Abbie Westra is director of Winsight’s convenience retail division, including the CSP and Convenience Store Products brands. She is also the foodservice editor for both brands. Abbie joined Winsight in 2008 as executive editor of Fare magazine, the magazine for foodservice at retail, and the accompanying FARE conference. She has accumulated years of expertise working within and writing about the c-store and foodservice industries. Before joining Winsight to help launch the FARE brand, Abbie was the editor of Chef Magazine and Chef Educator Today Magazine. Abbie regularly serves as a speaker at both c-store and foodservice industry events, and is active in the International Foodservice Editorial Council, where she recently served on the Executive Board of Directors.

As Inc. recently reported, “Isaac Lidsky may possess the most eclectic resume in business. Over the years, he has been a child television star [(he played series regular “Weasel” on NBC’s “Saved By The Bell: The New Class”)], a Supreme Court clerk [(for Justices Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg)], and the co-founder of an internet startup. More recently, Lidsky has used his gift for logistics to build ODC Construction into one of the fastest-growing construction businesses,” transforming an unsophisticated $11 million concrete subcontractor that was hemorrhaging money into an industry-leading $150 million construction services company—in 5 years. Inc. Magazine, The Incredibly Inspiring Journey of a Blind Entrepreneur, October 1, 2015.

His main stage TED Talk in 2016 was viewed more than a million times in its first three weeks, and his book, “Eyes Wide Open” (Penguin Random House, Mar. 14, 2017) is a New York Times, USA Today and Indie bestseller, and was named one of the Washington Post’s top 10 leadership books to read in 2017.

The full list of his accomplishments is far longer. Lidsky graduated from Harvard at 19 with an honors degree in mathematics and computer science. He graduated from Harvard Law School magna cum laude. As a U.S. Justice Department lawyer, Lidsky argued more than a dozen appeals in federal court on behalf of the United States and never lost a case. He founded a nonprofit organization to fund the development of treatments for blinding diseases and within 5 years grew it to a dozen cities nationwide and more than $5 million. The technology company he founded sold for $230 million.

Lidsky has been recognized for his achievements dozens of times and his leadership is routinely sought after. He is an advisor to a $1+ billion tech “unicorn.” He is a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO), the world’s premier peer network of chief executives and business leaders, and was tapped to lead the Orlando Chapter and to serve on the Regional Executive Committee for the Southeast U.S. and Caribbean. He was asked to join the Young Entrepreneur Council. He has been appointed to State leadership positions by the Governor of Florida and to a federal position by a U.S. Senator. He sits on the Board of the Florida Hospital For Children. He was named 1 of 4 Temple Bar Scholars by the United Kingdom’s Inns of Court and brought to London for a month-long idea exchange with UK Supreme Court Justices and leading barristers.

Perhaps most striking, Lidsky is only 37, and he is blind. Born with Retinitis Pigmentosa, a rare degenerative disease of the retina, from age 12 to 25 he slowly lost his sight. As his bio makes clear, neither his youth nor his blindness have limited him, however.

This is true in his professional life and personal life alike. Isaac married Dorothy, the love of his life, in June 2004. In September 2010 she gave birth to their triplets, Lily Louise, Phineas and Thaddeus—collectively, “The Tripskys”—and in December 2015 baby Clementine completed the family. The Lidskys 6 live in Windermere, Florida.

Unsurprisingly, Lidsky has been featured in numerous national media, including Forbes, The New York Times, MSNBC, U.S. News & World Report, 60 Minutes, CNN, Voice of America, Business News Daily, Daily Business Review, Business Insider, Men’s Health, People Magazine, the National Law Journal, and the American Bar Association Journal. He is regularly asked by the media to provide his commentary on the construction industry, leadership and/or entrepreneurship. Invariably, his story shines through his commentary, and with his story, great inspiration.

Denise Lee Yohn is the go-to expert on brand-building for national media outlets, an in-demand speaker and consultant, and an influential writer.

Denise is the author of the bestselling book What Great Brands Do: The Seven Brand-Building Principles that Separate the Best from the Rest (Jossey-Bass), the e-book Extraordinary Experiences: What Great Retail and Restaurant Brands Do, and the highly anticipated new book FUSION: How Integrating Brand and Culture Powers the World’s Greatest Companies(Nicholas Brealey/Hachette Books).

News media including FOX Business TV, CNBC, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times call on Denise when they want an expert point-of-view on hot business issues. The Marketing Executives Networking Group (MENG) named her blog as one of the “Top 20 Marketing Blogs that Executives Actually Read.”

