Ben Dennehy

Ben Dennehy is the Communications Director with the American Consumer Institute where he works with the broader team to advance communication initiatives for the Institute. Prior to coming to ACI, Ben worked at Young Voices within their external communications team and completed the Koch Associate Program. Ben has also worked within policy administration at the Australian Embassy to Washington, DC and brings a unique perspective to the ACI team, witnessing firsthand the impact government policy can have on individuals, families and businesses across the globe.

Completing a Bachelors in Political Science from the Australian National University, Ben has applied his professional and academic experience to make an impact to policy formation and execution in the US.


Tirzah Duren

As ACI’s Vice President of Policy and Research, Tirzah writes on a wide variety of technology and regulatory-related issues. Prior to coming to ACI Tirzah worked for the premier policy think tank in Pennsylvania where she focused on economic and fiscal policy.

Additionally, she has experience working with think tanks around the globe and has been fortunate to witness firsthand the positive impacts policy can have in individuals’ lives. 

Tirzah brings an interdisciplinary approach to policy having received her B.A. in Anthropology from Eastern Oregon University, her M.A. in International Studies from the University of San Francisco and having professional experience in economic research departments across various think tanks. 


Justin Leventhal

Justin Leventhal is a Senior Economist at the American Consumer Institute, where he works on a variety of economic and consumer policy research. He has formerly been a Research Associate at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, where his research focused on regulation, health care, and the Export-Import Bank. He graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. He was awarded his master’s degree in 2021 from George Mason University in economics, and currently attends the same university to complete his doctorate in economics.


Steve Pociask

Steve Pociask is President and Chief Executive Officer for the American Consumer Institute. For over forty years, he has been involved in consumer public policy research. He has published numerous economic studies, including three books for the Economic Policy Institute, and policy studies for numerous independent nonprofit organizations. Many of his research studies have focused on the consequences of public policies on consumer welfare. He has extensive experience in various policy issues, including energy, insurance, consumer products, information technology and healthcare. He has conducted surveys of consumer opinion covering a wide variety of public policy issues.

He has participated as a consumer advocacy representative for policymaker organizations. He was the former chair for the Federal Communications Commission’s Consumer Advocacy Committee under both Democratic and Republican FCC Chairmen. He has also written reports for the Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy, including one on small businesses’ telecommunications and broadband expenditures and use. He has testified before Congress. He has appeared numerous times in the media, including Bloomberg News, NBC, FOX, the Hill, Forbes and others. From 1998 to 2000, Steve served as Chief Economist and Executive Vice President for Joel Popkin and Co., an economic consulting firm in Washington, DC.  Prior to that, he was Chief Economist for the Bell Atlantic Corporation. He has completed his Ph.D. coursework in economics and has an M.A. in economics from George Mason University.


Trey Price

Trey Price is a Policy Analyst with the American Consumer Institute. He obtained his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Prior to working with ACI, he did an internship with the Cato Institute. He did his master’s on the Libertarian reaction to the Reagan administration’s policies and works on a wide variety of issues with ACI.


Nate Scherer

Nate Scherer is a Policy Analyst with the American Consumer Institute where he researches and writes about a diverse range of consumer issues.

He previously served as a Policy Analyst at the Reason Foundation and has also worked for several other nonprofits including the Texas Public Policy Foundation and the Leadership Institute.

More recently, he worked an educator for Fairfax County Public Schools and performed research for Georgetown University’s Edunomics Lab. He possesses a Master of Arts in Teaching in Secondary Education, Social Studies, and has a Bachelor of Arts in Politics. He currently resides in Arlington, VA.


Isaac Schick

As a Policy Analyst at the American Consumer Institute, Isaac focuses on a diverse range of policy issues. Prior to this, Isaac worked as an analyst for a FinTech venture capital firm. He earned his master’s degree in public policy from California Polytechnic State University in 2022 and decided to put his professional and academic experience towards improving people’s understanding of policy. After working in the private sector, Isaac is eager to use what he’s learned to improve policy for everyday consumers. After first living in DC for five months while he completed an internship with the Leadership Institute, Isaac knew this was the place he wanted to start his career. A devoted lover of American ideals, Isaac can often be found at the National Gallery of Art.


Tyler Yzaguirre

With nearly a decade of experience in fundraising, executive communication, and team building, Tyler Yzaguirre is proud to bring a diverse background of experience to the American Consumer Institute team as its Director of Development. In the past, Tyler has served in various fundraising roles for the National Right to Work Foundation, Practice Without Pressure, and most recently, served as Director of Development for the Center for Urban Renewal and Education. Tyler studied at the University of Delaware where he received a B.A. in Political Science and double minors in Spanish and History in 2015. 


Kristen Walker

Kristen Walker is a Policy Analyst where she researches and writes on a variety of consumer issues. She previously worked for the Competitive Enterprise Institute in development and donor relations. She also served as a political appointee under the Trump administration at the Department of Energy, working in public affairs and in the office of the under secretary of energy. She interned at Congressman Renacci’s office on Capitol Hill. Prior to jumping into public policy, she taught special education.

Kristen holds a bachelor’s degree in Spanish with a Minor in Business from Brigham Young University (Provo, UT), a master’s in special education from Utah State University, and a master’s in political science from George Mason University. She lives in Arlington, VA.