(upbeat music) >> Announcer: Live from Orlando, Florida It's theCUBE, covering Grace Hopper's celebration of women in computing. Brought to you by SiliconANGLE Media. >> Welcome back to theCUBE's coverage of the Grace Hopper conference here in Orlando, Florida. I am your host Rebecca Knight. I'm joined by Lybra Clemons. She is the global head of diversity and inclusion at PayPal. Thanks so much for joining us, Lybra. >> Thanks for having me. >> So this is your first time on theCUBE. >> First time on theCUBE, first time at Grace Hopper, first month of PayPal so it's great. >> A newbie, well we are thrilled to have you. >> Thank you. >> And you're actually, frankly, quite new at PayPal, so-- >> Very new. >> You're a month in, so tell us, what does the Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion do? >> I think they do everything, because somehow, someway my calendar is full. It's a combination of things. You know, DNI, Diversity Inclusion, is so important to the CEO, and to the company. So, not only am I involved in all kinds of business meetings, but we're a function of human resources, so there's a recruiting piece of it. There's also the talent management, the development of our diverse talent, as well as engagement. So I'm hitting every single part of kind of your HR employee life cycle, as well as all of these amazing opportunities, like coming to Grace Hopper, partnering with a lot of our smaller organizations and nonprofits who are working on ensuring that there is STEM and tech for young women and girls. As well as, looking into different affinity groups in LGBT, our veterans, just so many opportunities, so I'm constantly like, but it's so fantastic because there's such enthusiasm. Our CEO is really top notch. I mean, Dan Schulman, not only does he talk about diversity, but he is really committed to it. So, I'm telling you, I feel like almost a celebrity, and it's just like, usually the diversity person, they're like, yeah he's our diversity person. But then like, I got introduced the first week, and my email is blowing up, and people were just excited about it, in a good positive way. >> So, let's back up actually, and talk about, you know, one of the things our keynotes were talking about this morning is what do women look for in an employer. What do they want? What do women want Lybra? >> What do people want? >> So when you were looking for your next move in your career, what stood out to you about PayPal, and what made you think, "This is the place". >> That is such a good question. One thing I did, the first thing I did actually, was go to their website, and I looked at their board to see who was on their board from a diversity perspective. And I have to tell you, PayPal's Board of Directors 45% diverse in terms of gender and ethnicity. I don't know another company, or tech company, that's achieving that at that point, so that was completely impressive. I also go to the leadership, and I look to see how many levels down you have to go, to find a woman or a person of color. I didn't have to go that many levels down, and it was an abundance of it. So, for me, that's critical, and I think a lot of woman and even underrepresented minorities, they look for that. If you can't see yourself in the senior ranks, then you just question whether there is a life for you there, and a trajectory for you. So, for me, that was important. Also, just a great, cool culture. I get to wear jeans to work you know. >> But Lybra, how did you find out about the culture? What kind of homework did you do? >> You know, that's a good question. I actually knew someone that worked at PayPal, but it's a far cry from my life in New York, which is wonderful, and there are a lot of companies that actually are casual, but beyond just your attire, there is something about it, every time I met someone at PayPal I didn't hear this, "Oh, I work at PayPal". There's enthusiasm, there's authenticity, which is critical, people are who they are, who they are. They don't come to work and they don't shed whatever it is, they can be whoever they want. That, to me, is so important, because I have a personality, I also have an idea, I have a vision. >> Rebecca: I have no idea, Lybra. >> Yeah, no personality, but that's so important to me. So, there was a place where people can feel like they can bring themselves to work, and I know it's a cliche, but you really can. And I think there's also a piece where people actually care about what other people think. I think there's like not a lot of group think, which, a lot of companies are like, "Get along, "go along to get along," that's not there. So, for me, it was so important that I can show up, and be myself, and in the interviews I was all Lybra, and if you can take all Lybra, then, you know, I'm in there, but I think a lot of woman and just people in general want to see themselves at work, and feel like they don't have to try to be someone else. >> And see their aspirational selves, as you said. >> Their aspirations, their goals, people that look like them, but an opportunity to influence, and be creative, and be entrepreneurial, and that is what I needed and wanted, and I think a lot of people are looking for that these days. >> So, earlier in your career you worked in Nicaragua, with the One Laptop per Child Organization. Tell us a little bit about that, and then also connect it to what you're doing today. >> It's so interesting, it is like, first of all I left American Express, moved to Nicaragua and ran a laptop program. I have no tech background. I had never been to Nicaragua, but it was such an amazing opportunity, and it was an opportunity for me to not only to introduce the concept of using laptops to various schools and teachers, but to also get kids to really understand how to use technology to solve problems. This was in 2009, right? But was also just full circle, and it's funny because I talked about this in my interview, was living in Nicaragua, I had a cellphone at the time, but I would have to walk blocks and blocks and blocks in the heat, to the ATM, which may or may not work, to get cash, to go walk a few more blocks to pay for my cellphone to add minutes. And I just thought in my mind, how much easier it would be, like literally just so, >> Rebecca: (laughing) Yes. >> How much easier would it be if I didn't have to do that. So, one of the things I learned was understanding how important tech is, introducing it at young ages, ensuring that people understand, not just the children understand the use of technology, but also we were