Lianna Genovese, a 2022 graduate of McMaster’s Integrated Biomedical Engineering & Health Sciences Program, has been honoured with a Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award for her commitment to enhancing quality of life for people with disabilities.

This prestigious award, bestowed by the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, KY, recognizes individuals who are transforming communities and bringing about positive change. She will accept her award at a ceremony on Saturday, November 9 alongside Shaquille O’Neal and Nile Rodgers, as well as fellow young humanitarians making an impact.

Genovese founded ImaginAble Solutions in 2019. The social impact company creates assistive technology to enhance the quality of life for people with disabilities and improves accessibility through innovative technologies and accessible design.

The company’s product, Guided Hands®, is an assistive device Genovese invented while at McMaster that empowers individuals with limited fine motor skills to write, paint, draw and access technology. A portion of each sale of Guided Hands® helps provide the product to families in need.

“It’s an incredible honour to receive the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award,” says Genovese. “Muhammad Ali’s story, particularly his struggle with Parkinson’s Disease and his passion for painting, deeply touches me and aligns with our mission at ImaginAble Solutions to make self-expression, independence and creativity accessible to all. It has been a gift to meet such wonderful families, travel across the world to raise awareness on accessibility and represent those who are unable to advocate for themselves. We are making the world more accessible one Guided Hands at a time!”

Heather Sheardown, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at McMaster, praised Genovese’s achievements. “Lianna’s work with ImaginAble Solutions exemplifies the spirit of innovation and compassion that we strive to instill in all our students,” she said.

“Her dedication to improving the lives of people with disabilities and her success in making a tangible impact are fantastic examples of how McMaster’s alumni are creating a brighter future.”

Dean and Vice-President of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Paul O’Byrne, agrees, adding Lianna’s dedication doesn’t stop at ImaginAble Solutions. “While Guided Hands is helping people across the globe, here at McMaster, Lianna continues to give by mentoring the next generation of innovators,” he said. “Through our health innovation hub, The Clinic, she has helped other students fully realize their own creations, contributing to inventions that may also benefit lives in the future.”

Michelle MacDonald and Colin McDonald, co-directors of the Integrated Biomedical Engineering & Health Sciences Program, are excited for Genovese’s continued recognition for her achievements.

“Lianna was in the very first cohort of our program and fully embodies the commitment to improving lives through healthcare innovation we instill in our students,” they said. “We will continue to cheer on her successes and can not wait to see what she does next.”

Learn more about the robust ecosystem of innovation at McMaster on the entrepreneurship website