StartupWA Community Code of Conduct
Why we have this
StartupWA exists to help Western Australian founders build great companies. That works best when the community is open, generous, and safe for people to show up as themselves, ask dumb questions, share early ideas, and take real risks. This Code of Conduct sets out how we expect people to treat each other so the community keeps doing what it does well.
It applies to everyone who participates in StartupWA (founders, operators, investors, mentors, partners, sponsors, staff, and guests) across every level of engagement.
Where it applies
This Code applies to:
In-person events. Meetups, pitch nights, workshops, conferences, demo days, social gatherings, and any side events organised under the StartupWA banner.
Online spaces. Our mailing lists, social channels, forums, and any other digital space we host.
Mentorship and 1:1s. Mentor sessions, office hours, introductions made through StartupWA, and follow-up conversations that start in our spaces.
This code also applies to individuals representing StartupWA in any capacity (speaking at an event, mentoring a founder, posting in a channel) at other events.
What we expect
We want StartupWA to be a place where people can be ambitious, candid, and kind at the same time. In practice, that looks like:
Be welcoming. Assume good intent, especially with newcomers. Make space for people who are early in their journey, new to the city, or new to the industry.
Be respectful. Disagree with ideas, not people. Critique work, not character. Strong opinions are welcome. Contempt isn't.
Be generous. Share what you know. Make introductions when you can. Give credit clearly.
Be honest. Be upfront about conflicts of interest, commercial relationships, and what you actually know versus what you're guessing.
Look out for each other. If you see someone being talked over, excluded, or made uncomfortable, do something, even if it's just changing the subject or checking in afterwards.
What's not okay
The following behaviour is not welcome in any StartupWA space:
Harassment, intimidation, or unwelcome attention of any kind, including based on gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, religion, age, disability, body size, appearance, or background.
Sexual language, imagery, or advances in community spaces. Romantic or sexual interest in other community members is your business. Pursuing it through StartupWA channels, or after someone has asked you to stop, is not.
Personal attacks, public shaming, or sustained disruption of conversations and events.
Sharing someone else's personal information, pitch, financials, or private messages without their permission.
Using StartupWA spaces primarily to spam, recruit aggressively, or push commercial offers without disclosure.
Retaliating against someone for raising a concern in good faith.
Behaviour that's illegal under Western Australian or Australian law.
This list isn't exhaustive. The principle is simple: if it would make a reasonable person feel unsafe, unwelcome, or used, don't do it.
Specific notes on common situations
Pitching and feedback. Founders share early, rough work in our spaces. Treat pitches and decks shared in confidence as confidential unless told otherwise. Don't poach ideas, recreate what you've seen, or share materials outside the room.
Mentorship. Mentors hold an asymmetric position. Don't use it to push commercial terms, equity, advisory shares, or personal relationships during a mentoring relationship. If a commercial conversation makes sense, end the mentoring relationship first and disclose it.
Investors and founders. Cold pitches in DMs and at events are part of how this works. "No" is a complete sentence on both sides. Don't pressure, don't follow up indefinitely, and don't use access to events as leverage.
Alcohol. Many of our events serve alcohol. Drink responsibly, and remember that the Code applies whether you're sober or not. Being drunk is not an excuse for behaviour that breaches it.
Photos and recording. Assume events are not on the record unless organisers say otherwise. Ask before posting photos that identify someone, and respect requests to take content down.
Speak Up
Speaking up is how a community looks after itself. If something doesn't feel right, to you or to someone you know, we want to hear about it, even if you're not sure it crosses a line.
You can speak up about anything that concerns you, including:
Behaviour that may breach this Code of Conduct.
Bullying, harassment, discrimination, or unsafe conduct.
Bias or exclusion in how events, programs, or opportunities are run.
Conflicts of interest, misuse of community resources, or financial misconduct.
Anything you've witnessed that has made you, or someone else, feel unsafe or unwelcome.
Our commitments to you when you speak up:
You will be heard. Every report is read by a real person, taken seriously, and acknowledged within two business days.
You will be supported. You can bring a friend, mentor, or support person to any conversation. We can connect you with external support services if helpful.
You will be protected. Retaliation against anyone who speaks up in good faith, directly or indirectly, by an organiser or another community member, is itself a breach of this Code and will be acted on.
Your confidentiality will be respected. We will only share what we need to share to act on the concern, and we'll tell you before we do.
Good faith is enough. You don't need proof, certainty, or the "right" words. If something concerned you, that's reason enough to raise it.
You can speak up even if:
You're not sure whether what happened was serious enough.
You weren't directly affected.
The person involved is well known, well liked, or in a position of influence.
Time has passed since the event.
You want to raise it anonymously (see channels below).
Silence protects bad behaviour. Speaking up protects the community.
How to raise a concern
If something has happened to you, or you've seen something that worries you, please tell us. You don't need to be certain it breached the Code. If it sat wrong, that's enough reason to flag it.
Email: info@startupwa.com.au
Reports go to a small group of StartupWA organisers responsible for community safety. We'll confirm we've received your report within two business days, listen, and work with you on what happens next.
You can ask to:
Talk it through informally without further action.
Have us speak with the other person on your behalf.
Make a formal report that we investigate.
We'll keep your identity confidential to the extent we can while still acting on the concern. You can also raise something on behalf of someone else.
At an event. You can raise a concern in person, on the night, with any StartupWA board member present. Board members typically wear yellow StartupWA-branded shirts at our events so they should be easy to find.
You can also see who's on the board ahead of time at startupwa.org/board. Pull them aside, give them as much or as little as you want to share, and they'll take it from there. You don't need to wait until the event is over, and you don't need to put anything in writing first.
If the concern involves a StartupWA organiser, email the Chair directly at chair@startupwa.com.au.
Anonymous reports can be submitted by emailing info@startupwa.org from an anonymous or throwaway email address. We'll act on them where we can, though acting on an anonymous report is sometimes harder, so we'd encourage you to give us a way to come back to you if you're comfortable.
What can happen
Depending on what's involved, outcomes can include:
A private conversation and a request to change behaviour.
A formal warning.
Removal from a specific event, channel, or program.
A temporary or permanent ban from StartupWA spaces.
Referral to police or other authorities where conduct is unlawful.
We'll tell the person who raised the concern what action we've taken, in general terms.
A note on this document
This Code is a living document. If something here doesn't match how the community is actually working, or if we've missed something important, tell us. We'd rather update it than let it go stale.
Thanks for being part of StartupWA.
Questions about this Code, please contact us.
Last update: April 2026