The Lemelson Foundation profiled Matthews, noting the Soccket originated after she observed unreliable electricity access in Nigeria.
On September 9, 2014, the Lemelson Foundation, a prominent institution supporting invention and inventors in the United States, published a profile of Jessica O. Matthews detailing the background of her signature invention. The profile explained that the concept for the Soccket originated during her college years, informed by her observations of unreliable electricity access in Nigeria, where she had family ties.
This foundation-backed recognition was significant because the Lemelson Foundation is one of the most respected organizations in the United States dedicated to supporting and celebrating inventors, particularly those whose work addresses pressing social and humanitarian needs. Being profiled by such an institution lent additional credibility and visibility to Matthews' work, situating her within a broader tradition of socially-driven American inventors.
The profile's emphasis on the personal and cultural roots of her invention, drawing a direct line between her heritage and her engineering solution, helped deepen public understanding of the Soccket not merely as a clever gadget but as a product born from lived experience and empathy for underserved communities. This dated profile represents an important milestone in the institutional validation of Matthews' career and contributed to her growing reputation as a socially conscious engineer-entrepreneur.