Leadership Team

Eric Ginsburg, PhD

Interim Director of Duality

In this role, he serves as the interim leader for Duality—overseeing all program operations, providing critical venture support resources to quantum startup companies, and cultivating relationships with key partners, mentors, venture capitalists, corporations, and other stakeholders. He is also a member of the Polsky Center Science and Technology team.

Preeti Chalsani, PhD

Deputy Director of Duality

In this role, she helps set the accelerator’s strategic vision while providing the technology context to the accelerator and build relationships with corporate partners, mentors, quantum startups, partners, and stakeholders. She also serves as the director of industry partnerships for quantum information science in a joint position with the Polsky Center and the Chicago Quantum Exchange.

Micheline Pergande, MBA, MS

Director, Marketing and Communications

In this role, she oversees the coordination of marketing activities across all Duality partners and drives a strategic communications plan in support of Duality and its startups. She also leads all marketing and communications for the Polsky Center and is a member of the Polsky Center executive team.

Anna Wislocki, PhD, MS

Senior Program Manager

In this role, she supports all programming and operations for startups in Duality cohort. She also works at the Polsky Center, where she is responsible for managing a portfolio of new and existing programs, events, and scientific initiatives.

Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz

Associate Director, Media Relations and External Communications

In this role, she leads all media relations for Duality and develops successful external communication strategies to generate local, national, and global coverage of Duality and its startups. She also leads media relations and PR for the Polsky Center.

Melissa Fassbender

Associate Director, External Relations and Science Communications

In this role, she develops strategic communications for Duality and supports all external brand-building opportunities and events that connect Duality startups with the business, corporate, investor, government, and academic communities. She also leads science communications for the Polsky Center.

Mike Lightman

Strategy and Outreach Coordinator

In this role, he supports recruitment and strategic marketing activities for all quantum companies interested in applying to Cohort 2 of Duality. As a startup accelerator and venture funding expert, Mike is founder of the Lightman Company and Hate Your Deck.