North Capital Forum

Labor mobility has become an essential component in responding to workforce shortages, evolving industry needs, and demographic shifts across North America. As the region faces increasing pressure to fill critical roles in sectors ranging from agriculture and manufacturing to healthcare and technology, the ability to move talent efficiently and responsibly across borders is more important than ever.

This panel explored the current landscape of labor mobility, focusing on existing visa frameworks, binational agreements, and policy tools designed to facilitate cross-border workforce movement. It also highlighted innovative, industry-led solutions that are helping to address labor gaps while ensuring the protection and development of workers.

In addition to practical mechanisms, the discussion examined the broader economic, social, and security implications of labor mobility, offering a comprehensive perspective on how governments, businesses, and civil society can collaborate to create a more resilient and adaptive labor ecosystem in North America.

Speakers:

Andrew Selee, NCF25 FELLOW, President, Migration Policy Institute

Dany Bahar, Senior Fellow & Director Migration Program, Center for Global Development

Marcela Escobari, Senior Fellow, Global Economy and Development, Brookings Institution

Sean Randolph, Senior Director, Bay Area Council Economic Institute

Carolina Millan, Mexico Bureau Chief, Bloomberg News

China’s growing global influence is reshaping trade, supply chains, and geopolitics, presenting both challenges and opportunities for North America.

Drawing on insights from his most recent book, Patrick McGee explored how the U.S., Mexico, and Canada can respond to this shifting landscape. The panel examined strategies to balance competition with China while deepening regional integration, leveraging the collective strengths of the three countries to enhance resilience, competitiveness, and long-term growth in a multipolar world.

As the global energy landscape undergoes rapid transformation, North America stands at a critical juncture. The United States, Mexico, and Canada are uniquely positioned to lead—not only through abundant resources like oil, gas, and critical minerals, but also by advancing integration in electricity, petrochemicals, and clean energy technologies.

This panel brought together top leaders to explore how deeper energy cooperation can boost regional competitiveness, attract investment in advanced manufacturing, and build more resilient supply chains for both conventional and emerging sectors.

Panelists discussed how coordinated policy, infrastructure planning, and cross-border trade can enhance energy security within the region, and for global allies. With the 2026 USMCA review on the horizon, this is a key moment to assess how a unified North American energy strategy can drive long-term economic growth and geopolitical influence.

Speakers:

Carlos García, Senior VP Latin America, Commercial Operation and Managing Director, Valero Mexico

Gerardo Cervantes, Chief Commercial Officer, Saavi Energía

Gregory Romero, SVP Mexico Natural Gas Pipelines, TC Energy

Katya Somohano, CEO, Iberdrola México

Tania Ortiz Mena, President, Sempra Infrastructure

Reed Blakemore, Director of Research and Programs, Global Energy Center

Atlantic Council

North America stands at a pivotal moment to strengthen its industrial platform, with a robust, modern electrical manufacturing base at the heart of this opportunity. This panel explored how modern electrical infrastructure, regulatory alignment, and coordinated standards across the U.S., Mexico, and Canada can serve as strategic tools to drive investment, boost productivity, and ensure long-term energy security, especially as the three countries work to align policies ahead of potential USMCA renegotiations.

The conversation also highlighted Mexico’s growing role in electrical equipment manufacturing and its regulatory modernization efforts, which position it as a key player in advancing regional value chains and increasing the use of North American content. With the USMCA review on the horizon, this timely discussion went beyond identifying challenges to focus on actionable strategies that can strengthen infrastructure, integrate supply chains, and align standards, all of which are critical steps toward securing a resilient, competitive, and innovation-driven North American economy.

Speakers:

Courtney Rosellini, Head of Government Affairs, TE Connectivity

Jaime Zabludovsky, Vice President, IQOM

Jesús Carmona, President, Mexico & Central America, Schneider Electric

Spencer Pederson, Senior Vice President, Public Affairs, NEMA

Montserrat Ramiro, Commissioner, Mexican Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE)

As global competition reshapes markets, North America faces strategic decisions around foreign investment, industrial policy, and supply chain resilience. The growing presence of investment from outside the region is transforming key industries and raising concerns about market access, tariff circumvention, and strategic dependencies. At the same time, these investments are contributing to job creation, industrial development, and expanded production capacity across the region.

