Modern economies rely on technology to drive innovation and shape the future. With the tech industry always at the forefront of critical problem-solving, it is surprising that the lack of women in tech remains an issue. According to the Women in Tech Survey 2023, women make up only 26% of people who work in IT. The gender balance in the industry has certainly seen some improvement since 2019, when women made up only 19% of tech employees, but it is clear there is still a long way to go.

What prevents women from finding roles in tech?

There are multiple obstacles for women looking for their next role in the tech world. Some common grievances are the biases women face in male-dominated fields, a toxic “bro culture” that sometimes plagues the tech industry, the lack of inspirational role models and mentors, as well as a gender pay gap.

First of all, there are still some lingering biases when it comes to tech, such as it traditionally being a male-dominated field. It begins as early as childhood when boys are encouraged to pursue sciences and maths, while girls can be pushed into other fields, often humanities. Studies find that there are few gender differences when it comes to studying maths at school, so why is there a gender gap when it comes to studying sciences later in life? Arguably, this problem, at least partially, boils down to the need to conform – as children grow up, they become more aware of the stereotypes associated with femininity and masculinity, and learn to lean into them more.

The importance of role models and mentors in any given industry cannot be overstated. Finding a person in your field who you can look up to can inspire and assure you that your own path is possible. However, with only 26% of women working in tech fields, it can be challenging to find a female role model. It also means there is less advocacy and support for young women in tech by older female experts.

The pay gap is another obstacle for women trying to make a career in tech. Pay discrepancy is a universal problem for most industries, and the STEM field is, unfortunately, one of them. Researchers find that women in tech earn up to 28% less than their male colleagues, and only 8% of tech businesses were found not to have a gender-based pay discrepancy at all. Moreover, there can be limits to a woman’s career progression in tech, fuelled by gender stereotypes and biases.

So, why do we believe that lack of women in the tech industry is a problem? Similarly to underrepresentation in other fields, employing a uniform workforce can lead to some complex issues. Innovation thrives in environments where varied experiences, backgrounds, and viewpoints are shared and discussed. In other words, a lack of diversity often impedes innovation. Diverse teams are also better suited to creating products that are more inclusive of a broader audience.

Additionally, with AI taking the world by storm, it’s already been noticed that a lack of diversity among developers is leading to the creation of biased algorithms that are failing when it comes to recognising non-white or non-male faces. Unsurprisingly, only 22% in the employees of AI-related fields are women, highlighting the need for more diversity in tech.

At Yubo, we’re dedicated to closing the gender gap in tech. Right now, 33% of our team are women, with 53% of those in leadership roles, including our Head of Finance, Head of Legal, Head of People and Head of Safety. But we know there’s always room to grow - and that’s why we were happy to host the OutGeekWomen in Tech event at our headquarters in Paris!

Partnering with OutGeekWomen in Tech, we hosted a dynamic evening of networking for women in dev, product, data, and UI/UX on October 24th, 2024! Our aim was to create an innovative, inclusive, and empowering space led by talented women from across Paris. With over 70 women in attendance, it was a night filled with dynamic conversations, knowledge-sharing, and career insights. We were thrilled to showcase Yubo – our work, our team, and our office – and having a few leading tech companies join us made it even better!

At the event, Margaux Liquard, our Head of Safety, represented Yubo and opened the event with an inspiring keynote. She shared her journey, touching on the personal challenges of balancing motherhood with career growth and reflecting on her professional development at Yubo, where she and her team are building a safe, global platform for our community. Margaux also spoke about the support structures that make workplaces more welcoming for women, such as flexible and remote work options that enable a fulfilling work-life balance – even in fast-paced fields like tech. Her talk was a powerful reminder of the steps a company can take to support women in tech.

Yubo Event - Outgeek: Women in Tech

With this event under our belt, we’re even more excited about future opportunities to actively promote equality and support women in tech – at Yubo and beyond. Events like these are about more than networking – they’re a chance to uplift each other, build connections, and push for meaningful change in the industry. As Reshma Saujani, founder of Girls Who Code, said, “Tech is for anyone who wants to shape the future.” If shaping the future speaks to you, Yubo invites you to join us in making tech more inclusive and amplifying female voices across the field. Together, let’s create a more diverse and empowering industry for everyone.

In the meantime, feel free to check out our blog posts on supporting women-led businesses and how Yubo contributes to raising awareness about breast cancer.

Hosting A Women in Tech Event at Yubo: A Collaboration With OutGeekWomen

Working at Yubo, the Social Discovery App


Yubo is not just another social media. Founded with a vision to revolutionize interactions, it is a Social Discovery app that offers a unique social experience, beyond the ordinary. It celebrates individuality and fosters connections in a lively atmosphere. 

As a French start-up, Yubo has become a cutting-edge player in the tech industry. 

Yubo offers many features, providing a personalized and engaging social experience that caters to a wide range of interests to help connect with new friends.

