Who We Are
Vision: A future where shaping AI is a shared practice.
Mission: To build the technology layer where AI is shaped through relationship, not extraction.
POIETO is relational AI infrastructure. We make software, teach and consult with it, and host programs across enterprise, education, and the arts. The people we serve have often been harmed by institutions that treated them as data points rather than people. That history is why how we show up matters as much as what we build.
This Code of Conduct is grounded in our five values:
Ecosystem Participation
We enter communities as a guest and leave them stronger. We do not extract — from data, from relationships, or from the people we serve.
Living Governance & Consent
Consent is not a checkbox. It is ongoing. People decide what is collected, how it is used, and when it stops — in our software and in how we treat participants.
Symbiotic Inclusion
Those affected by technology help create it. The people most impacted have the most to contribute. We build the infrastructure to make that possible — and we practice it in how we run our programs.
Adaptive Accountability
We do not declare ourselves accountable — we build systems that make accountability visible and revisable over time. This Code is one of those systems.
Creative Pluralism & Innovation
Different communities, disciplines, and ways of knowing produce better outcomes. Sameness is a design flaw. We honor that in our programs, our hiring, and how we work together.
Who This Is For
This Code of Conduct applies to all POIETO INC personnel: employees, teaching artists, contractors, volunteers, and board members. It describes the professional standards we hold ourselves to in our work, with each other, and with the communities we serve.
POIETO works at the intersection of art, technology, and community care. The people we serve bring histories and circumstances that demand we show up with skill, integrity, and respect. This code is the floor, not the ceiling.
Standards of Conduct
1. Integrity
- Be honest in all communications — with participants, partners, funders, and colleagues
- Do not misrepresent POIETO's programs, outcomes, or credentials
- Do not use POIETO's name, resources, or relationships for personal gain
- Disclose conflicts of interest to Christine Meinders before they affect decisions
2. Respect for Participants
- Treat every participant as a capable adult with agency over their own life and work
- Do not make assumptions about participants based on their history, housing status, involvement with systems, or background
- Honor participant choices — including the choice not to participate, not to share, and not to consent
- Do not discuss individual participants' personal circumstances with other participants or outside POIETO
- Do not photograph, record, or share images of participants without explicit, per-instance consent
3. Professional Boundaries
- Maintain the boundaries defined in the POIETO Safe Interaction & Abuse Prevention Policy Package at all times
- Do not form personal friendships, romantic relationships, or financial relationships with current program participants
- Do not share personal social media, personal phone numbers, or personal email with participants
- Do not discuss your own personal life, relationships, or challenges in ways that shift the dynamic or burden participants
4. Safe Environment
- Never be alone with a lone participant — follow the two-adult / open-door rule without exception
- Report suspicious behavior or policy violations to the Designated Investigator same day
- Do not use drugs or alcohol before or during program activities
- Do not bring weapons or controlled substances to program sites
5. Professionalism
- Arrive prepared and on time. Notify Samuel-Joey Alleyne at least 3 days in advance of any absence
- Complete all required documentation — session notes, timesheets, incident reports — accurately and on time
- Communicate operational concerns (scheduling, absences, session notes) to Samuel-Joey Alleyne · Communicate conduct or policy concerns to Ginny Song (COO) or Christine Meinders — not through other staff or participants
- Represent POIETO professionally in public, including on social media
6. Confidentiality
- Do not share participant information — names, stories, disclosures, personal circumstances — outside POIETO without written consent
- Do not share POIETO's internal documents, contracts, financial information, or personnel matters with outside parties
- When in doubt about what to share, ask Christine Meinders first
7. Social Media
- Do not post about specific participants or identifiable program situations on personal social media
- Do not post content that could embarrass POIETO or contradict our values
- Do not represent your personal views as POIETO's institutional position
- Tag or reference POIETO positively only with the organization's awareness
8. Equity and Inclusion
- Do not discriminate against any participant, colleague, or partner on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, disability, age, housing status, or justice system involvement
- Name harm when you see it — including microaggressions and exclusionary behavior
- Support a working environment where everyone can do their best work
This section draws on the Queerious Labs Code of Conduct (queeriouslabs.com), whose framing of unwelcome attention and community accountability shaped our approach. Adapted and rewritten for POIETO's context.
9. Harassment-Free Environment — Our Pledge
We pledge to make participation in POIETO programs and community spaces a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of age, body size, disability, ethnicity, sex characteristics, gender identity and expression, level of experience, education, socio-economic status, nationality, personal appearance, race, religion, or sexual identity and orientation.
Behavior that contributes to a positive environment
- Using welcoming and inclusive language
- Being respectful of differing viewpoints and experiences
- Gracefully accepting constructive criticism
- Focusing on what is best for the community
- Showing empathy toward other participants and community members
Behavior that is not acceptable
- Unwelcome attention or advances. Any comment, question, or request that singles someone out for who they are, how they speak, or where they're from. It doesn't have to be hostile or sexual to count — and it applies to everyone in the room.
- Trolling, insulting or derogatory comments, and personal or political attacks
- Public or private harassment or deliberate intimidation
- Publishing others' private information — physical or electronic — without explicit permission
- Persistent disruption of events, conversations, or other activities
- Requiring someone to explain why oppressive behavior or attitudes are harmful
This list is not exhaustive. These are representative examples intended to convey what this standard is about.
Accountability beyond the space
These standards apply within POIETO spaces — physical and digital — and when someone is representing POIETO externally. They also apply beyond the space: the fact that harmful behavior occurred outside a program does not exempt someone from accountability within it. POIETO prioritizes the safety and comfort of those harmed over the access of those who caused harm. Raising a concern about someone's conduct outside the space is not drama — it is part of how we keep this community safe.
Reporting Violations
If you observe a violation of this Code of Conduct, report it to Ginny Song (COO) or Christine Meinders. If the violation involves potential abuse or harm to a participant, use the procedures in the Organizational Abuse Prevention Policy and Safe Interaction Policy. If the violation involves Christine Meinders, contact the board directly.
Reports made in good faith are protected. Retaliation against anyone who reports a concern is a violation of this Code and grounds for termination.
Consequences
Violations of this Code are addressed through corrective action, up to and including termination. The severity and nature of the violation, whether it involved a participant, and whether it represents a pattern will all be considered. Violations involving abuse, harm to participants, or criminal conduct are addressed per the Organizational Abuse Prevention Policy and the Safe Interaction Policy — not solely under this Code.
Acknowledgment — signed at hire, renewed annually
By signing below, I confirm that I have read and understood the POIETO INC Code of Conduct. I agree to conduct myself in accordance with these standards in all work I perform on behalf of POIETO INC.