INFORMS Early Career Professionals’ Network (ECPN) Turns 20!

The Early Career Professionals’ Network (ECPN) is INFORMS’ premier program for supporting early-career practitioners launching careers in analytics, operations research and related fields in business, industry and government. Open to new or recent graduates of analytics, operations research or related programs, ECPN is a selective program designed for beginning professionals by experienced leaders. Participation in ECPN provides a means for budding practitioners to leverage the hard-won lessons of established analytics professionals, gain an edge by complementing their technical training with exposure to nontechnical career dimensions that can derail the best analytics talent, receive one-on-one coaching, and establish their professional identities through unparalleled face-to-face networking across industry sectors and career stages. Dating from the inauguration of its predecessor, the INFORMS Professional Colloquium (IPC) in 2005, the ECPN celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2025 – complete with cake and a special session, “Growing Together: Two Decades of ECPN Shaping Analytics Leaders,” at the 2025 INFORMS Analytics+ Conference in Indianapolis, Ind.  

Mission of the INFORMS ECPN 

• Aid new and recent graduates to transition to successful and resilient real-world careers  
• Foster professional identities by providing networking and mentorship opportunities with established practitioners and career-stage peers 
• Facilitate the connection of early-career professionals with the practice community and resources available from INFORMS to support ongoing career growth 
• Strengthen INFORMS by creating a pipeline of active members and future leaders who sustain and grow the larger INFORMS community 

“The INFORMS Professional Colloquium [now ECPN] is an all-around analytics experience. You are provided with the opportunity to interact with highly regarded experts in diverse fields of analytics, from groundbreaking research to managerial experts. Furthermore, the small size of the group gives you the chance to closely interact with speakers and have one-to-one sessions with a senior mentor, assigned based on your interest and experience. It provides a unique chance to meet and network with peers from the best analytics programs in the country and exchange ideas, questions and contacts.” – Jose Eduardo Oros, M.S., Pandora 

Origins of ECPN 

The ECPN was officially established in 2018 when the then-chair of the IPC, Alan Briggs, led the effort to merge the IPC with Early Career Connection (ECC), two events both held in conjunction with what is now the Analytics+ Conference, which addressed different early-career audiences. 

The ECC was established in 2013 as a revamping of the Young Researchers Connection (YRC), which was initiated by the late Richard E. Rosenthal for early-career academics [1]. The ECC was described as a special program of events geared to facilitate networking and introduce new perspectives into some of the most critical problems facing industry. The ECC included a special meet-and-greet reception before the Analytics Conference began, an introduction to the entire conference before the first plenary on Monday morning, and various meetups at meals and sessions throughout the meeting, giving participants the opportunity to touch base with one another, conference organizers, vendors and some leaders in the field. The ECC program was designed to help participants enjoy the conference and maximize its benefits. It was open to researchers from both academia and industry [1].  

The IPC was established in 2005 by a committee spearheaded by Robin Lougee, building on a suggestion by Sanjay Saigal [2]. Then-president of INFORMS Richard Larson described the program as follows.  

“The IPC was a one-day workshop to help the top practice-oriented O.R. graduate students successfully transition to life in industry. (Attendance by nomination only.) Today, only a small fraction of the M.S. students graduating from O.R.-related programs join INFORMS. The IPC aims to build connections between industry and academia by reaching out to students on the verge of becoming professionals, especially M.S.-level students. Based on the results of the long-running INFORMS Combined Colloquium for Ph.D. students, I believe that the networking opportunities and positive experience of IPC will lead to lasting associations with INFORMS and the rich community it serves. The IPC program focuses on skills for business success, with a mix of hands-on activities, presentations, panel discussions and networking events. IPC participants are automatically registered in the INFORMS Practice [Analytics+] Conference. The combination of the two programs gives attendees an array of perspectives and opportunities for exchange that is difficult to come by elsewhere. While the premise of the IPC is sound, its success depends on a student’s ability to travel. Funding M.S.-level students to workshops is not a tradition in many schools or for many corporate sponsors. It is clear that we need to address this funding problem. The IPC is an opportunity for the O.R. community to invest in building the interface upon which the vitality of the profession depends” [3]. 

Strategic Partnership with the INFORMS Practice Section 

In 2021, the INFORMS Practice Section and ECPN formed a strategic partnership plan. Since its inception as the IPC, the Practice Section has been a supporter and financial sponsor of the ECPN program. Given the shared goals of supporting and growing the practice community, nine opportunities were approved as a starting point to strengthen collaboration between ECPN and the Practice Section for their mutual benefit. Strategic items included:  

• Create a standing position on the Practice Section Board for the ECPN chair. 
• Invite the ECPN chair to give updates at the monthly Practice Section board meetings so that board members can provide assistance and guidance at key points.  
• Establish a multiyear sponsorship to provide greater financial stability for the ECPN and reduce approval workloads for the Practice Section. 
• Provide free one-year membership to the Practice Section for all current-year ECPN participants.  

