Utilidata CTO Leverages AI to Build a Cleaner, Smarter Electric Grid
Marissa Hummon, CTO of Utilidata, applies artificial intelligence to modernize the electric grid and transition the energy sector away from carbon-intensive sources. She also advocates for systemic changes to support and retain more women in engineering and AI fields.
Marissa Hummon serves as the chief technology officer at Utilidata, where she uses artificial intelligence to push against the status quo of the utility industry. She believes AI gives utilities the necessary tools to operate a clean, modern, and reliable grid that better serves connected people and businesses. Her journey in energy innovation begins at the National Renewable Energy Lab, where she discovers that machine learning and numerical methods solve complex physics equations that traditional analytic methods cannot handle.
Hummon brings an impressive academic background to her role, holding a PhD in applied physics from Harvard and serving as CTO at Utilidata since 2018. However, she notes a significant drop in the number of women as she transitions from graduate school into the professional engineering field. She frequently feels the pressure of being held to a higher standard than her male peers, a reality that drives her current leadership philosophy.
As a leader, Hummon actively creates opportunities for women to lead and receive recognition, emphasizing that men also need to take responsibility for fostering inclusive environments. She calls for systemic, widespread change that spans from recruiting and hiring to fair promotion practices. Her advice to women entering the AI field is to view their gender as an advantage, noting that breakthroughs in technology always stem from unique perspectives.