Find inspiration from innovative women
Browse Journeys of Innovation articles featuring inspiring female innovators
The USPTO seeks to inspire and encourage diversity and innovation by highlighting women innovators and chronicling their stories. Find inspiration from the journeys of these inventors and entrepreneurs—where they got their start, the challenges they faced, and what it took to bring their ideas to fruition and their brands that impact society to life. These stories also emphasize the importance of creating and protecting intellectual property, and the critical role it plays in innovation.
Browse all stories below, or search for a name or story title.

Phoebe Cade Miles and her Cade Museum staff leverage Gatorade’s legacy so ‘inventivity’ opportunities flow for all Americans Full Story >

A struggle for reliable and low-cost energy in Puerto Rico Full Story >

How one woman's perseverance transformed office supplies of the 20th century and propelled her into the business elite Full Story >

How Pleasant Rowland’s American Girl® helped tweens find their place in history Full Story >

How the Frankfurt sisters used fashion to empower women in the workplace Full Story >

How Tanya Bryant started a family business after retirement Full Story >

Mentors and her first patent helped Tara, a member of the Choctaw Nation, realize her potential in STEM. Full Story >

A chemical engineer and entrepreneur uses artificial intelligence to help others develop greener chemicals Full Story >

Una ingeniera química y emprendedora utiliza la inteligencia artificial para ayudar a otros a desarrollar productos químicos más ecológicos Full Story >

Natalia Bilenko’s work invites non-scientists to participate in the future direction of AI. Full Story >

How Patricia Bath, physician and inventor, made it from Harlem to the Hall of Fame Full Story >

How Beulah Louise Henry became one of the most prolific and beloved inventors of the 20th century. Full Story >

16-year old Gitanjali Rao is on a mission to create global change by building a community of young innovators. Full Story >

How Debbie Sterling challenged the status quo in the toy industry and made STEM more accessible for girls. Full Story >

Audrey Sherman, a leading inventor of adhesives at 3M, shows what’s possible through persistence and collaboration. Full Story >

Kavita Shukla has made it her mission to eliminate food waste. Full Story >

Maude Adams, the most successful American actress of the early 20th century, invented a light bulb that helped actors everywhere shine as they never had before. Full Story >

Juliette Gordon Low, founder of the Girls Scouts of the USA, created a lasting organization for women’s empowerment. Full Story >

Words of wisdom from a woman in STEM on how to encourage young innovators. Full Story >

Marissa Streng, inventor of the Puff-N-Fluff dog dryer, shares her experiences as a young innovator and entrepreneur. Full Story >

Marian Croak is a pioneer in Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and the inventor of text-to-donate technology. Full Story >

Inventor and entrepreneur Sangeeta Bhatia combines engineering, medicine, and biology to study, diagnose, and treat disease. Full Story >

Designed to decrease discomfort for female runners, the sports bra has become an athletic necessity as well as a modern fashion staple. Full Story >

How inventor and entrepreneur Martine Rothblatt learned to push past the idea of the impossible. Full Story >

NASA environmental engineer Jackie Quinn and her team created an emulsion system that removes contaminants from our groundwater. Full Story >

How an IBM Master Inventor found her special gift in the world. Full Story >

How Josephine Cochrane defied social norms and invented the modern dishwasher. Full Story >

A trip to the farm changed Temple Grandin's life forever. Full Story >

Insights from the first American woman to win the Nobel prize in chemistry. Full Story >

Two trailblazing innovators share insights on science, life in the lab, and beyond. Full Story >

How one woman’s fortitude shaped agriculture and brought water to the American West. Full Story >