Female Inventors and Their Inventions That Changed The World

Female inventors and designers have changed the world with some of their inventions, have shaken up the industry, and have been leaders in innovation throughout the years. We’re going to take a look at some of those female inventors who have changed the world with their inventions. This list is the perfect inspirational guide for inventors! 

How Females Changed the World: A Guide for Inventors

A modern-day aquarium.

Jeanne Villepreux-Power

Jeanne Villepreux-Power was a French inventor and marine biologist who came up with the concept of the aquarium. In 1832 Jeanne was the first person to create aquaria for experimenting with aquatic organisms and has contributed greatly even in 2018 to marine biology with her invention.

Jeanne died in 1871, and her legacy was forgotten until 1997 when her work was rediscovered, and her name was given to a major crater on Venus.

Madam C. J. Walker

Madam C. J. Walker was a female African-American entrepreneur and inventor who created the first hair and beauty products for African-American women. She was also America’s first self-made millionaire with her invention. At 33 she started her business career and at 38 she was already expanding her business into Central America and the Caribbean.

She did this by recruiting 25,000 African-American women by the early 1900s from North and Central America and the Caribbean as door-to-door consultants. An accomplishment in itself, given the lack of the internet and systems we have available today that make recruiting easier.

Margaret Eloise Knight

Margaret Eloise Knight, born in 1838, had her father die when she was young in a cotton mill accident. This accident was the guide for inventors like Margaret to create a safety device for the loom that accidentally stabbed her father, which was then adopted by other mills.

However, what Margaret was most known for was the invention of the paper bag machine. After being hired by a paper bag company she invented the machine that folded and glued paper to form the flat-bottomed brown paper bags we still use today.

These three innovators can be used as an inspirational guide for inventors today. Not only did they create inventions that changed the world, they did it in a time that women weren’t given the same opportunities as men were. Truly inspirational women for all of us inventors to look up to! Let us know what you think of our guide for inventors in the comments below. 

About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about MAKO Design + Invent!