AI-Ready DISCOMs: Policy Actions to Advance Grid Digitalization
February 11, 2026 • 11:00 am – 4:00 pm EST
Growing the Midwest Quantum Ecosystem
September 30, 2025 • 10:30 am – 7:15 pm EDT
Hosted in Illinois (Central Standard Time)
Brought to you by
This event will take place from 9:30 am – 2:30 pm JST, on October 30 (8:30 pm – 1:30 pm ET, Ocotber 29) at the International House of Japan. Online attendees must pre-register to join via this link: https://csis.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Qlz-eXVWRBiYy-H5bJY4dQ
In-person attendance requests subject to approval.
The CSIS Renewing American Innovation program and the University of Chicago, in cooperation with the the Chicago Quantum Exchange, will host and co-organize a full-day symposium highlighting the variety of partnerships and investments supporting the growth of the Midwest quantum innovation ecosystem.
This event draws together the region’s leading research universities and national laboratories along with federal and state agencies, public-private partnerships, and industry participants to explore the region’s assets and capabilities and the challenges and opportunities for cooperation. Speakers will describe the diverse set efforts underway to accelerate the growth of Illinois’s quantum tech economy and develop its quantum workforce.
This symposium is a key element of a review of the U.S. Quantum Opportunity being undertaken by Renewing American Innovation program (RAI) at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Launched with the support of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and in cooperation with the Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C), the study is identifying policies to support and grow a competitive quantum industry that is both grounded in the United States and connected with leading quantum companies and organizations abroad. The study is exploring cooperative approaches to accelerate U.S. based quantum technology development and deployment, identifying means to address engineering and technology challenges to the development of utility-scale quantum technology systems, and seeking paths to encourage mutually beneficial collaboration in quantum among like-minded countries.
This event is made possible in part by support from the National Institute of Standards and Technology via SRI International.
This event is being co-organized with:
Event Agenda
Welcome Remarks
9:30 am
Nadya Mason, Dean of the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago
Sujai Shivakumar, Director and Senior Fellow, CSIS RAI
Keynote
9:40 am
David Awschalom, Liew Family Professor and Director of the Chicago Quantum Institute, Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, the University of Chicago, Senior Scientist, Argonne National Laboratory; Director, Chicago Quantum Exchange
Break
9:55 am
Welcome Remarks
10:00 am
Paul Alivisatos, President and John D. MacArthur Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of Chemistry, the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, and the College, the University of Chicago
Break
10:15 am
Panel 1: Growing the Midwest Cluster
10:25 am
Moderator: Celia Merzbacher, Executive Director, Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C)
Kate Waimey Timmerman, Chief Executive Officer, Chicago Quantum Exchange
Cas Peters, Chief of Business Attraction and Development at the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
Brad Henderson, Chief Executive Officer, P33
Mark Saffman, Johannes Rydberg Professor of Physics, University -Madison; Director of the Wisconsin Quantum Institute; Chief Scientist for Quantum Information, Infleqtion
Aaron Fluitt, Senior Director of Technology Partnerships, PsiQuantum
Break
11:15 am
Panel 2: Role of Federal Research Programs
11:20 am
Moderator: Walter G. Copan, Senior Adviser, CSIS RAI
James G. Kushmerick, Director of Physical Measurement Laboratory, NIST
Anna Grassellino, Director of SQMS Center, DOE
Pavel Lougovski, Director of Advanced Computing Technology Division, Office of Advanced Scientific Computing Research, DOE
Dick T. Co, Director of Chain Reaction Innovations (CRI), Argonne National Laboratory, DOE
Break
12:00 pm
Panel 3: Universities as Innovation Engines
12:05 pm
Moderator: Phillip Singerman, Senior Adviser, CSIS RAI
Greg Engel, NSF Quantum Leap Challenge Institute QuBBE/Professor, Berggren Center for Quantum Biology and Medicine, the University of Chicago
Brian DeMarco, Professor of Physics at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Chief Technology Officer for Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park; Director of Illinois Quantum Information Science & Technology Center; Director of NSF Quantum Leap Challenge Institute for Hybrid Quantum Architectures and Networks
Mike Manfra, Bill and Dee O’Brien Distinguished Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Professor of Materials Engineering; Director of Quantum Science and Engineering Institute, Purdue University
Harley Johnson, Founder Professor of Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Chief Executive Officer, Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park; Director and PI, NSF Illinois Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (I-MRSEC)
Samir Mayekar, Associate Vice President and Managing Director, Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, the University of Chicago; Interim Director, Duality
