Tom Carvel (born Athanasios Karvelas (Greek: Ἀθανάσιος Καρβέλας; July 14, 1906 – October 21, 1990) was a Greek-born American businessman and entrepreneur known for the invention and promotion of soft-serve ice cream in the northeastern United States.

On Memorial Day weekend in 1934, his truck had a flat tire, so he pulled into a parking lot next to a pottery store and began selling his melting ice cream to vacationers who were driving by.

Within two days, he had sold his entire supply of ice cream and concluded that he could increase his profits by working from a fixed location.

Carvel was featured in his own advertisements as the company believed that his gravelly voice and personal charm were important factors in the success of his business.

Carvel died in Pine Plains, Dutchess County, New York, in 1990 and is buried with his wife Agnes in Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale.