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Presented by Trinity University and Bank of America San Antonio, the Trinity Policy Maker Breakfast Series is celebrating its 44th year as the premier event of its kind in the city, attracting an extraordinarily diverse, intellectual and influential audience. This is the third consecutive year that Bank of America, driven by its commitment to economic mobility and building stronger financial futures for all, has supported the conversation series.

Ambassador Nicholas Burns, a leading expert on U.S.-China relations, kicked off the first Policy Maker Breakfast series of the year. Having served six presidents and nine secretaries of state, he drew upon decades of diplomatic experience — including key roles at NATO, Russia, Ukraine, and Greece — to deliver insights on global politics, economics, and technology as well as key insights on U.S.-China relations.

Ambassador Burns’s keynote focused on three major global trade relationships with America: Russia, the Middle East, and China. He pointed out the shift in global trade, with the average tariff rate rising significantly from 3% to 18.6% within a year. Burns said that “the United States is the global trade leader, and our country’s continued leadership depends on our internal stability and unity.”

Burns illustrated the importance of educators and their role in helping people learn how to think for themselves, rather than telling them what to think. He also underscored how critical it is for organizations to find success through internal unity, attributing the concept to Abraham Lincoln and his famous quote: “A house divided against itself cannot stand.”  

Burns left the business community with a message of hope, expressing his confidence in a positive future. He cited his optimism in the potential of young people, the strength of the private sector, and the role of universities, and that we will see good days ahead.

Why is this important to businesses in San Antonio?

Jesse Edelman, CEO of ArchPoint Group, San Antonian and regular attendee of the Policy Maker Breakfast, shared how valuable Burn’s trade insights were to his company. ArchPoint, a comprehensive, cross-functional private label manufacturer, works with retailers to source, produce, brand, and broker private-label products that consumers see when walking down the aisle of their local grocery store.

More than product manufacturing, ArchPoint manages an in-house retail sales brokerage, creative marketing agency, and consulting firm. As a company that has international agreements with manufacturing sites worldwide, Edelman gained insight into the unprecedented transformation in global markets and a wider perspective on our country’s relations with major trade partners.

“With over 10,000 ocean containers moving across the globe, international trade is a key component of our business, including access to high-quality products at the most affordable cost,” Edelman said. “Ambassador Burns spoke about key issues impacting my business on a daily basis, and I’m walking away from the conversation with insight that will help me refine my strategy and best position ArchPoint for continued success.”

Having an international perspective gives businesses like ArchPoint a competitive edge. ArchPoint has worked closely with its Bank of America banking team for years for expert guidance and financing as the company has grown significantly, increasing its revenue more than ten times since its founding in 2007. 

As we look forward to the upcoming Trinity Policy Maker Breakfast on Tuesday, Nov. 18, members of the business community will gather at the Witte Museum to hear from former Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, who will speak about how embracing connection will transform a lonely community into a flourishing one.

Those interested in attending the Policy Maker Breakfast series can visit gotu.us/pmb.

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