Menlo Park, CA—Kristy Holch, the founder and principal of InfoTrends, passed away peacefully at her home in Menlo Park, California, on July 13, 2022. She was surrounded by her loving family. To all who knew her, she was admired as a woman of exemplary character: good-natured, generous, adventurous, kind, loving, intelligent, creative and civically active.
InfoTrends Founder
Holch founded InfoTrends in 1991, a well-regarded and influential consumer tech research firm. Moreover, her calm, friendly expertise was a common part of the CES (Consumer Electronics Show) conferences. More recently, she focused on writing articles to share her consumer tech research as well as product information with the public. Her expertise in the tech industry has benefited many.
Further, Holch was a great connector of people. She enjoyed getting people together and helping them realize what interests they had in common. People tell of meeting her on an airplane ride, talking and exchanging addresses, later becoming lifelong friends. Some later became business partners, and Holch introduced them to her extensive network of business contacts.
An Inspirational Life
In addition, she was always thinking bigger and of benefiting others. When she wanted a pet, she trained a therapy dog. She also volunteered with a horse-riding program for children with special needs. When she wanted to travel, she volunteered for civic improvement projects abroad, including India, Morocco and Africa.
After climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, she continued her friendship with local guides. Upon learning the pandemic had brought their businesses to a halt, Holch set up a GoFundMe page so they could start a local farming business. As a result, the guides and their families were kept out of poverty and now have a thriving farming business. More recently, she hired Ukrainian tech freelancers to showcase the farming business’s progress.
As a lifelong promoter of peace, Holch was a closely involved, longtime board member and recent chair of the International Student Conferences. She cherished the opportunity to support this internationally renowned organization that encourages cultural understanding and friendships between American students and their counterparts in Japan, Korea and China.
In addition, Holch was the president and director of the Menlo Park Sister Cities association. The group helped bring in partnerships with Bizen, Japan; Kochi, India; Chargzhou, China; and Galway, Ireland.
Despite all her professional and personal accomplishments, Holch remained humble. She will be sorely missed but her memory and the positive influence she had will remain far into the future.
Kristy Holch is survived by her father, Bud Murray; brothers Jeff (Sally) and Doug (Helen); nephews Paul (Despina) and Jake; and grandniece Photini.
