Innovations at Research Park

Mark Laufenberg is Co‑Founder and President of PowerWorld Corporation, a company that builds visualization and simulation software for the electric power grid. In today’s episode, we’re going to tell the story of how PowerWorld emerged from a grad‑school project, what it means to spend nearly three decades making the grid visible, and how Mark sees the new pressures of renewables, AI, and data‑center loads reshaping the stakes for everyone who depends on reliable power.

VISIT http://researchpark.illinois.edu/podcast/ for our entire catalog of episodes.

Dr. Martinis is the Senior Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation at the University of Illinois, where she oversees a wide-ranging research and innovation portfolio that connects faculty, institutes, startups, and industry. She’s also a UIUC alumna whose career has taken her from the lab to startup environments to university leadership. In this episode, you'll hear how Illinois is building the future across interdisciplinary research, commercialization, and emerging technology areas.

VISIT http://researchpark.illinois.edu/podcast/ for our entire catalog of episodes.

Kelsey Ortiz is the Co‑Founder and Head of Design at Photon Queue, a quantum hardware startup developing practical photonic quantum memories to store and synchronize single photons for next‑generation quantum communication, computing, and sensing systems.

Photon Queue is a highly integrated member of the University of Illinois entrepreneurship ecosystem with investment from Illinois Ventures and physical presence in the EnterpriseWorks incubator at the Research Park. Photon Queue is also the first quantum-focused startup to spin out of UIUC through a licensing agreement developed with the Office of Technology Management at the university. 

Tune in to this episode to hear about Kelsey’s journey leading this startup, her ongoing Physics PhD, and her quantum experiment onboard the International Space Station.

VISIT http://researchpark.illinois.edu/podcast/ for our entire catalog of episodes.

Dr. Ken Suslick is a highly regarded chemist, professor, and entrepreneur whose scientific discoveries have repeatedly become real-world products. Dr. Suslick has a prolific scholarly record with more than 500 published scientific papers and 70+ patents, and induction in the National Academy of Sciences, among many other accolades. He's a longtime faculty member at UIUC, and he’s also a highly successful serial entrepreneur with his latest venture, Iridescent Sensors, located here in the Research Park. 

VISIT http://researchpark.illinois.edu/podcast/ for our entire catalog of episodes.

Nancy Sullivan is CEO, Managing Director, and Managing Principal of Illinois Ventures, one of the longest-running and most active university-affiliated venture capital firms in the nation. Illinois Ventures and Research Park were both created by the University of Illinois 25 years ago to launch the new economic development mission that was added to the University. Illinois Ventures' campus office is located at EnterpriseWorks at the Research Park and has invested in many of the startups that have incubated there.

Across Nancy’s career, she has played a key role in supporting entrepreneurship and helping translate innovation into opportunity for founders and researchers alike. Tune in to this conversation to hear about her path into venture, her connection to the University of Illinois ecosystem, and her rare dual perspective on how Illinois Ventures and Research Park together help launch and grow startups.

VISIT http://researchpark.illinois.edu/podcast/ for our entire catalog of episodes.

Frenzy Ag is a company revolutionizing crop yields with breakthrough biological technology. Ken Paige is a Professor Emeritus at the University of Illinois whose decades of research into how plants respond to stress laid the foundation for Frenzy Ag’s core science. Chris, an agtech entrepreneur and engineer, brings over 25 years of experience turning innovation into real-world solutions and is now leading Frenzy Ag as CEO. Together, they’re transforming a fascinating scientific insight into a game-changing solution for farmers.

VISIT http://researchpark.illinois.edu/podcast/ for our entire catalog of episodes.

This is a special episode to celebrate a great year at UIRP! Research Park’s Laura Appenzeller and Laura Bleill join the podcast to talk about important milestones from this year like the 25th anniversary of Research Park, 10th AgTech Summit, land expansions, startup updates, and more!

VISIT researchpark.illinois.edu/podcast for the full catalog of episodes.

Dr. David Ruzic is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Nuclear, Plasma, & Radiological Engineering at UIUC , founder of Starfire Industries-- a company born at the Research Park-- and Director of the new Illinois Plasma Institute.

He has spent his career not just pushing the boundaries of plasma physics, but making science unforgettable. He has lit up classrooms—often literally—with his engaging teaching style and explosive demos. He has taken research from the lab to the patent office and helped shape technologies for fusion reactors and advanced semiconductor manufacturing. He’s earned countless accolades in his field and has an active youtube channel called IllinoisEnergyProf with nearly 10 million views. Simply put—if you think science can’t be exciting, you haven’t met David Ruzic.

Dr. Ruzic's YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/@illinoisenergyprof6878

VISIT http://researchpark.illinois.edu/podcast/ for our entire catalog of episodes.

Cara Bognar is the Founder of Top Tier Lessons, a sports technology platform that connects collegiate student athletes with parents looking for sports lessons for their children.  She’s an athlete herself, as a former team captain for Illini Swimming & Diving, and graduated from UIUC with dual degrees in Bioengineering and Innovation Leadership and Engineering Entrepreneurship (ILEE).

Cara's LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/carabognar/

Top Tier Lessons- https://www.toptierlessons.com/

VISIT http://researchpark.illinois.edu/podcast/ for our entire catalog of episodes.

This is a special episode to celebrate a great year at UIRP! Research Park’s very own Laura Appenzeller and Laura Bleill join the podcast to talk about startup and corporate highlights from the year, plans for 2025, industry trends, and more!

VISIT researchpark.illinois.edu/podcast for the full catalog of episodes.