Code of conduct

• Contribute. Come ready to help as much as to ask. Share what you know, make the introduction, answer the ask.
• Treat everyone with respect. People join at every stage, from every industry and background. Listen as carefully as you talk.
• Follow through. Do what you say you'll do. RSVP honestly, and cancel if you can't make it so someone on the waitlist can come.
• Be honest about yourself. Keep your profile accurate and represent your business truthfully.
• Respect our hosts. Follow the venue's rules, drink responsibly, and leave the space the way you found it.

VI is a place to build relationships. It is not a lead list.

• Don't hard-sell at events or in the member platform. If someone is interested, they'll ask.
• Don't add people to mailing lists, sales sequences or group chats without their clear permission.
• Don't use the directory or attendee lists for bulk outreach, scraping or resale.
• Ask for introductions through the platform or the founders, who check with both people first.

• Never share another member's contact details, profile or story outside VI without their permission.
• What's said in a focused group stays in that group unless the person who said it agrees otherwise.
• Ask before photographing or recording people. VI may photograph its events; tell a founder at the event if you'd rather not appear in photos.
• Founding Partners and sponsors never receive members' private information, and following this code is a condition of their partnership too.

• Harassment, intimidation or unwelcome attention of any kind, in person or online.
• Discrimination based on race, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability or any other personal characteristic.
• Threats, violence, or encouraging either.
• Misrepresentation, impersonation or fraud.
• Spam, scraping or misuse of members' information.
• Anything illegal at an event or on the platform.

If something makes you or someone else uncomfortable, tell any founder at the event, or email us. You don't need proof and you don't need to be sure. We'll listen, keep it as confidential as we can, and never hold it against you for raising it. Retaliating against someone who reports a concern is itself a breach of this code.

The founders decide how to respond, in proportion to what happened. That can mean a conversation, a written warning, being asked to leave an event, losing access to the platform, or ending a membership or partnership. Serious incidents can lead straight to removal. If you disagree with a decision about you, email us within 14 days and a founder who wasn't involved will review it.