Grant funded internships with Workforce Boulder County give two professionals a way into quantum
Quantum innovation needs more than scientists. It also needs people with durable skills who can build partnerships, support startups, coordinate projects and turn promising ideas into working infrastructure. At Colorado Quantum Incubator (COQI), those skills are part of the workforce the incubator is helping build.
COQI used quantum futures grant funding to launch internships with Workforce Boulder County. The placements gave professionals from other fields a chance to contribute immediately while learning the needs of a growing quantum ecosystem. For Sason “Stella” Hayashi and Zach Kissinger, those internships became contract positions with COQI.
Two paths into quantum
Hayashi brought experience in deep-tech investment, federal programs and complex international operations to an eight-week internship. She first met the COQI team at the Quantum Career Connect event it hosted in the spring. At COQI, she applied that background to the practical work of growing an incubator: startup recruitment, technical due diligence, member services, community programming, partnerships and shared-lab operations. She now continues that work in a contract role in member services and business development.
Kissinger came to COQI from digital product and project management. After connecting with the COQI team at Boulder Startup Week, he joined a six-week internship focused on quantum testbed initiatives. He helped coordinate subject matter experts and technical projects while also serving as COQI’s resident AI subject matter expert, applying AI tools to research, information synthesis and operational workflows. Working alongside researchers, founders and engineers, he gained hands-on experience supporting Colorado’s quantum ecosystem. He now continues that work as a contractor, helping develop COQI’s quantum testbed facilities and supporting broader incubator operations. The testbeds give researchers and companies access to capabilities spanning atomic clock comparison, quantum networking and photonic integrated circuit (PIC) testing.
From an introduction to lasting work
Hayashi described COQI’s culture as “deeply collaborative and inclusive.” Sarah Engel, COQI operations manager, “made it clear that my growth is the priority,” she said. “She creates a safe space to explore your potential.”
Their backgrounds differ, but their pathways are shared: an internship created room to learn by doing, and COQI kept their skills on board after the placements ended. The result is continued work in business development, incubator operations, and testbed coordination, three functions that help quantum ideas move toward real-world use.
These experiences show why workforce development belongs alongside COQI’s labs, testbeds and founder support. Building Colorado’s quantum economy calls for technical expertise and for people who can connect teams, manage complex work and help young companies grow. With Workforce Boulder County, COQI is opening practical entry points for that broader range of talent.