Ada Lovelace is important to know about because she wrote the first algorithm and computer code. Creating a program that computed Bernoulli numbers was also Ada’s idea. She was inspired by punch card weavers that were used to mechanize the weaving process. Ada also wrote about the details of programming the Analytical Engine. She was extremely in depth, writing about what was possible to compute and what was impractical. Ada was extremely ahead of her time, having ideas about the potential of computers long before computers existed.

Lillian Gilbreth and her husband, Frank Gilbreth, used film to help workers interact with machines. After Frank died, Lilian continued her work and helped make kitchens more user friendly and accessible for women. Her work revolved around helping people and human psychology. Lilian was the first woman in the Society of Industrial Engineers, in the National Academy of Engineering, and the first woman to win the Hoover Medal. She is important to know about because of her improvements to the world, as well as her accomplishments as a woman in a field dominated by men.