About This Event
3RD FLOOR, STAGE 1
We’re gathering leaders, technologists, and founders for a fast-paced afternoon of fireside conversations, panels and lightning talks on how next-gen compute—from quantum to AI to photonics—is forging new frontiers in computing.
Program Highlights:
* Raphael Townshend, CEO & Founder, Atomic AI
* Chris Eiben, CEO & Co-Founder, GigaCrop
* Moderated by Benjamin Kim, Partner, Playground
* Chris Anderson, VP, xLight
* Mike Lafferty, CEO, Snowcap Compute
* Moderated by Rahul Meka, Investor, Playground
* Sree Ganesan, VP Product, d-Matrix
* Yuan Yu, Technical Fellow, Microsoft Azure
* Moderated by Sasha Ostojic, Venture Partner, Playground
* Bruce Leak, General Partner, Playground
* Rahul Meka, Investor, Playground
* Sasha Ostojic, Venture Partner, Playground
* Benjamin Kim, Partner, Playground
4:00 – 6:00 PM: Networking Reception
Speakers
Gary Agnew
Founder & CEO , Ideon Technologies
From supernova to subsurface, Gary Agnew is building the intelligence layer to unlock the future of mining. Gary is the CEO & Co-Founder of Ideon Technologies, a pioneer in combining cosmic-ray muon tomography, multi-physics sensor fusion, and AI to allow mining companies to map and extract minerals hidden deep within the earth.
Sella Brosh M.D
Chief Executive Officer, NVision Imaging Technologies
Dr. Sella Brosh is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of NVision. As CEO, Dr. Brosh leads NVision’s efforts to revolutionize medical imaging by bringing metabolic MRI to the forefront of clinical practice. Prior to joining the leadership team of NVision, Dr. Brosh worked as senior engagement manager at the US mid-atlantic office of McKinsey & Company. He led multiple global commercialization efforts in the Pharma and Med Device spaces and worked alongside Market Access and R&D teams of top-10 players to optimize their early pipelines and structure a value driven approach. Prior to his career in the healthcare industry he served as a combat engineering officer, first as platoon commander and later as an officer of operations of a combat battalion. He received his Bachelor of Medical Science (magna cum laude) and Medical Doctor degree from Tel-Aviv University.
Chris Eiben, PhD
Founder and CEO, GigaCrop
panelistChris is sowing the seeds for a plentiful future by building deep tech companies solving sustainability challenges. The initial technical insight leading to GigaCrop's photosynthesis mission was drawn from Chris's strong science background. Chris earned his Ph.D. in Bioengineering at UC Berkeley, focusing on synthetic metabolism and protein engineering in Jay Keasling's lab. He has published his academic work in peer reviewed journals including Nature Biotechnology, and ACS Synthetic Biology. Chris has also authored several patent applications for technology he has developed. To complement his science background, Chris pursued two years of entrepreneurial training via the prestigious Activate fellowship.
Bruce Leak
General Partner, Playground
Bruce Leak is a veteran in the technology and venture capital sectors, having contributed as an engineer to the original Apple Macintosh team and later serving as a partner at Kleiner Perkins, where he invested in numerous successful startups. With a strong focus on hardware and deep tech innovations, he has played a key role in fostering technological advancements. Currently, as a General Partner at Playground Global, he continues to invest in cutting-edge technologies that shape the future.
Raphael Townshend
CEO & Founder, Atomic AI
panelistRaphael Townshend is the founder and CEO of Atomic AI, where he oversees the development of AI technologies for synthetic biology and drug discovery, focusing on RNA modeling to accelerate therapeutic innovations. He earned a PhD in Computer Science from Stanford University, with expertise in machine learning applications to biological problems. Townshend has contributed to the field through research on AI-driven protein and RNA design, including publications in top journals. His achievements include founding Atomic AI in 2021 and securing significant venture funding for the company's biotech initiatives. His primary expertise areas are AI, machine learning, and computational biology.
Chris Anderson
VP, xLight
panelistChris Anderson serves as Vice President at xLight, where he contributes to the company's initiatives in advanced technologies. He has spoken at events like Next Gen Compute, indicating his involvement in cutting-edge computing topics. His role likely focuses on driving innovation in these areas, based on the available context.
Rahul Meka
Investor, Playground
moderatorRahul Meka is a venture investor at Playground Global, a firm that specializes in deep tech investments including hardware and AI. He has a background in technology and has been involved in funding innovative startups. Currently, he focuses on identifying and supporting emerging technologies in these areas.
Yuan Yu
Technical Fellow, Microsoft Azure
panelistYuan Yu is a Technical Fellow at Microsoft Azure, where he focuses on advancing distributed systems and big data processing technologies. With a strong background in computer science, he has contributed significantly to scalable computing frameworks during his tenure at Microsoft. Notably, he co-developed the Dryad system, a distributed execution engine for large-scale data processing, and has worked on projects like Azure's Cosmos DB for reliable data management. His expertise lies in fault-tolerant systems, parallel computing, and big data analytics, with numerous publications and patents in these fields.
Sasha Ostojic
Venture Partner, Playground
hostSasha Ostojic is a Venture Partner at Playground, where she focuses on investing in deep tech ventures. She has a background in AI and related technologies, contributing to advancements in these areas.
Prof. Terry Rudolph
Chief Architect and Co-Founder, PsiQuantum
Prof. Terry Rudolph is a co-founder and Chief Architect at PsiQuantum, a company focused on developing fault-tolerant quantum computers. He is a physicist with expertise in quantum information and computation, contributing to advancements in quantum technology.
Benjamin Kim
Partner, Playground
moderatorBenjamin Kim is a Partner at Playground, a venture capital firm focused on deep tech investments. He has moderated sessions at events like Next Gen Compute, indicating his involvement in discussions around advanced computing technologies. His role likely centers on guiding investments in innovative tech sectors, though specific expertise details are based on available context.
Mike Lafferty
CEO, Snowcap Compute
panelistMike Lafferty serves as the CEO of Snowcap Compute, where he leads the company's efforts in the computing sector. He has spoken at events such as Next Gen Compute, demonstrating his involvement in advanced technology discussions. His role focuses on driving the company's initiatives in compute-related technologies.
Sree Ganesan
VP Product, d-Matrix
panelistSree Ganesan is the Vice President of Product at d-Matrix, a company focused on developing AI accelerators and advanced computing solutions. He has expertise in product management within the tech industry, particularly in areas related to AI and hardware, as evidenced by his participation in events like Next Gen Compute. In his current role, he drives innovation in AI technologies to improve computational performance.
