12 Days of Renzoe: Inventors and Gift Guide
As we reflect on 2017, we're looking back at women who came before us and paved the way in innovation and curiosity.We are completely in awe of the women we featured in our 12 Days of Renzoe Series. We highlighted 12 phenomenal female inventors who not only made cool things, but lived fabulously (and sometimes scandalously!). Learn more about each incredible woman below, and take a look at our modern day gift picks. All of our gift picks are hand-selected from women-made or women-owned companies that are creating groundbreaking and high quality products.

Inventors and Gift Guide | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Inventor | Invention | Invention Date | Gift Pick | Founder |
Caresse Crosby![]() |
Brassiere | 1914 | Everyday Bustier by Evelyn and Bobbie | Bree McKeen |
Deepika Kurup![]() |
Solar Powered Water Purification System | 2012 | Smart Solar Garden Gem by LumainAID | Anna Stork Andrea Sreshta |
Mary Kenner![]() |
Sanitary Belt | 1956 | Thong by THINX | Radha Agrawal Antonia Dunbar Miki Agrawal |
Stephanie Kwolek![]() |
Kevlar | 1972 | 7/8 Tri-Tone Leggings by Outdoor Voices | Tyler Haney |
Margaret Knight![]() |
Paper Bag Folding Machine | 1879 | The Maestra Bag by Senreve | Coral Chung Wendy Wen |
Lisa Seacat DeLuca![]() |
Rendering of Real World Objects into a Virtual Universe | 2007 | Eye Tracking Virtual Reality Headset by Fove | Yuka Kojima Lochlainn Wilson |
Marie Van Britton Brown![]() |
Home Security System | 1966 | Personal Safety App by BSafe | Silje Vallestad |
Josephine Cochrane![]() |
Dishwasher | 1914 | Precision Cooker by Anova | Stephen Svajian Jeff Wu Natalie Vaughn |
Melitta Bentz![]() |
Coffee Filter | 1989 | Holiday Gift Tea Cocktail Set | Jennie Ripps Maria Littlefield |
René Graham |
Renzoe Box | 2016 | Renzoe Box Starter Kit | René Graham |
Patsy Sherman![]() |
Scotchgard | 1971 | Clothing Rental Service by Rent the Runway | Jennifer Hyman Jennifer Fleiss |
Hedy Lamarr![]() |
Wartime Secret Communication System Technology that led to WIFI and Bluetooth | 1941 | Carry-On Suitcase by Away | Jen Rubio Stephanie Korey |