Brilliant 11-Year-Old Designs An Unbreakable, Spill-Proof Cup For Her Ailing Grandpa

Lily Born is not your average kid.

At just 11-years-old, the Chicago-based youngster has designed an unbreakable, spill-proof cup after she noticed her grandfather (who has Parkinson's) was having trouble drinking out of regular glasses.

It's called a Kangaroo Cup, and it's easier to hold than the average drinking glass.

The 9oz cup stays stable on uneven surfaces, while contoured handles provide a comfortable one- or two-handed grip.

It's both microwave and dishwasher safe.

The above version of the Kangaroo Cup is the most recent, and it's made out of BPA-free polypropylene.

But, years ago, it started out as a ceramic cup.

Kangaroo Cups 1.0

"We were using hand-moldable plastic at home and then clay at a pottery studio," Lily tells Fast Co.Design. "I could hand those cups right over to my grandpa to use, and it was very easy to see if it was comfortable or not."

But the ceramic was breakable, so Lily asked her father, an inventor, for some additional help. He hooked her up with some designers and marketers to make a new version.

The 11-year-old businesswoman

Now the young entrepreneur has launched a Kickstarter for the cups and she's already raised over half her total goal of $25,000.

Donors who pledge over $25 get their own set of 4 Kangaroo Cups.

"Just because you're a kid doesn't mean you can't do big and great things," Born says in her Kickstarter video.

You can visit her Kickstarter here.