Debbi Fields
Ruth Handler
When Ruth, a former stenographer who co-founded a plastics company called Mattel with her husband, noticed her young daughter Barbara was growing out of her toys, she got the idea to create a plastic doll with an adult body. Her husband thought it wouldn’t sell, but Ruth pressed on and eventually got him to create a prototype for the New York Toy Fair in 1959. That doll, of course, was Barbie, and she would rocket the Handler family to multi-millionaire status.
Marion Donovan
As a young woman growing up in the 1910s, Marion Donovan spent a lot of time watching her father work in an Indiana manufacturing plant. Years later, as a stay-at-home mom in Connecticut, she used those skills to invent something that would change motherhood forever. Frustrated with the constant grind of changing damp cloth diapers, Donovan took an old shower curtain and fashioned it into the world’s first waterproof diaper cover. It was an immediate hit when it debuted in stores in 1949, and she sold the patent in 1951 for $1 million. Donovan is largely thought to have come up with the idea for a disposable diaper, but when she brought it to manufacturers she was laughed off the premises. It wasn't until nearly a decade later that Victor Mills, creator of Pampers®, would invent the first one.
Image via Get Glue
Betsy Kaufman
When Betsy Kaufman—a Houston, Texas wife and mother—got frustrated by screwing up her hard-boiled eggs when she peeled them, the idea for Eggies—plastic shells to boil eggs in—was born. She took the idea to Edison Nation, a company that manufactures infomercial products, and they were an instant success, selling more than 5 million units at $10 a pop.
Photo via Edison Nation
Sarah Breedlove
Often considered America’s first self-made woman millionaire, Sarah Breedlove—known to the public as Madam C.J. Walker—captured a market brilliantly with her scalp and hair care products for black women. Breedlove was concerned with hair loss and researched a number of popular folk remedies before developing a shampoo made with sulfur that would improve scalp health. The product was a huge success, and Walker built a factory in Indianapolis, where she donated a large sum of money to help build the city's YMCA in 1913.
Photo via Wiki Commons
Rosie Herman
Housework can be brutal on the hands, so it’s not surprising that a stay-at-home mom would want to invent something to help out. Rosie Herman had a career as a manicurist before she met her husband Neil and gave birth to twins. Although staying at home with her new girls was fulfilling, Rosie wanted to contribute to the family financially. She did so by inventing the One Minute Manicure, a hand repair treatment that started with 10 jars to give to friends and family and grew into a multi-million dollar business.
Photo via Entertainment Mood
MORE: Famous Mom Inventors
Julie Aigner-Clark
Stay-at-home mom and former teacher Julie Aigner-Clark was frustrated that she couldn't find a video on the market that introduced kids to arts and music. So she went down to her basement one day in 1996 and shot one herself. That humble video became Baby Einstein, which quickly became a cult hit. It spawned many sequels, and Disney bought the company from Aigner-Clark in 2001. Despite a controversial study that called into question the video's effect on child development (and a Disney recall of the videos sold between 2004 to 2009), they are still a favorite among kids and parents.
