Meet Lily Bazell and Eduardo Amaral

 

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lily Bazell and Eduardo Amaral a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Lily and Eduardo, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

The truth is, our personal purpose and wishes for the world became the purpose behind Parenthesis – making it really easy for us to feel connected to it. Both of us were at a crossroads in our professional lives. We were happy, but that deep itch for meaning and impact wouldn’t go away. As close friends, we spent countless hours talking about what was next for us. What could we do that really mattered?
Our conversations always circled back to the world we wanted to live in – and the things that break our hearts. The shootings, suicides, mental health struggles, even war – there’s so much pain in the world, and we felt the urge to do something, anything, to help. We asked ourselves over and over: How do we get ahead of this? How do we make a difference?
Kids were always at the center of those questions. We couldn’t stop thinking about the kids growing up in violent or disconnected environments. In our research, we found that when kids don’t feel connected at home, it can get in the way of how they handle emotions, relate to others, and make decisions – all things that can lead to bigger problems like bullying, self-harm, mental illness or violence. Home is where emotional and social health really starts.
When kids feel seen, heard, and supported, they’re more likely to build empathy, handle stress better, and solve conflicts in healthier ways. But when that connection isn’t there, it can create a negative cycle. That’s why helping families stay connected matters so much. It’s not just about making life better at home, but about giving kids the tools to thrive and, hopefully, breaking those harmful cycles before they even start.
We’ve both been in love with the idea of parenting since long before becoming parents ourselves. And the deeper we dove into these questions, the clearer it became: NO child should feel alone in the world. Every kid deserves to feel seen, heard, and supported. That’s when Parenthesis began to take shape – not only as a business idea, but as a way to live out our personal purposes and wishes for the world, using our creativity and knowledge.
We started with the purpose, not a product idea. That purpose – to help kids thrive emotionally and socially by creating tools that strengthen family connections – became our north star. It’s the reason Parenthesis exists and the thing that keeps us going when the road gets tough – and oh man, they do!
This journey is the first time we’ve felt so fully aligned with what we do and who we are. Every step forward feels like a step closer to the world we want to build – a world where every child knows they’re not alone.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

We create tools that help parents and kids build a deep emotional connection – because we believe that connection is the foundation for kids to thrive. Our first product, The Moon is Waiting, is an interactive book designed to spark meaningful conversations and shared experiences between parents and kids (ages 6+). It’s not just an activity book; it’s a way to turn ordinary moments into something unforgettable.

What makes Parenthesis special is that it wasn’t built around a product – it was built around a purpose. We started with one big question: How do we help kids feel seen, heard, and supported? That question led us to create products that make bonding easier, more natural, and genuinely fun. We want to help parents strengthen their relationships with their kids now – before those connections start to slip away in the teenage years and beyond.

Right now, we’re excited to be expanding our offerings. We recently launched our online store and are working on new products that bring families closer together, including a game that helps kids and parents connect before bedtime and a pajama set designed to keep kids feeling close to their parents even when they’re apart. Everything we create is rooted in one core belief: No child should feel alone in the world.

If you’re a parent looking for ways to stay close to your kid, you can check us out at instagram.com/parenthesis.cc. We’d love for you to join our growing community of parents who believe in the power of connection!

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Looking back, three things have made the biggest impact on our journey with Parenthesis: curiosity, resilience, and the ability to connect with people.

Curiosity kept us asking big questions – about what kids need, what makes a strong parent-child bond, and how we could create something meaningful. We didn’t start with a business idea; we started with a deep desire to understand and solve a problem. If you’re early in your journey, lean into curiosity. Keep asking why. Learn everything you can. The best ideas often come from simply paying attention to what lights you up.

Resilience is what kept us going. Starting something from scratch isn’t easy, and there were (and still are) plenty of moments when we hit walls. But every time we struggled with the next step, the certainty that our work could make a difference pulled us forward. If you’re just starting out, expect roadblocks. They don’t mean you’re failing – they mean you’re in the middle of something worth doing.

Connection has been everything. Parenthesis is all about human connection, and building this company has reminded us how powerful relationships are – not just between parents and kids, but between founders, mentors, and the people who believe in your vision. If you’re starting your journey, don’t do it alone. Find your people. Share your ideas. Let others help you grow.

At the end of the day, whatever you’re building, make sure it matters to you. That’s what will keep you moving when things get tough.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

Absolutely! We believe in the power of collaboration – connection isn’t just at the heart of what we create, it’s also how we grow. We’re always looking to partner with people and organizations who share our mission of helping kids thrive through strong family connections.

We’d love to collaborate with brands, creators, educators, therapists, and community leaders who are passionate about emotional well-being, parenting, and strengthening family bonds. Whether it’s co-creating meaningful content, co-creating news products, hosting events, or finding creative ways to bring our products to more families, we’re open to ideas and partnerships that align with our purpose.

If this speaks to you, let’s talk! You can reach us at knockknock@parenthesis.cc. We’re always excited to meet like-minded folks who believe in the power of connection.

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