Nelli

Who are you and what is Nelli?

We’re Lisa Kelly and Lee Veenhoven, the co-founders of Nelli and parents of three. Nelli is a smart routine hub designed to help children build independence through clear visual schedules, voice prompts, timers and rewards.

Parents set the routines and children can see what comes next, complete tasks and earn stars towards meaningful rewards. It gives the whole family a calmer and more predictable daily rhythm.

What was happening in your own home?

We were living the same family chaos as thousands of other parents. Mornings involved repeating the same instructions, negotiating over breakfast and trying to get everyone out the door on time.

Our children needed tools designed around how they learn, respond to routines and build habits. We wanted something that helped children take ownership while reducing the mental load on parents.

How did you bring the idea to life?

We had a big vision and very little understanding of how to build a technology product. We worked through the concept in manageable steps, validated it with real families and explored the commercial model before moving into development.

We also worked with Australian occupational therapists, behaviour specialists and educators to make sure the experience was grounded in child development. That process gave us the clarity and confidence to move from an idea to a working prototype, then into a product families could use at home.

Where is Nelli today?

Nelli launched in Australia in 2025 and is now used by thousands of families. The Smart Hub supports children aged four to twelve and has been designed to include neurotypical and neurodivergent children.

Families can manage multiple profiles, co-parenting arrangements, reminders and routines, with an optional parent app for changes on the go. Nelli currently holds a 4.9 out of 5 rating from more than 200 verified reviews.

We are still building around the same goal: capable children, calmer homes and fewer instructions repeated before 8am.