1942 - 2019
Welcome to our Game Changers.
The world moves forward because of game changers, those who see possibilities where others see limits. Across every industry, innovative organizations are transforming the way we live.
The Eye Doctor Whose Vision Changed the World
Long before cataract surgeries could restore sight in minutes, Dr. Patricia Bath had a vision (literally), and it would change the way the world sees. She was imagining a better future for eye care…
And she brought that vision to life.
Born in Harlem, New York, in 1942, Patricia Bath grew up in a home that prized education and curiosity. Her father, an immigrant from Trinidad and the first Black motorman for the New York City subway, inspired her to aim high. Her mother, a homemaker and domestic worker, bought her a chemistry set, supporting her interest in science.
Bath earned her medical degree from Howard University in 1968 and completed her ophthalmology residency at New York University in 1973, becoming the first African American to do so.
During her early career, she noticed a troubling pattern: blindness rates were dramatically higher in under-resourced communities like Harlem compared to wealthier areas. This observation inspired her lifelong mission to fight preventable blindness and expand access to eye care.
In 1976, Bath co-founded the American Institute for the Prevention of Blindness, declaring that “eyesight is a basic human right.” She later joined the faculty at UCLA, becoming the first female faculty member at the Jules Stein Eye Institute, breaking barriers in both medicine and academia.
Her game-changing moment came in the 1980s, when she invented the Laserphaco Probe, a device that used lasers to remove cataracts with greater safety and accuracy than traditional methods.
Patented in 1988, the invention restored sight to people who had been blind for years and has been used in countless surgeries worldwide. With that patent, Bath became the first African American female doctor to receive a medical patent, securing her place in medical history.
Dr. Patricia Bath passed away in 2019, but her legacy lives on every time someone opens their eyes to a world they thought they’d never see again.
At Wellspring, we empower breakthroughs. Our solutions give innovators the tools, insights, and confidence to turn bold ideas into game-changing realities. Every great innovation begins with a decision to change the game. Will you be next?
