Dr. Thomas Weinandy is the Principal Research Economist at Upside, where he studies consumer spending patterns and the broader forces shaping today’s economy. His work explores pricing, loyalty, and the future of brick-and-mortar retail in the digital age, with insights featured on CNBC, Yahoo Finance, NPR, and The Today Show. He wrote a book on using AI for business intelligence and has published in both economics and marketing journals. A frequent speaker at national conferences, Dr. Weinandy provides audiences with clear, data-driven perspectives on inflation, consumer behavior, and the challenges and opportunities facing retailers and suppliers alike.

Jeff Lenard oversees industry-wide external communications campaigns to advance the role of convenience stores as positive economic, social and philanthropic contributors to the communities they serve. He also serves as lead spokesperson and has conducted more than 6,000 media interviews about trends and innovations at convenience stores. In addition, he is the creator and co-host of the association’s award-winning weekly podcast, Convenience Matters.

Prior to joining NACS in 1999, Lenard served in communications and marketing functions for several energy-focused associations. He earned a B.S. in mechanical engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and an M.B.A. in marketing from Syracuse University.