Joy Mangano was born in East Meadow, New York, on Long Island. Her early life was marked by a curious and inventive spirit. Even as a child, Joy displayed a knack for identifying problems and devising innovative solutions, a trait that would define her future career.

Working as a waitress and single mother, Joy grew frustrated with the inefficiency and messiness of traditional mops. She conceived the idea for the Miracle Mop, a self-wringing mop made of a continuous loop of cotton that could be wrung out without getting the user's hands wet. This marked her first major step into the world of inventing and entrepreneurship.