From Fire Escapes to Kevlar: Celebrating Female Innovators on Ada Lovelace Day

Should you have the opportunity to visit the Progress global headquarters in Burlington, MA, we would treat you to a tour of our space. You’d likely notice the giant (operational) garage doors in our largest conference room, the Lego® wall and Red Sox fan memorabilia, including a set of chairs from Fenway Park.

But one of the coolest features of our space is much more subtle. If you were to look closely, you’d notice that each of our conference rooms is named after notable women in STEM history.

One such room, Lovelace, is named after Ada Lovelace, who is considered the very first computer programmer.

As we celebrate Ada Lovelace Day in her honor, here are a few other female inventors in STEM worth celebrating as well.

Norah Magero – VacciBox

As an advocate and activist who is passionate about energy access in Africa, particularly rural and off-the-grid locations, Norah Magero has been received recognition for her work in the energy sector, diversity and inclusion and entrepreneurship. In 2020, her creation, the VacciBox, was used to store and transport urgently required vaccines to rural locations throughout Kenya. Not only did her invention save countless lives, it also enabled Norah to become the first Kenyan and the second woman to win the Africa Prize by the Royal Academy of Engineers.

Hedy Lamarr – Frequency hopping technology

Austrian actress-come-inventor Hedy Lamarr has been called “the mother of Wi-Fi” for her development of the technology that led to the invention of GPS, Bluetooth and, yes, Wi-Fi. Originally created to secure the guidance system for radio-controlled torpedoes from enemy interference in World War II, Hedy’s frequency hopping signal was adopted by the U.S. Navy and became the basis for Bluetooth and GPS technology.

Stephanie Kwolek - Kevlar

Stephanie Kwolek is best known as the inventor of the technology behind Kevlar fiber, a highly durable material that is used in protective vests worn by law enforcement officials.

After graduating from Margaret Morrison Carnegie College of Carnegie Mellon University in the U.S., Kwolek began working as a chemist at American chemical company DuPont. During her time there, she developed a solvent that could be spun into incredibly strong, stiff fibers. These fibers are used in undersea optical-fiber cable, suspension bridges and in the lifesaving body armor known as Kevlar.

Maria Telkes – Solar-powered heating system

Sometimes called the “Sun Queen,” Hungarian inventor Maria Telkes is best known for her interest in solar energy. In her role as a research engineer at Westinghouse Electric (an electrical equipment manufacturer in the U.S.), Telkes focused on creating devices that could convert heat into electrical energy. One of her most important inventions – the solar distiller – was used in life rafts during World War II, enabling passengers to convert seawater into drinkable water. In 1948, she and American architect Eleanor Raymond designed and built the first home heated entirely with solar energy. In a similar project in 1980, she also worked with the U.S. Department of Energy to build the world’s first solar-electric home.

Dona Bailey – Centipede video game

While Dona Bailey’s career began in the car industry (programming vehicle displays at General Motors), she’s most well-known for her role in the development of iconic Atari video game Centipede. Core elements of the game, including its spider and mushrooms, came courtesy of Dona’s keen eye, active imagination and strong programming skill. The care with which Dona coded the game gave it the right balance of challenging and entertaining. It’s a fan favorite to this day.

Non-STEM Inventors We Love

Progress was founded by Mary Székely, a pioneer in the STEM field. So, we’re fairly partial to female inventors who have made an impact in our space. But these women made contributions so life-altering that we couldn’t resist making mention of them as well. Try to imagine life without some of the things they invented.

• Elizabeth Magie – Monopoly
• Anna Connelly – Fire escape
• Sarah Breedlove – Hair care products specifically designed for African American hair, effectively launching an entire industry
• Mary Anderson – Windshield wipers
• Margaret Knight – A machine that folded and glued paper to create flat-bottomed bags
• Jeanne Villepreux-Power – The aquarium

Progress is proud to promote diversity in STEM with our Women in STEM Scholarship series. To learn more about how we empower women to enter the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, visit our website.