In the early days of AI, before the headlines and the hype, most people saw it as something far away that only tech insiders needed to care about. Then it quietly slipped into everything. The same thing is happening with quantum technology, except the timeline is moving faster, and the impact will reach farther.
This is precisely why CU Denver Business School is opening space for this conversation now. In Professor Alfred Ortiz’s Information Systems Strategy course, students met with David Lopez, Director of Workforce Development at Elevate Quantum, who is helping shape Colorado’s growing quantum ecosystem. Lopez walked the class through the landscape taking shape across the state and the kinds of opportunities that will follow as quantum tools become more widely used.
He emphasized that the movement is already underway and that many roles across this field will be open to students with diverse academic backgrounds. The conversation opened a window into Colorado’s momentum and the new possibilities that quantum will unlock for the region’s talent and economy.
Why Quantum Is the Next Big Tech Moment
“Quantum technology is kind of like AI on steroids,” Ortiz said.
Putting it simply, quantum gives computers and sensors a different kind of power. A regular computer checks one option, then moves on to the next. A quantum system can consider several options simultaneously, making it better at problems that standard machines often take forever to process.
With that in mind, the real-world impact feels less abstract. Quantum sensing could help detect certain illnesses earlier. It can improve the precision of environmental monitoring, especially for issues such as methane leaks or climate risk. It can help accelerate clean energy research and make cybersecurity systems harder to breach. Even everyday sectors like logistics, banking, or transportation could run on tools that have a quiet layer of quantum power built into them.
It is early, but the momentum is real, already reshaping the places preparing for this shift, especially here in Colorado.
Building the Mountain West’s Version of a Tech Hub
This early momentum is part of a larger story, and Colorado is right at its center. Lopez highlighted how the state is quickly becoming one of the most active quantum regions in the country. And, his point was clear: if quantum becomes the next Silicon Valley-level wave, Colorado wants to be the place where it takes off.
Thankfully, many pieces are already in place. In fact, more than 50 quantum and quantum-adjacent companies are clustered between Denver and Boulder, giving the state a concentration of talent and infrastructure you don’t find elsewhere. Add to that the research power from universities, national labs, and Nobel Prize-winning scientists, and you get an ecosystem where ideas move quickly, and collaboration is the norm.
On top of all this, the state is actively pushing the field forward through investments, partnerships, and regional planning that help turn research into real companies and real jobs. As Lopez described it, this is a real economic momentum, not a prediction.
Taken together, Colorado is not simply watching the quantum shift; it’s shaping it. And for students, this raises a practical next question: what kinds of roles will this ecosystem need as it expands?
Why Students Should Pay Attention Today
As Colorado’s quantum ecosystem accelerates, a practical question arises for students and job seekers: who will these companies actually hire? Lopez addressed this directly. “Most of the roles we’re seeing won’t require a PhD,” he said. “And a lot of them won’t require physics degrees either.”
In reality, the quantum workforce is already broader than people expect. Companies need project managers to run timelines, analysts to interpret data, designers to shape user experience, operations teams to keep systems moving, and policy or standards specialists to help organizations navigate new regulations. Technical sales, product strategy, and communication roles are also expanding, especially as quantum tools quietly blend into industries such as healthcare, energy, finance, and logistics.
This is where CU Denver students have a real advantage. The skills they build every day — communicating clearly, solving complex problems, understanding data, and working across disciplines — map cleanly onto what these companies need. And because the Business School intentionally opens doors and lowers barriers to success, students are already in an environment designed to make emerging fields feel less intimidating. Sessions like the one led by Lopez are part of that effort, giving students early access to conversations and networks that many people will only discover later.
So, for anyone wondering whether quantum is “for them,” the answer is yes, and the timing matters! The field is still taking shape, the openings are still wide, and the people who engage now will be the ones with a head start when quantum becomes part of everyday business.
The Early Movers Will Shape This Wave
In addition to being a workforce story, quantum is also the next significant economic wave after AI. That shift is an opportunity for people who want to build something new or shape emerging markets. Lopez described quantum as a moment where “discovery meets deployment,” a stage where ideas move quickly from research into real-world use. For founders and early innovators, timing matters, and the opportunity lies in the gaps opening right now.
Being early in a field like this offers an advantage that is hard to replicate later. Quantum tools are starting to influence healthcare, energy, climate, finance, and security. As these tools mature, entire value chains will need new software, services, operations models, and customer-facing solutions built around them. Entrepreneurs who understand the landscape now will be the ones who recognize gaps, identify unmet needs, and create the next generation of companies.
Colorado’s ecosystem also makes experimentation easier. With its concentrated cluster of quantum companies, strong research institutions, and a growing network of industry partnerships, the state gives innovators a launchpad where collaboration and early testing are more accessible.
Building the Pathway Into Colorado’s Quantum Economy
As quantum moves from theory to real applications, universities will play a central role in preparing the talent companies are already seeking.
Lopez underscored this, noting that higher education can shape the next wave of the workforce by giving students structured ways to explore emerging technologies. That includes weaving quantum concepts into existing courses, offering microcredentials for working learners, and expanding applied learning so students can work through real problems rather than staying at the surface. Industry-linked projects and strong partnerships across the state will also help students gain experience in environments where quantum tools are being developed and tested.
Across Colorado, these shifts will determine which institutions prepare students to take advantage of the opportunities opening across the ecosystem. And this is where CU Denver is positioned to lead. The Business School already teaches and develops inclusive, forward-thinking leadership, enabling students to adapt quickly, work across disciplines, and respond to emerging opportunities. Those abilities align with what a fast-growing field like quantum will need, and they place CU Denver Business School students in a strong position as the ecosystem continues to expand.
Looking Ahead
Quantum is still early, but it’s moving quickly toward the same kind of everyday relevance that AI reached once it left the margins.
Colorado is leaning into that shift, and the changes taking shape across the state suggest the momentum will only grow. For CU Denver Business School students, this moment offers a rare chance to understand the field before it becomes mainstream and to prepare for opportunities that others have not yet noticed.
The window is open, and the next chapter is forming.
