Kamran Tavangar

Head of Science Strategy & Partnerships, LabCentral

Kamran Tavangar is the Head of Science Strategy & Partnerships at the biotech launchpad, LabCentral. He has over thirty years of industry experience in both multinational pharmaceutical companies and biotech startups. Kamran held numerous leadership positions at Novartis, including Head of Strategic Planning for Novartis Pharma, Head of Novartis Oncology Australia, and Head of Global Marketing at Novartis Vaccines.

Prior to joining LabCentral, he was co-founder and COO of Affinivax (vaccines), and CEO of Atias Pharma (therapeutics). Kamran holds an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management, a PhD in Physiology from Stanford University, and an AB in Molecular Biology from the University of California, Berkeley.

Shahid Azim

Co-Founder, CEO, & Managing Partner, C10 Labs

Shahid Azim is CEO and co-founder of C10 Labs, a Cambridge-based AI venture studio and fund that has helped build and back more than 50 companies.

Before C10, he co-founded Lantos Technologies, maker of the first FDA-cleared 3D ear scanner, and founded Quanttus, a health wearable company backed by Khosla Ventures.

He also served as CEO of brain health company REACT Neuro. During COVID-19, he helped grow CIC Health, which ran Massachusetts’ mass vaccination sites, to $200M in revenue in 18 months. He co-taught at the MIT Media Lab and holds an MBA from MIT Sloan.

Eric Paley

Secretary of Economic Development, Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Massachusetts Secretary of Economic Development Eric Paley joined the Healey-Driscoll Administration in September 2025.

For more than 25 years prior to entering state government, Paley worked to shape the innovation economy as both a successful entrepreneur and a leading venture capitalist. As co-founder and Managing Partner of Founder Collective, Paley helped build one of the world’s highest-performing seed-stage venture capital funds.

His investment portfolio includes groundbreaking technology companies across diverse sectors such as transportation, media, healthcare, consumer, advanced manufacturing and enterprise software, including Uber (NYSE), The Trade Desk (NSDQ), Omada Health, Whoop, Formlabs and Airtable. He served on the Board of Directors of The Trade Desk from its founding until 2023, including as a public director after the company’s IPO in 2016.

At Founder Collective, Paley also launched Collective Future, an annual Boston conference bringing together Massachusetts’ most influential innovators across technology, government, media, cultural and non-profit sectors to collaboratively shape the future of the innovation economy.

Maggie O'Toole

President & CEO, LabCentral

Maggie O'Toole is the CEO of LabCentral, a Massachusetts-based network of coworking labs supporting early-stage life sciences companies.

With more than 25 years of experience working with start-up founders on infrastructure, network building and business operations, Maggie brings deep expertise in building thriving innovation ecosystems.

She serves on the Executive Committee of the Kendall Square Association and is a former Council Member on Innovation Ecosystems for the World Economic Forum. Maggie was a 2024 recipient of the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce Inspire Award and holds a bachelor's degree from Carnegie Mellon University.

Jesper Møller Sørensen

Ambassador of Denmark to the United States

Ambassador Jesper Møller Sørensen is the Ambassador of Denmark to The United States at the Royal Danish Embassy in Washington D.C.

Most recently, he held a position as the State Secretary for Foreign Policy in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark (2019-2023). Prior to this, he was the Political Director in the Foreign Ministry (2015-2019).

Ambassador Møller Sørensen has also previously been the Ambassador of Denmark to Pakistan (2013-2015), and the Deputy Ambassador to Afghanistan (2010-2011).

In 2019, he also briefly served in the EU’s European External Action Service (EEAS).

Ambassador Møller Sørensen began his career at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Denmark in 1997. He served abroad at the Royal Danish Embassy in Ankara, Turkey (2000-2003), and he was Minister Counsellor for political affairs at the Royal Danish Embassy in Washington D.C. (2005-2009).

The Ambassador holds a Master of Political Science from University of Copenhagen and a bachelor from Aarhus University. He is a First Class Knight of the Order of Dannebrog.

