A decade after it first recognized the people driving inclusion in market research, Wire (Women in Research) today presented its tenth-annual Wire MRX Diversity Champion Award at the Esomar North America conference in Atlanta. Wire hosted the celebration in partnership with Esomar and award sponsor FUEL + The Focus Room.
This year’s Gold award goes to Alessia Cavallini of Kantar. Natalia Infante, PhD, of Hola Insights receives the Silver award.
Gold award winner Alessia Cavallini is a Brand Engagement Manager at Kantar, Co-Lead of the Global Pride@Kantar ERG, and an LGBTQIA+ advocate and inclusion leader who believes belonging should be something people experience, not simply something organizations talk about. She came to this role after serving as the group’s External Partnerships Liaison, where she built relationships with LGBTQIA+ networks and organizations outside Kantar and brought new voices into the community. For three years she also co-led the Kantar DIVA Report, which paired research with lived experience to inform conversations about representation, safety, wellbeing and belonging. For Alessia, the project showed how data and human stories together can get people to stop, listen and think differently.
Her advocacy extends well beyond her own company. She has connected colleagues with causes including the Elton John AIDS Foundation, Galop UK and Rainbow Railroad, and has spoken at the Market Research Society Pride Show Up Insights Summit. She was named to the INvolve Outstanding Top 100 Future Leaders list in 2024 and 2025, won the 2026 DIVA LGBTQIA+ Network Champion Award, and was nominated for the Positive Role Model Award for LGBT at the 2026 National Diversity Awards.
Recognition, though, has never been the goal. For Alessia, visibility is personal: seeing someone authentically occupy a space can help another person believe there is room for them there too. Through speaking, advocacy and sharing her own story, she hopes to give others the confidence to participate, lead and simply be themselves, one connection, one conversation and one person at a time.
This year’s Silver award winner Natalia Infante, Ph.D., is a Latina entrepreneur, Founder and CEO of Hola Insights, a market research firm specializing in multicultural audiences, particularly U.S. Hispanic consumers. Born and raised in Paraguay and having lived in the U.S. for more than three decades, Natalia brings a perspective shaped by her experiences across cultures and communities. Before founding Hola Insights, Natalia taught multiculturalism, Spanish language, and cultures at multiple universities.
Throughout her career, Natalia has championed cultural understanding and greater representation within the insights industry. Through her conference presentations and published articles, she has highlighted the influence and diversity of Hispanic consumers, challenging assumptions and encouraging organizations to look beyond demographics to better understand the individuals and cultures behind them. She has served on the Board of Directors of the Qualitative Research Consultants Association (QRCA) from 2022 to 2024 and chaired its first Latin American Conference.
Beyond her professional achievements, Natalia has dedicated time to mentoring young women pursuing higher education and an insights career, serving on nonprofit Boards supporting survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. Her community involvement reflects her belief in empowering others and creating opportunities for individuals from different backgrounds to thrive.
Her contributions have been recognized through the 2023 GreenBook Future List, the Insights Association's 2024 Pillars of Progress recognition, and the 2026 Forbes Riley Heartfelt Hero Award. For Natalia, championing diversity means ensuring that different voices and perspectives are heard, understood, and valued. She believes the insights industry is stronger when it reflects the diversity of the communities it seeks to understand.
“A stronger market research industry starts with embracing diverse perspectives, creating opportunities, and recognizing those who are making a difference,” said Tiffany Hays, Award Sponsor and CEO of FUEL and The Focus Room. “The Wire MRX Diversity Champion Award celebrates the people turning that commitment into meaningful action. At FUEL + The Focus Room, we’re proud to support an initiative that recognizes progress, elevates voices across our industry, and helps build a more inclusive future for market research. We’re honored to stand alongside Wire in celebrating the champions moving our industry forward.”