DreamStart Labs is a US entity registered as a Public Benefit Corporation in the State of Delaware. Unlike a standard for-profit corporation where the board must consider maximizing shareholder value as its prime directive, public benefit corporations serve a double bottom line purpose of building sustainable profitability and creating a positive effect on the economic, environmental, and social well-being of its beneficiaries.
DreamStart Labs chose this business structure to signal to any current or future investor or stakeholder that we are a mission-driven company that will always seek to prioritize social impact alongside sustainability.
Professionalism and Integrity
Our commitment in all business relationships is to treat others as we would want to be treated. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Transparency– We always seek to be honest and realistic about our capabilities, commitments, and delivery timelines.
- Collaboration – We believe our success can only come when our customers, partners, and end users are also successful. We will always operate in a spirit of open collaboration that seeks to understand the goals of our partners and clients and works to overcome challenges collaboratively.
- Respect – Our conduct will always be respectful and professional, protecting the privacy and dignity of everyone we work with.
- Accountability – We will always seek to honor our commitments to customers and partners. When challenges arise, we will be proactive in our communications with all parties and seek positive solutions with a spirit of openness and collaboration.
- Shared Learnings – We will seek to share learnings and innovation best practices with our partners to maximize the overall impact of our combined efforts.
- Flexibility – We recognize our partners, customers, and users are operating in developing world environments that can be fragile and unpredictable. We seek to understand the challenges faced by others and work with them to overcome difficulties together.
Conflict of Interest
DreamStart Labs is committed to avoiding conflicts of interest in all our business practices. This includes, but is not limited to, our interactions with suppliers, contractors, customers, partners, donors, and investors. This commitment extends to our leadership team, employees, contractors, volunteers, and board. In the event that a relationship with any of the above is in doubt or could have the appearance of such conflict, the relationship in question will be disclosed to all parties involved in a spirit of transparency.
Protecting the Rights of the Vulnerable
Our mission is to help people in emerging markets achieve their dreams of a better life. Everything we do is focused on helping underserved people break the cycle of poverty. This mission requires us prioritize the needs and rights of vulnerable people in all our interactions. This is especially true of women, children, and other groups that have historically faced discrimination and exclusion. Our commitment includes, but is not limited to:
- Data Privacy – User data belongs to end users and will never be disclosed, shared, or sold without the expressed permission of users. Users will always have the right to access their own data from our solutions. Users also have the right to request that their data be permanently removed from our systems for privacy reasons at any time if desired (See “DreamStart Labs Data Privacy Policy”).
- Security – User data will be protected with high-grade security technology, policies, and business practices (See “DreamStart Labs Security Principles”).
- Transparency – Individual members of savings groups using our technology will have visibility into how their data is being used within their group. All transactions, group policies, and policy changes will be visible to group members to prevent fraud, tampering, and inappropriate behavior by group leaders.
- Fair Value Pricing – DreamStart will provide services to end users in vulnerable populations at no cost whenever possible. We will never charge fees for products or service that place an undue burden on users or are above market value. Our highest priority is helping our users improve their well-being.
- Ethical Lending – DreamStart Labs will never facilitate loans or other financial services that employ predatory or unethical terms for our users – either directly or through partners. Our solutions will not allow savings groups to charge exorbitant rates within their own groups.
Anti-Corruption
DreamStart Labs is committed to complying with the highest standards of moral and ethical behavior in all its business practices. We will ensure the proper risk-mitigation procedures are in place to prevent practices such as bribery, extortion, fraud, and financial malfeasance. In the event violations of any of these practices come to our attention, they will be disclosed to the appropriate parties to ensure transparency.
Ethical Treatment of Individuals
DreamStart Labs will comply with best practice standards involving the ethical treatment of individuals it employs or contracts with. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Labor Rights – We will not engage any practices that violate ethical or legal practices relate to forced, involuntary, or child labor.
- Discrimination – We reject discrimination against individuals based on race, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, or physical disability.
- Child Protection – We support all efforts to safeguard children, including compliance with the highest ethical standards in our own practices and notification of any offenses observed that may put children at risk. This same principle applies to other at-risk or vulnerable populations, including elderly adults, women, or groups facing discrimination.
Illegal and Exploitive Activities
DreamStart Labs will not engage with activities, partners, and entities involved in practices that exploit others. This includes but is not limited to: Hateful or discriminatory content or activities, violence, illegal drugs, disinformation, sexual exploitation, human trafficking, or any other illegal or harmful activities.