training teachers who didn't understand technology. That's a huge gap a lot of people miss. But also, the function of how to operate when the infrastructures aren't there. Fast forward to 2017, interviewing at a company like PayPal that actually opens up opportunities for people who wouldn't have that. >> And here in the US we can be very Western centric. >> That's right. >> But to think about how tech is this great equalizer for developing countries, helping, making person to person payments easier, more seamless. >> Financial inclusion, that's what this company is about. So not only did I go to the website to look at who was on the board, who were the leaders, you know, Dan Schulman, following him, but also really being behind the vision and the mission of a company, and there's not a person at PayPal that does not agree with what we're doing. And it's so fantastic, and it's everything I thought about during my time at American Express, also at One Laptop per Child, but it all just is full circle, and it's just everything that I've always wanted. So you feel like you're in the right place, you know? >> So, you're one month in. >> Lybra: One month in. >> I want to know what you want the future to hold for PayPal, so when we're sitting down next year Lybra, at the next Grace Hopper conference. >> Lybra: Yes. >> What do you want to look back as the accomplishments of PayPal, both in terms of recruiting more women, retaining more women, and also the programs keep them happy in their roles. >> Yes, yeah. I mean, you know what, in one year, I would love to see more people of color here. I mean, I definitely think that, even as just looking around the room, I definitely see diversity within Grace Hopper, but I definitely see that we're missing the Black and Latino population. And that part is very critical, as we look at the numbers and we look at diversity within the women's movement. So that part, I would love for PayPal to be able to contribute to that. But how do we bring more women of color into these conversations and having a seat at the table so I would love for that. Grace Hopper, more men, we have men here. Our Chief Technology Officer is here. >> Rebecca: (laughing) It's a secret. >> We've got probably two to three men that are with us, and I definitely want to bring more. I think the only way to have a conversation is to bring everyone to be part of it. And so, I know we can do that next year, and I just have a feeling that the way that global diversity is looking at DNI as it relates to women. We can look at women, but we're looking at everyone. And we want to create those opportunities. And there's a lot of focus on recruiting, but for us we really want to talk about retention and culture. Because we can bring them in the door, we need you to stay. We need you to stay, we need you to build, we need you to be entrepreneurs, and we need you to ascend through the ranks. So anything that our team can do to ensure that, that's where the dirty work is. This is all fun and exciting, but it's like getting back to PayPal offices, ensuring that not only do we have the women at PayPal, but they see themselves in leadership opportunities, and they have those opportunities. So that's exciting for us too. >> You talked about the numbers, and the numbers are bleak right now. >> Yes. >> So, it's 25%, women represent 25% of workers in the tech industry, 15% of leaders, and the numbers are even more abysmal for Black and Latino women. >> Lybra: Yes absolutely. >> So if you could talk to the young Lybra out there >> Lybra: Oh my God. >> The person who aspires to have a rewarding and rich career in technology. What would you say to her? >> Here is what I love though. I have to say this. This is my first tech job to be honest. What I'm hearing about are all these organizations, and even Melinda Gates talked about this. There are so many organizations that are going into the schools to ensure that a lot of these young women from all walks of life have access to technology. Computer Science. To really understand the value of using technlogy to solve problems. So, what I would love to do is continue those partnerships, and be very, very targeted and specific about it. Because, there's a lot of that's happening, but we need to pull through all the way. Like, do they stop at the fifth grade, what happens in Middle School, what happens in High School? Do they go to certain schools that don't have these programs. So there has to be kind of of a pull through affect. I think if you're interested, there are opportunities. But you have to stay involved, and I think that's the hard part because there's that drop off that I was just talking about. I think there's a lot of commitment in the schools, but then you may drop off after that, so what do we do to kind of bridge that gap. I would love for companies to think more of this middle to high school bridge program. Where, not only do you learn at the young age, but also you're starting to invent and be more thoughtful and be entrepreneurs, because that's what we need more of. Hopefully, we'll be able to tackle that at some point, we'll see, but the sky's the limit I think. >> Do you have any also advice for, I know you're an expert in public-private partnerships. >> Lybra: Yes yes. >> Do you have any advice for companies as well as organizations that want to team up and work on this problem. >> Yeah, you know what though, I think there's a lot of these organizations as I said earlier, but I think that if companies take one particular school, or one particular idea and just go full throttle, I think that helps. >> Rebecca: And use it as a test case or? >> It's a pilot, and see what else happens. But I think when there's a more specific and targeted goal with one particular entity it helps to build a momentum. You're constantly involved and engaged, and you don't lose anything as a result of kind of hopping around. Public-private partnerships are so hard, you know there's political, there's the politics behind it, there are people that leave, so you don't get the continuity as much, but you try. >> So, I think that's exciting to note, the experiment, you see what works, and then you are able to take those best practices and scale them up. >> Absolutely absolutely. >> Great. Well, Lybra Clemons, thanks so much it's been really fun talking to you. >> Thank you I had a wonderful time. >> Good luck and thank you. >> Thanks. >> I'm Rebecca Knight, we'll have more from the Grace Hopper conference here in Orlando, Florida, just after this. (upbeat music)