Shaukat Ali is the Head of the Department, Chief Research Scientist, and Research Professor at Simula Research Laboratory in Oslo, Norway. His research focuses on developing innovative techniques for verifying and validating classical and quantum software systems. Recently, he has been focusing on the emerging field of quantum software engineering, which includes quantum software development, testing, debugging, and repair. Moreover, his recent work has been key in establishing the foundations of quantum artificial intelligence and its real-world applications.

Ekaterina, a founding partner of BlankPage Capital, is one of Europe’s most visionary venture capitalists who has been investing in breakthrough technology companies in AI, quantum computing, cloud and data infrastructure, energy efficiency, and cybersecurity for almost two decades.

Previously, as a General Partner at OpenOcean VC and a Managing Director at Samsung Catalyst Fund, she has led investments and served on the boards of companies such as Graphcore (acquired by SoftBank), IQM Quantum Computers, AIMotive (acquired by Stellantis),

LatticeFlow AI – Results you Can Trust , Hygraph, Bitrise, and Binalyze. In addition, she was deeply involved in strategic initiatives to create $20B+ business opportunities for Samsung, EMC/Dell and Siemens. Passionate about building a strong technology ecosystem, she has invested in other deep tech Venture Capital funds across Europe.

Ekaterina has lived and worked in Silicon Valley, plus several countries in Europe and Latin America. Before becoming a VC, Ekaterina was an entrepreneur and a software architect creating cutting edge companies and solutions, including some of the first e-commerce technology platforms in the early 2000’s. She has co-founded European Women in VC network, is serving as an expert at the European Commission since 2003, and is a Mentor at CDL for the Next Generation Compute, AI and Quantum since 2019. Ekaterina has been named among Europe’s most influential women in the startup and venture capital space.

Dele Atanda is a serial entrepreneur and acclaimed digital visionary. He is CEO of metaMe, the world’s first Self-Sovereign AI and Ethical Data Operating System. He also leads The Internet.Foundation, an NGO dedicated to advancing digital human rights and the ethical use of data in commerce. Dele is a celebrated innovator having led digital innovations for Fortune 100 companies including IBM, BAT and Diageo that become the gold standard for digital engagement within their sectors. Dele is founder and Chief Imagineer of Metaiye Media, a
crypto media company and producer of the world’s first CryptoGraphic NovelTM – metaKnyts. metaKnyts is the world’s first Crypto ComicTM franchise and aims to bring gen Z and alpha into the ownership economy through storytelling and play, incorporating NFTs and AI across comics, gaming, the metaVerse and beyond.
Dele has been a pioneering author on the emergence of web 3, notably with his critically acclaimed best seller, The Digitterian Tsunami: Web 3.0 and the Rise of the N.E.O Citizen published in 2013.

Alan is a 5X startup founder, currently leading RAMM.AI . pioneering the integration of agentic AI, Web3, smart contracts, and DeFi to create a novel, decentralized marketplace that empowers brands and consumers. Alan earned a MSc and PhD in Engineering from Carnegie Mellon and CUNY and an MBA from NYU.

Dr. Reza Azarderakhsh is the CEO and Founder of PQSecure with the main focus on development of quantum-safe cryptographic solutions for tomorrow’s data today in-transit, at-rest, and in-use. Dr. Azarderakhsh is well-known fo the development of several cryptographic algorithms and architecture for various applications. He published more than 100 papers in journals and conferences on applied cryptography.

Lubjana Beshaj is a research scientist at Army Cyber Institute and an Associate Professor at West Point. Her research interests are cryptography and emerging technologies. More specifically, algebraic curve cryptography, post quantum cryptography, homomorphic encryption, quantum stabilizer codes, blockchain technologies, and neural network cryptography.

Charles Beyrouthy is the Founder and Managing Partner of Forma Prime. He is an Innovation Specialist and Venture Capital expert that cultivates innovation partnerships, start-up initiatives and due diligence operations. Charles has conducted research and applied innovative and novel technologies at top firms in different verticals including deep tech, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, life sciences, materials and process optimization. He was also a startup co-founder at LabCloud, a software platform dedicated to optimizing laboratory operations and logistics. Charles has worked with and collaborated with numerous startups, VC funds and signed top firms including ThermoFisher Scientific, https://amazon.com/ and Staples. He also advised firms in Healthcare and Fintech. Charles’ R&D and innovation experience includes roles at Citizens Financial Group, Brown University’s Department of Chemistry, Abbott Laboratories, Dartmouth Medical School and the Silvio O. Conte National Center for Polymer Research. Charles holds a double degree with Honors from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in Chemical Engineering and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology.

Yuval Boger is the Chief Commercial Officer of QuEra Computing, the leader in neutral-atom quantum computers. Before QuEra, he has served as CEO and CMO of frontier-tech companies from seed to NASDAQ in markets including quantum computing software, wireless power, enterprise software, and virtual reality. He is the host of the Superposition Guy’s Podcast. Yuval received a M.Sc. in Physics from Tel-Aviv University and an MBA from Northwestern University.

Steve Brierley founded Riverlane in 2016 to build the error correction stack for quantum computers. Driven by his conviction that fault-tolerant quantum computers will accelerate human progress, Riverlane partners with leading quantum hardware companies to make that happen sooner.

Steve has worked in quantum for over 20 years and is an expert advisor to the UK government. He holds a PhD in quantum information, spent a decade in the intelligence community and worked as a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge leading major research projects in quantum computing. In January 2024, Steve was awarded an OBE for his services to quantum computing.

Dr. Charles Bruce serves as Chief Innovation Officer for Mayo Clinic Florida. He also serves as the Medical Director of the Innovation Exchange. He is a practicing cardiologist, as well as a researcher, inventor, and professor of Medicine. His unique perspective into the challenges of health care delivery is shaped by his medical experiences in South Africa and the United States. Dr. Bruce is an accomplished innovator, holding more than 60 issued patents for medical inventions and was named the Mayo Clinic Distinguished Inventor in 2023.

Alex is the CEO and co-founder of Resonance. Resonance is the leading provider of market intelligence across deep technology verticals such as quantum, AI, space, climate and digital twins. The business serves hundreds of clients – ranging from startups to national governments – with its SaaS subscription intelligence, strategic advisory and marketing offerings. Alex was previously a Director in a UK based private equity fund, where he focused on data and tech investments.

Stephen is Head of Artificial Intelligence at Quantinuum. Prior to this, Stephen Clark spent 14 years as a Member of Faculty at the Departments of Computer Science of the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, including 4 years as a Tutorial Fellow at Keble College, Oxford. From 2016 to 2020, he was a Research Scientist at DeepMind in London, acting as a Team Lead for the research area of Grounded Language Learning. Professor Clark holds an undergraduate degree in Philosophy from the University of Cambridge (Gonville and Caius College). He obtained an M.Sc. in Cognitive Science at the University of Manchester (Department of Computer Science) and a Ph.D. in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence at the University of Sussex (School of Cognitive and Computing Sciences). He is currently an Honorary Professor at Queen Mary University of London.

