Lily, now 16 years old, was an extremely shy and quiet young girl for most of her early years. However, at 8 years old, after discovering that her grandfather had Parkinson’s disease and was spilling his drinks frequently due to his disease, she took the initiate create a solution. Inspired, she came up with the idea for the Kangaroo Cup: a three-legged cup that won’t tip over. After prototyping for several years, first with hand-moldable plastic and then with clay at a pottery studio, she had a cup ready for production. Now a seasoned 16-year-old, she has sold tens of thousands of cups all over the world. Lily proud to use part of the profits from her Kangaroo Cups to support STEM education for young girls and to donate cups to not-for-profit organizations that help adults and kids with mobility issues.

Recently, Lily was invited to exhibit her invention at the White House Science Fair, proudly displaying her Kangaroo Cups in the Presidential China Room. She has also been featured nationally on CNN Heroes and Headline News, NBC Nightly News, NPR’s Weekend Edition, Fast Company and Business Insider, internationally on the Daily Mail (UK) and The Telegraph (UK), as well as locally in the Chicago Tribune, Crain’s Chicago Business, on WGN’s Morning News, and CBS News. Lily has also been recognized by A Mighty Girl and Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls as someone who inspires other girls to follow their passions and dreams. She was listed as Business Insider's most powerful 11 year old in Tech, and Mochi's 25 game changers under 2Recently, Lily was invited to exhibit her invention at the White House Science Fair, proudly displaying her Kangaroo Cups in the Presidential China Room. She has also been featured nationally on CNN Heroes and Headline News, NBC Nightly News, NPR’s Weekend Edition, Fast Company and Business Insider, internationally on the Daily Mail (UK) and The Telegraph (UK), as well as locally in the Chicago Tribune, Crain’s Chicago Business, on WGN’s Morning News, and CBS News. Lily has also been recognized by A Mighty Girl and Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls as someone who inspires other girls to follow their passions and dreams. She was listed as Business Insider's most powerful 11 year old in Tech, and Mochi's 25 game changers under 25.

Lily finds great joy in inspiring others, and is often invited to speak. She was a featured speaker at the 2015 Cusp Conference, a highly regarded annual gathering of innovators, creators and visionaries from the arts, sciences, technology, business and design. She is also a member of Independent Youth, a mentorship program designed to empower today’s teens to become tomorrow’s business leaders and entrepreneurial innovators.