Interview with Gina Tost

Gina Tost is a technology journalist, digital strategist, and content creator with a career spanning media, startups, and public policy. She has been a gamer since the ’90s and advocates for diversity and ethical technology adoption. Gina served as Digital Policies Secretary at the Generalitat de Catalunya, driving innovation, inclusion, and citizen-focused digital initiatives. She also co-founded the tech startup Geenapp and continues to work at the intersection of technology, media, and AI on a global scale.

Let's begin this conversation in 2002, when you started your studies in Electronic Art and Design at ESDI. What was your motivation? 

I wanted to study computer science. In fact, I did the technological baccalaureate to pursue engineering, but I didn’t feel capable of doing it (long story), so I chose the closest thing to computers and technology at the university that wasn’t an engineering. On top of that, this degree offered me a fascinating intersection between technology and creativity. At that time, digital tools were becoming a very powerful means of expression, allowing you to create whatever you wanted with meaning. First websites, remember? Technology was being democratized. It was the perfect path for someone like me, with those inner interests, and honestly, it worked out really well for me.

Nice. I also see you passion about games and I found quite endearing your video about Pokemon. Tell me more about that video and also your passion about videogames

My story with videogames starts when I was a little kid, a little girl who loved pressing buttons. I was lucky to have access to consoles and computers thanks to several social and public programs in my neighborhood. I have to say that I realized very early on that videogames were not just entertainment: they were a way to learn, connect with others, and shape your imagination, much like reading a book or traveling. For me, videogames have been a cultural language as valid as cinema or music. They let you explore worlds, make decisions, and experience emotions in a highly interactive way. My passion for videogames is not passive; it is completely active, with a desire to participate, learn, and grow.

Regarding the early days of your professional career you were combining different jobs: community manager, TV host, illustrator, etc. You seem to be a truly restless and multitasking person. Am I wrong?

You’re not wrong at all. Ever since I was young, I’ve loved doing many things and learning, because each path allowed me to discover new skills, people, and experiences. Exploring the world and connecting with others has always been very important to me. I’ve combined many different types of jobs, and each one has taught me something and helped me develop different skills. People have mostly seen my more public side on TV, radio, and media, which has only been about 10% of what I was actually doing. At times, I even had four jobs simultaneously, but of course, the one visible to the public was always the media-related work. I continue to work this way today, and I wouldn’t know how to do it differently.

And how do you compare content creation those days with current times?

Content creation back then was much slower and more deliberate. You had to plan everything in advance, there were fewer tools, and distribution was limited to specific channels like TV, magazines, or forums. Today, content creation is much faster, more accessible, and more interactive. Social media and digital platforms allow anyone to share their ideas instantly and reach a global audience, but it also means the landscape is much more crowded and competitive. The challenge now is not just creating content, but standing out and maintaining authenticity in a world saturated with information and where algorithms shape everything we watch, breath, and learn.

In 2013 you were one of the co-founders of Geenapp, a tech company in the mobile marketing arena. What was your role there and your main responsibilities?

In the beginning, in a startup, you do everything. So I always used to say that I was the CEO, but also the intern of the company. There were three of us, Jaume, Javier and I, and we all acted in the same way. My official title was Chief Operating Officer (COO), and later I became the CEO of the company.

As a co-founder and one of the driving forces behind the company’s vision and strategy, my main responsibilities included product development, defining the user experience, and handle clients and providers. I worked closely with the team to ensure that our solutions were innovative, effective, and aligned with the needs of the market. Is was a time were there was no “Mobile marketing market”, everything was virgin. We stayed agile and creative as we grew, and for example, we “invented” a fraud control system before the market was talking about fraud. 

By the way, the name of the company sounds like your name. Coincidence or on-purpose?

It wasn’t me! It was Javi and Jaume, they choose it maybe because I had a stroke at that time and thought it was a nice nod to me and my possible death. FUN FACT: In dutch it means “no-apps”.