Daniel Doll-Steinberg is Co-Founder and General Partner at EdenBase. He has built disruptive tech startups, managed large-scale corporate change and advised governments and supranational organisations on policy and regulation. Daniel invests in the convergence of AI, Quantum Computing, Blockchain and Immersive Tech that are rapidly becoming general purpose. His book, Unsupervised (Wiley, September 2023), a Bloomberg Book of the Year focusses on how AI, Quantum Computing and other frontier technologies are impacting our lives and society, how we all need to seize the opportunity and what could happen if they are left unchecked.

Daniel started his career in the global derivatives technology industry in the early 90’s, after which he founded a company that created one of the first global standards for Digital Rights Management (DRM). In 2017, he founded the Atari Token Project to build a metaverse-based new economy platform with Atari, an Ethereum founder and several gaming leaders.

EdenBase is a venture investment platform and ecosystem focused on frontier technologies, including AI and Quantum.

I am executive editor at Unchained. Before joining, I served as director of research for digital assets at Forbes. Prior to this I was at Kraken, a cryptocurrency exchange based in the U.S. Before joining Kraken I served as chief operating officer at the Wall Street Blockchain Alliance, a non-profit trade association dedicated to the comprehensive adoption of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technologies across global markets. Before joining the WSBA, I was the Lead Associate within the Emerging Technologies practice at Spitzberg Partners, a boutique corporate advisory firm that advises leading firms across industries on blockchain technology. Previously I was Vice President/Lead Strategy Analyst at Citi FinTech, where I drove strategic and new business development initiatives for Citigroup’s Global Retail and Consumer Bank business across 20 countries. I also served five years as a Senior Intelligence Analyst at Booz Allen Hamilton supporting the U.S. Department of Defense. I have a B.S. in Business Administration from the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University and a M.A. in International Affairs from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. Additionally, I am a Certified Information Privacy Professional (United States, Canada, and the European Union) and a Certified Information Privacy Technologist at the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP). Steven holds over $1,000 of bitcoin.

Ismael Faro is the Vice President of Quantum Services and Data at IBM. Ismael Faro serves as the Vice President of Quantum Services and Data at IBM Research, where he has been recognized as a Distinguished Engineer for his significant technical contributions. In 2016, Faro played a pivotal role in architecting the IBM Quantum Experience, the world’s first public Quantum Cloud platform. He is also renowned as one of the original contributors to Qiskit, the open-source quantum computing software development framework.

In his current role, Faro leads the development of Quantum Cloud services and middleware that bridge classical and quantum computation. He spearheads strategic initiatives at the intersection of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Quantum computing, with recent projects focusing on harnessing AI to optimize critical components of the quantum software stack.
Faro’s team is at the forefront of defining and integrating next-generation Quantum and High-Performance Computing (HPC) architectures. Their work is instrumental in advancing the field of quantum computing and its practical applications in research and industry.

Doug Finke is the Chief Content Officer for Global Quantum Intelligence (GQI), a leader in business intelligence focused on the quantum industry. GQI was formed as a merger between three quantum analyst organizations including the Quantum Computing Report (QCR), which Doug founded in 2015. Previously, Doug was employed in the computer, semiconductor, and storage industries for over 30 years where he helped drive the growth of many new technologies during this period. Doug has served as the Chief Operating Officer of the startup company, IntelliSense and helped sell the company at a valuation of $750 million. As Vice-President of Marketing and Business Development at the semiconductor startup ChipWrights, Doug helped raise $25 million in venture capital funding. Other important firms for whom Doug has worked include IBM, Intel, and HGST/Western Digital. Doug holds degrees in computer engineering and management from the University of Illinois and MIT, respectively.

Rebellion Research’s CEO Alexander Fleiss has spoken about Artificial Intelligence
Investing in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Fox News, BusinessWeek, Bloomberg News, MIT Technology Review, Yomiuri Shimbun, Wired, CNBC, Geo Magazine, The Economist and Institutional Investor. Chapter 24 of Wall Street Journal Reporter Scott Patterson’s book Dark Pools is on Mr. Fleiss.

Lawrence Gasman is the founder and President of Inside Quantum Technology. He has authored industry analysis reports on quantum key distribution, quantum computing, quantum networks, and quantum sensors and numerous studies on high-speed interfaces for high-performance computers. He also served on a panel at the Q2B conference in 2017; the first ever business-oriented quantum computing conference. Lawrence has been tracking commercialization of new technologies for 35 years and has written four books in this area. His consulting work has included both major multinationals and high-tech start-ups as clients and he has also carried out due diligence work for investment banks, venture capitalists and leading management consulting firms.

Martina is an Engagement Manager at McKinsey Digital focusing on quantum technologies including computing, communication, and sensing. She drives quantum research at McKinsey globally with regular publications. Prior to joining McKinsey, Martina received her PhD in quantum computing from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and the Max-Planck-Institute of Quantum Optics (MPQ).

Since 2015, Nadia Haider has served as a lead scientist at QuTech, where she has led a team of scientists, engineers, and students focused on the design and analysis of superconducting qubit and processor. She was the principal investigator responsible for the design and simulation of the Starmon qubit, which has been the primary transmon architecture used in all of QuTech’s and Intel’s transmon-based quantum processing units (QPUs) since 2016. Nadia received her M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from Delft University of Technology in 2010 and 2015, respectively. Following her Ph.D., she worked at the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) and QuTech as a lead scientist. From 2015 to 2023, she also served as a Research Scientist at TNO Defence, Safety and Security in The Hague, The Netherlands. In this role, she led the defence quantum sensing program, collaborating closely with defence industries, research institutions, and government agencies across the Netherlands, Europe, and the United States. In August 2023, Nadia became a group leader at QuTech and in the Department of Microelectronics at Delft University of Technology. She is the recipient of a prestigious Delft Technology Fellowship for her research on quantum technology.

Nadia played a key role in drafting a National Growth Fund proposal for Quantum Delta NL (QDNL), focused on advancing quantum technology in the Netherlands. Her scientific interests include superconducting qubit design, cryogenic microwave circuit design, and simulation for quantum processors and sensors.

She lives in The Hague with her husband and two sons. In her free time, she enjoys Pilates and gardening.

Ron Hammond is the Head of Policy and Advocacy at Wintermute, a UK-based prop trading firm. Ron is leading Wintermute’s US expansion in New York and brings nearly a decade of regulatory experience to his new role, having previously served as the Senior Director of Government Relations and Institutional Engagement at the Blockchain Association, a DC-based crypto trade association. His background also includes positions at Ripple as their in-house lobbyist and as Financial Services Policy Lead for Congressman Warren Davidson of Ohio, where he crafted the first bipartisan market structure bill known as the Token Taxonomy Act.

Doug Hill is the Founder and CEO of Real Random LLC, recently recognized by Gartner in the 2025 Cool Vendors in Data Security report, ID G00839402. The pioneering cybersecurity company based in Marco Island, Florida, specializes in producing quantum grade entropy to support post-quantum cryptography. Their technology makes “trust but verify” possible by making security visible.

Beyond his cybersecurity work, he continues his passion for lacrosse serving as head coach of the boys’ lacrosse team at Marco Island Academy. His journey into cybersecurity innovation began while processing his father-in-law’s estate, where he discovered a patent for a slot machine configured with physical dice for dice games. When his initial gaming application was rejected, a math professor advised him to apply the randomization concept to encryption—sparking the idea that would become Real Random.

