Introduction:

In our first article in the Meet the Team series, we speak with Tom Martell, our Vice President of Sales at RadiusAI. Tom has years of experience in the field of technology and artificial intelligence. In November of 2022, Tom joined us full-time as our VP of sales. We are thrilled to have an opportunity for him to share some insight about what it’s like being part of this exciting team.

Background:

Tom was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. He attended school at UMassAmherst and graduated from California State University at the Chico campus with a degree in accounting. After graduating, Tom worked in public accountanting as a fiduciary specialist. However, after years of accounting experience, Tom realized he wanted to change career paths.

After leaving his accounting career of three years, Tom decided to work with a local electronics distributor. At first, he helped to sell semiconductors and other component technologies. He then worked his way up to selling hardware and software.

A fun fact about Tom is that he is a certified wine instructor! With his knowledge of wine, Tom worked in the retail space and ran the B2B side of a large online wine retailer. He also owned and operated a franchise retail location for around 8 years in the wine industry.

How did you begin working in tech?

Throughout my wine industry career, I learned that I truly loved the analytics side of retail. At the time, retail analytics was in its infancy. I found it fun to take complex material and analytics and break it down into terms that are understandable for everyone.

At Radius, my role involves understanding customer behavior and helping retailers make data-driven decisions. I look at vast amounts of data to understand how physical retailers can apply it to enhance the customer experience. I am passionate about helping business owners by helping them learn and understand the value of this data and how to use it in a meaningful way.

What is your favorite part about working at Radius AI?

The culture is my favorite part about working at Radius AI. I believe that culture is “the glue” that holds people together. At Radius, we have an excellent cultural mix and complementary cultures that enable everyone to work together respectfully and professionally. I worked in Silicon Valley for most of my career, and it is very refreshing to have a company that values diversity and culture. I believe we move just as fast, if not faster - actually, we do move faster - and are still able to maintain our culture. And that is a testament to our strong management team.

Who is one of the people at Radius that inspires you?

While many of the employees at Radius inspire me, I was initially inspired by our Co-CEO and Co-Founder, Susan Sly. Susan was one of the first people that I met in the company. Watching her present Radius to a large audience and the energy she brought to the room demonstrated that there was something special about her leadership style. Seeing her speak about Radius showed me there was something special about the company, the culture, and the team that I hadn’t encountered before.

Susan was someone I was excited to work with and my first inspiration at the company. However, I know she won’t be my last. I have worked with Radius for just over one month, so as I get to know more people in the organization, I know I will find more inspiration from others as well.

What does human-centric AI mean to you?

Human-centric AI can be perceived in multiple ways. The first is Radius’ perspective which defines human-centric AI as a human-centric experience. This means that humans are involved in multiple stages and that Radius builds technology that enhances the human experience.

On the retail side, retailers can use the same phrase, human-centric, to attract more people to their business. Ultimately, the goal of human-centric AI and Radius is to benefit not just the consumer but the retailer as well.

What’s one misconception you believe most people have about AI?

Most people have the misconception that AI answers questions. However, AI provides data to allow you to understand, and humans must get involved to draw conclusions from this data. Artificial intelligence doesn’t replace humans. Instead, it gives them more data to help them make better decisions that align with their goals.

Furthermore, there’s no replacing the creative mind to apply learning from artificial intelligence. AI can give you data that helps you understand what’s trending, but it’s up to humans to take the trending data, learn from it, and make educated decisions. Many people think that AI will replace humans, but it doesn’t. Humans still need to apply the data to help them achieve their business goals.

What’s something Radius does differently?

Radius is a company that constantly continues to learn. Although we have a great product offering, the company values listening to customers. This helps us to determine where they see the importance of specific analytics and listen closely to them when developing our product offering. Radius keeps an open ear and mind to the customers to help them develop a road map that’s meaningful to them and applies to their business goals.

Radius is also very good at spreading positivity and appreciation. I used to dismiss this soft skill in my previous positions. However, over the last few years, I’ve realized that it’s important for people to get positive feedback and feel good about themselves and their work.

Where do you see the future of AI and computer vision going in the next 5 years?

I believe that artificial intelligence is on a pretty steady trajectory over the next few years. I also believe that AI will start to apply to more broad verticals. In computer vision, the software advanced so quickly that we at Radius have been able to enhance the type of information gathered with camera infrastructures that already exist in physical spaces.t. This has enabled us to have a low barrier to entry.

I believe that the use of computer vision will continue to grow in the safety and security spaces. For the top 95 global retailers, securing assets such as customers and employees is their main priority. Many large retailers will continue investing in technology like ours to help secure their employees and customers and keep them safe.

If you were trapped on a deserted island, what three Radius team members would you bring with you and why?

First, I’d bring Tom Strich because he can build stuff. I see him as the professor in the context of Gilligan’s Island. Next, I would bring Susan for her resourcefulness and her experience in survival. I haven’t recently broken an arrow on my throat as she has, so I’ll have to learn. I’m not sure how relevant the arrow will be, but I’m sure she can build a fire. Also, when we’re low on energy, we’ll need that positive energy that she brings to the table. I don’t think I would bring anyone else because they’ll take up resources like food and water.

What’s your favorite place to get lunch while working at the office?

Honestly, I still haven’t figured out our own kitchen because I’ve never seen any of the food in there before.

What’s your favorite food?

Tacos and spaghetti and meatballs.

Do you have any words of advice for people looking to do what you do?

I wouldn’t say I’m not typically one to dole out a lot of advice, as people are pretty smart. However, I think it’s important to note that you should follow your passion and be happy. Ignore all haters and mean people and just push through it because those aren’t the people that help you prevail. Be confident in what you do, be knowledgeable, do your homework, and most importantly, be nice! Being nice truly matters, and those that are nice generate better friendships and networks. Besides, it takes less energy to be kind to others.