Ebba Carbonnier

CEO, QuNorth

Ebba Carbonnier is the CEO of QuNorth, a Nordic quantum computing company focused on turning quantum computing into practical value for research, industry, and society.

She leads the deployment of one of the world’s most powerful quantum computers, providing researchers and industry with access to a state-of-the-art, full-stack quantum computing system and accelerating the development of advanced quantum applications.

Prior to joining QuNorth, Carbonnier was Director of the Swedish Quantum Life Science Centre at Karolinska Institutet. She co-authored Sweden’s quantum agenda and co-founded the Nordic Quantum Life Science Roundtable in 2021. She also brings 14 years of management consulting experience, working with companies including Microsoft, AstraZeneca, and Ericsson and has served in several board and advisory roles across the Nordic quantum research and industry landscape.

Fiona Murray

Professor of Entrepreneurship, MIT Sloan School

Professor Dame Fiona Murray CBE DCMG is the William Porter (1967) Professor of Entrepreneurship at the MIT School of Management.

She was appointed Dame Commander of St Michael and St George (DCMG) by His Majesty King Charles III for services to science, technology, and diversity.

She serves as the Chair of the NATO Innovation Fund - the first multi-sovereign venture fund to support deep tech ventures in defense, security and resilience focus across Allied nations.

Her research, teaching and professional activities focus on the intersection of critical technologies, entrepreneurship, and geopolitics. She has examined the role of innovation ecosystem stakeholders in supporting the formation and scaling of deep tech ventures that solve global challenges - defense, security, and resilience.

Danna Freedman

Frederick George Keyes Professor of Chemistry and Faculty Director, MIT Quantum Initiative

Danna Freedman is the F. G. Keyes Professor of Chemistry at MIT and the inaugural director of QMIT. Her laboratory’s research focuses on applying inorganic chemistry to address challenges in physics. Key areas of research in her lab include a molecular approach to quantum information science, and pressure as a vector for chemical transformation.

Danna began her career at Northwestern University as an Assistant Professor. She moved to MIT in 2021 as the F. G. Keyes Professor of Chemistry. She received her undergraduate degree from Harvard University, and her Ph.D. from University of California, Berkeley where she studied magnetic anisotropy in molecules. As a postdoc at MIT, she engendered spin frustration in kagomé lattices to create quantum spin liquids.

Danna’s laboratory's research has been recognized by a number of awards including the MacArthur Fellowship, the ACS award in Pure Chemistry, the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award, and an NSF CAREER award.

Steven Hubbard

Program Director, Quantum Initiative, Massachusetts Technology Collaborative

Steven Hubbard joined The Mass Tech Collaborative as the Program Director for the Quantum Initiative in January of 2025. He is focused on development of the quantum ecosystem in Massachusetts into a global technology hub through strategic investment of state funds and public-private partnerships.

Prior to MassTech, he worked in higher education for nearly 20 years as a physics professor and most recently as the Dean of STEM and Business at North Shore Community College in Danvers, MA where he managed lab renovations and launched new STEM Workforce Development initiatives.

Steven is also a former R&D Manager at General Electric developing optical grade polymers for use in data storage and display. He holds the PhD in Physics from Case Western Reserve University where he studied optical and photonic properties of matter.

Joachim Mathiesen

Director, Niels Bohr Institute

Joachim Mathiesen is Head of the Niels Bohr Institute and Professor of Physics at the University of Copenhagen. The Niels Bohr Institute has long held, and continues to hold, a prominent international position in advancing quantum science and technology.

Alongside hosting the Novo Nordisk Foundation Quantum Computing Programme and the Copenhagen Center for Biomedical Quantum Sensing, the institute is home to a rapidly growing community of quantum technology startups that bridge fundamental research and industry.

