Meet Deena Al-Sammak

Deena is an undergraduate student at McMaster University studying biomedical engineering. She is also the founder of HarmonEase Innovations, a startup focused on making music performance more accessible for individuals with disabilities. In addition to that, Deena is also a co-founder of the Power of Play, a startup that is focused on creating a grip strength measurement device for children.

Deena’ s favorite hobby is playing the piano, and in her spare time she enjoys going for walks and listening to music to reflect on the blessings in her life and appreciate the beauty of nature!

  • CEO & Founder, HarmonEase Innovations; Co-Founder, Power of Play

  • Bachelor of Health Sciences from The Integrated Biomedical Engineering and Health Science program, Specialization in Health, Engineering Science & Entrepreneurship, McMaster University, 2025

What has been your biggest challenge and how did you deal with it?

Staying grounded in my reality and learning to love and embrace it. I am a Middle Eastern Catholic who grew up in a western, secular society. Growing up in elementary and high school, it was hard to truly embrace who I was and what I believed in because it wasn’t always accepted by those around me. It’s easier said than done but to deal with it I simply forced myself to only value the opinions of the people I trusted most, my family. I never allowed myself to be embarrassed by my cultural or religious views/beliefs. Today, being a Catholic Iraqi is my core identity and there’s nothing about myself that I could possibly love more!

What do you love about your work?

I love that I get to interact one-on-one with the people that my innovations are meant to benefit! To be able to directly see the impact that your efforts have made on people within your community is the most rewarding and satisfying part of being a start up entrepreneur!

What do you love most about STEM?

The endless possibilities to discover and explore! I believe our world has been created in such an intricate and beautiful way and we can discover this beauty through the lens of STEM careers!

“This is me after my very first piano recital, bursting with excitement and joy from preforming in front of an audience for the first time!”

-Deena