How would the history of coffee brewing have unfolded if little Willy hadn’t had a sheet of blotting paper in his exercise book? Nobody knows. Fortunately, Melitta Bentz’s son had one that she was able to borrow.

As a housewife in Dresden, Germany, in the early 20th century, she loved good coffee – but not the gritty coffee grounds in her cup and the bitter taste they left. So she punched some holes in a brass pot, placed the blotting paper inside, and invented the world’s first paper-based coffee filter.

Soon after, she was one of the first women to have her invention patented. And Willy’s blotting paper ultimately spawned an international group of companies with around 5,500 employees and annual sales of over two billion euros.

Melitta Bentz not only had a passion for coffee, but also for solutions that were as clever as they were simple. Her hands-on approach to improving life displayed pragmatism, creativity, and entrepreneurial vision.