10 Female Role Models in the Field of 3D Printing

The technology field is still dominated by men. That is why we think it is important to stress the great distribution of women in technology and support their work. Today we will take a look at 3D printing and present to you a (non-exhaustive) list of 10 inspiring women from different sections – from fashion over architecture to medicine.

Iris van Herpen

Iris van Herpen discovered the potential of 3D printing for the fashion industry at an early stage. She was the first designer ever who presented a 3D fashion piece on a runway in 2010. The TIME Magazine names her dress one of the 50 Best Innovations in 2011. The Dutch designer is still creating extraordinary pieces with the help of 3D printing and inspires many other designers with her work.

Neri Oxman

Architecture, ecology and 3D printing – Neri Oxman combines all three fields in her work. The Israeli designer and professor at the MIT Media Lab sees huge potential for 3D printing in architecture. She even predicts a fourth Industrial Revolution which will focus on humanity and the environment thanks to this technology. Besides architecture, Oxman is also working on more fashion-related projects. In 2013, her 3D printed dress Anthozoa was shown at the Paris Fashion Week – a collaboration with fashion designer Iris van Herpen.

Heather Goodrum

What does a biomedical 3D technician do? No one could tell that Heather Goodrum in detail since she was the first one in the UK in such a position. She works at the Morriston Hospital in Swansea, Wales and designs among other things 3D printed surgical models, implants and cutting guides. But not only her job is unusual, also her way to get there is: Goodrun studied Theatre Design and focused especially on 3D design during her studies. She changed her studies to Facial Forensic Art, which then led to her position as a biomedical 3D technician.

Gina Häußge

In 2012, Gina Häußge created OctoPrint, a 3D printer host web interface, which allows users to control and monitor 3D printers remotely. Since it is developed as a free and open source tool, it is available for everyone to realize their 3D printing projects.

Liza Wallach Kloski

3D printing is a buzzword in many companies nowadays. But not every company is an expert in this field. That is where Liza Wallach Kloski jumps in. Together with her husband Nik, Liza founded the online platform HoneyPoint3D. It is a web-based business which focuses on classes and workshops getting ready for 3D printing. Before, Kloski had run her own jewellery company.

Vaiva Kalnikaité

3D printing edibles out of liquid flavor drops? Vaiva Kalnikaitė and her team from the UK design studio Dovetailed made it possible. Amongst the Nufood 3D food printer, Kalnikaitė also invented a 3D printed milk carton equipped with a camera, which enables you to show your neighbours your fridge in order to share food and reduce waste.

Grace Choi

Grace Choi brings the idea of DIY make up to a whole new level by inventing the world’s first makeup 3D printer called Mink. With the help of a desktop computer, this device is capable of 3D printing customisable lipsticks or eye shadows on demand.

Cherie Stamm

Cherie Stamm brings technical expertise and ethics in her co-founded 3D software development company Uformia together. Along with her team, Stamm developed a volumetric 3D modeling software, which prioritises parametric 3D fabrications instead of only visualizing them. Furthermore, the company focuses on community development and open source innovation.

Bathsheba Grossman

Bathsheba Grossman is an artist from California who creates sculptures and jewellery by 3D printed steel. She gets her inspiration most of the time from mathematical patterns. That is why her work often visualizes mathematical oddities. Grossman’s sculptures and jewellery have been featured in many art galleries and media like the New York Times or television series like Heroes.

Louise Driggers

Who owns the intellectual property when it comes to 3D models? Louise Driggers protested against an eBay store that was selling people’s free designs, including her own, as 3D printed models. Driggers and other artists got right and all open-source models were removed. This scandal made Driggers popular in the scene and was an important milestone in the discussion about intellectual property rights.

This list could go on and on since there are many inspiring women in the field of 3D printing out there. Do you have any female role models in the 3D printing scene? Who is missing in the list? We are looking forward to your suggestions.