Lara Varjabedian, Co-founder at UBQT shares, we need to give opportunities to everyone, by allowing them to learn from their new roles and responsibilities
What are your views on this year’s IWD 2025 theme “Accelerate Action”, how can we truly achieve diversity and inclusion in the workplace?
Lara Varjabedian: We can truly achieve diversity and inclusion in the workplace by allowing everyone to “truly” achieve their potential. This means allowing them to grow. No one comes in the workplace with managerial skills, and very often the ones promoted aren’t the ones with the best managerial skills. “Accelerate action” to achieve diversity and inclusion to me means that we need to give opportunities to everyone, by allowing them to learn from their new roles and responsibilities. It takes one to recognize one. The best performing companies are the ones with people that are best at recognizing the true potential of each individual in their team and giving them the opportunity to thrive.
Can you share your journey into the tech world and what inspired you to pursue this, where did it all start?
Lara Varjabedian: I had an initial idea of UBQT back in 2014 but was not equipped then to take this further having no startup experience and as many ideas I had in the past, I simply parked it. It all came to life again by reconnecting with my co-founder Jonathan Hasson when he shared the idea he had for a while and we actually brought them together and added more “Magic” to it thanks to our 3rd co-founder I.Q. Sayed and all the feedback received from our amazing beta testers’ community.
UBQT is very much my story as the one of my co-founders. Global citizens with a scattered network. Back in 2014 UBQT wouldn’t have stand a chance as at that time social media was still social. The massive shift we had in the past 10+ years gives us the opportunity to bring back the social to social media and surfing the wave of the IRL trend. We are doing this in a very bold way cutting all content, feed, ads and ultimately screen time. We believe there should be a better way to stay connected with each other away from scrolling and algorithms that support a different purpose.
Who would you consider your role model, someone who constantly inspires you? (Does not really have to be from the professional world only, can be someone at home too )
Lara Varjabedian: I have to say my parents made me who I am. I would never be the bold, confident and happy woman I am today without the unlimited amount of love I have received from my parents. It makes me emotional while saying it because my sisters and I are truly blessed for having exceptional parents that always have put us first and always gave us the support we needed. When I see my dad or mum adding a trip or a catchup on UBQT, although they do not understand why I am doing what I am doing, this love gives me the feeling that I can conquer the world. I hope I can do it fast because I would love to give it back to them in so many ways.
Rapid Fire (Let’s get to know you more)
- Dinner with a famous personality, who would it be? Tough question. So many answers I could give to that. But I guess since it is IWD, I would have the best time with all the women in my life (that I am the biggest fan of) joining me for a dinner with Beyonce, giving us a private concert while we would be dancing on “the shoes on my feet I bought it”. After all that’s the music we grew becoming independent and successful women with.
- One skill you wish you could learn instantly? Coding 🙂
- Android or Apple? 😃 Apple all the way although I was a HUGE Blackberry fan before moving to Apple.
- WhatsApp or Telegram? WhatsApp
- Phone call or text message/email? Phone call ANYTIME if I can’t catchup in person thanks to UBQT. 🙂
- Beaches or Mountains? Beaches – I have a very strong connection with the sea. When I was little, I wanted to be a mermaid to spend endless time under the sea.
- Coffee or Tea? Coffee – Italian double espresso unless my favorite green tea with roasted soba or roasted rice is available on the menu.
- Early Bird or Night owl? Used to be a night owl (as is my genetic chronotype) but became both since I started UBQT which means I don’t sleep much.
- Books or Movies? Movies, as it is the best way to rest my brain.
- Winter or Summer? Definitely summer – hence Dubai.
- Online shopping or in-store shopping? In-store is my favorite but don’t have the time to shop at all, even online! 🙂
What advice would you give to women starting off their careers, aspiring to enter the tech/business field?
Lara Varjabedian: If you are joining a Corporate, choose the right boss, the industry, the role doesn’t matter. The right boss will help you grow or be enough visible to get your next job. If you are choosing to enter the startup world while starting off your career – which I wouldn’t necessarily recommend – choose the right team leading it, people that inspire you. The choice in both cases will define the rest of your career.
