Graduate Students and Professionals Share Lessons Over Lunch
The Big Picture
As part of Homecoming week, Hunt Business hosted Lunch and Lead at the UTEP Graduate Business Center in Downtown El Paso. The event welcomed members of the business community alongside MBA and MAcc students for an afternoon of shared insights and dialogue.
Why It Matters
Graduate programs thrive when classroom knowledge meets real-world experience. Lunch and Lead is a Hunt Business Homecoming tradition where students learn directly from the year's honorees.
What They Said
- On opportunity at the border: This is the moment — the planets have aligned for nearshoring. It’s not a question of if; it’s already here. The United States, the world’s largest consumer, needs more affordable products, and logistics costs are driving manufacturing closer. Mexico is the U.S.’s biggest partner, and that’s not going to stop. Opportunities are everywhere if you just open your eyes.”
- On critical thinking: “When I went through my MBA, I watched some classmates use shortcuts and miss the real value of the work. What matters isn’t just turning in a paper with an ‘A’ on it — it’s the critical thinking you develop. That’s the skill that will carry you forward.”
- On resilience in business: “Tariffs, regulations, border closures — they change overnight. What affects business most is uncertainty. But once the rules stabilize, industry adapts. Businesses are resilient. The lesson is adaptability and flexibility: ride the tide, don’t fight it.”
- On limits: “Don’t you dare limit yourself. Everything is possible. I’ve hit plenty of potholes and a few volcanoes in business, but the one thing I’ve learned is never to place limits on your own capacity, your opportunity, or your doorway. Don’t see through those lenses — push past them.”
- On small business and entrepreneurship: “If you have a dream for a small business, you need three things. First, real experience — get in there and learn the work, not just a summer job. Second, enough capital to sustain yourself for a year or two while the business takes root. Third, a business plan. And not just a first draft — revise it, let it be critiqued, make it stronger. Discipline makes the difference between an idea and a company.”
- On human touch vs. AI: “You can use AI as a tool, but never let it replace your brainpower or your heart. In our business we say, ‘Abrazos are free.’ Technology can’t replace that human connection — listening, communicating, being ethical. Those are the skills that separate you from the pack and carry you further than any computer can.”
What’s Next
Lunch and Lead was the last of several Homecoming events at Hunt Business, joined by The Gold Standard student-alumni lunch and the Outstanding Alumni Celebration, the college’s signature Homecoming event.
Transcript
Click here to read an edited transcript of Lunch and Lead 2025.
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