Community Code of Conduct

last updated: Feb 22, 2024

These rules apply to all members of the VNTR Capital community, including all types of membership (LITE, PRO, GP, LP, SYNDICATE, CORPORATE, VC TEAM).

VNTR Membership Criteria

In order to cultivate a secure space where VNTR Capital members can learn from each other, share deal flow, and support each other, we maintain a comprehensive set of guidelines for acceptance into the community. We prioritize community curation and exert every possible effort to meticulously vet potential community members.

As a premier VC professional community and industry association, membership is extended to individuals with active engagement in full-time professional roles and investment endeavors within the startup ecosystem as Venture Capital investors. Should an individual transition from their full-time role associated with their membership, their membership status will be subject to review and may be revoked accordingly.

Here are the refined guidelines for our community's membership criteria:

1. Venture Capital Focus: Our community is designed for active investment decision-makers at Venture Capital firms, family offices, CVCs, sovereign wealth funds, institutional investors, and angel investors, actively deploying capital in the direct purchase of equity securities in a diversified portfolio of private companies, with a preference for minority ownership.
2. Portfolio Building: We welcome funds of various sizes but emphasize a commitment to building a portfolio of companies.
3. Active Capital Deployment: We support emerging fund managers and first-time funds but require firms to be actively deploying capital.
4. Industry Agnostic: Our community embraces firms investing in all types of private companies, with a focus on tech, consumer, enterprise, frontier technology, healthcare, clean tech, consumer products, food and beverage, and more. We prioritize financially driven funds but welcome those with impact and ESG focus.
5. Apolitical and Financial Focus: Membership is open to apolitical firms prioritizing financial returns. Exceptions are made for funds operating independently with a primary focus on financial investment returns.
6. Venture Studios: Venture studios launching ventures with the intention of transferring ownership to external management teams and maintaining a minority equity position qualify for membership.
7. Corporate Venture Funds: Individuals from traditional corporate venture funds qualify if their fund makes equity investments with a primary objective of financial returns. Exclusions apply to funds operating as traditional corporate development organizations or solely investing in current or prospective clients.
8. Family Offices: Individuals who serve as investment decision-makers, including CEOs, CIOs, or family members directly involved in investment decisions, are welcome to join our membership.
9. Employment Status: Membership is limited to permanent full-time employees. Interim executives, part-time team members, consultants, interns, and similar roles are ineligible.
10. Role Verification: Applicants must have their roles publicly listed and verifiable on third-party websites such as the firm's team page or press releases.
11. Individual Investors: Active business angels and private investors who are currently investing in startups or participating as Limited Partners in funds are eligible for membership.

By adhering to these criteria, our community maintains a high standard while striving to be inclusive and supportive of diverse venture capital entities.

Diversity

VNTR Capital comprises professionals from diverse backgrounds and roles across the globe, united by our shared commitment to advancing the venture capital profession worldwide. Our collective aim is to foster an inclusive, supportive, and welcoming community for all.We are dedicated to creating a safe and friendly environment where individuals of all ages, cultures, ethnicities, gender identities or expressions, nationalities, physical or mental abilities, political beliefs, races, religions, sexes, sexual orientations, socio-economic statuses, and subcultures can thrive. We embrace people regardless of these or any other attributes they may possess.In our pursuit of inclusivity, we strive to accommodate the needs of every community member equally. While we recognize certain limitations, such as language fluency, as our online platform currently operates primarily in English, we encourage content creation in English. For members for whom this presents accessibility challenges, we encourage you to reach out to community leadership to explore options for creating a member hub that caters to your preferred language.

Community Code of Conduct

At VNTR Capital, we uphold essential ground rules for engaging in our community. The following code of conduct applies universally to all participants, including board members, staff, sponsors, and community members alike. This code, along with related procedures, addresses unacceptable behavior across all community platforms, whether online or in-person and encompasses one-on-one interactions where such behavior may impact the safety and well-being of our community.

As professionals, we expect all community members to adhere to the following principles, fostering a positive and inclusive environment:

1. Professionalism: Conduct yourself professionally, maintaining a civil tone and employing welcoming, inclusive language in all communications.
2. Giving Back: Embrace a "give-first" approach, openly sharing insights and knowledge to help fellow community members.
3. Mentorship: Recognize the varying expertise levels within the community. Approach questions from newcomers as opportunities to share wisdom, as mentors once did for you.
4. Respectful Ideation: Feel free to propose radical ideas, inherent to our industry, but do so in a manner that upholds respect and dignity, reflecting positively on yourself and the community.
5. Respect for Diverse Perspectives: Respect differing viewpoints and experiences, engaging in constructive dialogue without resorting to personal attacks or derogatory remarks.
6. Fair Sharing of Experiences: Share negative experiences or perspectives objectively, providing enough context for the community to form its own opinions without defaming individuals or organizations.
7. Confidentiality: Maintain responsibility for sensitive information, ensuring legal compliance regarding copyrights, confidentiality, and non-disclosure agreements.

