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Women
of Color as Inventors, Innovators,
Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders
Product Inventions Can Start Your Business
Parents have a unique chance to create product ideas every day. The little minds of children are imaginative, creative and wide open to the possibilities of what could be. Parents only have to listen and take action. Sometimes a great product idea comes from parenthood itself. Products can always be better and more convenient.
Here are three parents who took action on the opportunity to create a product that's in demand. Parents have a unique chance to create product ideas every day. The little minds of children are imaginative, creative and wide open to the possibilities of what could be.
1. Julia Beck Bromberg discovered a problem when she was eight and a half months pregnant. While taking a childbirth education class she was being instructed to find different things to help her through the labor. "I kept thinking, this is a joke...they expect me, at 8 1/2 months pregnant to run around town finding this stuff," she recalls. Julia thought it would so much more convenient to have all of these things in one place, and to have the products focused on the mother and her experience. She took action by going to her OB with the idea, and they partnered up to begin Forty Weeks. Forty Weeks sells two great product kits, one for labor and one for mothers. Celebrities including Kelly Preston, Melina Kanaredes, Marlee Matlin, Calista Flockhart and more have even used Forty Weeks. In addition, Cindy Crawford named it as one of her favorite baby shower gifts!
2. Robert Klick was bouncing his two year old daughter on his knee when he thought, wouldn't it be great if there was an actual pony for her to ride on? That's when the idea for the Po-Knee began. The Po-Knee is a stuffed pony that straps onto your leg so your little ones can ride a pony when you're bouncing them. Robert Klick decided to enter Oprah Winfrey's "Million Dollar Idea Challenge". Hundreds of inventors across the country entered Oprah's contest judged by QVC President of U.S. Commerce Darlene Daggett and QVC Program Host Jayne Brown. Seven finalists appeared on the Oprah show to, well, show off their products. The studio audience voted on the best invention-the Po-Knee! The Po-Knee is now sold at their website and through QVC.
3. Beth Butler left her eight-month-old daughter home to be cared for by a Hispanic woman while she went to work. Within six months, she discovered that her daughter could clearly understand both spoken English and Spanish. Beth's fluent in Spanish, but it never occurred that her daughter would be able to learn so quickly. Boca Beth was born with videos, flash cards, puppets and magnetic wall cards to help little ones learn Spanish, or English. Boca Beth also sells a bilingual CD to make learning even more fun!
These parents aren't much different than any other. The only thing that separates them from others is that they recognized a great product opportunity and took action. Now they have successful businesses, all from one idea that molded the great products they sell today.
Helpful Links:
Forty Weeks -- http://www.fortyweeks.com/
The Po-Knee -- http://www.poknee.com/
Boca Beth -- http://bocabeth.com/categories.asp
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