Dr. Mark Jackson is a theoretical physicist and the Senior Quantum Evangelist at Quantinuum. He received his B.S. in Physics and Mathematics from Duke and his Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics from Columbia. Dr. Jackson has authored nearly 40 technical articles, served as Adjunct Faculty at Singularity University and is an Entrepreneur in Residence at Yale Ventures. He has delivered over 300 keynote and panel talks, and is widely recognized as a leading voice in the field.

Col Kapil Jaiswal (Retd), an alumnus of Indian Institute of Sciences (IISc), Bangalore; IIM, Kolkata and an Indian Army veteran is presently Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Quantum AI Global and QuLabs, both Quantum deep tech companies. In his previous national level roles, he has headed Directorate of Systems Applications (DSA) as Director from 2016 to 2020 and then been Senior Director Research (INFOSEC & AI/ML) from 2021 to 2024; both under the Ministry of Defense, India. As Senior Director Research (INFOSEC & AI/ML), he has led the Research team of 100+ Research Scientists & Engineers. His research interests are in the domain of Quantum Technology, InfoSec, PQC, AI/ML & QMLs.

In addition, he is also Adjunct Professor, Computer Science department with Amrita University, Coimbatore, India and collaborating with India School of Business, Hyderabad and IIT, Hyderabad on deep tech research. He has been recently recognised as one of the top 10 leading deep tech CTOs of India and figured on the cover of a prominent business magazine. He is presently a member of DRDO Cryptography Research Coord Committee, Department of Telecommunications (DoT) Committee for Standard Cryptography and Quantum Safe Cryptography and National Working Group on Quantum Technology (NWG-QT), DoT under Ministry of Communications.

Troy serves as a Senior Research Analyst with expertise in high-growth technology stocks. He has over two decades of equity research experience following sectors such as 3D printing, unmanned aircraft, robotics, optical components, networking equipment, and RFID. Before joining Lake Street, Troy was a Senior Research Analyst at Piper Sandler for 15 years. He also worked at ThinkEquity Partners and RBC Capital Markets. Prior to his career in equity research, he worked as a Futures and Options Administrator at Cargill and spent six years in the Navy. Troy earned a BA degree from the University of Minnesota – Carlson School of Management. He is a CFA charterholder.

Dr. Garfield S. Jones is the Associate Chief of Strategic Technology for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

Dr. Jones is responsible for developing the strategy and providing guidance on the use of innovative and leading-edge technology across CISA, including articulating and documenting the future technology vision to achieve the organization’s mission objectives and goals.

Dr. Jones was Deputy Program Manager for the Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation (CDM) Program responsible for Systems Engineering, Architecture, and Testing. Prior to joining DHS, Dr. Jones worked as a Systems Engineer developing complex weapons, geographic, and information systems for agencies such as Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI), National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA), and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS). In 2018, he retired from the Army Reserves after serving 25 years (16 years active duty and nine years reservist) as an Information Systems Warrant Officer.

Dr. Jones holds a Doctor of Engineering in Industrial and Systems Engineering with a concentration in Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence. He serves as a professor at two universities teaching Computer Science and Systems Engineering. Dr. Jones filed for a patent regarding the use of the Probabilistic Neural Network (PNN) for Vulnerabilities Risk Calculation of a Text Document and he was granted the patent in 2023. He is currently working on two other patents.

Leads G MASS technology strategy, shaping the firm’s post-digital vision and delivering innovative, scalable solutions for clients. Technology executive and AI specialist with extensive experience partnering with Tier 1 banks, asset managers, FMIs, and fintechs. Recognised thought leader in post-digital transformation, AI governance and product innovation, known for translating complex technology and regulatory landscapes into commercially viable outcomes that accelerate client success.

Piia Konstari is the Director of Microfabrication Services at VTT with a passion in turning research into business. She looks for exceptional opportunities and creates strategic commercial partnerships in the field of microelectronics and quantum technologies. Piia has a background in sales and business development both from VTT as well as from the semiconductor industry. Piia holds a degree in MSc (Tech) in Electronics and Electrical Engineering from the Technical University of Helsinki.

Ethan Krimins leads Quantum Research Sciences (QRS), which is focused on the discovery, development & delivery of practical quantum software. Ethan has over 30 years of classical & quantum computer science, IT and programming experience. Ethan manages Quantum Computing and Quantum Information Technologies for QRS, which is the first company to achieve a Phase III federal contract in quantum computing and the first company to operationalize a quantum software. QRS is based in Lafayette, Indiana and affiliated with the Purdue University Quantum Science and Engineering Institute. Ethan has a Mathematics undergrad from the University of Rochester and a MBA from Columbia University.

Since joining Amgen R&D in 2018, Zoran Krunic has been at the forefront of applying Machine Learning to enhance patient outcomes and streamline clinical trial enrollment processes, utilizing comprehensive Electronic Health Records and clinical datasets. His pioneering work in the Quantum Machine Learning space, in collaboration with IBM’s Quantum team, has been instrumental in integrating machine learning with quantum computing through IBM’s Qiskit platform, as it was presented in the paper: “Quantum Kernels for Real-World Predictions Based on Electronic Health Records”: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/9779984. Most recently, he co-authored his second paper in quantum computing in collaboration with QuEra: “Robust Quantum Reservoir Computing for Molecular Property Prediction”: https://arxiv.org/html/2412.06758v1.

Building on these foundations, Zoran has broadened his research scope to deepen the study of quantum kernels, scrutinizing their effects on the variability and reproducibility of small clinical datasets. Additionally, he has launched several innovative projects within the quantum computing sphere. These initiatives go beyond quantum kernels, delving into various facets of Quantum Machine Learning (QML) and the wider Quantum Computing disciplines, all aimed at advancing the integration of Quantum Computing within pharmacology.

Prior to his tenure at Amgen, Zoran developed Machine Learning algorithms at Optum to predict hardware and software failures within complex enterprise architectures. He has a strong background in data engineering and systems development, having contributed significantly to large-scale projects at renowned organizations such as Capital Group and ARCO Petroleum.

In his current full and part-time endeavors, Zoran is leading the efforts in embracing generative AI technologies, with a particular focus on OpenAI’s GPT and Anthropic’s Claude models. His work is focused on prompt engineering and its application to code generation, advanced document analysis, and process management, with a commitment to ethical AI practices and data privacy. Most recently, the work has expanded to include reproducibility and the potential for auto-labeling using generative AI.

A recognized voice in quantum computing circles, Zoran is a regular presenter at industry conferences and has served on numerous panels discussing the integration of quantum computing and generative AI within the Health Sciences sector, with a firm belief that the integration of these new technologies will be deep and comprehensive.

With a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, Zoran continues to explore and contribute to the evolving relationship between quantum computing and artificial intelligence, fostering groundbreaking advancements in healthcare technology.

