Please use your device in portrait mode
By Janet Rita Bashen (née Emerson)
Born into a working-class family, Janet Bashen grew up between Ohio and Alabama. After studying legal studies, she worked in the insurance industry, where she noted the difficulties in managing Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) claims. In 1994, with a $5,000 loan from her mother and only her kitchen table as a desk, she launched her business to provide impartial, third-party investigation services for workplace discrimination.
Bashen's major invention is LinkLine, a web-based software application designed to automate the intake, tracking, and management of EEO claims. U.S. Patent #6,985,922, issued on January 10, 2006, protects a "Method, Apparatus and System for Processing Compliance Actions over a Wide Area Network." The software secures document storage, generates complex reports, and facilitates investigations related to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.
Janet Bashen's impact is significant: her software has allowed industrial giants such as General Motors and Goodyear to handle discrimination cases more transparently and efficiently, often avoiding costly lawsuits. Bashen also influenced U.S. legislation by testifying before Congress in 2000, helping to change laws regarding third-party discrimination investigations.
Janet Bashen has received numerous awards, including the Houston Chamber of Commerce Pinnacle Award and the Crystal Award. In 2002, her company was named one of America's fastest-growing private companies by Inc. Magazine, showing a record 552% increase in sales. She is currently a member of the Black Inventor’s Hall of Fame.