As Head of Institute, Joachim Mathiesen also chairs the NATO DIANA Quantum Centre.NEED BIO

Lene Oddershede

Chief Scientific Officer, Novo Nordisk Foundation

Lene Oddershede is a physicist, trained also in mathematics. She is an experimentalist and at the Niels Bohr Institute she constructed the first optical tweezers manipulation facility in Scandinavia.

She is an expert in the interphase between quantum and the life sciences and is key designer of the Novo Nordisk Foundation Quantum Computing Programme, of the Quantum Foundry Copenhagen, as well as of the AI and quantum dedicated super-compute facilities Gefion and Magne, respectively.

As a researcher, she has been the leader of several interdisciplinary large-scale research projects, including center leader of a Grundforskningsfond Center of Excellence.

She has received several research prizes, e.g., the Danish Optical Society prize for young investigators, the Silver Medal of the Danish Royal Academy of Sciences and Letters, and the Elite Research Prize from the Danish Research Councils, the largest Danish public research prize. Lene Oddershede is a member of the Danish Academy of Technical Sciences, of the Danish Royal Academy of Sciences and Letters, and of the Global Future Council for quantum economy at the World Economic Forum (WEF). ​

Bharath Kannan

Former CEO

Atlantic Quantum (acquired by Google)

Bharath Kannan is the Co-Founder and former CEO of Atlantic Quantum, whose mission was to make superconducting quantum computers practical to scale by building the first quantum integrated circuits: modular chip stacks that combine qubits and superconducting control electronics within the cold stage.

This led to the acquisition of Atlantic Quantum by Google Quantum AI in 2025, where Bharath continues to lead this effort as part of Google's roadmap to a large error-corrected quantum computer.

He holds a PhD in Electrical Engineering & Computer Science from MIT.

Abhishek Chopra

Founder & CEO, BQP

Abhishek Chopra is the Founder and CEO of BQP, a physics acceleration company for decision intelligence in mission-critical industries like aerospace, space, defense, energy, and semiconductor. Its platform, BQPhy®, combines quantum-powered AI surrogates with optimization to deliver physics-informed decisions at operational speed. An aerospace engineer by training from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, he has raised $8.5M from marquee names like IBM Ventures, United Airline Ventures, and works with the Air Force Research Laboratory, SpaceForce, Classiq, and NVIDIA.

Mikhail Lukin

Co-Founder & Chief Scientist, QuEra Computing

Mikhail Lukin is currently the Joshua and Beth Friedman University Professor at Harvard University, co-Director of the Harvard Quantum Initiative, and co-founder, board member, and Chief Scientist of QuEra Computing, Inc.

He is a fellow of APS, OSA, and AAAS, and a member of the National Academy of Sciences. His research focuses on quantum optics and quantum information science. He has co-authored over 500 technical papers.

Recent awards include the John Stewart Bell Prize, Norman F. Ramsey Prize of APS, Physics World Breakthrough of the Year (2024), Falling Walls Breakthrough of the Year in Physical Sciences (2023), and the International Quantum Award.

Christopher Monroe

Chief Scientist & Co-Founder, IonQ

Christopher Monroe is the Gilhuly Family Presidential Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Physics at Duke University, where he leads a large research group that builds quantum computers and studies quantum entanglement.

He co-founded IonQ and served as its CEO and now Chief Scientist. At NIST, he co-led the team that demonstrated the first quantum logic gate.

A member of the National Academy of Sciences, he holds an S.B. in physics from MIT and a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Colorado Boulder.

Arjun Raj

Chief Scientific Officer, Cellular Intelligence

Arjun Raj is Chief Scientific Officer and Scientific Co-Founder at Cellular Intelligence, where he leads all data platforms and building models that compute how stem cells respond to combinatorial signals.

He is also the Richard K. Lubin Professor of Bioengineering and Professor of Genetics at the University of Pennsylvania. A pioneer in single-cell biology and gene expression dynamics, Raj made foundational contributions to single molecule RNA FISH (fluorescence in situ hybridization), a foundational technique that is widely recognized for uncovering insights into how cells process information and make fate decisions. His research spans gene expression variability, cell fate decisions, and signal interpretation, combining experimental innovation with computational modeling and machine learning.