INFORMS ECPN Today 

The ECPN continues to evolve and improve each year, based on feedback from participants and committee members. The workshop held on the Sunday of the Analytics+ Conference emphasizes experiential learning and connection through elements including:  

• Coffee/tea with the 2025 INFORMS President 
• Hands-on role-play exercise (introduced in the first IPC, it remains one of the program’s most highly rated features) 
• One-on-one speed mentoring 
• Networking lunch 
• Interactive elevator speech practice 

What ECPN Attendees Find Most Valuable 

The ECPN has supported hundreds of early-career professionals, many of whom now hold leadership roles today. Alumni testimonials on the 2025 ECPN website highlight the program’s impact in building confidence, networks and career clarity:  

• Jose Eduardo Oros: Gained peer support and industry connections 
• Yulia Vorotyntseva: Broadened career perspectives and made valuable connections 
• Nitish Ghosal: Developed networking skills and gained career insights 

Perspectives by four 2025 ECPN attendees, Uthman Kareem, Aashi Sharma, Jiaqi (Priscilla) Yang and Ziqi (April) Zhao, to appear in an upcoming issue of OR/MS Tomorrow shared five common themes. 

• Confidence and belonging. ECPN helps participants feel more prepared, capable and empowered in their early careers. Participants leave the event feeling more validated, capable and part of a professional community. 
• Mentorship and networking. ECPN fosters a supportive, inclusive community that reduces isolation and builds professional relationships. Strong personal connections with mentors and peers make a lasting impact.  
• Real-world exposure. ECPN demystifies industry expectations and prepares participants to succeed in practice-oriented roles. 
• Interactive learning. The experiential design and participatory format of ECPN fosters deeper understanding and skill development. Role-plays, mentoring and workshops offer engaging, hands-on growth experiences.  
• Career insight. ECPN helps attendees reflect on their career aspirations and align their skills and goals. Participants gain clarity, inspiration and tools to navigate the next steps in their career journeys.  

Being selected to participate in the ECPN is an honor that is not only touted by individuals on their resumes, LinkedIn profiles and other social media but also highlighted in materials by nominating professors and institutions.  

Proof of the program’s value is perhaps most poignantly demonstrated not in quotes but in actions. The ECPN has continued to evolve and serve early-career professionals consecutively for 20 years (and going!) thanks in large part to the passion of past participants who return as volunteers to share their time, energy and experience. For example, 2025 Co-chair Heather Moe is a past ECPN participant, as is the 2026 ECPN chair, Subbu Narayaswamy. The 2026 Analytics+ Conference chair, Zohar Strinka, CAP-X, is an ECPN alumni. 2025 Co-chair Qinglin Duan passionately embraced the mission after being inspired by ECPN alumni and 2013-2014 ECPN Chair Shrikant Jarugumilli. 

2025 ECPN Committee 

• Heather Moe (Esri), Co-chair 
• Qinglin Duan (Bayer Crop Science), Co-chair 
• Subbu Narayanaswamy (Wells Fargo) 
• Kenza Choukry (IQS Research) 
• Robin Lougee (INFORMS VP Practice) 
• Anna Galloway (INFORMS Education & Industry Programs Coordinator) 

We congratulate INFORMS and the ECPN for two decades of success. We thank all the participants, committee members and sponsors from the past 20 years and look forward to decades more of sharing insights and best practices with the early-career practitioner community.  

If you are interested in attending the 2026 ECPN or know someone who could benefit from this unique opportunity, consider applying or nominating a candidate [4]. The 2026 ECPN will be held on Sunday, April 12, 2026, in conjunction with the 2026 INFORMS Analytics+ Conference at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center at National Harbor.  

You can also sponsor a rising star. Travel costs are often a limiting factor for early-career attendees thinking of applying to the ECPN. If you would like to help support early-career professionals, visit https://tinyurl.com/supportECPN to donate. All of the funds raised at this site go directly to ECPN attendees to defray the cost of travel. 

If you are interested in participating in, organizing or sponsoring the ECPN, please reach out to [email protected]. 

References 

1. Genetha Gray and Erica Klampfl, 2013, “Early Career Connection,” OR/MS Today, February 4, https://doi.org/10.1287/orms.2013.01.20in.  
2. Robin Lougee and Mary Helander, 2006, “Getting ready for the real world,” OR/MS Today, February 6, https://doi.org/10.1287/orms.2006.01.14.  
3. Richard Larson, 2005, “Practice makes perfect O.R.,” OR/MS Today, April 4, https://doi.org/10.1287/orms.2005.02.02.  
4. https://meetings.informs.org/wordpress/analytics/early-career-professional-network/