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APMS Colloquium

Thursday, November 12, 9:45 - 10:45 am

Jake Douglass

IonQ Federal

Connecting the Dots: A Non-Traditional Path Through the Quantum Ecosystem

Abstract: Quantum technology is often seen as a field built by PhD scientists and researchers, and it is. But it is also built by people who connect science to mission, partners, funding, and opportunity. Jake Douglass came to quantum with a degree in chemistry, an MBA, and experience leading a business team at a law firm. When he began working with the quantum team at Sandia National Laboratories, he found a field full of open doors. As the business development lead for Sandia's quantum program, he led partnership development, program strategy, and ecosystem development, helping to shape major programs such as the Quantum Systems Accelerator, a DOE National Quantum Information Science Research Center. He also became a leader in several other large-scale initiatives, including key leadership roles in the Quantum Economic Development Consortium, the Elevate Quantum Tech Hub, and the Quantum New Mexico Institute. Now Director of Strategic Initiatives at IonQ Federal, Jake will share how he saw those opportunities and stepped into them, and how technical and business leaders can work together to make great things happen. Along the way, he will map how the quantum ecosystem works and the many career paths it is opening for students today, and why it pays to jump in feet first to new and challenging opportunities.

Bio: Jake Douglass is the Director of Strategic Initiatives at IonQ Federal, where he helps turn the company’s long-term strategy for serving the federal government into real programs and lasting partnerships. Working closely with IonQ leadership and colleagues, he shapes new opportunities with agencies, national laboratories, and industry partners, leads end-to-end capture efforts, and works with IonQ’s delivery teams to launch and execute new programs. He also builds cross-sector coalitions and serves as a strategic advisor to IonQ’s highest-priority government and national security engagements, turning ambitious ideas into lasting impact. Prior to IonQ, Jake spent his career building the national quantum ecosystem in support of the nation’s security and economic competitiveness. Most recently, he served as the Quantum Business Development Lead at Sandia National Laboratories, where he led strategic business development for Sandia’s Quantum Information Science (QIS) portfolio. He served in key leadership roles for the Quantum Systems Accelerator, one of five DOE-SC National QIS Research Centers, for Elevate Quantum, an EDA Tech Hub, and as an active leader and partner in regional and national initiatives including Quantum New Mexico and the Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C). Jake holds a B.S. in Chemistry from New Mexico Tech and an MBA from New Mexico Highlands University.

Health & Learning Center, Building 25, Room 3108
Join Via Zoom
Password: MIRA2026

Sponsored by:

• Center for Materials Interfaces in Research and Applications (¡MIRA!)
• Nanotechnology Collaborative Infrastructure Southwest (NCI-SW) and Arizona State University (ASU)

For more information please contact APMS at APMS@nau.edu