“Will the current wave of women COOs in tech give rise to a new, more robust pipeline of female chief-executive candidates, teed up to take top spots of their own? Or does the COO role risk becoming a glass ceiling in itself—a position from which accomplished women leaders stoke the industry’s growth, in a perpetual supporting role, without breaking into the CEO boys’ club?”

What about the women who made working women possible in the first place; women who singlehandedly shattered glass ceilings and advocated for our place and purpose beyond the home? Here's a look at five pioneers we can pay homage to every day of the year, along with insights from the working women they inspire.

Women have always played the most important roles in feeding and nurturing our families, but there have been a few who have played stand-out roles in nourishing our nation. This month is dedicated to celebrating women’s contributions to our society and culture, and with the conversation about food, nutrition, health and sustainability taking center stage, it’s time to pay homage to some of the women who have been a big part of that evolution.

We usually think of science as propelling us forward. Where would we be, after all, without the insights of Newton and Copernicus? Yet for all the progress that science has made in helping us better understand the universe, for much of history it has also held back half of humankind.