We are under the strong belief that with all the multitasking that moms do; mothers make the best inventors. While constantly on the go, they hardly have any time to put their ideas to action. In fact, we recently took a survey of moms in the Seattle area and only 1% were able to get their ideas in motion. With all the important daily things moms (and dads) need to to to improve the lives of their children, of course they are going to come up with some genius ideas! Here are three unique, life-changing inventions that were started by, you guessed it, moms!
Almost literally, the mother of all inventions, Joy Mangano (mother of three) holds over 100 patents for her wide range of products.One of our favorites is the My Little Steamer, a handheld clothing steamer loved by millions. A few of her other products, like the Huggable Hangers, were also endorsed by Oprah Winfrey. She’s since had partnerships with QVC, HSN, Stride Rite and tennis superstar Serena Williams. The movie, Joy (starring Jennifer Lawrence), was loosely based on her early life as she invented her first product in 1990, the Miracle Mop.
2. Airborne
Getting sick, or having sick children, is a parent's worst nightmare. This is especially difficult when you are a teacher and surrounded by children all day. That’s why Victoria Knight-McDowell started experimenting with various herbal concoctions until she created Airborne to help keep her healthy while in the midst of sick children all day. Knight-McDowell still teaches, but we’re sure she no longer worries about taking a sick day and now we have the benefit of an extra immune boost when at home or traveling.
One of the most beloved children’s developmental programs was invented by a frustrated mom. When former art teacher Julie Aigner Clark decided to be a stay-at-home mom, she knew she had to do something to help her growing family, financially. Clark took a home video camera and filmed her first Baby Einstein video, then shopped it around until a baby retailer decided to try it out. She wanted children to be exposed to the arts, without needing them to visit museums and experience other cultures without having to leave home. The videos quickly took off and became the baby phenomenon we know today.
4. Spanx
Every woman who has ever worn a dress knows the name Spanx. They are everywhere and are a term used more and more in reference to undergarments. When Sara Blakely was 27, she decided to put her undergarment/hosiery hybrid idea into action and filed a patent for the product. She then sent a pair to Oprah Winfrey, who loved the product so much she named it one of her “Favorite Things”. Blakely, who is a mother of four, is now listed as 93rd on Forbes list of Most Powerful Women.
5. Liquid Paper
Bette Nesmith Graham was a single mom working as a secretary in the 1950’s when she found correcting mistakes on an electric typewriter to be difficult. Using the same concept that artists use, she simply used paint to cover her mistakes. Using a tempera paint/water mix, she secretly used the mixture for five years, which she called Mistake Out, while working on perfecting it with the help of her son’s Chemistry teacher. She sold the company to Gillette in 1979 for $47.5 million, which at that time had grown to 200 employees and sales of 25 million bottles per year. Today, who hasn’t used liquid paper to cover up their mistakes?
We are seeing a growing number of women entrepreneurs and we can’t wait to see what they create! Mothers tend create from necessity, so it’s not hard to see why and how these genius inventions came to fruition. Have we left off a genius invention from this list? Do you have an amazing invention or idea that you need to get off the ground? Let us know your next great idea at www.minayoo.com/invent.