In these interviews I usually talk to people working in the “Data Field”, so I am curious to know more details on how Data was being used at Geenapp

The data at Geenapp was extremely sensitive. I remember we could legally collect unimaginable amounts of user data. Even things like the operating system version or the time it took to download and open an app were very sensitive data that revealed a lot of information. 

It was a time when people were starting to talk about Big Data, and I always joked about which Excel cell counts as Big Data. Because it was… well, actually it still is a somewhat ridiculous concept. 

If the company were founded today, it would probably have “artificial intelligence” tag somewhere in its marketing strategy. In the end, we were dealing with algorithmic and mathematical problems, pure and simple. And if not, what is machine learning or artificial intelligence if not mathematics and algorithms?

The most amazing thing we did was being able to process that unimaginable amount of data in milliseconds so that the user wouldn’t have to wait, and with a single click could access the information they needed at any moment, anywhere in the world, and on any device… also with their native language! 

Let’s talk about your role as Digital Policies Secretary at Generalitat de Catalunya (from November 2022 until September 2024). What were your main responsibilities?

As Digital Policies Secretary at the Generalitat de Catalunya, my main responsibilities were to define and implement strategies for digital transformation across public administration, promote innovation and technological development, and ensure that digital policies were inclusive, ethical, and aligned with societal needs. I worked on fostering digital literacy, improving access to technology, and coordinating projects that combined technology, sustainability, and citizen engagement. Additionally, I collaborated with different departments, companies, and civil society to create policies that would have a long-term positive impact on Catalonia’s digital ecosystem.

And when thinking about this period at Generalitat, what are you more proud of?

What I’m most proud of from that time is that we built a really strong team within the government, and we were able to help many small towns in Catalonia that don’t usually receive much support… and also many marginalized groups, 

But above all, I am super proud of how we advanced on Deep Tech and internal digitization across Catalonia. I believe this is a decisive moment for any place in the world (for any professional, research center, university, company, or school) to take a bold step forward in technology. We must not forget that the tools of today are what ultimately shape the people of tomorrow.

Sometimes I feel that politics only thinks about the next elections and moves in a kind of cycle from one election to the next. We were able to focus on long-term strategies, laying the groundwork so that things would work beyond the immediate term and have a lasting impact, allowing us to play the big games of the future with major players, rather than adopting the more regionalist perspective that governments sometimes fall into.

One of your responsibilities was promoting digital rights and ethical technology adoption in Catalonia. Could you share the main highlights?

The most important thing was putting citizens at the center. We worked on digital rights, privacy, accessibility, and transparency. We wanted ethical adoption of technology in both the public and private sectors. We also launched many initiatives for digital support and inclusion, helping small towns, marginalized groups, and public institutions across the territory.

We know there are five types of digital gaps, which are well-identified and that we actively addressed. The first is economic: not having enough money to buy a phone/computer. The second is physical: living in an area without a cable, antenna, or satellite to provide coverage. The third is cultural: content not being available in one’s language. The fourth is educational: not knowing how to use a computer or a mobile device. And the last is gender: women have historically been marginalized in the digital ecosystem, and today they still represent only about 27%, so we need to push for 50%. If women don’t participate in the tools we use, our needs won’t be addressed, nor our way of seeing the world. And when I say women, I also mean diverse bodies, different origins, and all those groups that usually fall outside the standards.

Interestingly, during this period, the European “AI Act” was approved. What do you think about it? 

I believe that European regulation of artificial intelligence is progressing far too slowly, and I also see many dangers.  First of all, there’s a lot of lobbying trying to portray regulation as the opposite of innovation, when in reality, innovation should always operate within a framework. 

I often use aviation as an example: there is extensive regulation precisely so that accidents don’t happen and passengers can fly safely. That doesn’t mean there isn’t innovation in airplanes or aeronautical technologies. it means that when innovation occurs, we know it doesn’t put passengers at risk. The same principle applies to AI: we want innovation, but it must not work against the users who will actually use it.

