On International Women's Day, Matthews was recognized for her path from inventing the Soccket to building an infrastructure and energy-access company.
On March 8, 2018, International Women's Day, Jessica O. Matthews was recognized in a feature highlighting her journey from inventing the Soccket to building a company focused on infrastructure and energy access. The feature celebrated her as a leading example of a woman entrepreneur succeeding in the STEM and hardware technology sectors.
International Women's Day features of this kind were significant in amplifying the stories of women who had broken barriers in traditionally male-dominated fields such as engineering and technology entrepreneurship. Matthews' story, moving from a Harvard engineering class project to founding and leading a venture-backed hardware company, made her a compelling example for such recognition.
This feature underscored themes that had become central to her public narrative throughout the 2010s: the power of empathetic engineering, the importance of representation for women and people of color in STEM entrepreneurship, and the tangible impact of her work on communities facing energy poverty. The dated recognition situates Matthews within the broader context of global conversations about gender equity in innovation, occurring on a day dedicated internationally to celebrating women's achievements and advocating for further progress.