AGENDA

November 19, 2026 · The Platform, Cambridge, MA

BY INVITATION

On November 19, more than 300 people working in AI, quantum, technology, life sciences, investment, and policy will spend the day together at The Platform in Kendall Square. Every session comes at the same question from a different angle: what makes the next breakthrough possible? We'll hear from the people building the systems, doing the science, backing the companies, and forging the partnerships. 

Program subject to change. Additional speakers will be announced. 

At a Glance

Time Session
8:00 to 9:15 AM Registration & Networking Breakfast
9:15 to 10:00 AM Harmony & Resonance: An Opening
10:00 to 10:15 AM Keynote: Building the World's Most Powerful Quantum Computer
10:15 to 11:15 AM Cultivating Ecosystems: AI & Quantum Innovation
11:15 to 11:35 AM Break
11:35 AM to 12:35 PM The Future Today: Breakthroughs at Work
12:35 to 1:45 PM Lunch
1:45 to 2:30 PM An Immersive Experience
2:30 to 2:45 PM Transition to Theater & Break
2:45 to 3:45 PM Backing What's Next: Evaluating Breakthroughs
3:45 to 4:45 PM Building What's Next: Sourcing Breakthroughs
4:45 to 5:00 PM Closing Remarks
5:00 to 6:00 PM Digital Poster Showcase & Reception

SESSIONS & SPEAKERS

9:00 to 10:00 AM

Harmony & Resonance: An Opening

We kick things off with LabCentral, C10 Labs, and leaders from Massachusetts and Denmark, two innovation hubs an ocean apart, coming together to share what they’ve learned and pave the way for what’s next.

Speakers

  • Kamran Tavangar, Head of Science Strategy & Partnerships, LabCentral
  • Shahid Azim, Co-Founder, CEO & Managing Partner, C10 Labs
  • Eric Paley, Secretary of Economic Development, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
  • Maggie O'Toole, President & CEO, LabCentral
  • Jesper Møller Sørensen, Ambassador of Denmark to the United States

10:00 to 10:15 AM

Keynote: Building the World's Most Powerful Quantum Computer

QuNorth CEO Ebba Carbonnier on Magne, the project to build the world's most powerful quantum computer, and what it takes to get from blueprint to working machine.

Speaker

  • Ebba Carbonnier, CEO, QuNorth

10:15 to 11:15 AM

Cultivating Ecosystems: AI & Quantum Innovation

What becomes possible when the right people, ideas, and institutions connect? Fiona Murray of MIT opens with a look at the Kendall Square innovation ecosystem and how ecosystems around the world can connect with it. Leaders from philanthropy, academia, research institutes, and state government then explore the conditions that let AI and quantum innovation grow.

Host

  • Fiona Murray, Professor of Entrepreneurship, MIT Sloan School

Speakers

  • Danna Freedman, Frederick George Keyes Professor of Chemistry and Faculty Director, MIT Quantum Initiative
  • Steven Hubbard, Program Director, Quantum Initiative, Massachusetts Technology Collaborative
  • Joachim Mathiesen, Director, Niels Bohr Institute
  • Lene Oddershede, Chief Scientific Officer, Novo Nordisk Foundation

11:15 to 11:35 AM  |  Break

Coffee, conversation, and a chance to compare notes.

11:35 AM to 12:35 PM

The Future Today: Breakthroughs at Work

Some of the most exciting progress is happening where AI, robotics, and quantum meet, and where wet-lab and dry-lab expertise share the same bench. Founders and scientists talk about what it takes to move breakthrough science out of the lab and into real-world use.

Host

  • To Be Announced

Speakers

  • Bharath Kannan, Former CEO, Atlantic Quantum (acquired by Google)
  • Christopher Monroe, Chief Scientist and Co-founder, IonQ
  • Mikhail Lukin, Co-Founder & Chief Scientist, QuEra Computing
  • Additional speakers from XtalPi to be announced

12:35 to 1:45 PM  |  Networking Lunch

Lunch, and time to talk through the morning.

1:45 to 2:30 PM

An Immersive Experience

Something a little different. Details to come.

2:30 to 2:45 PM  |  Transition to Theater/Break

A quick reset before the afternoon sessions.

2:45 to 3:45 PM

Backing What's Next: Evaluating Breakthroughs

When a technology is still taking shape, how do you decide what to back? Investors from corporate venture, academic-industry partnerships, and life science funds share how they weigh technical risk, timing, and team.

Host

  • Managing Partner, C10 Labs

Speakers

  • Dartagnan Howell, Head of Strategy, IBM Ventures
  • Michael Langer, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, T.Rx Capital
  • Aude Oliva, Director of Strategic Industry Engagement, MIT Schwarzman College of Computing, and MIT Director, MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab

3:45 to 4:45 PM

Building What's Next: Sourcing Breakthroughs

AI and computational science leaders from global pharma explore what they need from startups and academic partners, as well as the evolving challenges involved in finding, evaluating, and bringing in the innovations that will shape how medicines are discovered.

Host

  • Fiona Mack, VP, Head of ENA External Scientific Innovation, Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine

Speakers

  • Faisal M. Khan, VP, Artificial Intelligence and Analytics, R&D AI & Digital Innovation, Novo Nordisk
  • Yves Nanfack, Head of AI/ML, Takeda
  • Joy Yang, Head of Computational Chemistry, Pfizer
  • Thomas Livelli, VP of Life Sciences, Promega

4:45 to 5:00 PM

Closing Remarks

Tying together the threads of the day.

Speaker

  • Kamran Tavangar, Head of Science Strategy & Partnerships, LabCentral

5:00 to 6:00 PM

Digital Poster Showcase & Reception

End the day with great conversation, food, drinks, and the opportunity to explore digital posters from 20+ deep tech organizations, startups, and research teams across the AI BioHub community, Denmark's quantum and life science ecosystem, academic labs, and the ecosystem at large.

Program subject to change.