Dr. Kulkarni has served as President and Chief Executive Officer at Rigetti since December 2022. Dr. Kulkarni is a seasoned public company CEO with thirty-plus years of experience in the semiconductor industry and a track record of success in scaling and commercializing cutting-edge technologies. Prior to joining Rigetti, Dr. Kulkarni was President, CEO, and member of the Board of CyberOptics Corporation, a developer and manufacturer of high precision sensors and inspection systems for the semiconductor and electronics industry. He held these roles from 2014 until CyberOptics was acquired by Nordson Corporation in November 2022. Prior to CyberOptics, Dr. Kulkarni was CEO of Prism Computational Sciences, a developer of software tools for scientific and commercial applications in the semiconductor industry. Earlier in his career, he held additional leadership positions, including Chief Technology Officer and Senior Vice President of OEM/Emerging business, global commercial business, R&D and manufacturing at Imation, a global scalable storage and data security company. Dr. Kulkarni began his career in research and management positions with 3M Corporation and IBM. He received his B.S. in chemical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai, and later obtained a M.S. and Ph.D. in chemical engineering from MIT. Dr. Kulkarni currently serves on the Board of KeyTronic Corporation, a publicly traded electronics manufacturing services company, as well as Chairman of the Board for Prism Computational Sciences.

Harry Kumar is the Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of MOTH, a quantum technology company shaping the next generation of media, entertainment, and creativity. He oversees creative strategy and brand, and manages partnerships with other creative and cultural stakeholders. Central to his role is the cultivation of critical social discourse around emergent technologies and contemporary culture, and the stewardship of creative and pioneering projects with artists, creators, and developers. Kumar ensures that quantum computing is present, accessible, and understood by the next generation of creatives, developers, and the general public.

Kumar began his career working across the creative and cultural sectors, first in the music industry, then as an independent arts advisor and curator while co-directing The Split Gallery. He remains a resident artist and curator at The Bomb Factory Art Foundation, and is a thought leader in the quantum computing and culture space, leading talks, panels and seminars at Berkeley Centre for New Media, UdK Berlin, KAUST University, The Goethe Institute, SXSW Festival, Sonar Festival and Oxford University since founding MOTH.

Anthony (Tony) Lawrence is a visionary leader and quantum technologist, serving as the CEO of Light Rider Inc., a quantum computing company at the forefront of quantum algorithm development, cryptography, and quantum-powered infrastructure. With a background rooted in military intelligence and cyber defense, Tony has emerged as a trailblazer in quantum software development, designing platforms that bridge theory and deployment for real-world impact.

Under his leadership, Light Rider has launched a suite of advanced quantum technologies including:

• CatChat – an AI user interface that acts as an operating system for quantum computers; Synthetic data repositories for Text, Images & Video, Audio, Sensor Data, and User Behavior Data
• QPasswords – a credential vault that leverages quantum entropy from Rigetti QPU’s & QVM’s to generate unbreakable authentication keys and passwords
• Quantum Light – a next-generation Quantum Random Number Generator (QRNG) integrated with LIFI transmission for ultra-secure wireless communications.

Tony’s technical contributions span quantum algorithm design, QRNG entropy validation, QAOA optimization, and hybrid quantum-classical machine learning. He has hands-on development experience with Quil, Q#, pyQuil, Qiskit, and Azure Quantum, with deployment across Rigetti QPUs and AWS Braket. He has advanced error mitigation techniques for NISQ-era systems, including readout noise suppression and entanglement entropy modeling.

A recognized advocate for open source innovation, Tony collaborates closely with leading academic institutions, government agencies, and emerging quantum startups, mentoring the next generation of quantum engineers, influencing policy, and shaping the future of quantum software development. Whether architecting entropy-hardened security protocols or engineering quantum-enhanced optimization algorithms, Tony Lawrence is at the forefront of a new computational era; where photons, qubits, and ultra-fast logic converge to redefine the foundations of digital trust.

Andy Leaver is the CEO of Arqit, a global leader in quantum-safe encryption. With deep expertise in driving sustainable revenue growth and scaling businesses, Andy is also an Operating Partner at Notion Capital, a leading European VC and early backer of Arqit. Starting in hardware with a Master’s in Microelectronics Systems Engineering from UMIST, he shifted to software after joining Microsoft and later GE. He’s since helped lead five startups from early stage to IPO including Ariba, SuccessFactors, Workday, and Hortonworks, shaping multiple waves of innovation across SaaS, cloud, big data, and open source. He focuses on helping Series A+ enterprise SaaS companies scale through strong go-to-market execution and leadership development.

Dr. Stefan Leichenauer is the Vice President of Engineering and lead scientist at SandboxAQ. Stefan joined the Sandbox team at Alphabet as its first employee to bring AI and Quantum technologies to real-world applications, initiating all of the projects that have become the SandboxAQ product portfolio. He recruited teams of engineers and scientists to further develop the SandboxAQ products and became head of Research and Engineering, overseeing all of their projects. Today, he drives all product development at SandboxAQ. Stefan is also the bridge between the engineering and business/strategy divisions of SandboxAQ and works closely with the partnerships team to craft external engagements.

Stefan received his Ph.D. in Physics from UC Berkeley and has held positions in Physics at UC Berkeley and Caltech as a leading researcher. He maintains a close connection with academia through the SandboxAQ Ph.D. Residency and Postdoc programs.

Colonel Cedric Leighton, USAF (RET), is a CNN Military Analyst and a retired US Air Force Colonel. In this capacity he provides on-air commentary on military, intelligence and international security issues to CNN’s US and international audiences. His analysis of the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, as well as the civil war in Syria, has been an integral part of CNN’s coverage since the start of those conflicts. He is a founding partner of CYFORIX, a cyber risk and security solutions consultancy, and the Chairman of Cedric Leighton Associates, LLC, a global strategic risk consultancy.

In addition to CNN, Colonel Leighton has appeared on numerous global television and radio networks, including PBS, the BBC, Times Radio (UK), Australia’s Seven Network, Australia’s ABC Radio, CCTV (China), RCN and Radio W of Colombia, Al Jazeera, ARD and ZDF (German TV), Bloomberg, CNBC, Fox News Channel, Fox Business Network, MSNBC, Sky News (UK) and TRT (Turkish TV). He has been quoted in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, the Boston Globe, France’s Le Figaro, Correio Braziliense, Portugal’s Expresso, Spain’s La Razon, Ukraine’s http://Liga.net , as well as C4ISR Magazine and ADS Advance. Colonel Leighton has written for several publications, including The Hill and Leadership Excellence Magazine. He is a frequent speaker at SecureWorld conferences and contributor to the cybersecurity organization’s podcasts and articles.

Prior to founding his strategic risk consultancy, Colonel Leighton served for 26 years as an Intelligence Officer in the US Air Force. During this period, he deployed five times to the Middle East, served at US Special Operations Command, directed specialized intelligence efforts during combat operations, witnessed the fall of the Berlin Wall, was a Squadron Commander and served twice at the Pentagon, first on the Air Staff and, later, on the Joint Staff, where he became the Deputy Director for Warfighter Support and Integration within the Intelligence Directorate. His last military assignment was as the Deputy Training Director for the National Security Agency, where he championed training initiatives for the nation’s cyber warriors.

His awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Bronze Star, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, seven Meritorious Service Medals and the Humanitarian Service Medal. He was a Distinguished Graduate of the US Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps and received the Joint Specialty Officer designation.

Colonel Leighton graduated magna cum laude from Cornell University and holds a Master’s Degree in International Studies from Angelo State University.

Mr. Levy is the CEO and co-founder of SEEQC, a quantum computing chip company based in New York, London and Naples. Mr. Levy served as the Chair of Hypres, a superconductive high-speed computing and RF systems company which spun out SEEQC in 2019.

