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Actionable intelligence, not just data

Gradient is your partner in transforming complex questions into clear strategies. Whether you're a brand manager, agency leader, policymaker, or investor, we decode the “why” behind your audience's choices—so you can act with confidence.

BRANDS
Make your customers choose your brand
AGENCIES
Deliver the winning insight to your client
PHILANTHROPIES & NON-PROFITS
Mobilize people toward your mission
ADVOCACY GROUPS & CAMPAIGNS
Reach voters with messages that resonate
PRIVATE EQUITY & INVESTMENT BANKS
Drive growth in the brands you invest in
OUR BRAND RESEARCH SOLUTIONS
Audience insights
Brand positioning
Creative & message testing
Market sizing & growth strategy
Pricing optimization
Product & feature optimization
OUR AGENCY RESEARCH SOLUTIONS
Audience Insights
Brand positioning
Creative & message testing
Market sizing & growth strategy
Pricing optimization
Product & feature optimization
OUR PHILANTHROPY & NON-PROFIT RESEARCH SOLUTIONS
Audience mindset analysis
Donor engagement optimization
Impact tracking
Narrative strategy development
Private opinion researchNEW
OUR ADVOCACY GROUP RESEARCH SOLUTIONS
Audience segmentation & targeting
Message testing
Private opinion researchNEW
Public engagement risk analysis
OUR PE & INVESTMENT BANK RESEARCH SOLUTIONS
Audience insights
Brand positioning
Customer analytics
Customer-based corporate valuationNEW
Market insights
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Your partner in decision science

We uncover objective truths through custom quantitative research programs built for impact. Our team blends curiosity, rigor, and advanced methods to help you make smarter, more confident decisions.

About Us
Meet the team behind the insights—curious, rigorous, and driven by purpose.
Our Principles
Our values shape how we work—with each other and with every client.
Careers
Join our remote-first team and help shape the future of decision science.
Contact us
Let’s talk through your big questions and figure out the evidence that matters.
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How we do research differently

For us, research isn’t about numbers in a spreadsheet—it’s about answering your most important questions with clarity, purpose, and real-world impact.

We Start with the end in mind
We begin with the decision you need to make—then design lean, focused research to get you there.
We Look for the Why, Not Just the What
Spotting trends is simple. Uncovering why takes rigor. Our statistical models reveal hidden drivers that turn data into confident action.
We Keep it Human
AI is powerful, but it can’t replicate lived experience. We use it to streamline our process—not to replace the human responses that are central to our research.
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See what insight can do

We believe sharing knowledge is as important as creating it. That’s why we’ve built a library of resources designed to inform, inspire, and empower decision-makers like you.

Case Studies
See how we’ve answered complex questions with research backed insights and creative problem-solving.
Blog
Our point of view on what’s happening in research, strategy, and human behavior.
Newsletter
Stay ahead with our regular roundup of fresh ideas, actionable advice, and the stories shaping the future of market research.
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We demystify data to help organizations make better decisions.

We are quantitative decision science partners who equip our clients with evidence-based clarity to answer their most challenging strategy questions and achieve their growth goals. We uncover critical objective realities for our partners with bespoke, consultative research programs that push the boundaries of custom statistical methodologies.
We want to be a premium research brand sought by every top tier organization for our expertise in uncovering the objective realities that guide our partners’ critical strategy decisions. Our clients will choose Gradient for our precise, actionable intelligence and trust us because of our transparent, consultative partnership. Consequently, our industry will recognize Gradient for our methodological prowess, which will raise the standard of market research.

Whether you’re a B2C brand, an agency, a philanthropy, or an organization that defies those bounds, every Gradient partnership begins with a bespoke, consultative research program developed to achieve your organization’s growth goals—even those you can’t yet articulate. Every Gradient partnership results in peace of mind and strategic confidence. How do we do this?


Once you partner with us, Gradient uncovers the drivers, preferences, and opinions of your brand or organization’s audience using bespoke statistical methodologies. Equipped with this evidence, we help you derive the objective clarity you need to solve your biggest strategy questions—like how to understand your audience or corner your market.


