How do you judge innovation?

How do you judge innovation from your perspective as an entrepreneur? Is it when you see something being created which is genuinely novel and unique? Is it when you experience a genuine ‘wow factor’ at the sight of a new product or experience a very different kind of service? Often, something that appears innovative in one country or region may in fact be commonplace in another. That innovation may have been inspired by a traditional way of performing a task, but completely reinvented using new materials or technologies to create something that feels uniquely different. What I love about our Lionesses of Africa is that every day we share the stories of women entrepreneurs who are genuinely pushing boundaries with their innovations. Today’s Image of the Day story is one such example, featuring the work of two pioneering and innovating women entrepreneurs from South Africa. Natalie and Kim Ellis, founders of The Joinery, have been making waves and exciting consumers with their Future Felt™ textiles made from recycled plastic bottles. Not only are they contributing an eco-manufacturing solution to a major plastic waste problem, but they are also creating desperately needed jobs for women in their communities. Now that’s how to judge innovation in terms of impact!

Have yourself an inspired entrepreneurial day! — Melanie