2026 Presenters
Scott Firsing PhD
Founder/President
Scott Sky Advisors
Dr. Scott Firsing owns Scott Sky Advisors, a consultancy in Austin, Texas that assists European companies entering the American and Canadian aviation/aerospace markets. He also serves on the Board of the National Flight Training Alliance (NFTA) based out of Washington DC, and recently served on the Board of the University Aviation Association (UAA).
With over 20 years of experience in aviation, defense, education, and intelligence, Dr. Firsing has worked globally for companies in France, South Africa, Switzerland, and the United States, and held roles with institutions like the United Nations. He has a successful track record in business development, marketing, research, sales, and team management, prioritizing high-quality experiences for customers and employees. In addition to his “business” career, he has been a K-12 School Principal and an International Studies Professor.
Dr. Firsing’s PhD is in International Politics, and he is an international relations/security expert focusing on foreign power involvement in Africa. He has taught over a dozen university courses at institutions such as The Citadel: The Military College of South Carolina, the University of the North Carolina, and Coastal Carolina University.
As a graduate of institutions like Rutgers University and LSE, Dr. Firsing has received awards for research, teaching, and community engagement. He has appeared on Al Jazeera, BBC, CNBC and others and his insight can be found in numerous outlets like AP, Huffington Post, The Conversation, and the US News and World Report. Dr. Firsing’s extensive written works, surpassing 100 publications, are widely referenced worldwide.
Andrea Hrusovska
Chief Executive Officer/Founder
HR4U Solutions
Andrea Hrusovska is an Experienced Strategic Manager in Human Resources and Human Capital with a strong track record in industries such as production, automotive, engineering, and sales who gained MBA from City University SEATTLE is leading the successful consulting company HR4U over 10 years in Europe and setting up subsidiary in Austin TEXAS, specializing in talent recruitment and leadership coaching and business development advisory.
Andrea is known for solution focus, visionary strategic thinking, effective communication, and results-oriented approach. “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift, that’s why is called present” emphasizing the importance of living in the present moment.
Steven Jast
Québec’s Delegate
Houston
Steven Jast was appointed Québec’s Delegate in Houston on November 11, 2024. He represents Québec in Texas, Louisiana,Arkansas, and Oklahoma.
Mr. Jast has over 20 years of experience in economic development and entrepreneurship. Mr. Jast founded ROI (Research OnInvestment) in 2003 and Gazelle.ai in 2017.
He is a recognized thought leader on the fundamentals and best practices related to investment attraction and business retention and expansion, as well as advanced digital marketing, lead nurturing, and engagement techniques for economic development organizations. He has written several guidebooks and provided training on best practices relating to investment attraction for international governments at all levels.
Steven was recognized as a finalist in the international Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year competition in 2008 and in2019.
He is an avid fitness enthusiast and die-hard Montréal Canadiens fan.
Tyler Johnson
Limited Partner/Venture Partner
Stony Lonesome Group
Tyler Johnson is an accomplished Global Fortune 50 Executive. He has engaged and partnered with executive business leaders across the globe to accelerate growth and expansion in large businesses and early-stage technology software automation start-ups. Tyler has over 30 years’ experience working with some of the largest companies in the world, in addition to co-founding a US-based software technology company. Tyler serves as a Limited Partner/Venture Partner for Stony Lonesome Group which funds companies focused on national security, dual-use and defense technology.
Tyler worked for Dell Technologies for 21 years in a variety of sales, marketing, and general management roles, including Shanghai, China for 10 of those years (2005-2015) as a local hired foreign national. He led sales and operational organizations for Dell within China and across Asia. Tyler’s organization was responsible for Dell’s Global Asia Business Unit which represented the largest companies in the world (Global Fortune 500). In addition, he was Managing Director of the Shanghai headquarters incorporating R&D, Procurement, Sales, and Government relations. Tyler received the Dell Worldwide Executive Leadership Award for Inspirational Leadership from the Chairman and Executive Committee.
Since 2015, Tyler has founded, operated, and invested in several software automation companies focused on cyber security, HRTech, EdTech and cloud migration technology. He co-founded an HR technology company called Your6, Inc. benefitting United States Veterans, and served as the Chief Sales Officer for iQuate, Inc. (now Cloudsphere), a cloud migration automation technology. Tyler also served as the Chief Executive Officer for VTS Cyber, a cybersecurity company focused on governance, risk, and compliance in highly regulated environments.
