Jeffrey Shainline

After earning a B.S. in Physics from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2005 and a Ph.D. in Physics from Brown University in 2010, Jeffrey spent 12 years as a scientist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). His research focused on the convergence of semiconductors, superconductors, and photonics, and he led a team that pioneered hardware for AI and advanced measurement systems.

His scientific contributions have been cited more than 5,000 times, and he is an inventor on 11 patents. In 2021, he was interviewed by Lex Fridman, and in 2024, he received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers from the White House.

Known for combining technical innovation with a sense of humor, he even maintains a LinkedIn profile notable for avoiding the phrase “proven track record.”

He is currently the Founder and CEO of Great Sky, a startup reimagining AI through the use of superconductors and photonics. Following the successful close of its Seed funding round, Great Sky is building both the hardware and software stack required for a new generation of transformative AI systems.

For more information, visit greatsky.ai.