Joy Mangano

Joy Mangano is an American inventor and entrepreneur known for transforming household product innovation and consumer goods marketing. Mangano developed her first invention, the Miracle Mop, a self-wringing plastic mop with a continuous loop cotton head designed to be wrung out without getting hands wet. As a divorced mother of three and a booking clerk at Eastern Airlines, Mangano invested her own savings to bring the product to market. After initial sales at trade shows and local stores on Long Island, she secured a consignment deal with QVC. When given the opportunity to sell the Miracle Mop on-air, Mangano sold 18,000 units in less than 30 minutes, marking a pivotal moment in her career.

Following the success of the Miracle Mop, Mangano expanded her portfolio with innovative consumer products. She invented Huggable Hangers, velvet no-slip hangers designed to maximize closet space, which became the best-selling product in Home Shopping Network history with more than 300 million units sold. Mangano also created Forever Fragrant, a line of home odor neutralizers, and set an HSN record by selling over 180,000 units in a single day. Holding more than 100 patents, Mangano is recognized as HSN's top seller, with annual sales exceeding $150 million and total sales surpassing $3 billion.

Mangano's life and career inspired the film "Joy," directed by David O. Russell, with Jennifer Lawrence portraying a character based on Mangano. Lawrence received a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical and an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for her performance. A stage musical titled "Joy" also premiered, drawing from Mangano's story. Mangano has appeared on television programs such as ABC's "The View" and served as a judge on the reality show "Made in the USA."

Mangano continues to contribute to the fields of entrepreneurship and product development. She created "America's Big Deal," a reality competition series on USA Network that offers inventors and small business owners the opportunity to pitch products live and secure retail partnerships with major retailers including QVC, HSN, Macy's, and Lowe's. Mangano is the founder and CEO of Clean Boss, a company specializing in cleaning products. She authored the autobiography "Inventing Joy," sharing insights into her business journey. Mangano has been recognized as Long Island Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young, included in Fast Company's lists of The 100 Most Creative People in Business and The 10 Most Creative Women in Business, and named to Forbes 50 Over 50 list in the Lifestyle category. Her career demonstrates the impact of innovation in consumer products and entrepreneurship.