In-Person event
Powering Decisions Optimization Summit 2026
April 21-22, 2026
8:30 AM
Hilton City Center, Denver, CO
In-Person event
Powering Decisions Optimization Summit 2026
April 21-22, 2026
8:30 AM
Hilton City Center, Denver, CO
In-Person event
Powering Decisions Optimization Summit 2026
April 21-22, 2026
8:30 AM
Hilton City Center, Denver, CO
Where optimization meets real-world utility decisions
The Powering Decisions: Optimization Summit brings together leaders from utilities, national laboratories, research institutions, and solution providers to explore how advanced optimization techniques are shaping real operational and planning decisions across the power and utilities industry.
This highly curated, in-person event is co-hosted with Black & Veatch, bringing together industry expertise and applied research to foster meaningful dialogue around the most pressing challenges facing modern energy systems.
The summit is focused on practical application, strategic insight, and peer exchange.
Where optimization meets real-world utility decisions
The Powering Decisions: Optimization Summit brings together leaders from utilities, national laboratories, research institutions, and solution providers to explore how advanced optimization techniques are shaping real operational and planning decisions across the power and utilities industry.
This highly curated, in-person event is co-hosted with Black & Veatch, bringing together industry expertise and applied research to foster meaningful dialogue around the most pressing challenges facing modern energy systems.
The summit is focused on practical application, strategic insight, and peer exchange.
Where optimization meets real-world utility decisions
The Powering Decisions: Optimization Summit brings together leaders from utilities, national laboratories, research institutions, and solution providers to explore how advanced optimization techniques are shaping real operational and planning decisions across the power and utilities industry.
This highly curated, in-person event is co-hosted with Black & Veatch, bringing together industry expertise and applied research to foster meaningful dialogue around the most pressing challenges facing modern energy systems.
The summit is focused on practical application, strategic insight, and peer exchange.
Why attend?
Unlike large industry expos or webinar-style conferences, this summit prioritizes depth over scale and application over theory.
You’ll gain:
Insight into how utilities are applying optimization today—not hypotheticals
Exposure to emerging research and methods grounded in operational reality
Peer-level conversations with practitioners facing similar constraints
A clearer understanding of where optimization delivers measurable value
Sessions are designed to encourage discussion, comparison of approaches, and candid conversation—both on stage and off.
Why attend?
Unlike large industry expos or webinar-style conferences, this summit prioritizes depth over scale and application over theory.
You’ll gain:
Insight into how utilities are applying optimization today—not hypotheticals
Exposure to emerging research and methods grounded in operational reality
Peer-level conversations with practitioners facing similar constraints
A clearer understanding of where optimization delivers measurable value
Sessions are designed to encourage discussion, comparison of approaches, and candid conversation—both on stage and off.
Why attend?
Unlike large industry expos or webinar-style conferences, this summit prioritizes depth over scale and application over theory.
You’ll gain:
Insight into how utilities are applying optimization today—not hypotheticals
Exposure to emerging research and methods grounded in operational reality
Peer-level conversations with practitioners facing similar constraints
A clearer understanding of where optimization delivers measurable value
Sessions are designed to encourage discussion, comparison of approaches, and candid conversation—both on stage and off.
What to expect
Across two days, the summit will explore topics including:
Advances in energy system modeling and decision-support tools
DER, storage, alternate fuels, and DERMS integration
Balancing model complexity with real-world practicality
Interconnection backlog challenges and solutions
All content is curated to ensure relevance to professionals actively working in or with utilities.
What to expect
Across two days, the summit will explore topics including:
Advances in energy system modeling and decision-support tools
DER, storage, alternate fuels, and DERMS integration
Balancing model complexity with real-world practicality
Interconnection backlog challenges and solutions
All content is curated to ensure relevance to professionals actively working in or with utilities.
What to expect
Across two days, the summit will explore topics including:
Advances in energy system modeling and decision-support tools
DER, storage, alternate fuels, and DERMS integration
Balancing model complexity with real-world practicality
Interconnection backlog challenges and solutions
All content is curated to ensure relevance to professionals actively working in or with utilities.
Sessions are designed to encourage discussion, comparison of approaches, and candid conversation—both on stage and off.
Sessions are designed to encourage discussion, comparison of approaches, and candid conversation—both on stage and off.
Sessions are designed to encourage discussion, comparison of approaches, and candid conversation—both on stage and off.
Event Sponsors
Our sponsors understand the importance of decision intelligence
Event Sponsors
Our sponsors understand the importance of decision intelligence
Event Sponsors
Our sponsors understand the importance of decision intelligence
The Powering Decisions Summit is designed for utility professionals, researchers, and decision-makers.
The Powering Decisions Summit is designed for utility professionals, researchers, and decision-makers.
The Powering Decisions Summit is designed for utility professionals, researchers, and decision-makers.
Who should attend?
