Been There, Done That

In this episode, host Dr. Celia Merzbacher, Executive Director of QED-C, sits down with Alex Shih, head of product at Q-CTRL, to talk about what it takes to build products in an emerging field like quantum technology. At the center of the conversation is a key tension: balancing breakthrough innovation with real customer needs. Alex shares how successful product strategy in deep tech requires meeting users where they are, reducing ...

In this episode, host Dr. Celia Merzbacher, Executive Director of QED-C, sits down with Niels Bultink, co-founder and CEO of Qblox, to explore the path from academic research to entrepreneurship in the quantum technology sector. Niels shares how Qblox was founded to address a critical need in the quantum stack: scalable, high-performance control electronics for quantum computers. The conversation walks through the realities of buil...

In this episode, host Dr. Celia Merzbacher, Executive Director of QED-C, sits down with Yuval Boger, Chief Commercial Officer of QuEra Computing, to talk about what it takes to turn quantum computing from a groundbreaking scientific achievement into a viable commercial product. Yuval reflects on his career across multiple frontier technologies—including virtual reality and wireless power—and how those experiences inform his work in...

In this episode, host Dr. Celia Merzbacher, Executive Director of QED-C, sits down with Marc Smith, General Manager of Amphenol XMA, for an inside look at how a legacy company has evolved to meet the needs of the quantum era. Marc traces XMA’s origins, their transition into the quantum market, and the lessons learned as they scaled production to support rapidly growing demand. He also reflects on the advantages and challenges that ...

In the season two premiere of Been There, Done That, host Dr. Celia Merzbacher, Executive Director of QED-C, welcomes Dr. Nicholas Harrigan of NVIDIA for a conversation on the fast-changing world of quantum computing. Dr. Harrigan reflects on his academic path and career journey, while also sharing NVIDIA’s vision for the field, including efforts to integrate quantum processors into supercomputing environments and to foster collabo...

In this episode, host Dr. Jonathan Felbinger, deputy director of QED-C, sits down with Murray Thom, vice president of quantum technology evangelism for D-Wave - a leader in the development and delivery of quantum computing systems, software, and services. Explore Murray's extensive journey spanning two decades in the quantum computing realm, from his initial inspiration to joining a startup to navigating the intricacies of scaling ...

Join host Dr. Celia Merzbacher, Executive Director of QED-C, in an insightful conversation with Gregoire Ribordy, CEO of ID Quantique, a pioneering force in quantum-safe security and quantum sensing based in Geneva, Switzerland. In this episode, Gregoire shares his journey in the quantum industry, the growth trajectory of ID Quantique and the evolution of its business strategies. Delve into the phases of growth within a quantum ent...

In this episode, host Dr. Jonathan Felbinger, deputy director of QED-C, sits down with Scott Davis, president and CEO of Vescent Photonics - the leading designer and manufacturer of lasers, electro-optic tools, and control electronics used in precision optical measurements based on the quantum nature of physical systems. The discussion delves into the company's origins, pivotal milestones navigating the transition from startup to a...

In this episode, host Dr. Celia Merzbacher, executive director of QED-C, sits down with Jen Sovada, president of the global public sector at SandboxAQ  - an enterprise SaaS company combining AI + Quantum tech to solve hard problems impacting society. The two talk about Jen's career journey in the quantum industry and the growth of SandboxAQ, the characteristics of a successful startup, common risks of startups, her inspiration to j...

In this episode, host Dr. Jonathan Felbinger, deputy director of QED-C, sits down with Chris Marki, CEO of Marki Microwave - a California-based company that develops high-frequency and broadband products. The two talk about the company's beginnings, leading a growing tech company, expanding into emerging markets like quantum, lessons learned, and navigating the regulatory environment. 

Been There, Done That is produced by Associati...

In our inaugural episode, host Dr. Celia Merzbacher, executive director of QED-C, sits down with Noel Goddard, chief executive officer of Qunnect - a quantum communications company based in New York City. The two talk about Noel's career journey in the quantum industry and the growth of Qunnect, the difference in the biotech and quantum industries, the importance of intellectual property for quantum companies, de-risking a startup ...