Cover Image for Office Hours with UNY50 & Mentors: Albany

Presented by

Founded in 2010, Upstate Venture Connect (UVC) is dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs in Upstate NY. UVC provides thought leadership, valuable insights, and networking opportunities.

Hosted By

35 Going

Tech

Office Hours with UNY50 & Mentors: Albany

Name: Office Hours with UNY50 & Mentors: Albany
Start: 2026-06-18T09:00:00.000-04:00
End: 2026-06-18T12:30:00.000-04:00
Location: UAlbany ETEC Building

Upstate Venture Connect

UAlbany ETEC Building

Albany, NY

Welcome! Please choose your desired ticket type:

You will be asked to verify token ownership with your wallet.

About Event

Join us for a fireside-style keynote and discussion designed to be practical, candid, and highly relevant to founders and tech employees.

Founders will have the option to apply for 1:1 office hour slots with mentors and select investors to receive tailored feedback and strategic insight on their companies.

Agenda:

9:00 am - 10:00 am: Snacks & networking

10:00 am - 11:00am: Fireside chat featuring Anna Topol (CEO of QLITHIC and former CTO of IBM Research), moderated by Jennifer Tegan (Managing Director of NY Ventures)

11:30 am - 12:30 pm: 1-1 Office Hour slots with mentors
You must sign up and be approved for the office hours ticket to be eligible. UVC will assign your schedule after you sign up.

Mentors:
Silvia Garcia Codony, Associate Vice President at NY Ventures
Rob Dunie, UAlbany EIR, AI
Mary Malone McCarthy, Founder of M3 Placement and Partnership
Marcia Mitchell, Vice President at Mesa Lane Capital
Kevin Raper, Founder at The Venture Catalyst
Joel Redmond, Managing Director at Key Private Bank
Chuck Stormon, General Partner of StartFast Ventures
Jason Tepper, Co-Founder and Managing Director at xLEAD
Anna Topol, CEO of QLITHIC
Scott Tornek, President of KM Harris, LLC

Speaker Bio

Anna W. Topol, Ph.D. is the CEO of QLITHIC, a quantum technology startup, and a former Chief Technology Officer at IBM Research. Over a 25-year career at IBM, Dr. Topol held senior technical and executive leadership roles spanning strategic partnerships, industry initiatives, intellectual property management, advanced R&D, and fundamental technology development. She was named an IBM Distinguished Engineer and IBM Master Inventor, and is recognized for her work across semiconductors, nanotechnology, quantum computing, and emerging technologies.

A proud University at Albany alumna, Dr. Topol earned her graduate degrees from UAlbany and has been profiled by the university for her leadership at the forefront of technological change, including her contributions to IBM Research and quantum computing. She brings deep expertise in translating breakthrough research into industry-relevant innovation, making her perspective especially valuable to founders, investors, researchers, and ecosystem builders working to grow high-impact ventures across Upstate New York.

Location