#18 Borja Menéndez and Zohar Strinka: Advent of OR & the Informs Analytics Framework

In this special holiday episode of the Decision Intelligence Lab Podcast, Vijay welcomes back the show’s first-ever returning guests: Borja Menéndez, creator of Advent of OR, and Zohar Strinka, a lead contributor to the INFORMS Analytics Framework. Together, they explore two major initiatives released in 2024 that aim to reshape how the next generation of operations research (OR) and analytics professionals learn and practice.Together, the guests and host dive deep into why OR is NOT just math, why curiosity is essential, how user engagement changes everything, and how practitioners learn to build systems that actually solve decision problems — not just elegant models.Timestamps 0:00 - Preview & Intro1:22 - What Is the Advent of OR?3:45 - Introducing the INFORMS Analytics Framework6:06 - OR isn't Just Math 10:10 - Skills Developed in the 2025 Advent of OR12:10 - How Advent of OR Supports CAP Prep14:21 - Why OR Must Teach Systems & Engineering16:20 - The Consultant View: Building Real Systems18:00 - Experiencing & Becoming a User Yourself22:53 - Curiosity as a Core OR Skill23:55 - How Borja Designs Advent of OR Challenges26:00 - How to Learn More About the INFORMS Framework & CAP27:22 - How to Join Advent of OR 202529:00 - Closing ThoughtsFollow the showApple: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-decision-intelligence-lab/id1811085064⁠Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/0lFoAVKqJHTYSZNpeN61ou?si=0ae973aab0174b3b⁠Resources Mentioned: 1. Advent of OR - Sign-up page for the annual 24-day challenge - https://adventofor.com2. INFORMS Analytics Framework - https://www.informs.org/Professional-Development/Professional-Development-Classes/INFORMS-Analytics-Framework3. Certified Analytics Professional (CAP) Certification - https://www.certifiedanalytics.org/4. Decision Intelligence Lab Podcast (Substack) - https://decisionintelligencelab.substack.comConnect with the guestBorja Menéndez Moreno: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/borjamenendezmoreno/Zohar Strinka: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zohar-strinka/Connect with hostsProf. Vijay Mehrotra (University of San Francisco): https://www.linkedin.com/in/vijay-mehrotra-ba9498/⁠Prof. Michael Watson (Northwestern University): ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-watson-07600a1⁠About the podcastThe Decision Intelligence Lab podcast delivers real-world insights for data professionals, business leaders, and anyone seeking to leverage data & AI for smarter decision-making & successful business outcomes.For business inquiries, email at ⁠[email protected]⁠