📜 Founders Union VC Pledge

As an investor in early-stage innovation, I recognize that founders are the backbone of the startup ecosystem — not merely deal flow. Their well-being, agency, and long-term viability are critical not only to our returns but to the future of equitable innovation.

By signing this pledge, I affirm my support for a founder-first ecosystem and commit to the following principles:

🛡 Respect for Founder Stability

• I support the creation and use of non-dilutive funding options that preserve founder ownership and sustainability.
• I believe founders have the right to meaningful equity — no double-digit equity grabs without true, proportional value.
• Founders deserve compensation and healthcare. Labor deserves dignity and protection, even in pre-revenue stages.
• I will not weaponize runway pressure to force premature raises or exits that primarily serve investor timelines.

⚖️ Fairness in Power Dynamics

• I will not condone coercive terms, founder removals, or governance bullying except in clear, evidenced cases of misconduct.
• I support founders' right to dispute resolution through independent arbitration, not just costly litigation.
• I affirm the right to a harassment-free environment — including protection from bullying, intimidation, or discrimination by any ecosystem player.

🧠 Commitment to Transparency

• I support clear, plain-language term sheets that are publicly comparable and reviewed by neutral counsel when possible.
• I believe co-founders must have equitable access to financials and key metrics like burn, P&L, and runway.
• I believe anti-retaliation norms must be enforced to protect founders who speak out or leave unsafe situations.

🤝 Support for Community & Attribution

• I will not interfere with a founder’s access to independent, critical founder communities.
• I respect the right to attribution: credit should be clear, recorded, and not erased post-facto.
• I support fair accelerator norms: no permanent equity for short-term services without transparent public benchmarks.

✍️ Sign the Pledge