Safety lies at the core of Yubo’s mission. It isn’t considered a feature: it is a fundamental commitment. With the ambition to become the Safest Social Discovery app in the world, Yubo has implemented a suite of measures to ensure a positive user experience.


And Safety hinges upon the dedication of individuals.

Who are the guardians of Safety at Yubo? This question serves as the focal point of exploration in this blog series. 

Yubo’s team, dedicated to Online Safety

In this article, we turn the spotlight on Alessandro Ponte, Senior Data Engineer at Yubo.
Alessandro is a key player in Yubo’s team, dedicated to pushing technological boundaries while ensuring a seamless and engaging user experience. 

As an enthusiast of computer engineering, Alessandro brings his unique mix of passion and personality to Yubo's data landscape. 

His primary role is to manage and decipher the wealth of data the platform generates. His analytical skills and expertise are invaluable in making sense of the complex data streams the platform handles daily.

Alessandro is a dynamic multitasker who collaborates closely with the product team to develop data-driven strategies that enhance user engagement and retention. He also oversees the data infrastructure's design and implementation, including databases, data pipelines, and analytics tools. His role is pivotal in ensuring that Yubo's data infrastructure is robust, reliable, and capable of handling the platform's growing needs.

Overall, Alessandro's role at Yubo highlights the importance of data in today's digital landscape. His work underscores the value of data in improving user experience, driving engagement, and, ultimately, pushing the boundaries of what's possible in the tech startup environment.

Yubo Life - Meet Alessandro Ponte, Senior Data Engineer

Alessandro is from Avellino, Italy, and works remotely from there. 

His personal goals align perfectly with Yubo's mission, as he dreams of being a tech innovator. He believes in Yubo's dedication to providing cutting-edge features and experiences to its users. 

In conclusion, Alessandro Ponte exemplifies the caliber of talent Yubo is proud to have within its ranks. His alignment with our values of teamwork, leadership, velocity, inventiveness, and excellence make him a vital asset to the team.

As Yubo continues to revolutionize social interactions and prioritize Safety above all else, team members like Alessandro are guardians of our commitment to excellence. 


Want to know more about Yubo’s Company Culture? 
Take a sneak peek in our Parisian office: 

Yubo Life - Inside our Company Culture

Stay tuned to meet more Yubo team members on our Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/@YuboApp

Meet Alessandro Ponte, Senior Data Engineer at Yubo

Meet Alexandre Euverte, our Data Protection Officer

Yubo, a leading social discovery app, stands out in the digital space by connecting users in real-time based on shared interests, fostering genuine friendships. However, in the online world, safety is crucial. This introduction explores how Yubo prioritizes safety for its diverse user base, particularly focusing on the younger generation, Gen Z.

In the dynamic landscape of Yubo, where connections thrive in real-time among 80 million users worldwide, our commitment to safety and privacy remains unwavering. Focused on fostering genuine friendships, Yubo stands out as a leading Social Discovery app, with a core user base aged between 18 and 25 years.

In our commitment to safety, Yubo employs various measures. From strict age assurance to advanced moderation to tackle fraudulent accounts, we take a layered approach. We also separate users by age groups, mirroring real-life interactions and limiting interactions between different age ranges.

Our safety efforts extend to 24/7 human moderation supported by AI algorithms. Live content, like audio and video streams, undergoes real-time moderation through reporting and intervention. The default activation of ‘SAFE’ mode and content filtering ensures a secure environment for users.

Yubo's age verification involves users taking a real-time photo during registration, verified against the provided age. This, coupled with identity verification (in case of serious safety risk), ensures a 98.9% accuracy rate in determining user age.

Yubo's commitment to user safety combines advanced technologies, vigilant human moderation, and user-centric features. As a pioneer in real-time moderation, Yubo continues to enhance safety measures, setting industry standards for online safety innovation.

Data Protection Officer, a pivotal role for Yubo

As Yubo forges ahead in setting industry standards for online safety innovation, the role of Alexandre Euverte, our Data Protection Officer, becomes increasingly important. In an era where real-time connections on social platforms like Yubo are paramount, the emphasis on user safety, privacy, and compliance is evident. 

Yubo Life - Meet Alexandre Euverte, Data Protection Officer

The right to privacy is essential in an online environment such as a social network, where users express their freedom of expression by sharing content and information that is often related to their image, interests and private lives. 

At Yubo we have appointed a Data Protection Officer to spread a culture of privacy protection throughout the company and to ensure that personal data is used in compliance with the law.

Alexandre’s primary mission revolves around fortifying the privacy and safety of Yubo's users while supporting the company's growth and innovation. 

Before joining Yubo, Alexandre honed his skills advising tech platforms, guiding them in implementing robust data privacy programs, in compliance with French and European regulations, and handling litigation related to privacy and cybersecurity. 

His role as the Data Protection Officer underscores Yubo's commitment to user privacy, security, and adherence to global compliance standards. By setting industry standards, Yubo ensures a secure space for its dynamic audience, allowing users to express themselves freely with confidence in the protection of their data. 

