Tom Kadala on the Hispanic Consumer

Mr. Kadala is a nationally recognized speaker, presenter, panelist, author, lecturer, senior editor, inventor, and discussion facilitator on issues affecting Spanish-speaking countries, US-based Hispanics, and other multi-cultural markets. He has presented at numerous trade shows across the country including DMA, Folio, Meckler Media, and Comdex. He has been featured in national publications including New York Times, Inc Magazine, Entrepreneur, Success, Robb Report, and Nations Business. He has spoken at a variety of corporate events, consulted for CEOs and/or marketing departments for Fortune 500 companies including American Express, State Farm, Time Warner, Verizon, and the U.S. Dept of Commerce. He is a regular television guest on economic issues at HITN (a Spanish-speaking cable station) and a contributor and senior editor for the Business Journal on Hispanic Research.

A first generation Hispanic, Mr. Kadala, a graduate from Cornell University (CEE ’80) and the Harvard Business School (MBA ’85) earned his tuition and board through numerous international scholarships (i.e. Fundacion de Ayacucho), innovative entrepreneurial ventures, and multi-cultural awards. He earned full scholarships as part of a student exchange program in Mexico D.F., Bilbao, and Barcelona. He owned and managed a construction company with his brother in Venezuela which employed over 200 laborers from South and Central America. Prior to starting his own company, Mr. Kadala gained investment banking experience at Merrill Lynch International (Caracas), Bear Stearns (New York), and London Continental Bankers (London).

Mr. Kadala authored two Harvard Business School cases from Colombia and Peru. His success landed him a CFO position at a small high tech firm in Canada where he successfully raised $2.2 million for a voice and touch-tone activated database solution. In 1990 his marketing efforts led him to design one of the first fax-on-demand solutions, which launched his first firm, Alternative Technology Corporation using the trademark MarketFAX®.

In 1993 he invented a new platform for conducting market research. The platform has been tested rigorously with numerous entities including Labor Unions (AFL-CIO, AFSCME, IBEW, and George Meaney Center for Labor Studies), municipalities (Town of Yorktown, North Castle, and Somers, NY), publications (Inc Magazine, Harper’s Magazine, Departures Magazine, and Reader’s Digest) and corporations (Citibank, Pace University, and American Express). Mr. Kadala also worked with the Bush Administration to evaluate programs to help Hispanic entrepreneurs raise capital.

Recently Mr. Kadala has launched ResearchPAYS®, Inc., a New York-based firm dedicated to collecting and disseminating primary market research data for multicultural markets. His work has evolved onto the world stage where his experience with his family sugarcane plantation business in the Dominican Republic has inspired a series of facilitated discussions held at the United Nations in New York on renewable energy strategies for South and Central America including the Caribbean area. Mr. Kadala resides with his wife and daughter in Hastings-on-Hudson, NY.