North Capital Forum

As capital flows reshape the economic landscape of North America, this conversation explored the forces driving innovation, entrepreneurship, and financial transformation across the region.

Bringing together visionary leaders Nigel Morris, co-founder of Capital One and co-founder and managing partner of QED Investors, and José Antonio Meade, former Mexican Secretary of Finance and Public Credit, Foreign Affairs, Social Development, and Energy, this panel delved into the future of investments, fintech, and venture capital.

They shared insights on fostering cross-border collaboration, scaling innovative financial technologies, and cultivating the leadership needed to unlock North America’s full potential as a global hub for innovation and sustainable growth.

Entertainment is rapidly transforming, and North America is emerging as a strategic powerhouse—especially with Mexico playing a key role. This panel explored how the region is positioning itself as a prime destination for world-class concerts, major sporting events, cultural festivals, and premium audiovisual content production.

Industry leaders shared insights on what it takes to attract and deliver high-value global events and top-tier content, while discussing the unique opportunities for growth and innovation across the region. Join us to learn how North America is shaping its story as a vibrant entertainment hub with influence that resonates worldwide.

Speakers:

Cisco Aguilar, Secretary of State, Government of Nevada

Felipe Vallejo, CEO and Global Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Bitso

Jorge Juárez, CEO, Westwood Entertainment

Manuel Urrutia, Chief Strategy Officer, Cinépolis

Jimena Tolama, Editor in Chief, Bloomberg Línea

Economic growth is the primary benchmark for evaluating the success of the trade agreement and the benefits it delivers to the societies within the region. Yet the true challenge lies in moving beyond traditional metrics to ask: what comes next for North America?

The conversation spotlighted a generation of decision-makers who have lived the North American experience firsthand — those born after the signing of NAFTA, and others who came of age as it took shape. These individuals have played a vital role in bringing the concept of North America into public discourse in a constructive and experience-based way. The panel recognized and elevate their perspectives as essential to building a more dynamic and forward-looking North American future.

Speakers:

Juan Carlos Rodríguez, CEO, Dalton Motors

Miguel Angel Curiel, Vice President and General Manager - Mexico, Driscoll’s

Oscar del Cueto, CPKCM President and Executive Representative, CPKC

Rossana Fuentes-Berain, Founder & Director, Mexico Media Lab

Regina Reyes Heroles, Director of Editorial Innovation, Milenio

Digital transformation and innovation are redefining how businesses operate across North America. From manufacturing and logistics to finance, agriculture, and services, companies—from small and medium-sized enterprises to global firms—are adopting new technologies and innovative solutions to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and remain globally competitive.

This panel brought together leaders from Canada, the United States, and Mexico to explore how the region can harness these tools and strategies to ensure that digital transformation and innovation become shared engines of sustainable and inclusive economic growth.

Speakers:

Arrow Augerot, Director, Americas Public Policy, Amazon

Claudia Jañez, Presidenta Ejecutiva, ConMéxico

Eduardo Amaro, NCF25 FELLOW, Regional Director, Mexico, Rockwell Automation

Harry Krensky, Managing Partner, Discovery Americas

Guillermo Franco, Executive Director, Multimedios & Milenio Monterrey

Marina Cigarini, Managing Partner, Mexico, McKinsey & Co

As global supply chains shift, North America is becoming a prime destination for allyshoring and nearshoring. This panel explored how bringing industries closer to home is strengthening resilience, driving innovation, and deepening ties between Mexico, the United States, and Canada.

Leaders from across sectors discussed what it takes to build competitive regional supply chains—highlighting the role of talent, infrastructure, and public-private collaboration in positioning North America as a global model of security and shared growth.

Speakers:

Adriana Eguia, Regional Vice President, North West Mexico, Vesta

Brendan Kelly, Visiting Fellow, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Global Institute

Dan Erikson, Senior Advisor, Covington

Rhett Buttle, Executive Director, Small Business Roundtable

Amb. Louise Blais, Senior Special Advisor – U.S. and International Affairs, Business Council of Canada

This session brings together two leading voices shaping North America’s economic future: Altagracia Gómez, Coordinator of the Advisory Council for Regional Economic Development and Business Relocation at the Government of Mexico, and Blanca Treviño, President and CEO of Softtek.

