Proving that quantum technology’s future is right here
Age: 37
Job Title: Chief Commercialization Officer at Zero Point Cryogenics
Shifting from alcohol sales to leadership in a tech startup might seem like a leap, but Elise Usunier sees the through line. Whether it’s cognac or cooling systems for quantum computers, she says, “the people you meet will open doors for you.” And she’s never hesitated to walk through them.
Usunier joined Zero Point Cryogenics in 2022 as director of sales and marketing, when the company was five people in “an empty manufacturing facility wondering how we were going to do this.” She met the founders through Startup TNT, which helps startups get funding, and wanted to join the company. Even though it’s not a role she would have anticipated for herself when she first went to NAIT to study business, it was somehow an instant fit for Usunier to market refrigerators for quantum computers, keeping them cool in order to function at the ultra-low temperatures the technology requires.
“We’re one of five companies in the whole world that is able to do this,” says Usunier who, as chief commercial officer, has helped grow Zero Point Cryogenics from a small startup to a growing company with 34 staff and clients around the world.
A lifelong Edmontonian, Usunier is bullish on the future of quantum computing in a city that boasts a major research university, a strong blue collar labour force and an entrepreneurial spirit. In 2025, she was the master of ceremonies at Quantum Now, an innovation conference held during the United Nations’ International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, speaking to some of the world’s biggest companies about quantum computing — and Edmonton’s role in that marketplace.
Still, her path has not been easy. The mother of an infant with another on the way, Usunier must balance a career in a field not always friendly to women (especially women in executive leadership) while also serving on non-profit and quantum computing boards. Despite the challenges, she’s buoyed by her belief that quantum computing will change the city’s economy with innovative jobs.
This article appears in the November/December 2025 issue of Edify