Additionally, any form of harassment or exclusionary behavior is unacceptable and should be reported. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Sexualized language or imagery, and unwelcome sexual attention or advances.
• Trolling, insults, derogatory comments, and personal or political attacks.
• Disclosure of others' private information without explicit consent.
• Threats, violence, or encouragement of self-harm.
• Discriminatory jokes, insults, or language.
• Offensive remarks related to gender, race, religion, or other personal attributes.
• Harassment based on lifestyle choices or practices.
• Misgendering or use of rejected names.
• Stalking, following, or unwelcome photography/recording/logging online activity.
• Disruption of discussions or inappropriate social contact.
• Continued one-on-one communication after requests to cease.
• Publication of private communication without explicit permission.

These guidelines extend to all community-sanctioned events, unless in conflict with federal or regional laws. Additionally, possession or use of weapons and drugs are prohibited at any VNTR Capital-affiliated event.

Reporting

If you encounter harassment involving a VNTR Capital member or witness such behavior toward another member, we urge you to promptly reach out to us. Our commitment is to address your concerns as quickly as possible.

When reporting a violation, please provide as much of the following information as you can:

• Identifying/contact information of the alleged violator.
• Contact details of the complainant or the target of the violation.
• Description of the behavior, including time and circumstances.
• Names of any other individuals involved.
• Preference for anonymity, if desired.

This code of conduct applies to all VNTR Capital events, platform, and community spaces. Should harassment occur outside our purview, we still encourage you to inform us.  If harassment occurs outside our spaces, we encourage you to inform us. We take all reports of harassment seriously, regardless of where or when the incident occurred. We reserve the right to exclude individuals from the community based on past behavior, including actions outside the VNTR Capital community.

We may reject reports made in bad faith, intended to stifle legitimate criticism, and may delete such reports without response.

VNTR Capital is responsible for notifying the alleged offender, investigating the complaint, determining any violation, deciding on appropriate penalties, and communicating the resolution to the parties involved.

We respect requests for confidentiality to protect abuse victims. We may publicly disclose the identity of an individual involved in harassment if it enhances the safety of VNTR Capital members or the public. We will not disclose victims' identities without their explicit consent.If you feel unsafe, please contact law enforcement immediately.

Consequences

We hold all participants accountable for their actions. Should a mistake occur, we expect individuals to take ownership of it. If harm or offense has been caused, it falls upon us to attentively and respectfully listen, striving to rectify the situation. Participants are required to cease any harassing behavior immediately upon request.

In cases where a participant engages in harassing behavior, VNTR Capital reserves the right to take necessary actions, including but not limited to membership termination. We may also disclose the identity of the participant as a harasser to other VNTR Capital members or the public, and report the incident to relevant authorities.

Community Guidelines, Best Practices and Norms

The following guidelines outline best practices for fostering a positive community environment. While distinct from our Code of Conduct, adherence to these recommendations is crucial for maintaining community harmony. Though violation may not lead to immediate removal, we trust that you will appreciate and abide by these principles.

Respect for Privacy:Exercise caution when sharing sensitive information within the community to avoid breaching employer confidentiality or non-disclosure agreements. Refrain from divulging community-shared information, including personal contact details, to individuals outside the group.

Enforcement of Community Guidelines:

Our aim is to ensure a welcoming environment for all. We operate on a three-strike warning system for behavior inconsistent with our guidelines:

1. First occurrence: Public or private reminder regarding inappropriate behavior as per our guidelines.
2. Second occurrence: Private message alerting the community member that further violations may lead to removal.
3. Third occurrence: Depending on the severity, membership may be temporarily or permanently revoked.

Immediate Ban:

Obvious spammers or individuals soliciting members, or promoting products/services for personal gain, will be banned upon first occurrence. Membership Termination

All community members are guaranteed access based on their membership tier throughout the duration of their active membership.Membership termination may occur for various reasons, including:

1. Self-Requested Termination: Members have the autonomy to request removal from the community at any time by emailing membership@vntr.vc.
2. Violation of Code of Conduct: Any breaches of our community's code of conduct are treated seriously, and termination may result from such violations. Upon termination, members will be notified via email using the address provided in their account. Should a member dispute their removal, they may contact us to appeal the decision.

Please note:

• Membership dues are non-refundable, regardless of termination.
• If termination occurs before the end of the paid membership period, any excess fees will not be reimbursed to the individual or their sponsoring organization.