Together, they explored how business relocation, digital transformation, and regional integration are redefining competitiveness in Mexico and across North America. From government strategies to private-sector innovation, the conversation shed light on the opportunities and challenges of building a more connected, resilient, and forward-looking regional economy.

Global economic shifts, supply chain realignments, and geopolitical tensions are reshaping how nations trade, invest, and cooperate. This session explored the transition from decades of globalization to a more regionally integrated North America, with perspectives from across Canada, the United States, and Mexico.

The discussion highlighted both the opportunities and challenges of this shift, focusing on how stronger regional value chains, cross-border innovation, and coordinated strategies can build resilience while maintaining global competitiveness.

Speakers:

Ken Frenkel, President, Canadian Council for the Americas

Rob Wildeboer, Executive Chairman and Co-founder, Martinrea International

Whitney Y. Baird, President and CEO, USCIB

Juan Pardinas, Socio Director, Tres-N

This interactive panel aimed to showcase the economic value of exchange programs. Conversation leaders will share insights on how international exchanges generate economic value and how they can be strategically integrated into Comprehensive Economic Development Strategies (CEDS) to promote trade and investment. Experts explored ways to leverage exchanges in supporting cluster-to-cluster growth, enhancing regional connectivity, and strengthening global competitiveness.

Speakers:

América Ávalos, National Manager of Education and Family Philanthropy, Coppel

Hazel Blackmore, Executive Director, COMEXUS (Fulbright Mexico)

Pato Bichara, CEO, Collective Academy

Puru Trivedi, Senior Vice President, Meridian International Center

Courtney Breckenridge ,Co-Chair, Illinois Innovation Network’s Education and Workforce Committee

From stablecoins and cryptocurrencies to instant payments and real-time settlements, financial technology is transforming how money moves across borders. This panel explored the global trends reshaping the financial landscape and their impact on North America’s economies, businesses, and households.

The conversation examined how innovations in digital finance are changing remittance flows, expanding access to financial services, and enabling faster, more secure transactions. Panelists also discussed the policy, regulatory, and infrastructure shifts needed to ensure these technologies foster inclusion, protect consumers, and strengthen cross-border economic integration. As the pace of change accelerates, understanding these dynamics is key to building a more connected and competitive region.

Speakers:

Claudia Núñez Sañudo, CEO, Fintech Mexico

Kristy Duncan, Founder and CEO, Women in Payments

Rene Salazar, Head of Partnerships & Expansion, LATAM, Stripe

Penny Lee, President and CEO, Financial Technology Association (FTA)

In today’s fast-moving markets, access to reliable data is critical for strategic decision-making. This panel explored how companies and investors are leveraging data to identify trends, manage risks, and uncover opportunities across North American trade, investment, and energy integration, particularly within the USMCA framework.

Panelists shared real-world examples of how actionable insights drive competitive advantage—whether optimizing supply chains, guiding capital allocation, or navigating regulatory shifts. The discussion highlighted key sectoral dynamics, including energy policy alignment, evolving trade flows, and cross-border investment trends that position Mexico, the U.S., and Canada as interconnected hubs of regional growth.

The session also examined how collaboration between the private sector and policymakers can strengthen market intelligence, improve the business environment, and enable agile, evidence-based decision-making in an increasingly complex global economy.

Speakers:

Lala Elizondo, Co-founder, Tule Capital

Martin Cabrera, CEO and Founder, Cabrera Capital

Miriam Acuña, Chief Economist, GBM

Paloma Merodio, Assistant Vice President of Data Analysis and Intelligence, AT&T

Rogelio Arzate, Executive President, ANPACT - Heavy Duty Vehicles Association

Gabriel Cohen, Chief Editor, Latinometrics