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Name: _____________________________________________________________________________ Who Am I? Read the profiles, then select from the names below to match the entrepreneur to their venture. Identify the innovator trait that best applies to them. 1. In 1965, I was a chemist at the DuPont company in Wilmington, Delaware when I invented a lightweight fiber that is stronger-than-steel. At first, my bosses threw out the chemical solution because they didn’t recognize its potential value. I kept after them, pleading with them to not drop the experiment. Eventually, I convinced them to let me continue working on it. Today my invention, Kevlar , is used in all sorts of applications from ping-pong paddles to body armor. Who am I? _ _____________________________________________________________________ What’s my innovator trait? __________________________________________________________ 2. I was working as a door-to-door fax salesperson in Florida. It was hot, so I preferred to wear open-toed shoes. While I admired the slimming effects of pantyhose, I disliked the way it looked with my shoes. I wanted a product with the same slimming effects, minus the foot section. I knew that plenty of other woman had the same needs, and that there was a big market for a footless, slimming undergarment. Today my company, Spanx , is worth $1,000,000,000. Who am I? _ _____________________________________________________________________ What’s my innovator trait? __________________________________________________________ 3. I was born in 1867. I am a daughter of former slaves. I was orphaned at age six and worked for many years as a laundress. Around 1900, I started a beauty products company catering to African-Americans. I took a big risk! In those days, it was unbelievable that any woman, let alone an African-American woman, could run a business or create a successful product. But I believed in my product and had a lot of confidence in my abilities. At its height, my company employed over 3,000 people! Who am I? _ _____________________________________________________________________ What’s my innovator trait? __________________________________________________________ 4. I have described myself as a workaholic, but what I do doesn’t really seem like work to me because of my great love of innovation. Seeing my dreams become reality energizes me. My list of innovations is lengthy: Pay Pal, Tesla, SpaceX , and Solar City are just a few of my companies. Currently, I am working on Powerball, a rooftop solar and lithium-ion battery that will revolutionize energy use and Hyperloop, a pressurized tube that would transport freight and passengers at speeds of 750 mph. Who am I? _ _____________________________________________________________________ What’s my innovator trait? __________________________________________________________ Stefanie Kwolak Sara Blakely Madam CJ Walker Elon Musk persistence knowledge of market acceptance of uncertainty/belief in self passion PRODUCT PREVIEW
179 THE 21st CENTURY STUDENT’S GUIDE TO FINANCIAL LITERACY
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