Get Bizee

How One Woman Turned Hearing Loss Into a Cultural Moment

Bizee

Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.

0:00 | 36:37

What happens when the thing you've spent your life hiding becomes your life's mission?

In this episode, Amy Cosper sits down with Jenni Ahtiainen, founder of Deafmetal®, the Finland-based company transforming how people experience hearing loss, hearing aids, and identity itself.

A lifelong musician, singer, designer, and creative entrepreneur, Jenni always knew her hearing was deteriorating. For years, she adapted quietly—lip reading, navigating conversations, and slowly becoming what she describes as a "wallflower." When doctors finally confirmed that her hearing loss was permanent and worsening, she faced a choice: hide it or own it.
She chose ownership.

What began as a personal effort to make hearing aids feel more like her became Deafmetal®, a globally recognized brand that has sparked a movement around visibility, confidence, and self-expression. Today, Deafmetal serves customers in more than 30 countries and is helping reshape the conversation around disability, hearing health, and belonging.
But this isn't a story about jewelry.
It's a story about identity.

Jenni shares how Deafmetal evolved from a handmade solution into a fast-growing company, why hearing aids deserve the same cultural acceptance as eyeglasses, and how a passionate global community has become the brand's most powerful force for change.

In this conversation, we explore:
Jenni's journey from musician and designer to founder and advocate
The emotional impact of losing her hearing
Why Deafmetal is about attitude—not accessories
Building a company rooted in lived experience
Creating products that help people feel seen
The future of hearing health and hearing aid adoption
Scaling a mission-driven business across 30+ countries
What investors often miss about the disability market
Why community is Deafmetal's greatest competitive advantage
The vision for a world where hearing loss carries no stigma
For Jenni, Deafmetal is more than a company. It's a movement dedicated to changing how the world sees hearing loss—and how people see themselves.

About Jenni Ahtiainen
Jenni Ahtiainen is the founder and creative director of Deafmetal®, a globally recognized brand creating innovative accessories for hearing devices. A hearing aid user herself, Jenni has become an outspoken advocate for hearing health, inclusion, and disability visibility. Her work has been featured internationally and exhibited at institutions including London's Victoria & Albert Museum.

Learn More About Deafmetal®
https://deafmetal.store

Follow our socials
Instagram | X | LinkedIn | TikTok