When you check in to a Venture Café event you become a visitor. You also become a member of a local and global community. We hope that you come to care about it as much as we do. Our goal is that our events remain safe, inclusive, and respectful environments for everyone, including our visitors, staff, ambassadors and other members of our community. To help ensure that, we have worked to articulate our values clearly in this Code of Conduct that we ask you to read and follow. This document is a resource to support you. – The Venture Café team
At Venture Café, we are committed to being a safe and welcoming place for all. We aspire to create an environment where our visitors and staff can flourish and innovate. We invite you to help us build a space that allows everyone to be their best selves. Simply put, this means respecting one another and treating others with consideration and empathy. We recognize we cannot foresee every possible issue that may arise. Venture Café therefore reserves the right to address all concerns of potential harassment at our discretion and on a case-by-case basis.
In the case of an emergency, you should always first contact the appropriate local emergency response or resources. If you experience or observe unacceptable behavior at a Venture Café event, please reach out to anyone on the Venture Café team. Our ambassadors can provide you with any Venture Café team member’s email you may need.
If you are unsure whether the Venture Café Code of Conduct has been violated, please know that you do not need to make that determination before speaking with someone.
Though we will be as transparent as possible in this process, it is at our sole discretion (except as required by law) to determine what does constitute a violation of this policy and what, if any, information we are able to share about the outcome of such reports. We aim to evaluate each situation by asking ourselves, “What would a reasonable person think?” Please note that Venture Café generally does not have the resources to conduct a formal investigation. Venture Café reserves the right to act to resolve each matter as it sees fit, based on the information known at the time by the Venture Café directors involved in the resolution.
Lastly, let us say: Thank you. At Venture Café, we strongly believe that our community is formed and fostered by feedback from our visitors and staff. If you have questions, comments, or suggestions related to this Code of Conduct, please reach out to your local Venture Café team to share.
Venture Café may review the Code of Conduct periodically and make updates or changes. You can always find the current version at https://venturecafe[LOCATION].org/code-of-conduct.
Harassment is defined as unwelcome conduct of a verbal, nonverbal, or physical nature that is sufficiently severe and/or persistent to create a work environment that a reasonable person would consider intimidating, hostile, or abusive and that negatively affects a person’s work environment. In determining whether unwelcome conduct is harassing, Venture Café will examine the totality of the circumstances surrounding the conduct, including its frequency, nature, and severity, the relationship between the parties, and the context in which the conduct occurred.
A state of being closely related to a Hate Group, either formal or informal, representing a certain worldview, views, ideas or sharing a common goal, philosophy, or beliefs, including displaying Forbidden Symbolism. A Hate Group is an organization, or movement that advocates and practices crime, hatred, hostility, or violence. Forbidden Symbolism includes symbolism defined as forbidden under state, federal, national, or local law. It also includes any symbolism commonly associated with Hate Groups, groups or systems of oppression, or symbols of hate or disrespect, especially towards marginalized groups, as well as symbols commonly and historically associated with any groups or movements that are discriminatory. Displaying Forbidden Symbolism includes use in any form of media including, but not limited to, as parts of attire, posters, any form of art, tattoos, flags, any form of broadcast, verbal statements, gestures, and others.
At Venture Café, inclusive means making space for community members to participate and be heard, communicating transparently, inviting feedback and open conversations, reflecting conversations with deliberate action, and creating a community that prioritizes personal and communal safety.
Refers to the broader group of visitors, ambassadors, employees, vendors, partners, and friends of Venture Café, who are using Venture Café facilities.
Any item which might reasonably constitute a threat to health and welfare.