Gradient is not a SaaS product or an off-the-shelf solution. We aren’t a traditional research firm, producing the same reams of spreadsheets for every client. Gradient is a dedicated team of social and data scientists seeking continuous  improvement for our methodologies, our processes, and for your organization. We integrate into your business, share your goals, and can’t wait to champion your successes. Gradient is your decision science research partner.

Gradient by the numbers:

800+ Audience Segments Created
500+ Campaign Messages Tested
1000+ Brand Attributes Tested
50+ Products Priced
200+ Clients Partnered With

The people behind the numbers

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Kyle Block Co-Founder, CEOKyle is a global market researcher who studies behavior using a wide range of methodologies. He has designed hundreds of population and consumer studies in more than three dozen international markets, and his work has influenced global ad campaigns in emerging markets.
Kyle Block Co-Founder, CEO
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Stefan Musch Co-founder, Head of AnalyticsWith a Master’s in Marketing and Management from Tilburg University, Stefan leads the data team in refining research methodologies and mapping out product-market fit. He translates advanced analysis into straightforward strategies, helping clients make confident, data-driven decisions.
Stefan Musch Co-founder, Head of Analytics
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Thomas Vladeck Founder, AdvisorTom was inspired to start Gradient by the cutting-edge market research performed by his advisors at Wharton, where he received his MBA in marketing and statistics. 
Thomas Vladeck Founder, Advisor
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Brendon Ellis Director of ResearchBrendon earned his master’s degree in Positive Organizational Psychology & Evaluation from Claremont Graduate University and is currently pursuing his PhD in Positive Organizational Psychology.
Brendon Ellis Director of Research
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Cory Manento Senior Research ManagerCory holds a master’s degree and PhD in Political Science from Brown University, specializing in experimental survey research on voter attitudes, behavior, and electoral preferences. Coming from a background in which success is achieved through rigorous causal inference and sharp research design, Cory thrives on translating client needs into testable questions that yield actionable results.
Cory Manento Senior Research Manager
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Brian Goolsby Senior Research ManagerBrian is a consumer insights specialist with 15+ years of experience in understanding the intricate factors that influence consumer perceptions and uncovering the "why" behind consumer choices. 
Brian Goolsby Senior Research Manager
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Ashley Sorensen Research ManagerAshley received her Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota where she studied American Politics and Political Methodology with a minor in Political Psychology. Her teaching experience and research expertise on survey measurement, dimensional analysis, and causal inference helps clients gain reliable insights into various groups’ political and social attitudes.
Ashley Sorensen Research Manager
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Iaroslav Domin Senior Data ScientistIaroslav earned his master's degree in Applied Mathematics from V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. He started his career as a statistical programmer working in the field of clinical trials. Iaroslav is a passionate R programmer who loves working with data and helping other programmers by being a top contributor on StackOverflow.
Iaroslav Domin Senior Data Scientist
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Emmanuel Ugochukwu Data ScientistEmmanuel holds a bachelor's degree in Electrical Electronics Engineering from the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria. He is a data scientist who enjoys connecting the dots, be it ideas from different disciplines or applications from different industries. He is an R lover who enjoys analyzing data and creating stunning visualizations.
Emmanuel Ugochukwu Data Scientist
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Mislav Zorko Data ScientistMislav is a passionate data scientist with over seven years of experience in predictive intelligence and advanced analytics. He received his master's degree in Mathematical Statistics from the Faculty of Science of the University of Zagreb, Croatia. He loves coding in R and contributing to open source projects.
Mislav Zorko Data Scientist
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Amy Dennis Operations ManagerAmy has nearly a decade of experience in operations and project management. She is driven to keep systems running smoothly and predictably to empower team members to focus successfully on essential tasks. She holds a degree in New Media Communications from Oregon State University.
Amy Dennis Operations Manager
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Patti Williams Associate Professor of Marketing at the Wharton SchoolPatti's research interests include the role of emotions in consumer decision making. Williams has served as Associate Editor for the Journal of Consumer Research and serves on the Editorial Review Boards for the Journal of Marketing Research and the Journal of Consumer Psychology.  
Patti Williams Associate Professor of Marketing at the Wharton School
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David Bell President and Co-Founder at Idea Farm VenturesDavid is the President of Idea Farm Ventures, a venture firm dedicated to the consumer lifestyle space. He is also an award-winning researcher, teacher and author. His best-selling book, "Location Is (Still) Everything" focuses on how we use the internet to shop and search for information. 
David Bell President and Co-Founder at Idea Farm Ventures
"We partner with a broad spectrum of clients — from startups and Fortune 100 brands to consulting firms and political campaigns — to make major decisions with confidence."
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Tom VladeckFounder

