Our speaker for March 5, 2026 was Adithya Padala, founder and CEO of Umi Voice, Inc. Adithya presented on his 35-year entrepreneurial journey, from his first speech recognition programs for major corporations to his development of microphone technology for consumer and military products. Adithya started his company 35 years ago when he started building speech recognition for trading companies. The company’s first customer was Goldman Sachs for its trading floor. They developed a technology which allowed the traders to pick up a handset and make orders in a very loud environment. They also used this technology for customers like Credit Suisse, UBS Wallberg, and others.
After working with this technology for a dozen years, Goldman Sachs asked him if the company could make it work on the New York Stock Exchange. When he visited the stock exchange he discovered that it was so loud you not only couldn’t understand what people were saying, you often couldn’t even hear them! He tried all the noise-cancelling technology on the market but couldn’t find anything that worked. A “mad scientist” friend of his invented a solution to this problem. This was their first consumer product; they called it the “Boom.” The technology is passive (no chips) -- it’s "secret sauce" is based on physics. The company’s products are widely used by U.S. military forces, particularly in helicopters and aircraft. They created the "Cobra mic" specifically for military aviation helmets. He gave us demo audio comparison between standard microphones and the UmeCobra mic in the Blackhawk helicopter environment. Boom products are also used in satellite phones, hospital emergency rooms, and on legal apps. The company also makes a variety of consumer Boom products, which can be purchased on their website.
Adithya also shared several business insights. He recommends that where possible entrepreneurs use self-funding mechanisms rather than by raising capital. He also discussed international manufacturing, particularly in China. He views it as a matter of trust; he builds relationships based on trust regardless of geographic location. He thinks entrepreneurs should focus on "must-have" rather than "nice-to-have" products. He is also personally committed to clean energy. He’s put over 350,000 miles on electric cars and hasn’t been to a gas station in 13 years! He also produces wine under the Genevieva label, named after his daughter. His vineyard has solar and batteries and has achieved net zero energy.
Thank you, Adithya, for the excellent presentation of your amazing 35-year entrepreneurial journey.