This summit is designed for professionals actively involved in decision-making, modeling, planning, and operations within the power and utilities ecosystem, including:
Utility planners, operators, and system engineers
Energy analytics and decision intelligence leaders
Grid modernization and capacity expansion teams
Applied researchers and national laboratory professionals
Technology and solution providers supporting utility operations
Who should attend?
This summit is designed for professionals actively involved in decision-making, modeling, planning, and operations within the power and utilities ecosystem, including:
Utility planners, operators, and system engineers
Energy analytics and decision intelligence leaders
Grid modernization and capacity expansion teams
Applied researchers and national laboratory professionals
Technology and solution providers supporting utility operations
Who should attend?
This summit is designed for professionals actively involved in decision-making, modeling, planning, and operations within the power and utilities ecosystem, including:
Utility planners, operators, and system engineers
Energy analytics and decision intelligence leaders
Grid modernization and capacity expansion teams
Applied researchers and national laboratory professionals
Technology and solution providers supporting utility operations
Speakers
Meet Your Expert Speaker
Learn from the best in the industry, bringing years of experience and groundbreaking insights to the forefront of AI personalization.
Mario Ruthmair
MIP Development Scholar
Dr. Mario Ruthmair joined Gurobi in 2021 as an Optimization Support Engineer.
He studied computer science at the Vienna University of Technology (Austria) and finished his PhD in 2012, with focus on exact and heuristic solution methods for discrete optimization problems. From 2008 to 2014, he ran a one-man consulting company offering IT services for business customers. Since 2008, Mario regularly taught courses in algorithms and mathematical optimization at two Austrian universities. For many years, he conducted research projects related to optimization in transportation, logistics, and network design, at several academic and near-industry research institutions.
In his free time, Mario frequently goes for a hike (with neighbor's dog), enjoys nature with and without camera, strives to produce an optimal espresso, and reads Sci-Fi books.
Anna Collins
Optimization Strategist
Dr. Anna Collins holds a Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence and Optimization from King’s College London, where her research focused on mathematical programming for complex planning problems. She’s passionate about making optimization accessible — whether by helping industry teams solve real-world problems with math, or guiding researchers as they scale up from theory to application.
Before joining Gurobi, she worked at a digital health startup, where she applied advanced modeling techniques to clinical and operational challenges in fertility care.
In her free time, she enjoys hiking, finding the ocean (even though she lives in Berlin), and playing Padel with friends.
Christine Tawfik
Optimization Engineer
Christine holds a PhD in Economics and Management Sciences from the university of Liège (Belgium), where her work focused on network pricing and design optimization problems for logistics applications, through extending game theoritic models and designing approximate solution algorithms.
Prior to Gurobi, Christine had an academic experience through her postdoctoral work at Zuse institute Berlin, where she led the „sustainable energy planning“ research group, supervising MSc and Phd theses, acquiring research grants and handling collaborations within the district heating sector. She later switched to the steelmaking making industry, where she had the opportunity to collect both a consultancy and professional software development experience for nearly two years.
Outside of work, she enjoys being outdoor, travelling, reading and learning new artistic craft skills.
Michael Winkler
Principal Developer
Michael Winkler studied mathematics at the Technical University of Berlin and the Zuse Institute Berlin. In 2008 he started working on SCIP, an academic MIP solver developed at Zuse Institute Berlin. Since 2014 he is part of the development team at Gurobi and he enjoys improving our software.
Iulia Turcan
Senior Marketing Manager, Academic Programs
Iulia has 10 years of experience working with marketing teams within the European academic space. Prior to Gurobi she has worked at one of the UKs leading institutions - Nottingham Trent University - overseeing the digital marketing and events strategy for creative technologies academic programmes, focusing on subjects such as virtual production, esports and sound engineering.
Born in Romania and having lived in Nottingham, UK for the past 13 years, she enjoys travelling, plane spotting and is a vinyl record collector.
Speakers
Meet Your Expert Speaker
Learn from the best in the industry, bringing years of experience and groundbreaking insights to the forefront of AI personalization.
MIP Development Scholar
Mario Ruthmair
Dr. Mario Ruthmair joined Gurobi in 2021 as an Optimization Support Engineer.
He studied computer science at the Vienna University of Technology (Austria) and finished his PhD in 2012, with focus on exact and heuristic solution methods for discrete optimization problems. From 2008 to 2014, he ran a one-man consulting company offering IT services for business customers. Since 2008, Mario regularly taught courses in algorithms and mathematical optimization at two Austrian universities. For many years, he conducted research projects related to optimization in transportation, logistics, and network design, at several academic and near-industry research institutions.
In his free time, Mario frequently goes for a hike (with neighbor's dog), enjoys nature with and without camera, strives to produce an optimal espresso, and reads Sci-Fi books.