Preeti Chalsani, Chief Quantum Officer, Intersect Illinois
Lunch
12:45 pm
Keynote: The NSF Contribution
1:30 pm
Erwin Gianchandani, Assistant Director for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships, NSF
Break
1:45 pm
Panel 4: Quantum Technology Industry Perspectives
5:00 pm
Moderator: Bruce Andrews, Senior Adviser, CSIS RAI
Jay Lowell, Chief Engineer and Senior Technical Fellow of Boeing's
Disruptive Computing, Networks & Sensors (Remote)
Asha Keddy, Vice President, Global Technology Standards, Cisco
Pranav Gokhale, Chief Technology Officer, Infleqtion
Hanhee Paik, Director of Quantum Algorithms Centers and Quantum-
Centric Supercomputing Partnerships, IBM
Hannah Parnes, Head of Policy, EeroQ Quantum
Manish Singh, Co-Founder and CEO, memQ
Adjourn to Reception at the Rubenstein Forum
6:15 pm
Hosted By
Contact Information
- Hideki Tomoshige
- Fellow, Renewing American Innovation
- 202.775.3246
- HTomoshige@csis.org
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Nadya Mason
Dean of the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago
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David Awschalom
Liew Family Professor and Director of the Chicago Quantum Institute, Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, the University of Chicago, Senior Scientist, Argonne National Laboratory; Director, Chicago Quantum Exchange
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Paul Alivisatos
President and John D. MacArthur Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of Chemistry, the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, and the College, the University of Chicago
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Kate Waimey Timmerman
Chief Executive Officer, Chicago Quantum Exchange
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Cas Peters
Chief of Business Attraction and Development at the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
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Brad Henderson
Chief Executive Officer, P33
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Mark Saffman
Johannes Rydberg Professor of Physics, University -Madison; Director of the Wisconsin Quantum Institute; Chief Scientist for Quantum Information, Infleqtion
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Aaron Fluitt
Senior Director of Technology Partnerships, PsiQuantum
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James G. Kushmerick
Director of Physical Measurement Laboratory, NIST
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Anna Grassellino
Director of SQMS Center, DOE
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Pavel Lougovski
Director of Advanced Computing Technology Division, Office of Advanced Scientific Computing Research, DOE
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Erwin Gianchandani
Assistant Director for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships, NSF
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Preeti Chalsani
Chief Quantum Officer, Intersect Illinois
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Pranav Gokhale
Chief Technology Officer, Infleqtion
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Samir Mayekar
Managing Director of Polsky Center at the University of Chicago; Associate Vice President and Managing Director, Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, the University of Chicago; Interim Director, Duality
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Harley Johnson
Founder Professor of Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Chief Executive Officer, Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park; Director and PI, NSF Illinois Materials Research Science and Engineering Center(I-MRSEC)
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Dick T. Co
Director of Chain Reaction Innovations (CRI), Argonne National Laboratory, DOE
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Greg Engel
NSF Quantum Leap Challenge Institute QuBBE/Professor, Berggren Center for Quantum Biology and Medicine, the University of Chicago
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Brian DeMarco
Professor of Physics at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Chief Technology Officer for Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park; Director of Illinois Quantum Information Science & Technology Center; Director of NSF Quantum Leap Challenge Institut
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Mike Manfra
Bill and Dee O’Brien Distinguished Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Professor of Materials Engineering; Director of Quantum Science and Engineering Institute, Purdue University
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Hanhee Paik
Director of Quantum Algorithms Centers and Quantum-Centric Supercomputing Partnerships, IBM
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Manish Singh
Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, memQ
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Celia Merzbacher
Executive Director, Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C)
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Jay Lowell
Chief Engineer and Senior Technical Fellow of Boeing's Disruptive Computing, Networks & Sensors
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Asha Keddy
Vice President, Global Technology Standards, Cisco
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Hannah Parnes
Head of Policy, EeroQ Quantum
