Women Inventors

Famous Women Inventors – Profiles a few of the individuals who have contributed to the rich legacy of women inventors over the last two centuries.

Lemelson Center: Exploring the History of Women Inventors – Provides an overview of the crucial role played by women in the history of inventing. A PDF companion guide is also available for download.

Forum for Women Entrepreneurs – Founded in 1993, the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs (FWE) is the premier entrepreneurial service organization for women who are involved in high-growth technology and life

General Invention History and Trivia

The Franklin Institute Online – A multi-faceted site with information about, and of interest to, inventors.

3M’s “A Century of Innovation” – An interactive timeline of the inventions and new products that 3M Corporation has brought to the market.

The Tech Museum of Innovation – According to the Web site, “The Tech is a cosmopolitan museum singularly focused on technology—how it works and the way that it is changing every aspect of the way we work, live, play and learn. Its people-and-technology focus and the integration of advanced technologies into visitor experiences and infrastructure distinguishes it from other science centers.”

How Stuff Works – Site dedicated to explaining how things operate.

The Rothschild Petersen Patent Model Museum Online – Online collection of patent models and their history.

Inventor Resources

InventHelp, “The Invent Help People” – InventHelp is America’s leading inventor service company, with offices in over 60 cities in the U.S., Canada, South Africa, Australia, Korea and the United Kingdom. The company helps inventors attempt to submit their ideas to industry and obtain patent services. Read more about InventHelp.

Free Patents Online – Offers fast, easy-to-use access to millions of patents. Images are accessible from the full-text page of each patent, in either PDF or TIFF format.

U.S. Small Business Administration – Government program provides assistance to small business owners in areas such as small business start-up, management and growth. Web site includes directions for contacting over 1100 local Small Business Development Centers (SBDC's) across the United States.

The Partnership for America’s Future – Specializing in educational inventions, this organization has helped more than 75 students and teachers turn their ideas into products that are now on the marketplace. The Partnership also created the National Gallery for America’s Young Inventors, which honors up to six young innovators from across the country each year.

The Academy for the Advancement of Science and Technology – This site by the Bergen County Technical Schools in Hackensack, NJ, provides an outline of the design process.

Is There a Roadmap for Inventors? – This article gives advice for novice inventors and entrepreneurs. Learn the important facts you need to know about inventing.

Invention Trade Shows

INPEX® – The Invention/New Product Exposition – INPEX® is America’s largest invention trade show, showcasing numerous inventions, new products and innovations available to business and industry. The four-day event features the INPEX® Inventors University™ and Inventors Resource Center.

The Australian Innovation Festival – The Australian Innovation Festival celebrates the development and implementation of new ideas and applauds better ways for operating across all industries.

Brussels Eureka! – Held each year in Brussels, Belgium, The World Exhibition of Innovation, Research and New Technology is a forum for research specialists, inventors and innovative associations, as well as official patent and trademark registration personnel.

IENA (“Ideas, Inventions, New Products Exposition”) – Held annually in Nuremberg, Germany, past shows have included 450 exhibitors from 23 countries.

Inventor Awards and Competitions

By Kids For Kids™ Xerox® National Invention Competition – An invention competition just for kids. Invention categories include: Toy, Games, or Sporting Goods.

The Lemelson-MIT Awards for Invention and Innovation – The $500,000 prize from this award is the single largest award for inventors. “The Lemelson-MIT awards program honors both established and rising inventors, for their ingenuity, creativity and contribution to American invention. The awards are part of a comprehensive program that recognizes the profound impact that individual ingenuity can have on all of society."

The Collegiate Inventors Competition – This international competition for college students encourages creative thinking and problem solving skills.

The Craftsman/NSTA Young Inventors Awards Program – This competition challenges students to use creativity and imagination – along with scientific and technological acumen – to invent or modify a tool.

Hammacher-Schlemmer Search for Invention® – To promote innovation, Hammacher-Schlemmer holds what they describe as a “no-fee contest open to all inventors of patented consumer products that have not reached the marketplace."