Optimization Strategist
Anna Collins
Dr. Anna Collins holds a Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence and Optimization from King’s College London, where her research focused on mathematical programming for complex planning problems. She’s passionate about making optimization accessible — whether by helping industry teams solve real-world problems with math, or guiding researchers as they scale up from theory to application.
Before joining Gurobi, she worked at a digital health startup, where she applied advanced modeling techniques to clinical and operational challenges in fertility care.
In her free time, she enjoys hiking, finding the ocean (even though she lives in Berlin), and playing Padel with friends.
Optimization Engineer
Christine Tawfik
Christine holds a PhD in Economics and Management Sciences from the university of Liège (Belgium), where her work focused on network pricing and design optimization problems for logistics applications, through extending game theoritic models and designing approximate solution algorithms.
Prior to Gurobi, Christine had an academic experience through her postdoctoral work at Zuse institute Berlin, where she led the „sustainable energy planning“ research group, supervising MSc and Phd theses, acquiring research grants and handling collaborations within the district heating sector. She later switched to the steelmaking making industry, where she had the opportunity to collect both a consultancy and professional software development experience for nearly two years.
Outside of work, she enjoys being outdoor, travelling, reading and learning new artistic craft skills.
Principal Developer
Michael Winkler
Michael Winkler studied mathematics at the Technical University of Berlin and the Zuse Institute Berlin. In 2008 he started working on SCIP, an academic MIP solver developed at Zuse Institute Berlin. Since 2014 he is part of the development team at Gurobi and he enjoys improving our software.
Senior Marketing Manager, Academic Programs
Iulia Turcan
Iulia has 10 years of experience working with marketing teams within the European academic space. Prior to Gurobi she has worked at one of the UKs leading institutions - Nottingham Trent University - overseeing the digital marketing and events strategy for creative technologies academic programmes, focusing on subjects such as virtual production, esports and sound engineering.
Born in Romania and having lived in Nottingham, UK for the past 13 years, she enjoys travelling, plane spotting and is a vinyl record collector.
Speakers
Meet Your Expert Speaker
Learn from the best in the industry, bringing years of experience and groundbreaking insights to the forefront of AI personalization.
Mario Ruthmair
MIP Development Scholar
Dr. Mario Ruthmair joined Gurobi in 2021 as an Optimization Support Engineer.
He studied computer science at the Vienna University of Technology (Austria) and finished his PhD in 2012, with focus on exact and heuristic solution methods for discrete optimization problems. From 2008 to 2014, he ran a one-man consulting company offering IT services for business customers. Since 2008, Mario regularly taught courses in algorithms and mathematical optimization at two Austrian universities. For many years, he conducted research projects related to optimization in transportation, logistics, and network design, at several academic and near-industry research institutions.
In his free time, Mario frequently goes for a hike (with neighbor's dog), enjoys nature with and without camera, strives to produce an optimal espresso, and reads Sci-Fi books.
Anna Collins
Optimization Strategist
Dr. Anna Collins holds a Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence and Optimization from King’s College London, where her research focused on mathematical programming for complex planning problems. She’s passionate about making optimization accessible — whether by helping industry teams solve real-world problems with math, or guiding researchers as they scale up from theory to application.
Before joining Gurobi, she worked at a digital health startup, where she applied advanced modeling techniques to clinical and operational challenges in fertility care.
In her free time, she enjoys hiking, finding the ocean (even though she lives in Berlin), and playing Padel with friends.
Christine Tawfik
Optimization Engineer
Christine holds a PhD in Economics and Management Sciences from the university of Liège (Belgium), where her work focused on network pricing and design optimization problems for logistics applications, through extending game theoritic models and designing approximate solution algorithms.
Prior to Gurobi, Christine had an academic experience through her postdoctoral work at Zuse institute Berlin, where she led the „sustainable energy planning“ research group, supervising MSc and Phd theses, acquiring research grants and handling collaborations within the district heating sector. She later switched to the steelmaking making industry, where she had the opportunity to collect both a consultancy and professional software development experience for nearly two years.
Outside of work, she enjoys being outdoor, travelling, reading and learning new artistic craft skills.
Michael Winkler
Principal Developer
Michael Winkler studied mathematics at the Technical University of Berlin and the Zuse Institute Berlin. In 2008 he started working on SCIP, an academic MIP solver developed at Zuse Institute Berlin. Since 2014 he is part of the development team at Gurobi and he enjoys improving our software.
Iulia Turcan
Senior Marketing Manager, Academic Programs
Iulia has 10 years of experience working with marketing teams within the European academic space. Prior to Gurobi she has worked at one of the UKs leading institutions - Nottingham Trent University - overseeing the digital marketing and events strategy for creative technologies academic programmes, focusing on subjects such as virtual production, esports and sound engineering.
Born in Romania and having lived in Nottingham, UK for the past 13 years, she enjoys travelling, plane spotting and is a vinyl record collector.
