antonio implemented Pre-K4SA, a high quality early childhood learning initiative that has earned praise as one of America’s strongest public pre-kindergarten programs. During his tenure, San Antonio ranked first on the Milken Institute’s Best Performing Cities List, received an A+ grade for doing business by Forbes, and was the only Top 10 city at the time to achieve a Triple A bond rating with each of the three major ratings agencies.
A native Texan, Castro began his public service career in 2001, becoming, at the age of 26, San Antonio’s youngest city councilman in history at the time. Castro made history again in 2012, when he delivered the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention, the first Latino to do so.
Following his service in the Obama administration, Castro served as the Dean’s Distinguished Fellow and Fellow of the Davila Chair in International Trade Policy at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. Castro’s memoir, An Unlikely Journey: Waking Up From My American Dream was published by Little Brown in 2018.
Today, Castro serves on the board of directors of the LBJ Foundation and is a political analyst for NBC News and MSNBC. Castro serves as CEO of the Latino Community Foundation, the nation’s largest Latino-serving foundation.
Castro received a B.A. from Stanford University and a J.D. from Harvard Law School. He and his wife, Erica, have a daughter, Carina, and a son, Cristián. Castro’s twin brother, Joaquin, represents the 20th Congressional District of Texas.
The Honorable Will Hurd is a devoted husband and acclaimed author. He has led a diverse career as an intelligence officer, cybersecurity executive, congressman, artificial intelligence policy pioneer, investment banker, and presidential candidate. A San Antonio native and the youngest of three siblings, Will earned his Computer Science degree from Texas A&M University.
In his 20s, serving overseas in the CIA, Will stopped our enemies from trying to blow us up, steal our secrets and bring dirty bombs into America. In his 30s he helped build a cybersecurity company called FusionX, where he prevented our adversaries from stealing our money, poisoning our water, and disrupting our electrical grid. In Congress, he dealt with forces trying to undermine our democratic institutions. While in his early 40s through his roles as a Managing Director at Allen & Company, on the Board of OpenAI, and as a Trustee of the German Marshall Fund he was in the vanguard of technology, national security, and public policy ensuring America stayed the most powerful country in the world. As a presidential candidate in his late 40s, Will introduced groundbreaking AI policies, innovative solutions to our border crisis, and strategies to win the New Cold War with China.
Will, known for his love of movies, Tex-Mex cuisine, national parks, the San Antonio Spurs, and most importantly his awesome wife, has been lauded as “the most interesting man in Congress,” “the real deal,” and “the kind of public servant we need today.” Will is committed to forging a brighter and more resilient world for future generations.
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