Arjun earned his doctorate in physics from New York University’s Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences and his bachelor's in mathematics and physics from the University of California, Berkeley.

Declan Ryan

Senior Vice President, XtalPi

Dr. Declan Ryan is Senior Vice President of Business Development at XtalPi, where he leads commercial strategy for XtalPi's AI-driven drug discovery and automated chemistry platforms. 

He brings over 25 years of experience in pharmaceuticals and biotech, spanning scientific research and global business development. Prior to XtalPi, he was Chief Commercial Officer at Suven Pharma (Cohance Lifesciences), and before that Vice President of Business Development at WuXi AppTec, where he was the North America commercial lead for WuXi's integrated drug discovery services and preclinical services across a range of therapeutic modalities. Earlier, he was Executive Director at Shanghai ChemPartner and Associate Director of Business Development at AMRI (Albany Molecular Research). 

Dr. Ryan began his career as a scientist at Johnson & Johnson, 3-Dimensional Pharmaceuticals, and Sandoz / Novartis, giving him a rare blend of bench science and commercial leadership. He holds a PhD in Organic Chemistry from the University of Lausanne, with postdoctoral research at Yale University and the University of Pittsburgh, and an MBA from West Chester University of Pennsylvania. 

Patricia Geli

Co-Founder & Managing Partner, C10 Labs

Patricia Geli, PhD, is Co-founder and Managing Partner of C10 Labs, a Cambridge AI venture fund and studio, and a co-host of Entangled 2026. At C10 she invests in early-stage companies where AI meets the life sciences and the physical world. Before C10, she spent a decade at the World Bank as a macroeconomist and investment leader in more than 50 countries, where she led the Africa CDC Regional Investment Financing Project, a $250 million program building health data and surveillance systems across Africa. Her route into AI began in epidemiological modeling, which led her to study neural networks in 2005. She served on the Massachusetts AI Strategic Task Force and played the President of the European Commission in Intelligence Rising, the documentary built around an AI wargame among world leaders.

John Dvor

EVP of BPGBio & Operating Partner, C10 Labs

John Dvor is a senior operator, investor, and board director with a career spanning artificial intelligence, robotics, and life sciences. He currently serves as Operating Partner at C10 Labs, where he works with portfolio companies on strategy, partnerships, and scaling, and as Executive Vice President at BPGbio, a leading Bayesian AI biotech company that uses its AI platform to advance precision medicine and drug development.

Earlier in his career, John held executive vice president roles at leading robotics companies, including SSI Innovations and iRobot Corporation, where he helped bring advanced technology to market. He later turned to venture investing, serving as an investor at TH Ventures and Miraki Innovation, where he backed early-stage companies at the intersection of deep technology and healthcare. John serves as a Board Director at Apptly and RothSpeed. He is a Harvard graduate and a U.S. Marine Corps veteran.

Dartagnan Howell

Head of Strategy, IBM Ventures

Dartagnan Howell is Head of Strategy and Partnerships at IBM Ventures, the company’s venture capital arm focused on strategic investments in Enterprise AI and quantum.

In this role, he leads business connectivity, research, and strategic partnerships that connect startups with IBM and the broader venture ecosystem.

Previously, he was an Investment Strategist at Bessemer Trust focused on macroeconomic themes and a Long/Short Equity Analyst at Chesapeake Asset Management.

Michael Langer

Co-Founder & Managing Partner, T.Rx Capital

!Michael Langer is co-founder and managing partner of T.Rx Capital, which launched a $77.5M Fund I in 2025 to invest in early-stage startups at the intersection of technology and biology. He also founded Old Silver VC, a family investment firm whose portfolio includes Opentrons, Alto Pharmacy, and Seismic Therapeutics. He previously led search, evaluation, and in-licensing at Pear Therapeutics and worked at Akili Interactive, Polaris Partners, and Udacity. He serves on the boards of MassChallenge and the Terasaki Institute and holds a BA from Lehigh University.

