2025 has been designated the International Year of Quantum by UNESCO, marking 100 years since the creation of quantum mechanics. In that century, the ideas have moved from laboratories and lecture halls to everyday products and a wide general understanding of some principles. How can businesses position themselves to take advantage of the opportunities quantum will create going forward?

Scott Sternberg is the executive director of the University of Colorado Boulder CUbit Quantum Initiative. Scott has an extensive background in leadership and business development, and has a strong commitment to encouraging the long-term sustainable growth of the initiative and Colorado’s quantum economy as a whole.

In this episode, Scott explains the basic principles of quantum science and its evolution over the past century. He highlights how recent advancements have led to practical applications like quantum computers and sensing technologies that promise to revolutionize various industries. With a focus on Colorado's leading role in quantum research and economic development, Scott and Maria talk about the goals and strategies of the CUbit Quantum Initiative. He also emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, student engagement, and community awareness to foster growth in the quantum economy.

Leeds Business Insights Podcast is a production of Leeds School of Business and is produced by University FM.

EPISODE QUOTES:

Quantum, explained simply

[01:05] So the word quantum actually relates to the physics or the mathematics that occurs at the very, very small scale—that is to say, at the scale of atoms or even at some atomic levels. And when you start to observe what is happening in terms of the interaction between light and atoms, or atoms with other atoms, you start to see a very different behavior than what we experience in what we call the macroscopic world. So, as we throw a ball and it follows an arc and someone catches it on the other end, we're very in tune with exactly the physics that dominates that trajectory. But when you go into the atomic level and the subatomic level, things behave much, much differently. So, about a hundred years ago, this observation of this new world was starting to come into view, and there was a whole new mathematics around what we call quantum mechanics that was created.

Quantum’s around us

[05:46] Quantum's around us; you may not realize it, but it's this recent awareness that the impacts to society from quantum computing have really brought this to the forefront for conversation.

Why Colorado needs to be at the center of this innovation hub

[09:18] We have been recognized by the Economic Development Administration through a technology and innovation hub grant that was submitted by an organization called Elevate Quantum as the tech hub for quantum science in the nation. And so, it's this long history that we have—investing in fundamental science, growing into engineering, growing into the interdisciplinary spaces in the other colleges and departments—that has spawned these companies to come out that have kind of taken traction here in the region. And that was, quite frankly, the core of our argument as to why Colorado needs to be at the center of this technology and innovation hub.

SHOW LINKS:

• Scott Sternberg | LinkedIn
• Scott Sternberg | CU Boulder Profile
• CUbit Quantum Initiative
• CUbit Update | Newsletter

What does it look like to move from a life of intense athletic competition into the realm of business? What aspects of being an athlete translated well into entrepreneurship, and what strong career motivation can be derived from understanding a simple bell curve?

Ryan Heckman is a two-time Olympian, Leeds Business School Alumnus, and a longtime entrepreneur.  Ryan co-founded Rallyday Partners, an investment firm dedicated to providing holistic support to company founders and their employees, where he serves as CEO and managing partner.

In this episode, Ryan discusses his unique career path to the world of private equity. Ryan shares personal anecdotes about his college journey, career challenges, and his midlife crisis-turned-awakening that led to the founding of Rallyday. He emphasizes the importance of integrating left brain, right brain, heart, and soul in business, and how Rallyday Partners is shifting the paradigm within the private equity industry through its focus on humanizing the journey and fostering aggressive humility among its leaders. Check out this fascinating conversation.

Leeds Business Insights Podcast is a production of Leeds School of Business and is produced by University FM.

EPISODE QUOTES:

The higher the goals the greater the humility

[12:11] The higher we set our goals, the more humility we generally have because the chances of you reaching those goals are very slim. And so, I think I've shown up, particularly the last 10 years, with a great deal more humility because of the audacity of the goals that I had established for myself seems so farfetched most of the time.

What differs Rallyday from traditional private equity firms?

[14:48] “We lead people. We don't manage assets.” And what I mean by that is the objective is obviously professional. We want to create a lot of value, but the journey is very personal, you know. Whether it be for the CEOs that we partner with or their executive teams, the middle managers, the employees, they're showing up at our workplace. And we treat that like the privilege that it is. And our obligation is to not manage them. No one likes to feel managed. We want to earn their followership, and we want to be their leaders and take them personally to places they didn't think they could before meeting us and take their companies even further because they're growing so much as individuals. And so, when we talk about what we do for a living, it's all about humanizing that journey very personally.

What does it mean to be aggressively humble at the same time

[15:51] I think that everybody at Rallyday strives to be two things at the same time. We strive to be aggressively humble. And what that means, there's a lot of people that I know who are super aggressive and super not humble. I also know people that are really humble, but typically not very aggressive. And so, we look for this duality of character. And, you know, as it turns out, it works because there's nothing more special than someone that is both of these things at the same time.

SHOW LINKS:

• Ryan Heckman | RallyDay Profile
• Ryan Heckman | LinkedIn

Recent events have put more of a spotlight on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and its role in all organizations. What can research tell us about how these initiatives affect institutions, and what could change were they not in place?

Dr. Rebecca (Becca) Mitchell an Assistant Professor of Organizational Behavior at the Leeds School of Business at University of Colorado Boulder.  Her research seeks to understand how organizations can improve the effectiveness of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion practices, and how time influences team hierarchy and team affective processes.

Becca breaks down key concepts in DEI, explaining visible “surface level” and invisible “deep level” diversity characteristics. She provides insights into each facet of DEI, including the historical and theoretical background, and how the elements work together. The conversation explores Becca’s research motivations, inspired by her personal experiences and desire to create better organizational environments. Maria and Becca talk about cross-training, mentoring, and social accountability, and Becca presents some of her research findings on affective diversity—the mix of emotional states in teams—and employee resource groups, emphasizing the need for strategic alignment and community building.

Leeds Business Insights Podcast is a production of Leeds School of Business and is produced by University FM.

EPISODE QUOTES:

How diversity, equity, and inclusion intersect today

[04:53] Diversity is really beneficial, but we get the most out of diversity when we also have equity and inclusion. If we don't have those pieces in place, then we really can't realize the full value of the diverse perspectives that we have in the room.

Navigating the gap between DEI intentions and impact

[06:54] One trend that I've noticed recently is more research is happening on what we call performative diversity management. I'd like to think that a lot of it isn't that folks are not committed to DEI, but maybe just don't have the resources or the confidence to do it well. So, I think there's a lot of work on initiatives that maybe sound really good but, in practice, don't actually do a lot.

Why a diverse team needs both positive Paulas and negative Nancys

[24:17] What we found is that teams really benefit from having both—like what I call the positive Paulas and the negative Nancys on the team, right? We want both of them on our teams because the people with positive emotions, we found, really help us to seize opportunities. So, we're seeing those opportunities and going after them. We're taking those risks. And then, our negative Nancys are helping us be a little bit more cautious. They're helping us bring things back in and recognize where there might be some threats or pitfalls in our environment. And so, that combination really helps teams navigate complex tasks that require a bit of both, right? We want to be taking risks, but we also don't want to be too risky in our decision-making.

SHOW LINKS:

• Rebecca Mitchell | Leeds Faculty Profile
• Rebecca Mitchell | Google Scholar Page
• Rebecca Mitchell | LinkedIn
• Why Diversity Programs Fail | HBR
• We Just Can’t Handle Diversity | HBR
• Fighting Backlash to Racial Equity Efforts | HBR