Mr. Levy was a founding partner of L Capital Partners, a venture capital fund where Mr. Levy led investments in the technology sector. Mr. Levy served as founding CEO of ePlanet, a pioneering computer vision company funded by Intel. During the mid-1990’s, Mr. Levy worked at Interval Research Corporation, a Palo Alto based technology think tank sponsored by Paul Allen.

Over the past 15 years, Mr. Levy has been a frequent lecturer at Columbia University Business School and recently at the new Quantum Information Sciences program. He received an A.B. from Amherst College and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Paul is Chief Commercial Officer at Infleqtion (previously ColdQuanta), where he leads global productization and revenue growth efforts at the cutting edge of quantum technology. Paul previously led multiple successful cybersecurity companies to exit as CEO and has extensive experience leading complex global organizations and transforming cultures, sales execution and innovation delivery. He has an MBA from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, and a BSc in Physics from the Victoria University of Manchester, England.

A pioneering entrepreneur with a 25-year record of success, Hans is the co-founder of Blockpass (https://www.blockpass.org/), the leading blockchain identification platform. He has led the company’s trajectory, securing $7 million in funding and driving $4 million in sales. His deep expertise lies in architecting powerful go-to-market strategies and navigating the venture capital landscape. A long-time innovator in Web3, he previously co-founded the blockchain and IoT venture studio, Chain of Things, achieving successful exits of Blockpass and offgrid micro-data center play Liquidstar (https://www.liquidstar.io/). Hans is also a certified KYC/AML compliance specialist, accredited mediator, and tech arbitrator, with extensive experience writing for tech media.

Dr. Cezary Mazurek, Computer Scientist, his professional activity has been associated with the development of the Poznan Supercomputing and Networking Center (PCSS, Poland) since its establishment in 1993. He served as CEO of PCSS from 2019 to 2024. For over 30 years of professional activity he has been involved in the development of Polish and European e-Infrastructure for science as well as in research and development focused on advancement of ICT technologies and their applications. To date, he has led development of more than 40 national and international R&D projects. As CEO, he successfully brought PCSS onto the path of developing infrastructure and applications of quantum computing and AI, and is now continuing this thread with a focus on applications in Life Science and Personalized Medicine.

Cezary’s scientific activities mainly focus on applying machine learning methods for early detection of disease development mechanisms. A solution led by him to support pre-symptomatic diagnosis of glaucoma development using machine learning received patent protection from the Japan Patent Office in 2023 and from European Patent Office in 2025 . He is currently extending his interests to advanced methods of data analysis and processing in a digital twin model. He is author or co-author of over 100 papers in professional journals and conference proceedings. Since 2023 the member of Board of Directors of GÉANT Association. In 2024 he initiated the establishment of a national consortium EBRAINS-PL and became the member of EBRAINS National Node Board. IEEE Senior Member, member of Computer Society as well as Computational Intelligence Society.

Andrew McLaughlin is Chief Operating Officer at SandboxAQ. A 2022 spin-out from Google, SandboxAQ combines AI Large Quantitative Models (LQMs) and deep expertise in quantum physics and chemistry to address challenging problems in a range of areas, including cybersecurity (e.g., post-quantum cryptography and critical infrastructure protection), life sciences and healthcare (drug development and medical diagnostic devices), materials science & manufacturing (rapid prototyping of new materials and chemicals), and magnetic navigation (GPS-free geolocation using quantum sensors).

Andrew is a co-founder and partner at Higher Ground Labs, a startup accelerator and venture investor that backs and builds for-profit startups that strengthen democratic institutions and help pro-democracy candidates win election campaigns and policy fights. Since 2017, HGL has seed-invested in more than 65 amazing startups, led numerous Series A rounds and follow-on financings, and accelerated our portfolio’s growth, scaling, revenue, and product development. In 2023, HGL launched a pioneering AI Lab, focusing on marshaling AI to bolster democracy and the rule of law.

Andrew also serves as senior advisor to Radia, a clean energy company working to radically expand the scope and scale of onshore wind. Radia enables significantly larger onshore wind turbines by building and operating a fleet of the world’s largest cargo aircraft, customized to carry 100m+ turbine blades and components and able to land on dirt runways at wind farm sites just about anywhere, including difficult-to-access and low-wind areas where large blades are needed to generate cost-effective and reliable wind power. Radia’s mission is to achieve a major advance in decarbonization: more onshore wind in a wider array of locations, delivering more clean electrons and more green molecules at low cost.

From 2019-2023, Andrew McLaughlin served as founding President & COO of Assembly OSM, a fast-growing, venture-backed startup working to transform the way we construct urban buildings. Using advanced digital design and an innovative, manufacturing-based direct-to-fabrication-and-assembly delivery system, Assembly is building greener, higher-quality, more affordable high-rise housing in dramatically less time than conventional construction. Andrew continues as an advisor to Assembly OSM.

Andrew is a venture partner at betaworks, a technology and media startup studio and venture investor based in NYC.

Izhar is a tech visionary, serial inventor, and seasoned executive with a track record of building and scaling high-value companies and products across multiple industries. With 50+ international patents and leadership over ventures worth hundreds of millions, he brings a rare blend of deep technical expertise and sharp business strategy. Holding a PhD in Physical Chemistry from the Hebrew University and completing postdoctoral research at ETH Zurich, Izhar drives Quantum Elements with a unique fusion of scientific rigor and entrepreneurial excellence.

Paul Menchov is the Co-Founder of CoinList and Republic, with a background in software engineering, product development, and entrepreneurship. He has successfully launched and grown these platforms, focusing on Web3/Blockchain and Web3/Crypto sectors, showcasing his leadership and innovation in the startup ecosystem.

Reggie has advised tens of thousands of investors, traders, hedge funds, family offices and global banks. Mr. Middleton publicly predicted the fall of Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers, GGP (2nd largest US retail REIT), and the European sovereign debt crisis amid nearly 100 successful macro and investment calls. Reggie’s firm has been the first to settle a peer-to-peer blockchain swap, the first to apply for patent protection for the capital markets application of the technology in every major financial jurisdiction, and has heralded the merits of blockchain-based assets since 2013. He has been featured on The Keiser Report, Boom Bust, Bloomberg, BBC and CNBC on a regular basis. Fun fact: Reggie is an accomplished mixed martial artist, initially qualified for the 1988 olympic team and is an active fighter, self-sovereign philanthropist and father of three.

Jonathan Mohan has been involved in the cryptocurrency industry since 2013. Jonathan began as the Founder of BitcoinNYC and was then part of the Founding Team of Ethereum in 2014. In 2016, he Co-Founded Layer2 Labs and in 2017 he Co-Hosted Let’s Talk Bitcoin!. In 2018, he became the CEO of Themys.io, and in 2021 he was appointed as the Head Of Partnerships at DLTx.

Jessa Moore is a media expert and co-author of Influencer Bootcamp. With a diverse background spanning journalism, digital strategy, branding, social media marketing, and influencer marketing, she brings a unique and insightful perspective to the tech and media landscape. Jessa has worked with a wide range of clients, from startups and entrepreneurs to established organizations like the ACLU. She has also worked with the Journalism School at Hunter College, Eleanor Clift of The Daily Beast, the USC Shoah Foundation, as well as 29 Startups, out of The Hague.

