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Mother Of Invention
An Elmwood Park mom dreamed of opening a business, but never imagined that something she designed would be the key. Making empanadas for a party sounds like fun—until it’s time to seal them, and then it’s a struggle. Elmwood Park resident Hipatia Lopez, a 45-year-old mother of three, is not the cook in the family; it’s husband Henry who makes empanadas for their many get-togethers. That’s why the tedious task of sealing the treats fell to her. And that’s how she devised a better way: the Empanada Fork, a pastry press that makes fork-like impressions on dough. This award-winning owner of the company H. L. Unico LLC has two design patents for the Empanada Fork and another for Pastry Filling Stampers, which mark what’s inside: beef, pork, cheese or veggie. As an inventor, Lopez encroached upon a male-dominated world, and now she’s on a mission to encourage other gals, particularly Latinas, to do the same. If something’s a hassle in the kitchen, look for Lopez to turn necessity into another invention.
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Did you ever imagine yourself as an inventor and business owner? I did always want to be a business owner of some kind when I graduated William Paterson University in 1999 with an accounting degree. But inventor was not on my list because I didn’t realize I could be. What experience led to the creation of the Empanada Fork? Definitely frustration in the kitchen. I was hosting parties, and empanadas were always on the menu because my husband Henry cooks really well. So, I thought there had to be a way the process of closing them could go faster. We were making 100 [for holidays], and I had a kid on each side of the table with a fork trying to close them. Normally you use a regular fork and when you do, depending on the size of the pastry, it takes a good 10 stamps. It’s time-consuming, and your thumbs hurt from pressing down so much. What did you decide to do? I couldn’t get the idea out of my head. I thought it [the Empanada Fork] existed. [On the internet] I couldn’t find anything remotely helpful. I kept thinking “What if…?” When it hit you that you had an invention, what was your first challenge? I did my best to put something on paper. The patent attorney had an architect who helped me design it. I had to give him measurements and make sure it would fit the regular-size empanada. What hurdles did you encounter going from invention to ready-to-sell product? It was the manufacturing part of it. I originally wanted it made in the U.S., but it was way too expensive. So my products come from China. What was your first big break in marketing? When I decided to go after online stores as opposed to physical stores, I got in. It’s all about education as well. I called it the Empanada Fork, which is good, but also confusing. They thought I was a restaurant trying to sell empanadas. I’m strictly a utensil. How has your company grown? It’s small, just me and my son Marcos, who helps me through the computer and advertising. I have stores that are linked to my website, empanadafork. com. I was shipping to individual customers in the first two years, but once I was able to get into the first store, Chef Central, then I would encourage customers to go strictly to the store. Tell us what sparked your second invention. It was maybe four years later, after I did the Empanada Fork. My oldest son happened to be lactose-intolerant and couldn’t have cheese. You couldn’t tell what the filling was. That’s how I had my idea for the second product. Years later I said, “What if there was a stamp so you could stamp what it is [inside]?” As an award-winning female entrepreneur, what makes you successful? The first thing, I would say, after I became an entrepreneur was going to events surrounding myself with other entrepreneurs who would mentor me and inspire me that it’s possible. I met the owners of Goya, who gave me a lot of good advice, and UPS, who helped me understand how to ship. I was a little overwhelmed in the beginning. How have you expanded your mission? Through the journey I’ve discovered that women inventors are not that many, so now I’m on a mission to inspire other women. Women in general have been 7 percent [of inventors] for a long time, and Latinas not even 1 percent. Why are the numbers so low? I’m thinking, honestly, fear. But I’m a regular mom—anyone can invent. You just need a good product and to follow through. —Donna Rolando
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AUGUST 2022
7/15/22 10:43 AM
