Hiba Zyna

Innovation Co-Lead

Hiba Zyna is a junior at Detroit Country Day School whose interests lie at the intersection of science, technology, business, and entrepreneurship. Driven by a curiosity for how scientific discoveries can translate into real-world solutions, she has explored research in biology, chemistry, cancer biology, biotechnology, and computational science while also developing a strong interest in innovation and startup development. Her work has been recognized nationally and internationally: she is a USNCO National Exam Finalist, USABO Honorable Mention recipient, American Computer Science League Finalist, Global Startup Competition Semifinalist, and Scholastic Art & Writing Awards National Gold Medalist, among other honors. Beyond this, Hiba enjoys turning her own interests into opportunities for others to learn and grow. She leads her school's Biology Olympiad, Chemistry Olympiad, and Math Competition clubs, serves as Vice President of Model UN, and has worked to expand participation in competitive STEM programs at her school. Through these roles, she particularly enjoys mentoring other students, sharing what she has learned, and building communities where students can challenge themselves and explore new interests. Her passion for entrepreneurship has also led her to participate in an internship with iStart Valley, where she worked with a team to develop the startup SmartStreets, further exploring how technology and business can be combined to address everyday challenges. She is especially fascinated by the process of taking an idea from its earliest stages, understanding the problem it aims to solve, and developing it into something with the potential for real-world impact. Equally important to Hiba is service, and she has dedicated hundreds of hours to community initiatives spanning education, outreach, and volunteering. She values opportunities that allow her to connect with people from different backgrounds and believes that learning extends far beyond the classroom. Outside of academics, Hiba enjoys Carnatic music, Kuchipudi dance, bowling, reading, and exploring new ideas across science, technology, business, and culture. She especially enjoys experiences that allow her to be creative, meet new people, and challenge herself in new ways. Whether she is conducting research, developing an idea, competing, teaching, or leading a team, Hiba is motivated by the same goal: to keep learning across disciplines, pursue the questions that genuinely interest her, and use what she learns to build solutions and opportunities that have a meaningful impact.