Denise enjoys challenging readers to think differently about brand-building in her regular contributions to Harvard Business Review and Forbes, and has been a sought-after writer for publications including Fast Company, Entrepreneur, Knowledge@Wharton, ChangeThis, Seeking Alpha, QSR Magazine, among others.

With her expertise and personal approach, Denise has become an in-demand keynote speaker. She has addressed business leaders around the world, including The Art of Marketing in Toronto, EXPO Marketing in Bogota, Colombia, and Sustainable Brands in San Diego.

Denise initially cultivated her brand-building approaches through several high-level positions in advertising and client-side marketing. She served as lead strategist at advertising agencies for Burger King and Land Rover and as the marketing leader and analyst for Jack in the Box restaurants and Spiegel catalogs. Denise went on to head Sony Electronic Inc.’s first ever brand office, where she was the vice president/general manager of brand and strategy and garnered major corporate awards. Consulting clients have included Target, Oakley, Dunkin’ Donuts, and other leading companies.

Outside of her professional roles, Denise counts hiking Mount Kilimanjaro, dancing with a professional ballet company, and flying a helicopter as some of her greatest life experiences.

Schaninger joined QuickChek in 1978 as an assistant manager, growing through the operation’s ranks from assistant manager to district leader. He was named to his current position in 2004. From 1993 to 1997 he developed and chaired QuickChek’s ongoing relationship with Children’s Miracle Network. In 1998, he was promoted to operations director for Region 1, and then to vice president of operations Region 1 in 2001.

Prior to joining Quick Chek, Schaninger worked in his family’s grocery business, and it was there that he developed his love for people and products. He has one son, Michael. Schaninger attended Albright College. Schaninger’s No. 1 passion outside of retailing is music: listening, writing, playing guitar, and singing. He is also an avid reader.

Donna Hood Crecca is Associate Principal at Technomic Inc. She is a veteran of the foodservice and retail industry, having covered the alcoholic beverage segment in on-premise establishments and at retail for nearly two decades, as well as food and beverage in restaurants, convenience and grocery stores. As Senior Director at Technomic, she leads the research and analysis development for the online DRINK (Digital Resource INformation Knowledgebase) tool and the Trends in Adult Beverage (TAB) report series, and leads the Convenience Store Insights Group.

Before joining Technomic, she was Publisher & Editorial Director of Nightclub & Bar magazine; prior to that she was Editor of Cheers magazine. Additionally, she served as a Contributing Editor to Chain Leader magazine for 10 years, and also was a regular contributor to publications including Restaurants & Institutions, Nation’s Restaurant News, CSP, Grocery Headquarters, FMI Spectrum, Supermarket News and Convenience Store News. In addition, she was Editor of F&B Business. She has broad knowledge of bar, nightclub, restaurant and retail marketing, operations, human resources and growth strategies, with specific expertise in beverage sales, promotion, service and training. She is a frequent presenter at industry events, including the VIBE Conference, Nightclub & Bar Convention and Trade Show, Tales of the Cocktail, National Restaurant Association Show/IWSB Event, CSP EduNetworking Events, NRA Executive Study Groups, Council of Hotel and Restaurant Trainers (CHART) and the Alcohol Responsibility Conference.

Donna holds a bachelor’s degree in magazine journalism from Syracuse University and has done graduate work in magazine publishing management at New York University. She is BarSmarts Advanced Certified and has served as President of the International Foodservice Editorial Council and sits on the VIBE Advisory Council.

Abbey Lewis is a lover of snacks and editor in chief of Convenience Store Products magazine.

Reach her at alewis@winsightmedia.com.

Aimee Harvey, Managing Editor, Global Content, delivers valuable insights on industry trends, consumer attitudes and preferences, global competitive strategies and concept and menu development. In her 13 years at Technomic, she has helped restaurant operators and noncommercial foodservice companies in multiple markets understand key areas of growth opportunity.

Angel Abcede is a senior editor at Convenience Store Petroleum magazine. Having spent several years covering technology, he now manages the tobacco category for CSP Daily News, CSP magazine and content for the spectrum of Winsight products. He has received numerous awards from the American Society of Business Press Editors.

Steve Holtz is editor in chief for CSP Daily News and beverage editor for Winsight Media. He has been covering the convenience-store industry and the beverage category for more than a decade.

Contact him at sholtz@winsightmedia.com, on Twitter: @CSPbeverages.