Founder Chairman CEO WISeKey NASDAQ WKEY, UN Expert on CyberSecurity and Trust Models for ILO, UN, UNCTAD, ITC/WTO, World Bank, UNDP, ESCAP (83-99). Author, Internet Pioneer; Founder OISTE Foundation . Founding Member of the “Comité de Pilotage Project E-Voting” of the Geneva Government, Member of the UN Global Compact, Member of the WEF Global Agenda Council. Founding Member WEF Global Growth Companies 2007. WEF New Champion 2007 to 2016, Vice-Chair WEF Agenda Council on Illicit Trade 12/15, Member of the Selection CommSEALSQ, CEOittee for the WEF Growth Companies. Founder of the Geneva Security Forum. Member of the WEF Global Agenda Council on the Future of IT Software & Services 14-16 . Member of the New York Forum. Selected as one of the WEF, Trailblazers, Shapers and Innovators LinkedIn , Member of Blockchain Advisory Board of the Government of Mexico. Nominated by La référence suisse de l’économie depuis plus de 30 ans | Bilan among the 300 most influential persons in Switzerland 2011 and 2013, top 100 of Who’s Who of the Net Economy, Most Exciting EU Company at Microsoft MERID 2005, Man of the Year AGEFI 2007, Selected by Bilanz among the 100 most important 2016 digital heads in Switzerland 2017. Award Holder CGI.

Adjunct Professor of the Graduate School of Engineering RMIT Australia (95/99). Head of the Trade Efficiency Lab at the Graduate School of Engineering at RMIT.

M&A Award 2017 Best EU acquisition. 2018 Blockchain Davos Award of Excellence by the Global Blockchain Business Council. Member of The Blockchain Research Institute. Founder Blockchain Center of Excellence 2019. Founding Member TrustValley

Entrepreneur and investor in Deeptech, AI, Blockchain, IoT and Cybersecurity . M&A expert, Fundraising, IPOs , SIX and NASDAQ listing.

Keynote speaker at the UN, WEF, CGI, ITU, Bloomberg, Munich Security Conference, World Policy Conference, Zermatt Summit, Microsoft, IMD, INSEAD, MIT Sloan, HEC , UBS , CEO Summit, etc

Coauthor transhumancode bestseller book.,

Married, six children, fluent in English, Spanish, Italian, French and Portuguese.
About Carlos – WISeKey

Richard co-founded ORCA Computing in 2019. He is an accomplished business executive and technologist with a PhD in quantum atom-optics and over 15 years of experience managing scientific teams working on disruptive early-stage technologies such as quantum, AR/VR and other consumer and industrial applications of photonics. Under his leadership, the company has grown to 45 people, expanded globally and developed a roadmap focused on building a fault-tolerant universal quantum computer. Previously, Richard worked for the UK government alongside Sir Peter Knight creating the £270m UK quantum technologies programme. He was also pivotal in the early stages of the €1 billion EU quantum flagship programme.

Dr. Kharen Musaelian is President and Co-Founder of Qognitive, Inc. and is President / CIO and Co-Founder of Duality Group. In 2016, Kharen shared the https://www.risk.net/. Buy-Side Quant of the Year Award, and has authored research papers in physics, finance, and statistics. Kharen holds a PhD in theoretical physics from University of Rhode Island and MS / BS degrees in theoretical physics from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.

Mehdi is the cofounder and Chief Science Officer of Qunnect Inc. He graduated with his Ph.D. in Physics from Stony Brook University in 2018. During his Ph.D., Mehdi worked on several aspects of room temperature quantum communication and computation technologies. In 2018, Mehdi was awarded the Yale Joint Quantum Institute Postdoctoral Fellowship to work on novel quantum opto-mechanical systems. As Qunnect’s CSO, he currently leads a team of scientists and engineers with a focus on developing the product suite necessary for long-distance quantum communication embedded in telecom fiber networks.

Physics aside, Mehdi is a competitive poker player and a big fan of scientific content creation.

Wil is founder and CEO of Anametric, a quantum photonic cybersecurity-focused startup in Austin, TX.

After receiving his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering, Mathematics, and Computer Science from University of North Carolina in 1987, Wil moved from academia to Apple’s Advanced Technologies Group in Cupertino CA, where he worked on mixed-signal IC designs for personal computer use. In 1995, he joined the Apple/IBM/Motorola Design Center in Austin, TX, where he was part of the team that produced several generations of PowerPC CPU designs. After Apple, Wil joined LifeSize Communications, where he led a small team of engineers to design and ship several ground-breaking products within 18 months from the day that he joined the company. LifeSize was acquired by multimedia giant Logitech in 2009.

After LifeSize, Wil founded Rubicon Labs, Inc. and spent the next dozen years developing Rubicon’s ground-breaking Zero-Knowledge IoT security platform.

Wil left Rubicon in 2017 to found Anametric. Anametric works closely with teams at Southern Methodist University in Dallas TX, the Air Force Research Lab in Rome NY and the Army Research Lab in Adelphi MD, to design and build cutting-edge, dual-use quantum photonic systems. Wil is the holder of 49 issued US patents and has many more still pending.

Marco Paini is VP Finance Solutions at Rigetti Computing and focuses on the growth of Rigetti’s financial services practice, including the continued development of proprietary solutions, of an expert team, and of impactful partnerships with finance institutions. Marco has also recently been managing the programme to build the first commercial quantum computer in the UK, a collaboration led by Rigetti and sponsored by Innovate UK with Oxford Instruments, Phasecraft, the University of Edinburgh and Standard Chartered.

Marco previously led quantum computing applications portfolio development of QxBranch, a quantum computing software company acquired by Rigetti in 2019. Prior to QxBranch, Marco spent more than eighteen years with Accenture, where he held several roles in technology. In the last part of his career with Accenture, Marco oversaw the AI ecosystem and the development of the quantum computing offering for the Accenture UKI Financial Services Technology Advisory practice.

Marco studied physics at the University of Pavia, where he collaborated with the Quantum Information Theory Group of the University of Pavia.

With deep expertise across consumer growth, brand strategy, and APAC operations, Sarah has led strategic initiatives for companies at the intersection of design, tech, and culture. She was an early leader at Homepolish, scaling brand and revenue in the U.S., and later was US General Manager at CASETiFY, leading collaborations with major entertainment and fashion IPs across Asia. She later ran platform for Decasonic Ventures ($60mm Web3 Fund) and then helped guide Mawari’s cross-border GTM in Japan and the U.S., focused on media and streaming.

Dr. Jennifer Prendki is a quantum physicist turned AI researcher and executive. She currently focuses on the operational frontier of quantum computing and AI.

She previously led the data strategy for DeepMind’s Generative AI division, translating foundational research into production-ready systems at scale. With two decades of experience across research, engineering, and executive leadership, Jennifer has built and led teams at startups and enterprises alike including and is known for pioneering work in data-centric AI, human-in-the-loop ML and AI infrastructure. Her current focus lies in architecting the next-generation infrastructure for Quantum × AI, including quantum data management, quantum observability and QML operations.

Paul is a proud Electrical Engineering and Computer Science graduate of UC Berkeley with a wide range of technical skills from low-level 3D graphics engineering to development of custom web CMS systems, even before people knew what a CMS was. He held lead engineering positions with Nvidia and Chromatic Research.

