Perspektywy launches Quantum Pioneer Legacy Initiative to strengthen women in leadership and continuity in the global quantum workforce.
Perspektywy Women in Tech Summit has launched the Quantum Pioneer Legacy Initiative (QPLI), a mentoring and leadership programme designed to build the next generation of women in quantum. Open to girls and young women aged 16 to 30 across physics, computer science, engineering, policy, entrepreneurship, ethics, and technology leadership, QPLI addresses one of the field's most pressing structural challenges: that women remain significantly underrepresented in quantum at every level, and that the pipeline of talent capable of carrying the field forward is both limited and unevenly distributed.
The initiative is launching at a time when quantum computing and related technologies are undergoing early-stage engineering and commercialization. Investment is accelerating across industry, academia, and government, but the question of who will build this future remains unresolved. QPLI is designed to help answer it through a structured 10-month program with the explicit goal of positioning women to participate actively in quantum, especially through leadership.
In addition to mentorship, QPLI participants will gain exposure to industry networks, research discussions, and opportunities to engage with real-world applications of quantum technologies. The goal is to provide a holistic view of the field, enabling participants to navigate its complexity and identify pathways aligned with their interests and strengths.
Part of QPLI's design is an emphasis on continuity. Mentors are expected to remain active contributors across successive cohorts, and today's mentees are envisioned as tomorrow's mentors, creating a self-sustaining pipeline of female quantum talent and visible role models worldwide.
Participants are selected across three levels: Explorer (school-level), Builder (undergraduate or early-stage), and Leader (advanced students and early-career professionals), reflecting the program's commitment to meeting emerging talent wherever they are in their career journey. Selected mentees commit to the full program duration, engaging in one-on-one mentoring, live technical masterclasses led by mentors, cohort activities, and in-person attendance at the Perspektywy Women in Tech Summit 2026. The first cohort will be formally recognized at the summit, one of the largest gatherings of women in technology globally, convening more than 13,000 participants from over 100 countries.
The 2026 mentor cohort represents leadership across research, industry, policy, and entrepreneurship, and includes:
Anna Topol (Qlithic, former IBM Research Distinguished Engineer)
Heike Riel (IBM Fellow and Head of Science & Technology)
Sofia Vallecorsa (Senior Physicist, CERN)
Elica Kyoseva (NVIDIA)
Anna Kaminska (Creotech Quantum)
Maria Violaris (Oxford Quantum Circuits)
Denise Ruffner (DR Consulting / DiviQ)
Kiran Kaur Raina (NucleQi / The Quantum Podcast)
Cierra Lunde (Universum Labs)
Kathrin Spendier (Quantinuum)
Gillian Makamara (ITU)
Temitope Adeniyi (Africa Quantum Consortium)
Nydia Assaf Aragón (EnLuz)
Anna Beata Kalisz Hedegaard (Quantum Security Defence Limited)
Juliette de la Rie (Qblox & Colorful Matter)
Future cohorts are expected to expand geographically and across disciplines. The application deadline is 24 April 2026. More information and applications are available at qpli.pl.
