Lean and continuous improvement practices help people and organizations make improvement happen, so in honor of International Women's Day, we wanted to highlight some women who have made a difference (and, in most cases, still are making a huge difference).

In no particular order, the women in continuous improvement you should know are:

1. Lillian Gilbreth
2. Joan Wellman
3. Tracey Richardson
4. Natalie Sayer
5. Cindy Jimmerson
6. Helen Zak
7. Mary Poppendieck
8. Kim Barnas
9. Karen Martin
10. Margarette Purvis
11. Clare Crawford-Mason
12. Gwendolyn Galsworth