As we all know, many entrepreneurial ventures begin with pain in someone’s life. Whether it is in the life of the entrepreneur or someone close to them, this drives them to create or improve something that will take away or decrease the pain. For Lily Born, the pain was watching her grandfather try to live life with Parkinsons Disease. This is a disease that damages the nerves in the body, producing tremors that make it extremely difficult to use everyday objects. Things such as silverware and pencils require a hefty amount of dexterity, which is practically impossible for those suffering with Parkinsons Disease.

Something that Lily noticed was that her grandfather was having a particularly hard time picking up and using his cups. This meant he often spilled his beverages and Lily’s grandmother had to clean up the mess. Lily designed a new kind of cup – one with three legs to minimize the risk of spills. She calls the cups “Kangaroo Cups,” because Kangaroos use their tails as a third leg to help their balance. She spent a few years prototyping the cup, building with moldable plastic and clay until she discovered a design that she loved and didn’t tip over.

Lily has become very successful at the young age of 16. She has sold more than ten thousand Kangaroo Cups, but we know that the most important part of this process for her was seeing her product help her grandfather. It helped him in more ways than one! He is a loving grandfather who is so proud of his granddaughter for inventing a solid business, but it has also helped him feel more capable. Lily was named as Business Insider’s Top 11-year-old in Tech, and has presented her product in the White House Science Fair. She has told the world about her product in all of her many News appearances.