IN-PERSON 9th Washington Energy Summit 2024 Distinguished Confirmed Speakers

Dr. Gruber, CEO and Board Member of Gevo, has spent over 30 years developing and
commercializing renewable biobased technologies to replace petrochemicals. His teams have
developed and commercialized several renewable resource-based products, including organic
acids, plastics, fibers, advanced alcohols, hydrocarbon fuels, and the like.  Gruber led the
development and commercialization of PLA at Cargill and co-founded Natureworks.  As CEO of
Gevo, Dr. Gruber leads the business to commercialize Isobutanol for gasoline blendstock,
renewable, low carbon jet fuel, and low carbon renewable gasoline. 
Dr. Gruber received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and biology from the University of St.
Thomas, St. Paul, Minnesota, and a doctorate in chemistry from the University of Minnesota.
He also earned a master’s degree in business administration from the Carlson School of
Management at the University of Minnesota.
Dr. Gruber has received numerous awards including: The George Washington Carver Award
from BIO, The Presidential Green Chemistry Award, The Discover Award for Environmental
Innovation from Discover Magazine, The Lee W. Rivers Innovation Award from CDMA, an
Outstanding Achievement Award from the University of MN in 2011,  The Julius Stieglitz Award
from the University of Chicago, The Kirkpatrick Award from Chemical Engineering, Design and
Engineering Award from Popular Mechanics, Technology of the Year Award from Industry
Week, Technology of the Year Award from United States DOE,  and numerous others.  Dr.
Gruber was the editor of the two-volume book “Biorefineries—Industrial Processes and
Products,” and holds more than 60 US patents, with several others pending.