Aude Oliva

Director of Strategic Industry Engagement, MIT Schwarzman College of Computing

MIT Director, MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab

Aude Oliva is the MIT director of the MIT-IBM Computing Research Lab, and a cross-disciplinary MIT scientist operating at the intersection of cognitive science, neuroscience, and computer science.

Her research leverages the synergy between human and machine intelligence to solve complex challenges in perception, attention, memory, and reasoning.

She has received an NSF CAREER Award, a Guggenheim Fellowship, the 2023 Donald O. Hebb Award, and she is a 2026 Forbes 50 Innovator.

Fiona Mack

VP, Head of ENA External Scientific Innovation

Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine

Currently, Fiona Mack is Head of East North America, External Scientific Innovation at Johnson and Johnson.  In this role 
she is responsible for regional management of East North America and the team’s partnership portfolio, providing expert guidance 
on business strategy, sourcing, stakeholder management and governance. In addition, she serves as a global partner for 
Neuroscience to drive its external innovation strategy. Prior to joining Johnson and Johnson, Fiona was VP, Head of Bayer Co.Lab 
Cambridge, where she was responsible for launching and operationalizing Bayer’s life science incubator designed to support early
stage entrepreneurs with innovation in oncology, cardiovascular disease, immunology, and cell and gene therapy. 
Fiona has held senior leadership positions at Ipsen, Roche and Pfizer supporting external innovation efforts to expand Rare 
Disease, Neuroscience and Oncology portfolios. Fiona earned her Ph.D. in Cell and Molecular Biology from the University of 
Pennsylvania and her undergraduate degree in Biology from Cornell University. Her innovative work has been published in high 
impact journals and she also has several granted patents.

Faisal M. Khan

VP, Artificial Intelligence and Analytics, R&D AI and Digital Innovation, Novo Nordisk

Faisal M. Khan, Ph.D. is the Vice President for Artificial Intelligence and Analytics at Novo Nordisk. His team focuses on the applications of AI and data science throughout the drug discovery and development R&D lifecycle, including applications of Quantum Computing.

His career has encompassed all aspects of healthcare and biomedical analytics, including diagnostics, devices, clinical trials/therapeutics, and payers/insurance.

Dr. Khan has worked or consulted across academia and industry with both startups and Fortune-50 companies. He has over 100 published papers, abstracts, and patents.

Yves Nanfack

Head of AI/ML, Takeda

Head of Al/ML Research at Takeda Pharmaceutical, he leads the strategy and execution of Al-native drug discovery spanning foundational model development, agentic Al architectures, and Al-enabled target-to-candidate nomination, with a mandate to compress discovery timelines and translate Al capability into pipeline impact. Before Takeda, he served as Head of Al End-to-End Foundations at Sanofi, where he pioneered one of the industry's earliest end-to-end Al platforms for biologics discovery, integrating generative models, omics data foundations, and wet-dry lab convergence across a global organization of 600+ scientists. Earlier in his career at Merck/EMD Serono, he built and led interdisciplinary data science, computational chemistry, and computational biology teams, delivering predictive models that drove molecule design and optimization across all therapeutic areas.
Yves holds a PhD in Computational Science and Systems Biology from the University of Amsterdam and an MSc in Computer Science from the University of Geneva.

Joy Yang

Head of Computational Chemistry, Pfizer

Bio coming soon!

Thomas Livelli

VP of Life Sciences, Promega

Tom Livelli is Vice President, Life Sciences at Promega, where he leads strategy for the pharma, biotech, academic, and government markets and oversees custom assay services and strategic collaborations. He brings more than 35 years of experience in molecular cell biology. He previously was a vice president at Invitrogen/Life Technologies and founded Cell & Molecular Technologies, which he took public and later sold to Invitrogen. Earlier, he spent over a decade in Nobel laureate Richard Axel’s lab at Columbia University, where he earned his BA in biology.