Today, Paul aims to bring Bitcoin mainstream with software and products aimed at simplifying Bitcoin and making it insanely easy to send and secure this revolutionary currency while maintaining the highest level of privacy. When not converting people to bitcoin you’ll likely find him climbing a rock in Joshua Tree or at a local climbing gym.

Stewart is an event pro who has forged connections with industry pioneers and thought leaders across multiple sectors including FinTech, Crypto, and digital trust solutions. He played a key role in launching Inside Bitcoins, widely regarded as the first globally successful crypto trade show. Stewart has collaborated on events with a broad range of associations such as the Apache Software Foundation (ASF), IT Service Management Forum (itSMF), Object Management Group (OMG), World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), International Game Developers Association (IGDA), Bitcoin Association, and Digital Currency Council (DCC). He currently serves as an adjunct instructor in the Department of Languages at the Sorbonne School of Management (University of Paris I: Panthéon-Sorbonne).

In his role as CTO of Senda Digital Assets, Jacky focuses on the technology aspects of the crypto and digital asset space. He brings more than 25 years of experience as a software developer and medical device engineer deploying multidisciplinary skills in hardware, software, signal analysis, and R&D on his work at Neurometrix, Philips Respironics, Quartz Labs, and as co-founder and CTO of Panorad. He holds a B.S. in Electronics Engineering from Universidad Simón Bolivar and a M.S. in Neuroscience from Brandeis University.

Michele Reilly is a leading voice in quantum security, advancing algorithmic breakthroughs that redefine how information can be protected in the quantum era. She pioneered early designs for quantum random access memory (qRAM) and now develops new frameworks that integrate thermodynamics, complexity, and cryptography. Her work explores how quantum algorithms both unlock unprecedented computational power and challenge the foundations of secure communication. Collaborating across MIT and international institutes, Reilly brings a unique perspective that bridges cutting-edge theory with the urgent need for resilient, post-quantum security.

Kayvan is a partner at Jenner & Block and Co-Chair of the firm’s Fintech & Crypto Assets practice. He has represented industry leaders in finance, technology, and media for over 20 years and has been active in the blockchain space since 2016. Kayvan is recognized by Chambers & Partners as a leading lawyer for Crypto-Asset Disputes. He serves as lead counsel for defendants and sophisticated plaintiffs in high-stakes litigation nationwide, and regularly defends clients in investigations before the US Department of Justice, the SEC, state attorneys general, and other regulators. His clients include companies, founders, and foundations supporting leading CeFi and DeFi platforms, base layer protocols, data oracles, NFT gaming projects, crypto venture and hedge funds, investors, and others throughout the crypto industry in their most pressing legal matters.

Gina Scinta is Thales TCT’s Deputy Chief Technology Officer (CTO). In this role, Gina serves as the company’s technology evangelist. Her mission is to help Thales TCT’s U.S. Federal Government customers learn effective ways to solve their mission critical cyber security challenges. Gina also leads several strategic initiatives for the company such as the collaboration with NIST National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence, ACT-IAC, and more.

Gina has over 30 years of experience in the technology community. Prior to joining Thales TCT, Gina served as a Senior Solutions Architect with Thales Digital Identity & Security. In this role, she focused on providing solutions for protecting data using world class encryption and key management for data at rest in data centers and cloud infrastructures.

At Salesforce, Hitesh oversees the end-to-end architecture of platforms delivered to financial services and insurance clients globally. His focus is on working with key strategic customers to align Salesforce implementations with their business goals, particularly around the conjunction of Data+AI and CRM. This involves collaborating with retail and commercial banking, payments, wealth management, investment banking, insurance, and capital markets to influence product roadmaps and shape the future of technology in these industries. A significant part of Hitesh’s role includes facilitating discussions with CTOs, CIOs, CDOs, and Chief Architects to analyze current architectures and design target states. Hitesh plays a key role in influencing product development within Salesforce by advocating for customer-driven innovations. As someone deeply engaged with the intersection of emerging technologies, Hitesh has a passion for exploring the implications and opportunities related to blockchain, quantum computing, and AI.

Zack Shapiro is the Managing Partner at Rains LLP and leads the law practice and advises Bitcoin-focused startups. He also serves as Head of Policy at the Bitcoin Policy Institute, and is the Executive Director of the Peer-to-Peer Rights Fund. Zack is a graduate of Williams College and Yale Law School, and started his legal career clerking in the federal courts for the S.D.N.Y. and the 2nd Circuit, and at Davis Polk & Wardwell.

Paul Stimers is a partner in the Public Policy & Regulation Group at Holland & Knight. He focuses his policy advocacy efforts on matters related to emerging technologies such as quantum technology, commercial spaceflight, and artificial intelligence, and advises a wide range of companies and industry associations in pursuing legislation and representing their interests before Congress and federal agencies. He is the founder and executive director of the Quantum Industry Coalition.

Michael Strike has a background in Enterprise network design that began in the 1990s. Michael’s career accomplishments include building and designing the computer network at Harley-Davidson that produced their first EV (LiveWire), helping Fortune 500 companies find growth through strategic project success, and having once traded thousands of Bitcoins so he could buy lunch. He believes that his creativity stems from having on the proper hat, which came from the year 2010 when he had his first brilliant idea – to buy a hat. Michael is currently focused on helping organizations achieve compliance with the latest cryptographic protocols being implemented under NIST guidelines.

Dr. Bob Sutor has been a technical leader and executive in the computer and DeepTech industry for over 40 years. He is a theoretical mathematician by training, with a Ph.D. from Princeton University and an undergraduate degree from Harvard College.

Bob’s industry role is to advance AI and quantum technologies by providing strategic and technical insight to help build strong business, partner, technical, and educational ecosystems. His singular goal is to evolve AI and quantum to help solve some of the critical computational problems facing businesses and society today. Bob is widely quoted in the press, delivers conference keynotes, and appears in the media. He is the author of a popular Quantum and AI newsletter on LinkedIn and Substack.

Dr. Sutor is the CEO and Founder of Sutor Group Intelligence and Advisory. He helps clients and investors understand sophisticated technologies such as AI and quantum computing and use them effectively to succeed in their organizations and industries. As an author and communicator, Bob helps clients bring their messages to current and potential customers in clear, powerful, and impactful ways.

Dr. Sutor is also an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Buffalo, New York, USA.

Bob spent over two decades at the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center in Yorktown Heights, New York. During his time there, he worked on or led efforts in AI, quantum computing, optimization, mathematical software, and blockchain. As the Vice President for Mathematical Sciences at IBM, Dr. Sutor oversaw AI projects for clients in the agricultural, energy, financial services, food, healthcare, insurance, and oil and gas industries. He was also an executive on the software side of the IBM business in areas including IBM Websphere middleware, software on Linux, mobile, open source, and emerging industry standards.

He was the Vice President of Corporate Development and, later, Chief Quantum Advocate at Infleqtion, a quantum computing and sensing company based in Boulder, Colorado, USA. Bob was the Vice President and Practice Lead for Emerging Technologies at The Futurum Group.

Dr. Sutor is the author of the 2019 quantum computing book Dancing with Qubits. Dancing with Qubits, Second Edition, was published in March 2024 and includes new chapters on NISQ algorithms and quantum machine learning. Bob is also the author of the 2021 book Dancing with Python, an introduction to Python coding for classical, quantum, and AI computing.

