In the rapidly evolving world of blockchain, digital finance and artificial intelligence, few women have emerged at the helm of cutting-edge innovation. Yi Luo, founder and CEO of Eunice, is one of those rare leaders. As she builds Eunice’s pioneering stablecoin compliance platform, she is not just shaping the future of digital finance, but also challenging the gender imbalances that have long defined the tech industry.
Luo’s journey has taken her across continents and industries, from venture capital to fintech, and now into the heart of blockchain. Yet throughout her career, she has navigated an environment where women remain underrepresented, particularly at the leadership level.
“There’s definitely a lot of challenge when it comes to being a female CEO. Most of the rooms I sit in are still overwhelmingly male. And in crypto, it’s even more so,” Luo reflected in an exclusive conversation with Collective for Equality.
Raised to expect equality; aware of systemic gaps
Much of Luo’s resilience can be traced back to her upbringing in China during the one-child policy era. As the sole child in her family, she was never raised with diminished expectations because of her gender.
“I was always held to the same standards as my male peers, in academics, sports, everything. So even now, I genuinely believe that my startup should be evaluated purely on its performance: revenue, client engagement, product impact,” she said.
While Luo personally focuses on building her business based on merit, she is well aware that structural inequalities persist, especially for women seeking to enter male-dominated sectors like blockchain and AI.
“The industry would benefit immensely from more diversity – not just gender diversity, but diversity of background and perspective. Yet for young women entering the crypto space, it’s challenging if they don’t see enough senior women to look up to. That lack of visible role models makes it harder for many to stay and grow in the sector,” she said.
Over-advised, underfunded: the uphill battle for women founders
One of the most persistent systemic challenges, Luo notes, is the chronic funding gap facing female entrepreneurs. Despite a surge of awareness in recent years, venture capital continues to disproportionately favour male-led startups.
“Female founders, including myself, are often over-advised and underfunded,” she stated bluntly. “Last year, in both Europe and the US, only a single-digit percentage of venture capital went to female-founded tech startups. That has to change.”
Luo believes that genuine transformation will only come when more women founders succeed at scale, creating a cycle where successful female leaders reinvest capital, mentorship, and networks into the next generation of women entrepreneurs.
She cites Canva’s co-founder Melanie Perkins as a powerful example.
“Canva faced over 150 rejections in its early fundraising days. Perkins was never sure if the rejections were due to the business model or because she was a young woman founder. But eventually, she built an incredible product that solved real problems – and today, Canva is a global success story. We need more stories like that,” Luo said.
The importance of mentors—and male allies
While systemic gaps remain, Luo is quick to acknowledge the critical role that mentors, both women and men, have played in her journey.
“My mentors have been my safety net – in business development, fundraising, and personal growth. I have both female and male mentors who have believed in my mission and supported me every step of the way. Without them, I wouldn’t be where I am today,” she shared.
Importantly, Luo herself is now paying it forward, mentoring several young founders — both female and male — who are entering the blockchain industry.
“It goes both ways. I want to work with intelligent, driven people, regardless of gender, and invest my time and knowledge in helping them build their own ventures,” she said.
Challenging the myth of risk aversion
Luo also challenges long-held stereotypes that women are naturally more risk-averse than men — particularly in high-stakes sectors like tech entrepreneurship.
“I don’t think women are inherently more risk-averse. I think we’re socialised to be more cautious, to play safer roles, especially in some Asian cultures. But the earlier in your career you take risks, the better. If things don’t work out, you can always pivot or return to a safer path. The real risk is waiting too long and never trying,” Luo advised.
Her own path reflects that mindset: making bold career shifts, entering nascent industries, and founding a company at the forefront of regulatory technology for digital assets.
Motherhood, leadership and redefining expectations
As a mother of two, Luo also speaks candidly about balancing the demands of family life with those of building a high-growth startup. Yet she rejects the notion that motherhood should limit women’s professional ambitions.
“I build startups whether I have kids or not. Parenthood is just one stage of life, like any other. It’s not a reason to stop taking risks or building businesses,” she said. “I prefer people not to even ask me how I manage being a mother and an entrepreneur — it should be normal.”
A mission beyond gender: Building solutions that matter
While she remains a vocal advocate for improving gender representation in tech, Luo is ultimately focused on building a company that solves real problems for the financial sector.
Through Eunice, she is helping regulators, brokers, and financial institutions navigate the complex world of stablecoins, bringing much-needed compliance, transparency and risk monitoring to one of digital finance’s fastest-growing segments.
“When we solve genuine pain points for the market, gender doesn’t need to be the headline,” she said. “But as more women succeed on the basis of strong products and strong businesses, the landscape will naturally shift.”
In both her business vision and personal leadership, Yi Luo exemplifies the kind of change Collective for Equality seeks to spotlight: a new generation of women founders redefining what’s possible, and building the inclusive future of tech from the ground up.
