Before there were startups, there were women inventors.

It’s 2026.

Yet some people still act as if a woman’s place is in the kitchen.

I agree.

But the kitchen I’m thinking of is a gleaming commercial test kitchen inside the thriving bakery company she built, runs, and owns.

We work with many women small-business owners, and we’ve talked about doing a series on women entrepreneurs. The timing felt right after I read a recent article in the Wall Street Journal about women inventors  and the barriers they faced, including being denied patents or recognition.

I’d be surprised if most people have heard of them. And that’s unfortunate.

Because for centuries, women have been identifying problems, creating solutions, and improving everyday life.

Consider just two examples:

Margaret E. Knight received a patent in 1871 for the flat-bottom paper bag—the design still used for groceries today. She went on to co-found a paper company and earned more than 25 patents in her lifetime.

Alice Parker patented a central heating furnace in 1919 that used natural gas, a major improvement over coal and wood heating systems.

Those are only two of many overlooked pioneers. Read the Journal article via the link above.

What Women Entrepreneurs and Inventors Have in Common

They are problem solvers.

They notice inefficiencies. They challenge outdated systems. They create practical answers that make life easier, faster, better, or more profitable.

Six Reasons Women Often Excel as Entrepreneurs

1. Problem-First Thinking They recognize real-world frustrations and look for workable solutions.
2. Resourcefulness Because access to capital has often been limited, many women learn to build using smart, lean, and creative strategies.
3. Tenacity Under Constraints Historically, women have had to fight harder for patents, funding, and recognition. That persistence becomes a business advantage.
4. Practical Innovation Many breakthrough ideas focus on improving daily life, customer experience, or operational efficiency.
5. Customer Empathy Women understand the needs of others and build products or services people actually want.
6. Adaptability Many successful women move fluidly from creator to owner to operator to leader.

We see these traits every day in the women we work with, network with, and serve as clients.

So if you’re a woman whose business isn’t scaling as quickly as you’d like… if your industry is shifting… or if AI is changing work you once relied on…

Read that list again.

Those strengths are already yours.

You’ve got this!

And you know we’re always here to help you in any way that we can.

Reach out to us here.