On the other hand, I worry that all this regulation will end up like a pop-up on a website, as we’ve seen with GDPR or cookies, that is more of a nuisance than a real benefit. It’s important to have the regulations, of course, and the EU’s efforts are well-intentioned, but often in practice they conflict with the everyday usability for citizens. 

We need to stay vigilant and keep working to make sure regulation is truly effective and doesn’t leave people behind. Big tech companies shouldn’t always win just because they think they’re above the real harm. We know what happens when tech companies self-regulate above ethics and morality. We’ve seen it in cases like Facebook and Cambridge Analytica. Experience shows that what these companies say isn’t always in favor of human rights and user protection.

Echoing on your answer, some companies claim the EU is over-regulating and even hindering innovation. For instance, a few months ago, Mark Zuckerberg and Daniel Ek wrote an open letter on why Europe should embrace open-source AI . What do you think about it?

While these concerns are valid, it's important to note that the EU's regulatory approach aims to balance innovation with user protection, ensuring that AI technologies are developed and deployed responsibly. The challenge lies in creating regulations that are both effective and adaptable to the rapidly evolving AI landscape.

If they’re so concerned about open source, I don’t understand why they work so hard to maintain their monopoly. 

And recently you joined ISDIN as manager 3.0. What are your main responsibilities?

I focus on creation, management, and AI, of all content from a corporate perspective, on a global scale. It’s really a challenge, but with outstanding outcome thanks to my teammates.

As you previously mentioned, Gender Gap is one of the biggest issues in STEM (according to recent statistics, it remains significant with women making up only 27% of the STEM workforce). And gaming -one of your passions- has also a reputation of being a male arena. What has been your experience in terms of bias and discrimination of women in these fields?

I’ve been a gamer since the ’90s, so I understand this kind of sexism perfectly. Back then, video games were aimed at a male audience. It wasn’t until Nintendo, with the Wii, that gaming opened up to a much more diverse audience. Before that, female gamers were offered pink consoles and games like “Imagina ser: Diseñadora” or Barbie games. Nothing else. Not Zelda, not Mario, definitely not Metal Gear.

People used to tell me I was a boy because I liked Sonic. I always said it had nothing to do with that: liking a blue hedgehog who collects rings doesn’t require being male to appreciate it. Those were different times.

Fortunately, things have changed. The problem now is that with the rise of the far right, many people, whether for popularity, as a joke, or because they genuinely believe it, end up adopting these discriminatory discourses. 

I think I’ve faced normal discrimination that anyone exposed in a sector might encounter, not specifically because I’m a woman. But it’s true that I’ve had to prove ten thousand times more than many of my male colleagues that I was capable of doing certain things. Many times I’ve been asked if I really knew about video games or if I was just following a trend. I’m sure no man around me would have been asked the same.

And what can we do to close the Gender Gap? 

Tough question! Closing the gender gap requires action on multiple levels. First, we need to ensure equal access to education and digital skills for all genders from an early age. Mentorship and visibility of women in tech and gaming are crucial so younger generations can see role models. Companies must adopt inclusive hiring practices and workplace policies that support diversity. Finally, society as a whole needs to challenge stereotypes and biases that discourage women and marginalized groups from participating fully in technology and digital spaces.

It’s about creating an environment where everyone’s contributions are valued and opportunities are equal.

But I truly believe we keep failing year after year, as the numbers aren’t improving. In our country, the number of women studying tech-related degrees isn’t increasing either. The path for women in the tech world is tougher than it is for men, which is already challenging enough. No one wants to struggle unnecessarily in life. Therefore, we need to stop presenting it as something difficult and intimidating, and instead start promoting it as a place where real-world problems are solved and where incredible careers can be built.

I also think, on a cultural level, it would be great to have a TV series where women in tech and science are portrayed as stunning, popular, and fuckable. Until now, everyone represented in this ecosystem has been shown as nerdy or socially awkward, which doesn’t help much. People don’t want to be nerds, freaks, or outsiders! They want to be popular, have lots of friends, and be desired. We need to start seeing that these kinds of profiles are the ones that fill media attention.