Everyday Products and the Women Behind the Great Invention Idea

Chocolate Chip Cookie

Ruth Graves Wakefield was a true pioneer of her time, as a woman with a University degree in the 1930s. Her entrepreneurial spirit brought her to begin her tour around America, teaching people about food and nutrition as she was a Dietician. When she and her husband bought the Toll House Inn, her cooking (and baking) was a hit amongst the patrons who ate there.

As the inventor within her started to come out, Wakefield experimented with new dishes and desserts she could serve the guests. Taking an ice pick to a chunk of chocolate and mixing it into her cookie dough, she birthed her great invention idea, the all-famous ‘Chocolate Chip Cookie.’

 Wi-Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth

Hedy Lamarr was a skilled mathematician and engineer who saw an opportunity to improve torpedo tech back in World War II. While working with a musician she discovered how to develop frequency hopping. This was the turning point towards the Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth technology we use today.

With her groundbreaking discovery, she enabled torpedo control signals to be encrypted, so enemies couldn’t interfere. She was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2014 for her great invention idea.

Rocket Fuel: Hydyne

An ultimate force, Mary Sherman Morgan, was a fearless example of what it took back then to be the only woman out of 900 men in an aviation program. A brilliant American chemist, Mary left her University to take a top-secret position working on ammunition for World War II. Afterward heading to work for North America Aviation’s Rocketdyne Division. Here she was the only female working on rocket propellants and the only one without a degree.

In 1957, Mary was contracted as a Technical Lead to work on designing better rocket fuel for the Jupiter missile project. Her chemist background thrived and her great invention idea for Hydyne was born. Successfully launching the Jupiter rocket as it positioned Explorer 1 into orbit. America’s first satellite in space.

These spectacular and courageous women had what it takes to make it in a world once dominated by men. A true inspiration to inventors of today, looking to change the world.

If you have a great new invention and you’d like to learn more about this process, get in touch with MAKO today, and we can set you up on a call with our product strategist.  

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!