Certificate Board Leadership Program on Quantum and AI (June Weeks 1 and 2)

Quantum Oaks Advisory at Unbuilt Labs— With offices in one of New York's largest movie studios, we prepare the stars of today and tomorrow for a quantum future. We offer the first and the leading certificate program to help boards navigate quantum. Our program alumni come from Google, the University of Oxford, Johns Hopkins, INSEAD International Directors Network, and other prestigious organizations.

Our live online Certificate Board Leadership Program on Zoom includes two 60-minute small group sessions with our Co-Managing Directors. Additionally, we offer each participant an optional 30-minute 1:1 session with one of the Co-Managing Directors. We foster a welcoming learning environment for non-technical board members. Each interactive session includes a breakout room exercise and a board simulation. Chatham House Rules apply to create a trusted forum. We update our program regularly to bring you cutting-edge developments and actionable insights.

Learn and Practice:

During each session, we include a reading exercise to help board members practice reviewing new information on emerging technologies, as well as a board simulation where participants evaluate proposals as a group. Our lively sessions are designed for busy board members. No preparation is necessary ahead of time.

Session 1 Quantum (60 minutes):

• As a board member, how might we approach emerging technologies and prepare for a quantum future?

• What are “quantum computers”?

• What are the timelines, limitations, drivers, and risks?

• How might the board think creatively about emerging technologies and develop a vision for the organization?

Session 2 Quantum and AI (60 minutes):

• What are AI, LLM, generative AI, agentic AI, world models, and quantum AI?

• What are quantum reservoir computers, quantum sensing, and quantum internet?

• How might we understand complex sociotechnical risks e.g. antitrust issues, energy consumption, digital labour, and misinformation?

• How might boards integrate quantum and AI into strategic plans?

Optional 30-minute 1:1 session with one of the Co-Managing Directors:

• An open-ended discussion to focus on your areas of interests following the program. We will ask participants to share a few notes to help us prepare for the meeting.

This certificate program is designed for:

• Private, corporate, or non-profit board leaders looking for a structured approach towards evaluating the risks and opportunities associated with quantum and AI

• Board chairs seeking to facilitate emerging technologies discussions and navigate uncertainty effectively

• Senior executives, angel investors, venture capitalists, private equity investors, and family business heirs preparing for board roles

As part of our Emerging Board Leaders Program, we also invite leading universities to nominate graduate students to take part in our program and bring a fresh perspective to board conversations. This includes one of the graduate schools at Columbia University in New York.

Reviews and Testimonials:

"Useful entry point for boards to engage with AI and quantum without getting lost in the technical detail [...] a clear view of the underlying technology." — Mary Francia, Board Member and INSEAD International Director's Network Ambassador for The Americas

"Challenging concepts that were well presented with a mix of theory and application. Thank you for offering this program!"  — Stephanie Olexa, MBA, Ph.D., Board Member and former Adjunct Professor

"Well-organised program! Appreciate the opportunity to learn and connect with everyone."  — Tongshan Liu, DPhil student in nanomaterials at the University of Oxford

Alumni benefits:

• Private Linkedin group to access our alumni network

• Exclusive invites to alumni events

Discounts for Organizational Partners:

We offer a discount to the affiliates of our organizational partners, such as the Early Stage Investing Launchpad (ESIL funded by the EU). If you would like to partner with us, please feel free to reach out to Advisory@UnbuiltLabs.com.

To Apply:

We ask for a short note (a few sentences or a bullet point list) of relevant past experiences. We offer a full refund if your application is unsuccessful. If you are unsure whether you meet the eligibility criteria for the program, please email Advisory@UnbuiltLabs.com with a brief description of your relevant experiences, a web profile (e.g. Linkedin), and your preferred course date. We will be able to provide an admissions decision prior to registration.

For future sessions, please see our Certificate Board Leadership Programs. For admissions, payment, and course policies, please view our Program Policies. Email Advisory@UnbuiltLabs.com if you have any questions or if you would like to book a group training program for your board. We also offer small group discounts for 2-3 participants. Reach out for more information.

Availability: this Certificate Board Leadership Program is only offered to individuals with billing addresses in the United States, Canada, Norway, Switzerland, or the European Union. We sometimes offer custom programs for groups and organizations outside of these regions, please reach out to learn more.

Risk Management Policy: As a private sector think tank, we decline government contracts, government contractors, as well as the management and board members of government or public agencies — from all countries — as a risk management measure. We also decline Politically Exposed Persons (PEP). Examples of PEP include but is not limited to Head of States, politicians, legislators, political party officials, management at state owned enterprises, as well as the members of the judiciary, military, or diplomatic functions of a government. In some cases we are able to accommodate people from international organizations. Please email Advisory@UnbuiltLabs.com if you have any questions.

Connect with our Co-Managing Directors:

Marvin Cheung (Linkedin)

Marvin has a background in emerging technologies, having consulted and advised startups in New York. He holds judge, reviewer, and mentor roles at Johns Hopkins, MIT, Kellogg-Morgan Stanley, and Yale University. Recognized for his astute understanding of complex global systems, he chairs the Global Consortium for Systems Research and serves on the Board of Unbuilt Labs as well as various advisory boards. He has also been a Global Diplomacy Fellow and an IPL Expert on Strategic Planning at the United Nations. He regularly briefs boards on pressing issues. He has given talks at the UN, MIT, ChairX, Boards Impact Forum, and other prestigious institutions. He writes a monthly Global Strategy Briefing for Boards at Quantum Insider.

Marguerite Van Cook, Ph.D. (Linkedin)

From Marguerite's early days at the Treasury department at IBM in the 70s, working alongside colleagues on room-sized computers, she now brings her expertise to Quantum Oaks Advisory at Unbuilt Labs supporting boards on quantum computing vision and strategies. Marguerite Van Cook came to New York with her punk band The Innocents, after touring the UK with The Clash. She has been an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University, Hunter College, and the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York. Marguerite has been a speaker at the UN, Boards Impact Forum, Williams College, Whitney Museum, MOMA, and other institutions. She serves on the Board of Unbuilt Labs. She is the President of the Board at Visual AIDS, and the President Emeritus of Howl Arts Inc.