“People think inventors are men with wild hair like that Back to the Future guy,” says Karen. “It’s always an image of a man—that drives me crazy.” In reality, female inventors are storming the marketplace. Karen Nadler-Sachs, Sterling  Nelson and Shanta Smith all belong to the Inventors Association of Georgia, where they have met other creators and learned about patents and prototypes. Karen, a 41-year-old Dunwoody attorney, has been inventing things since childhood. Her adjustable chair cover (featured above) will soon hit the market. “I have a theory that inventors like us have ADD,” says Sterling, a 58-year-old from Alpharetta. “And that aids us in putting together things that a normal person wouldn’t notice.” There definitely seems to be a common personality type—high energy, intelligent, with a lot of conviction. “If I was normal, I would be happy in a nine-to-five job,” says Shanta, who, at 25, has patented the Aqua Carrier, which transports fish during moves. “For me, it’s a vision I want to see made real.” A sentiment they all three nod to in agreement.