Sanduk Ruit grew up in a remote Himalayan village in eastern Nepal, where reaching the nearest school meant walking for nearly a week. Getting medical treatment was even more difficult. When he was 17, his older sister died of tuberculosis. It was a devastating loss, especially because the disease could be treated if someone received … Read more
In 1957, Momofuku Ando was 47 years old and facing financial ruin. A credit union he’d been involved with had collapsed, taking nearly everything he’d worked for with it. All he had left was his home in Ikeda, a city near Osaka, Japan. After years of trying to build successful businesses, he was suddenly facing … Read more
When Canadian entrepreneur Jody Steinhauer started volunteering with charitable organizations, she noticed something that bothered her. Shelters and community groups were spending precious donation money buying everyday necessities at retail prices. They needed socks, underwear, soap, blankets, and other basic supplies, but they were often paying far more than businesses would for the same products. … Read more
William Kamkwamba was just 14 years old when his family could no longer afford to send him to school. Malawi was suffering through a devastating famine, his family was struggling to find enough food, and paying school fees had become impossible. Instead of attending classes, William spent his days helping his family and looking for … Read more
In October 1938, Chester Carlson stood in a tiny makeshift laboratory in Queens, New York, staring at a piece of wax paper. Something extraordinary had just happened. He and his assistant had successfully copied an image without using photographic chemicals. It was a rough experiment involving a metal plate, sulfur, electricity, and powder, but Carlson … Read more
Frank Robinson had spent years trying to persuade helicopter manufacturers to build a smaller, less expensive machine. He believed there were customers who wanted to fly helicopters but could not afford the aircraft already available. His employers weren’t convinced. In 1973, he left Hughes Helicopters and started his own company, using his California home as … Read more