Dr. Sutor’s full resume is at available online and is suitable for printing. Areas in which he’s worked: quantum computing, AI, blockchain, mathematics and mathematical software, Linux, open source, standards management, product management and marketing, computer algebra, and web standards.

Ton van ‘t Noordende is the General Partner of QDNL Participations (QDNLP), a $75 million specialized investment fund dedicated to investing in early-stage quantum technology companies worldwide. Its team brings a unique blend of top-tier scientific and technical expertise, with PhDs in Physics from institutions such as Oxford, Stanford, Harvard, Yale, and UC Berkeley. The fund team includes quantum pioneer Chad Rigetti, founder of Rigetti Computing (NASDAQ: RGTI). With a strong focus on quantum technology, QDNLP has extensive experience and a proven track record in investing in breakthrough technologies. Established in 2022, the investment team operates across the Netherlands, the UK, and the US.

Richard Versluis (Rotterdam, 1971) is principal systems engineer at TNO and Quantum and Computer Engineering (QCE) fellow at the Delft University of Technology. From 2020 to 2022 he was director of engineering at QuTech, the collaboration between University of Technology Delft and The Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research TNO. From 2022 to 2024 he was coordinator of the Catalyst Programme 1 (Quantum Computing and Simulation) of the Dutch National Growth Fund Quantum Technology with the mission to build scalable prototypes of a quantum computer.

Richard is system architect of Quantum Inspire, Europe’s first public online quantum computing platform. Quantum Inspire includes two superconducting qubit processor, with 5 and 7 qubits, provides the world’s first public access to a spin qubit based processor named Spin-2+ and recently was upgraded with a an emulator of a neutral atom quantum processor, as a stepping stone to adding a Rydberg Atom QPU later.

Recently, Richard was appointed as Quantum and Computer Engineering Fellow at the University of Delft, to establish a strategic connection between the academic world and external partners. As a QCE Fellow, Richard will focus on advancing systems engineering approaches for quantum computers, pioneering the integration of different layers both from a blueprint/theoretical perspective and by building small-scale prototypes. The quantum computer architecture includes language specifications, compiler specifications, control hardware and software and quantum hardware to perform hybrid classical and quantum calculations.

Richard holds multiple patents in the field of EUV lithography, ultra-sensitive gas analysis systems and quantum computers.

With over 25 years at the forefront of AI, cloud, enterprise technologies, cybersecurity, privacy, and risk management, VJ is a proven leader, trusted advisor, and strategic investor. He has a demonstrated history of building and scaling successful programs for global enterprises and transforming innovative concepts into impactful products.

As a trusted Board advisor and subject matter expert, VJ guides organizations through intricate digital landscapes, fostering both innovation and strategic foresight. He brings particular value to Audit & Risk Management committees, where he rigorously evaluates and audits technology and cybersecurity organizations and programs, ensuring their veracity, efficiency, resilience, and strategic effectiveness.

A sought-after advisor across expert, incubator, and accelerator networks, VJ empowers VC and PE firms with incisive market analysis, competitive intelligence, and opportunity mapping.

VJ currently applies his diverse skills as the Founding Partner of CYFORIX, a strategic defense & technology risk advisory group, and as CEO of TORQE, a specialized firm focused on solution engineering and transformation.

Joseph Wolfe is an attorney in the patent development and strategy group at DLA Piper, concentrating his practice on the rapidly evolving realms of quantum computing and artificial intelligence technologies. With a deep understanding of the intricacies of quantum computing, artificial intelligence, and their applications, Joseph brings a unique blend of technical expertise and legal acumen to the patent group.

Joseph practice extends to domestic and foreign patent prosecution and preparation, post grant proceedings, patent validity and infringement analyses, freedom-to-operate analyses, due diligence, and strategic portfolio development. With a commitment to staying at the forefront of emerging technologies, Joseph ensures his clients receive informed and strategic guidance, safeguarding their intellectual property rights in this dynamic technological landscape.

Steven Wright-Mark has developed and led strategic communications programs for leading blockchain and digital-asset organizations for more than a decade, including Hedera Hashgraph, Immutable, Securitize, BitcoinSV, XDC Network and many others. Since entering the crypto sector in 2014, Steven has worked closely with founders, investors, and ecosystem partners to elevate visibility, build trust, and translate complex technologies into clear, credible stories that resonate with business and mainstream audiences alike.

Steve Yalovitser is a principal engineer in the Generative AI Group at Amazon Web Services (AWS) and founder of the NYC Quantum Computing Meetup. He is also the technical lead for three core products in Bedrock, Amazon’s flagship inference service. During his six-year career at AWS, he has also led and launched products within the Amazon Managed Blockchain and Amazon FinSpace services. Previously he has spent thirty years working in building real-time trading and analytics systems in financial markets.

General Partner at Bloccelerate, Sam is keen on bringing blockchain immutability, auditability, and censorship resistance to a variety of assets and processes. Prior to Bloccelerate, he co-founded and served as a managing partner of Decentralized Applications Fund, the first vehicle to raise all of its investment capital in cryptocurrency and invest only in decentralized applications. Previously, he had co-founded and managed BitAngels, growing the network to the world’s largest angel group of its time. He is a published author. He has a triple degree bachelors, a masters in engineering, and another one in economics and finance, from Johns Hopkins and Bogazici respectively. He supports founders with his detail-orientation and diligence on legal compliance, economic models, structuring financing rounds, team building, and crafting of partnerships between leaders and portfolio companies.

Dr. Shinjae Yoo is a distinguished scientist and leader in the field of computational science and artificial intelligence. He currently holds multiple leadership positions at Brookhaven National Laboratory, serving as the Interim Division Lead for the Computational Research Division, a Distinguished Scientist, and the Chair of the Artificial Intelligence Department.

Dr. Yoo’s research is primarily focused on Machine Learning, with a significant impact on the scientific community. His work has been particularly influential in recent years, garnering thousands of citations. His publications cover a wide range of topics, including pioneering work in quantum machine learning, federated learning, and the application of AI to various scientific and national security community. He has made significant contributions to the development of novel algorithms, such as the co-invention of “Quantum long short-term memory” (QLSTM) or large scale foundation model building using DOE supercompouters.

Dr. Yoo has an extensive background in computer science and language technologies. He earned his Ph.D. in Language Technologies from Carnegie Mellon University, following a Master’s degree in the same field. He also holds a Master’s degree in Computer Science from Seoul National University and a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Soongsil University. He has been with Brookhaven National Laboratory since 2010, starting as a Research Associate and progressing through various scientific roles to his current leadership positions.

Tom Zuber is recognized nationwide by Chambers USA. He focuses on intellectual property litigation and deals, and has advised some of the most iconic companies in the world on their global intellectual property portfolios. He is the relationship partner for some 10 Fortune 1000 clients, as well as iconic government entities. He is the Managing Partner of Zuber Lawler, which advises clients around the world from offices across the U.S. as to M&A, finance, real estate, corporate, employment, bankruptcy, commercial litigation, and internal investigation matters. Tom is an avid futurist immersed in emerging industries and technologies, including quantum computing, blockchain, and AI. He holds a J.D. from Columbia Law School, an M.P.P. from the Harvard School of Government, and a B.S. summa cum laude in biomedical engineering from Rutgers University.