What's in a name?

1

the rate of change with respect to distance of a variable quantity, as temperature or pressure, in the direction of maximum change.


2

a curve representing such a rate of change.


3

a differential operator that, operating upon a function of several variables, results in a vector the coordinates of which are the partial derivatives of the function.

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The Gradient History

  • 2016

    The genesis of Gradient

    Gradient was founded on January 2nd, 2016 by Tom Vladeck—fresh off a Wharton professor’s tip to skip end-of-year tax headaches. As soon as the New Year’s Eve confetti settled, Tom filed the paperwork to form a New York LLC, and within a few weeks, the company was officially up and running.

    From the start, our mission has been twofold:

    1. Help organizations of all sizes make better decisions through data and advanced analytics, and
    2. Create a place where brilliant technical minds can do their best work.

  • 2018

    A global company was born

    In early 2018, the business was doing well, and Tom realized he needed more help. He knew that talent wasn't confined to the US borders and he only wanted to hire the best of the best. 

    So before it was cool, a remote company was born, and co-founders Kyle Block and Stefan Musch joined Gradient's mission.

  • 2019

    The first reunion

    As a global and remote company, it's essential to get together in real life once in a while. In 2019 we decided it was time to spin up a new tradition: yearly reunions. 

    Every year we get together with the full team, somewhere in the world. In 2019, it was in the Big Apple itself. Since then, we've been to Paris, Colorado, Playa Del Carmen, Vancouver, Kenya and The Berkshires.

    Fun fact: We choose our destination by evoking trade-offs through an internal MaxDiff experiment.

  • 2022

    The covid growth

    While the world stood still during Covid, Gradient moved forward. The uncertainty that rattled industries became a catalyst for our growth, because helping organizations make sense of ambiguity is exactly what we do best.

    As demand surged for clarity and unambigious direction, we stepped up. What began as a nimble start-up matured into a premier research partner, trusted by global brands, agencies, and institutions to bring clarity when it’s needed most.

  • 2023

    The recast pivot

    Together with Micheal Kaminsky, Tom saw too much MMM snake-oil being sold and wanted to do something about it. Together with some of the world’s top statisticians, he's building a comprehensive measurement platform that helps modern marketers make better decisions. 

    You can learn more about their mission over at www.getrecast.com 

  • 2025

    A new era of leadership

    After Tom set off to build Recast, Gradient turned the page. That’s when Kyle and Stefan stepped in, bringing fresh energy and a new lens on what Gradient should stand for.

    Rather than chasing the title of “best statistical market research firm in the world,” they’re steering Gradient toward something deeper: uncovering the hidden truths and realities that drive people, markets, and movements, and doing so with the most advanced statistical tools available.

    Blending Kyle’s talent for building bold, collaborative social research teams with Stefan’s deep expertise in analytics and modeling, Gradient stays rooted in curiosity and analytical rigor—delivering insights that truly inform decisions,.

Our headquarters

Gradient is proudly headquartered in both New York and Amsterdam, two cities known for bold ideas, diverse perspectives, and a healthy skepticism of the status quo. Our transatlantic roots keep us globally attuned and culturally curious, helping us partner seamlessly with clients across time zones, sectors, and challenges.
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Enough about us, let's have a chat and talk about you instead