This session assessed how these dynamics are impacting trade, manufacturing, and investment decisions in North America. Speakers examined the risks and opportunities for businesses, the regulatory responses taking shape, and the potential for the U.S., Mexico, and Canada to align strategies that protect critical sectors while keeping the region competitive.

SPEAKERS:

Jorge Gonzalez Henrichsen, Co-CEO, The Nearshore Company

Valeria Moy, Director, IMCO

Glenn Hamer, President and CEO, Texas Association of Business

Julián Ventura, Former Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs, Mexico; Former ambassador of Mexico to China

Jason Marczak, VP and Senior Director, Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center, Atlantic Council.

Mexican Governors from Aguascalientes, Baja California, Nuevo León and Coahuila discussed the unique investment opportunities in their states, highlighting diverse sectors including automotive, manufacturing, agriculture, technology, innovation, and energy.

The panel explored how subnational leadership can support North American integration, strengthen regional policies, and create a favorable environment for small and medium-sized enterprises. Panelists shared strategies for attracting investment, fostering innovation, and leveraging regional collaboration to drive economic growth. The discussion underscored how coordinated efforts at the state and regional level can help North America thrive in a competitive, interconnected global economy.

Contemporary geopolitics are defined by great power rivalries, regional conflicts, trade barriers, widening income gaps, health crises, and the disruptive impact of AI. In this session, Børge Brende, President of the World Economic Forum, shared his insights on how nations can foster cooperation and dialogue to better navigate these challenges. He was interviewed by Enrique Acevedo, international journalist, in a conversation that explored coordinated approaches to strengthen global stability while respecting the diverse interests and aspirations of countries worldwide.

The discussion examined the evolution of USMCA and the importance of maintaining stable, rules-based trade in the face of tariff volatility. It also addressed the modernization of border operations, from one-stop customs facilities and a potential Binational Customs Agency to new approaches for mapping land ports and commodity flows. In addition, panelists considered how digital infrastructure initiatives such as the North American Digital Infrastructure Coordination Initiative (NADICI) can harness AI and cybersecurity to enable secure, interoperable commerce.

Finally, the session highlighted the role of Southern U.S. states as critical trade corridors and explore the proposal for a North American Industrial Coordination Council (NAICC) to align industrial policy, investment, and workforce development. Together, these themes point toward a more integrated and resilient regional economy.

Speakers:

Alfonso Nevárez Jr., Vice Chairman, Port EPN

Daniel Covarrubias, Director, Texas Center for Border Economic and Enterprise Development, Texas A&M International University (TAMIU)

Gerónimo Gutiérrez, Former Ambassador of Mexico to the United States, Senior Advisor, Covington

Gerry Schwebel, Executive Vice President - Corporate International Division, International Bank of Commerce

Jorge Márquez, Chief Operating Officer, Grupo México Transportes

Mayra Maldonado, Executive Director, Hunt Institute at UTEP

As artificial intelligence reshapes industries and societies, open source development has emerged as a powerful force driving collaboration, transparency, and rapid innovation. In this conversation, Rob Sherman, Vice President and Deputy Chief Privacy Officer at Meta, explored how open source approaches—like Meta’s Llama—are accelerating technological progress while supporting economic growth and system-level safety.

Drawing on real-world examples, including applications of Llama in Mexico, the discussion examined how open source tools empower developer communities across Latin America, enable countries to maintain technological and data sovereignty, and contribute to building global standards for responsible and ethical AI.

The session also looked ahead, addressing how voluntary governance frameworks, industry-led safety standards, and proactive public policies can foster responsible adoption of AI technologies without stifling innovation. Finally, Sherman shared insights on the rise of personal superintelligence, and how this next frontier of AI could transform everyday life for users across North America and beyond.

Mariano-Florentino (Tino) Cuéllar, President of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and former Justice of the Supreme Court of California, engaged in a wide-ranging conversation on the forces shaping governance and cooperation in the 21st century. Drawing on his experience in law, diplomacy, and international affairs, Cuéllar reflected on the state of democracy and the rule of law, the disruptive impact of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies on public institutions, and the political economy of trade and regional integration.

This discussion highlighted how North America—and the broader global community—can navigate these transformative shifts to strengthen resilience, equity, and long-term stability.