Rose Knox

Before Jell-O shots and gelatin trends on TikTok, there was a little box of Knox gelatin in nearly every American pantry, and behind that box was a woman most of us have never heard of.

When her husband died in 1908, Rose Knox ignored advice to sell the family business and instead took charge.

She turned gelatin into a household staple with recipe booklets that reached millions of homes.

She also gave her workers a five-day week and paid vacations and became a national figure in the American grocery industry.

Our guest this morning, Rachel Greenfield, has made it her mission to recover the stories of overlooked early 20th century businesswomen.

She's a Vassar graduate with a Harvard MBA, and she spent 40 years as a publishing and digital executive, including leading the publishing division at Martha Stewart Living.

Her new book is Rose Knox: How One Woman Mixed Kitchen and Boardroom to Remold an American Business.

Rachel, welcome to The Mountain Life.

And while Knox Gelatin grew into a thriving national business, it wasn't Charles who grew the company.

It was his wife, Rose Knox, who preferred the title Mrs. Knox.

Rachel Greenfield's new book on this unsung business leader, Rose Knox, How One Woman Mixed Kitchen and Boardroom to Remold an American Business, comes out on October 15th.

And in this episode of Skydeck, contributor April White talks to Greenfield about how Mrs. Knox quietly transformed her husband's company, the choices that made her a business pioneer, and the surprising legacy that she left behind.

Your biography of Mrs. Knox covers the span of her life, but I want to focus on two key decision points.