Adherence to this Community Code of Conduct is expected of all members of the Acumen Academy Community, and any breach of such Code of Conduct will lead to an administrative review, which may result in disciplinary action, up to and including the removal of the offending community member from the community platform and any ongoing programs. Any such review and subsequent action is at the sole discretion of Acumen Fund, Inc. (“Acumen”). The community is an online gathering space, made up of Acumen Fellows, Accelerator Participants and select innovators from around the world and is administered by the Acumen Academy team. This dynamic group represents a cross-section of sectors and experience with members sharing the goal of building impactful and sustainable business models and leading with moral imagination. Programming consists of workshops, peer-to-peer events and resource-sharing.
1. Be an active participant
During each workshop or event, we expect that each member will contribute to discussions, remain focused on the activity at hand, and remain present mentally as well as physically. During workshops and events, we ask that you put aside all outside concerns (including mobile devices), and come prepared to devote 100% of your energies to the session.
Please note that the sessions themselves may happen at different times of day given the global time zones we aim to accommodate. This means discussions may happen late into the evening or begin early in the morning. Members should be prepared to stay focused and engaged throughout the sessions, which requires freeing your schedule and communicating to friends and colleagues that you will be unavailable for the duration of the session. If for any reason this is not possible you will be expected to withdraw from attending that specific session.
2. Be accountable to your fellow members in The Acumen Academy Community
During events and in our online platform you will be expected to work together with groups of other members, from both your cohort and other Acumen programs around the world, to complete tasks, answer questions or collaborate. Do your best to engage generously to offer your help and experience.
3. Respect for, and confidentiality of, your fellow members
The Acumen Academy Community brings together individuals from across regions, sectors, ages, genders, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Each member is carefully chosen because he or she brings to bear a unique set of experiences and accomplishments. By participating, you agree to act in accordance with Acumen’s Code of Ethics and any guidance that may be provided to you from time to time by Acumen. We expect that you will treat your colleagues as equals and show them the utmost respect. Further, we expect that you will treat with due discretion and confidentiality what you share and learn from others, to enable an environment of openness and honesty. We agree not to share another community member's personal information (email, phone number, etc.) without that person's explicit consent.
Acumen celebrates diversity in the Community, and will not tolerate discriminatory behavior on the basis of gender, nationality, tribe, sexuality, disability, cultural background, religion, marital status, age, or political conviction. In addition, Acumen affirms that the Community is a place of camaraderie and collaboration, and that it is not a place for competition between members.
4. Be mindful of, and refrain from, harassment of all kinds
Our primary goal for every event, workshop session or gathering is to create a safe, productive environment where you feel comfortable bringing your full self. Acumen will not tolerate harassment in any form. Our seminars, gatherings, and online platforms are dedicated to providing a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of sex, gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, race, ethnicity, religion, age, or any other legally protected category.
What we are referring to as harassment is unwelcome conduct that can be verbal, physical, nonverbal or visual and can happen in person and/or through written communication or social media before, during or after seminars and gatherings. Specifically, sexual harassment in the form of a “hostile environment” consists of words, signs, jokes, pranks, intimidation or physical violence which are of a sexual nature, or which are directed at an individual because of that individual’s sex (even if not sexual in nature). The person who determines whether conduct is unwelcome is the recipient of the conduct.
To create an environment where everyone feels welcomed, supported, and respected, Acumen expects all members to refrain from harassing others, and play their part in preventing and stopping harassment. We expect that you will not engage in sexual harassment of any kind, and you agree to adhere to any sexual harassment policy applicable to members, which may be established by Acumen from time to time.
5. Support your fellow members in the Community
A key aspect of the Community is the opportunity to network and share lessons among each other. Recognize that you may possess insights that may be valuable to another member, and we ask that you be responsive, courteous, and prompt when approached by other members. We encourage you to actively search for opportunities to collaborate with other members for mutual benefit.
6. Understand your position as a “member of The Acumen Academy Community”
You understand that being a member does not make you an employee, consultant or agent of Acumen, and that you cannot legally bind Acumen in any manner.
In the event that you wish to report any concerns or breaches of this Code of Conduct, please contact the community managers of The Acumen Academy Community directly.
7. Adhere to Slack Guidelines
- You will enable two-factor authentication (2FA).
- Acumen Academy will have full access to all public channels and threads, but will only export direct messages in limited instances. For example: (1) in the event of any ethics, legal or other investigation, relevant members of Acumen staff (including Legal, Talent, senior management and supervisors) may download Slack messages, including direct messages and (2) Acumen may from time to time download data from all Acumen channels as part of its regular recordkeeping process.
- Slack is a professional communication tool, and messages shared over Slack should be treated with the same level of discretion as messages shared over any professional tools. Don’t say something on Slack that you wouldn’t feel comfortable appearing on the front page of the newspaper. In addition, Slack makes it clear that its employees can read any and all of the messages sent via Slack.
- Any information shared by others over Slack should be treated with the confidentiality laid out in Section 3 above.
Future Updates: Acumen may from time to time update this Acumen Academy Community Code of Conduct and will become effective from the date they are posted to Slack. By agreeing to this Code of Conduct you agree to be bound by any such updates. You may review these terms at any time at this link: https://acumen.fyi/community-terms