Many distributors fall into the habit of making inventory decisions by gut instinct. Understandable? Yes, considering the vast amounts of historical data that purchasing teams must weigh against future marketplace volatility. Unavoidable? Also yes! Especially when purpose-built AI tools exist. Jason caught up with Conor Leen, co-founder and president of Lantern, to learn about the company’s cutting-edge forecasting methodology and solutions to perennial supply chain pain points like overbuying, missed seasonal stock opportunities, and branch allocation mismanagement. The pair also discuss Lantern’s “distribution first” origin story and service-oriented company culture.
“We’re very passionate about distribution. We want to build the best possible product,” says Conor, a native of Ireland who, despite his enthusiasm for the industry, didn’t know much about it until he met his future business partner Matt Rojas while in the MBA program together at Stanford. “Matt was very familiar with the [distribution] industry from his father’s work there,” Conor recalls. “He pitched me on it, saying we should take this research project on and use it to learn about a critical industry in America.”
While conducting 200 project-related interviews, Conor discovered that many of the distributors he spoke with were making purchasing decisions based on gut feel, ancient spreadsheets, or rigid, rules-based systems. “We just had a look at what the problems a critical industry was facing, and said to ourselves, distributors deserve better,” says Conor. The project’s framework eventually morphed into Lantern, a machine-learning platform that analyzes data to optimize purchasing decisions and reduce excess inventory.
Since launching Lantern in 2025, the company has gained interest and funding from Silicon Valley. It’s no wonder; the C-suite at Lantern boasts solid previous work experiences with Google, Stripe, and Walmart. The team plans to use their seed money to accelerate hiring and AI product development. Despite this success, Conor remains humble and focused on the industry he serves. “I grew up in Ireland. I spent the first 26 years of my life there. We, as a people, are hardworking. We take pride in a job well done, and we’re a country that really values community,” he says. “For me, it just feels like home working in distribution.”
QUOTES
Conor Leen
“Everything we do is distributor-driven.”
“How do you build the best possible product for an industry? And the answer that we came up with, which is different to some other people, and that’s okay, is: we hire the best engineers in the world who are here in Silicon Valley, and we put them in a room together, and we let magic happen. And that’s exactly what we’ve done.”
“As a company, we have five core values, and our number one value––we actually have a poster in our office––is distributor-driven. Everything we do is for them. So that is something that is drilled into every new hire. It’s something we take a lot of pride in.”
“When distributors succeed, more houses get built, more shelves get stocked, and more jobs get created. So for us, I think we’ve just found this work to be so fulfilling, and we’re only getting started.”
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
Knight-Hennesy Scholars – Stanford
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Unleash Creative Distribution Solutions by Using AI Technologies with Nick Pericle, ProfitOptics
CONNECT WITH JASON
CONNECT WITH CONOR
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Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth, and achieve personal goals.
This episode was edited by The Creative Impostor Studios
Special thanks to our sponsors for this episode: Motivate, INxSQL, and Connected Peers.
