Why Storytailor is betting HōBI can turn alienating screen time into unforgettable family moments

A new product from a Kansas City-built storytelling startup allows parents, grandparents, teachers and other trusted adults to privately share observations, milestones and everyday moments that collectively paint a richer picture of a child’s life.

Launched in open beta June 28 by Storytailor, the new HōBI app is a natural extension of the brand, said founder JQ Sirls.

“We realized Storytailor was always about how you tell stories to a child,” he explained. “What we were missing was the story we tell about them.”

HōBI sparked from a short exchange between Sirls and one of his son’s teachers. The teacher shared a simple story from the school day that stopped the father in his tracks.

Sirls’ son, DaVinci, had noticed another child crying on the playground. Rather than walking away, the young boy sat beside the student until they felt better.

The moment made Sirls proud, he said, but it also made him realize how much of his son’s life he wasn’t seeing.

“How much other stuff did my son do?” Sirls recalled wondering. “My kid could be this incredible person, and I don’t know anything about it.”

Building on Storytailor’s mission

Long before HōBI, Storytailor built its reputation by helping families create personalized stories featuring children as the main character. Parents can tailor stories around medical procedures, disabilities, fears, adventures and other life experiences to help children process unfamiliar situations through imagination.

Sirls views HōBI as the next step in that mission.

Instead of generating stories, the platform captures the moments that eventually become them.

A teacher might note an unexpected act of kindness. A grandparent could share a quick aside about a funny afternoon together. A coach might celebrate perseverance after a difficult practice. Each observation becomes part of a private timeline shared among the child’s care circle.

“Our kids are these incredible people,” Sirls said. “We think we know them because we raised them, but we really don’t know all of who they are.”

Rebuilding the village

The idea resonates with Antoinette Redmond, founder and CEO of Neuru, a Kansas City-based platform that helps families navigate developmental disability resources. Neuru recently partnered with Storytailor as both organizations explore ways to better support families.

Antionette Redmond, founder of Neuru, accepts the 2025 Pathfinder Best Pitch Award at the 2026 Pipeline Innovators Gala at Union Station; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

“What immediately stood out about HōBI was that it isn’t trying to replace relationships with technology,” said Redmond, who recently won the Pipeline Pathfinder Best Pitch Award, as well as top honors at the Regnier Venture Creation Challenge. “It is using technology to strengthen relationships within a care circle.”

Parents often shoulder what she describes as the emotional and developmental load of raising a child, particularly when disabilities or developmental differences are involved. Teachers, grandparents and other adults want to help, Redmond said, but don’t always have a simple way to stay connected.

“HōBI helps bridge that gap by giving adults intentional ways to engage with a child,” she said. “It shifts the focus from deficits to strengths, reminding families to celebrate the small victories and recognize the unique potential in every child.”

That philosophy extends into the platform itself.

Brayden Redmond, son of Bubbles and Goo co-founder Antoinette Redmond, plays with slime in the new River Market space at 512 Delaware St.; photo by Tommy Felts, Startland News

Families can invite relatives, teachers and caregivers into a child’s private circle. The app stores practical information — everything from shoe sizes to emergency contacts — while also encouraging adults to record meaningful moments throughout the week.

Those moments eventually become a weekly summary highlighting who the child is becoming.

“When I entered my children’s information into HōBI, I cried,” said Redmond, who is raising two children with autism and co-founded an inclusive play space in Kansas City called Bubbles and Goo.

“So much of my energy is focused on therapies, appointments, goals and making sure we’re doing everything possible to help our children become the best version of themselves,” she added. “HōBI invited me to pause and see something different. It beautifully captured who my children are — their strengths, their character, their joy and the moments that make them uniquely themselves.”

More than another parenting app

In addition to a childcare scheduling system, HōBI also introduces a reward system that encourages shared experiences instead of material incentives.

Adults can create “promises” — commitments to spend time together after children earn recognition for positive moments documented by their care circle. Long term, Sirls envisions Kansas City businesses participating by offering discounts and experiences families can redeem together.

“Our goal is to bring that village feeling back that we had as kids,” he said.

The platform has been tested by roughly 30 users and is currently available in an open beta release for iOS, with an Android version planned. Storytailor intends to keep HōBI free for families while exploring partnerships and local business participation as the platform grows.

For Sirls, however, the technology isn’t the point, he said. The real goal is helping adults notice children while they’re still becoming themselves.

“I wanted to make HōBI this love letter of finding out who your kid is without you,” Sirls said. “Why do we have to wait until they’re adults to finally ask, ‘Who are you really?’ Can we find that out now?”