Tyler published his first book in March 2019 titled “The Way Of The Laowai”: The importance of international self-awareness for business. Tyler is the founder of Laowai Enterprises which facilitates people, organizations, and governments to expand economically. His thought leadership can be found on laowai.substack.com. Tyler is focused on building, accelerating, and strengthening dual-use and defense technology ecosystems which strengthens national security.
Dr. Michael W. Mosser
Director, Center for European Studies
UT Austin
Dr. Michael W. Mosser is the Director of the University of Texas at Austin Center for European Studies (CES). He is also an Associate Professor of Instruction with a joint appointment in the Department of Government and the International Relations and Global Studies (IRG) program. He is a Distinguished Scholar in the Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law, and was the Executive Director of the Global Disinformation Lab (GDIL) from 2022 to 2024.
He teaches courses in European and international security, European environmental policy, comparative and European politics, international organizations, and foreign policy analysis. From 2018 to 2023, he was the inaugural faculty advisor for the University of Texas at Austin’s “Peace Corps Prep” program, and has also served as a faculty liaison to the US Department of State’s “Diplomacy Lab” program. He serves on various academic advisory bodies on campus, including as a member of the Environmental Justice (EJ) Faculty Learning Community, an Ambassador in the Experiential Learning Initiative (ELI) and a member of the non-traditional student (NTS) advisory board. He has won multiple awards for his teaching at UT-Austin, most notably being selected as a member of the 2021 “Texas Ten” by the Texas Exes, and the 2016 Raymond Dickson Centennial Endowed Teaching Fellowship.
A southwestern Pennsylvania native, Dr. Mosser is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh (BA, Political Science and History) and the University of Wisconsin – Madison (MA and PhD, Political Science). He has published articles and book chapters on the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) as well as in the fields of military art and science and military sociology more generally. He is active in student events and activities on campus related to his research and teaching fields, has published op-eds in major Texas newspapers and has been a regular guest on KUT Radio’s “Texas Standard” news program.
Brad Morrison
Founder and CEO of Atlantis Industries, Inc
The Space Weather Company
Brad Morrison of Boerne is the founder and CEO of Atlantis Industries, Inc., The Space Weather Company. He is also a partner at Donald Capital LLC, an Aerospace & Defense focused Investment Bank. Brad was recently appointed to the Board of Commissioners to the inaugural Texas Space Commission.
He is also a member of the Business Executives for National Security, Boerne Kendall County Angels Network and Texas National Security Innovation Council. He is a former chair of the Cybersecurity Committee for the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, member of the Texas Business Leadership Council, and Past Chairman of the Texas Lyceum. Additionally, Brad served as business accelerator chair for the Entrepreneurs Organization and as honorary commander for the United States Air Force 67th Cyberspace Wing. Brad earned a Bachelor of Science from the United States Air Force Academy and a Master of Science in Telecommunications from Southern
Sam Peterson
Founding Partner
Cislunar International
Sam Peterson brings 30 years of expertise in the aerospace industry. He has served in leadership roles in commercial, government, and military organizations including 17 years of international experience building relationships across six continents. Business development includes capturing more than $200 million in B2B/B2G sales in the space sector.
As an Operations Manager for the European Space Agency (ESA), he had the privilege to oversee the launch and early orbit phase of 10 ESA and partner spacecraft missions between 2011-2019. Throughout his career, he has served in leadership roles on more than 35 of exciting aerospace projects including the Defense Satellite Communications System, Milstar, MQ1 Predator, MQ9 Reaper, RQ4 Global Hawk, Herschel Space Observatory, Planck Space Observatory, International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory (Integral), Bepi-Colombo, Cryosat-2, Swarm, and theGMES Sentinels spacecraft.
Sam is an honorably discharged veteran of the U.S. Army and a member of the Adjunct Faculty at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He givesback to the industry through volunteer activities with a number of organizations including the International Astronautical Federation (IAF), the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC), the Lunar Surface Innovation Consortium (LSIC) and the Conrad Foundation.
Sharon Schweitzer
Expatriate Relocation Coach, Author & Attorney
Sharon Schweitzer is a globally recognized cross-cultural business consultant, attorney, and founder of Access to Culture. She is an award-winning entrepreneur and author of the Amazon #1 best-selling book in International Business, Access to Asia, named to Kirkus Reviews’ Best Books list. Sharon has worked with brands such as CBS, Hilton Hotels, JPMorgan, and Lexus to provide practical techniques for improving business communication and increasing revenue.