Collaborating closely with the tech, product, and trust & safety teams, Alexandre is instrumental in implementing robust data privacy programs and policies. He actively enforces privacy rights, whilst combating unlawful activities, creates educational content to ensure transparency for everyone on the platform, and ensures compliance with various laws and regulations governing user privacy, user-generated content, consumer rights, artificial intelligence, etc.

Yubo's proactive stance on privacy is setting industry standards

In conclusion, Yubo, as a leading Social Discovery app with a global user base of 80 million, remains steadfast in its commitment to user safety and privacy. This dedication is particularly crucial given the real-time nature of connections on our platform, emphasizing our focus on fostering genuine friendships, especially among the younger demographic, Gen Z.

With a proactive stance on privacy enforcement, Yubo is making every effort to set industry standards for online safety innovation. We continually push boundaries to ensure that user safety remains a cornerstone of our platform without compromising the right to privacy. 

Learn more about Yubo's commitment to privacy on www.yubo.live 

Alexandre Euverte’s primary mission revolves around fortifying the privacy, safety, and well-being of Yubo's users while supporting the company's growth and innovation. His expertise ensures that Yubo not only prioritizes safety for its diverse user base but also remains at the forefront of implementing advanced technologies and user-centric features to enhance online security. His role as the Data Protection Officer underscores Yubo's commitment to user privacy, security, and adherence to global compliance standards. By setting industry standards, Yubo ensures a secure space for its dynamic audience, allowing users to express themselves freely with confidence in the protection of their data. 

Yubo Hackathon, Fostering Collaboration and Innovation

Hackathons have become increasingly popular over the years, for a good reason. These events bring together individuals with diverse backgrounds and skill sets, working towards a common goal of creating something innovative and impactful. 

At Yubo, we champion the cultivation of creativity, pushing boundaries, and unlocking technology's potential to drive meaningful change. To that extent, Yubo decided to host its first-ever internal Hackathon, one such event that fostered collaboration and innovation among its participants.

Brilliant Minds: our participants showcased their talents and passion for creative problem-solving.

Innovation in Action: cutting-edge technology tackled real-world challenges with impressive solutions.

Teamwork: collaborative synergy demonstrated that unity achieves greatness.

Participants came together to create a project from the ground up, to make Yubo stand out as Social Discovery  leveraging the unique skills and talents of all team members. The central theme evolved around generating innovative product ideas to enhance the company's business and drive dynamism. 

The methodology was simple: start with an opportunity to grow Yubo's success, use KPIs and metrics to define the problem, build a hypothesis to solve potential issues, and offer a solution by defining the Minimum Valuable Product to validate the hypothesis, the KPIs we want to reach, and all the steps to implement it.

The hackathon's general guideline was to hack your way, which meant the teams were free to choose their approach to solve the problem. This approach not only gave the teams the freedom to think outside the box but also encouraged them to collaborate and learn from each other, while respecting our guidelines, and keeping in mind Yubo's objective, to become the Safest Social Discovery platform in the world. 

On the jury side, expectations were simple, a viable and ambitious project with a live demo. The teams had to present their projects to the jury, and the top three teams were rewarded with exclusive prizes. Additionally, the features that the winning teams had imagined were being put into production, showcasing the company's commitment to innovation and collaboration.

Projects evolved around increasing user retention and interactions, boosting engagement, and of course, creating a positive impact on online friendships.

The Hackathon was a great success, fostering collaboration and innovation among its participants. The winning projects showcased the company's commitment to innovation and its willingness to listen to its users' needs. Our top three teams have been awarded exclusive prizes and their proposed features will soon be sent in production. 

Moreover, the event not only brought together individuals with diverse backgrounds and skill sets but also encouraged them to collaborate and learn from each other.

As we look ahead, Yubo remains steadfast in creating an environment that fosters innovation, learning, and growth. Our hackathon is a prime example of how we encourage our team to explore uncharted territories and embrace fresh ideas.

Stay tuned for more exciting initiatives from Yubo as we continue to "Hack our way" to success in the ever-evolving tech world! 

Yubo's Hackathon celebrated innovation and collaboration, uniting diverse talents to tackle real-world challenges with cutting-edge solutions. Teams leveraged their unique skills to create impactful projects, driving positive changes in user retention and online friendships. The event's flexibility in problem-solving and emphasis on teamwork led to outstanding results, with top teams receiving exclusive rewards. Yubo's commitment to innovation and its users shines through, promising more exciting initiatives to come as they "Hack their way" to success in the tech world.

Yubo's Take

Here for all of it.

Hosting A Women in Tech Event at Yubo: A Collaboration With OutGeekWomen

Meet Alessandro Ponte, Senior Data Engineer at Yubo

Meet Alexandre Euverte, our Data Protection Officer

Yubo Hackathon, Fostering Collaboration and Innovation