SandboxAQ is actively hiring new engineers, scientists and technologists from around the world, across a broad range of disciplines, to fuel the growth of our company and accelerate the development of AQ solutions for our customers. To this end, we are thrilled to welcome Nadia Carlsten to the SandboxAQ family as our new Vice President of Product.
Nadia was most recently Head of Product at the AWS Center for Quantum Computing. In that role she helped define strategic direction and drive product development for quantum technologies for a team leading the development of quantum algorithms, quantum hardware, and control software to build Amazon’s first fault-tolerant quantum computer. She also helped launch Amazon Braket, AWS’s quantum computing service, which provides customers access to multiple types of quantum computers and simulators, enabling them to build quantum applications that leverage hybrid quantum/classical systems. She began her career at Amazon, helping AWS software partners innovate in security and machine learning.
Prior to Amazon, she was Director of Commercialization at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, where she led innovation initiatives and managed a technology accelerator program that successfully launched several startups and brought new cybersecurity technologies to market. Earlier, she was also the Chief Innovation Strategist at the Department of Energy, responsible for strategic planning and implementation of Open Innovation and Technology Transfer activities.
“Nadia combines a rare mix of technical and product expertise, academic and scientific excellence, and experience working in both industry and government. We are proud to have her join the SandboxAQ team, where her knowledge and experience will have an immediate impact,” said Jack D. Hidary. CEO of SandboxAQ. “Nadia is very attuned to the state of the industry, what’s realistic and what’s hype. The fact that she has joined SandboxAQ, after an illustrious career at Amazon, the U.S. Government and others, speaks volumes about our company and its prospects.”
At SandboxAQ, Nadia will align all our product development teams behind a single vision and make sure that customers benefit from the entire spectrum of what SandboxAQ can offer – in quantum security, sensing, and simulation and optimization. Her goal is to make sure that every idea, product and roadmap we develop addresses our customers’ needs, is rooted in innovative technology, and ties into our long-term business strategy.
When asked why she joined our growing family, Nadia said, “SandboxAQ is approaching quantum in a very different way. Its focus on security, sensing, simulation and other AI and quantum solutions goes beyond quantum computing, allowing SandboxAQ to take on some of the world’s biggest computing challenges without relying on quantum hardware itself. SandboxAQ is not building a mass-market product for one particular sector or function; it’s looking to leverage AI and quantum to address unique customer needs and challenges to deliver value today. This bigger business vision means a bigger, more robust product vision and deeper customer interactions across a broad range of industries.”
Nadia’s business and technical experience will prove invaluable as we deploy our AQ solutions broadly via our Global System Integration partners, Deloitte and EY. Her government expertise and involvement in the leadership of several quantum industry groups, including the Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C) and the Mid-Atlantic Quantum Alliance (MQA), will help us build bridges across the entire quantum ecosystem and better navigate policy decisions. Let’s not forget she also holds a Ph.D. in engineering from UC Berkeley and degrees in Chemistry and Physics from the University of Virginia, so she’s able to speak the language of our engineers, scientists, Ph.D. residents and academic partners. And finally, beyond her impeccable credentials and pedigree, we are also excited that Nadia will be a role model for other women looking to get into STEM careers like quantum and bring a much-needed perspective to the male-dominated tech industry.
For all these reasons and more, we couldn’t be happier to have Nadia on board.