Sharon was named the winner of the British Airways International Trade, Investment & Expansion Award (small business category) at the Greater Austin Business Awards. She was an honoree in the City of Austin program Celebrating the Entrepreneurial Spirit of Austin Women.
Sharon is a media resource for NPR and BBC World News and is quoted in Investor’s Business Daily, BBC Capital, Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and others. Sharon currently serves as Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees for the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library in Iowa. She has also served as a Chinese Ceremonial Dining Etiquette Specialist in the documentary series Confucius was a Foodie on Nat Geo People.
Sharon has traveled to over 100 countries across all 7 continents. She lives with her husband John of 30 years and their golden retrievers, Toffee and Ritzy, in Austin, Texas, USA.
Alexis Stokes
Dean
St. Edward’s University
Alexis Stokes is dean of the AACSB-accredited Bill Munday School of Business at St. Edward’s University in Austin. Dean Stokes is committed to facilitating socio-economically transformative opportunities for students, their families, and their communities, while also creating a vibrant and inclusive hub for business thought leadership in Austin. All ten majors and four online graduate programs at the Munday School of Business are built on the five pillars of the Austin ecosystem: entrepreneurial thinking, social enterprise, innovation management, global collaboration, and analytics.
Dean Stokes earned her Bachelor of Arts in Economics, Political Science, and Managerial Studies, cum laude, from Rice University, and her Juris Doctorate from Harvard Law School. Before joining academia in 2005, she practiced international law in Houston.
Summit Key Contributors
Mortada Mohamed
President, World Affairs Council of Austin
Co-Chair – Texas-Europe Business Summit
Mortada Mohamed is the President of the World Affairs Council of Austin. He is also an Adjunct Professor at the Bill Munday School of Business, Marketing, Operations and Analytics Department at St. Edward’s University. Prior to his present positions he was the Regional Marketing Director for Europe, Africa, Middle East, for the State of Texas, Office of the Governor, Economic Development & Tourism Division. During his service with the State of Texas, Mr. Mohamed designed international marketing campaigns in conjunction with Texas key industry executives to promote the export of Texas in his geographical region of responsibility. He traveled to more than 35 countries promoting Texas products and producers including: information technology, energy and renewable energy, medical and health care and food and agriculture. His work has included countless international trade development activities, as well as, export counseling.
Mr. Mohamed has served as a speaker for the US Department of State International Speaker’s Program across North Africa and the Arabian Gulf region. He lectured on doing business with the US private sector and promoted US business in those countries. Mr. Mohamed also leads projects on behalf of ACDI/VOCA, funded by the USAID, to assist in economic development programs for developing countries. This program, which selects experts in various business areas, has taken him deep into Africa, Siberia and Eastern Europe.
Mr. Mohamed has presented in conferences both domestically and internationally, including the International Academy of Management and Business Symposium, Istanbul, Turkey and the World Investment Conference, La Baule, France. Most recently he presented to the Aspen Institute Germany in a transatlantic exchange with a bipartisan group of German, U.S.-American, and Canadian state legislators speaking on the role of trade, business and global supply chains in relation to a resilient critical infrastructure. Mr. Mohamed is the co-chair of the annual Texas-EU Business Summit.
Mr. Mohamed was appointed to serve on the Texas Camino Real District Export Council by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce. Mr. Mohamed is on the Advisory Board of the University of Texas at Austin Center for European Studies. Also, he is a member of the Texas Advisory Council US Global Leadership Coalition (USGLC). Mr. Mohamed has an MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management, Arizona State University. He also holds a Certified Global Business Professional (CGBP) credential awarded by the North American Small Business International Trade Educators (NASBITE).
Ben Ramirez III
CEO
Cogitare Global, LLC
Cogitare Global assists the transformation of local companies into global competitors. Ben works with organizations to identify specific business goals and implementation strategies which match their objectives. He provides executives and their teams with the tools they need to achieve sustainable growth in a continually changing international marketplace.
Ben manages the Foreign Trade Zone of Central Texas with member companies’ annual exports totaling $250-$500 million. He was first appointed to the Texas Camino Real District Export Council by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker. Ben is an Entrepreneur Advisor with Tech Ranch and serves as Vice President of the World Affairs Council of Austin and Executive Director of Austin’s Global Trade Center. Ben obtained a BA in Philosophy and Political Science from the University of Michigan, and a JD from the University of Toledo.
