How to use

RightsWise Investing enables early-stage investors to consider and respond to data and digital rights impacts in investing and portfolio management. The framework is designed for use in screening startup capacity by first assessing a company’s commitment to People & Culture. For example, who makes up the leadership team? Who is on the Board or serves in advisory capacity, and how does the makeup of the team reflect the diversity of users and stakeholders? Additionally, when sourcing and screening, the framework takes into account the founders’ and company’s values, both publicly stated and internal commitments.

Once establishing that the founders and company are well positioned to build a rights-respecting company through assessing People & Culture and Commitment to Values, investors should begin assessing a company’s Accountability, Identification and Mitigation practices through the framework.

Accountability

Accountability practices help startups stay true to their RightsWise commitments and take action to remedy harm.

Practices:

• Public commitment on digital rights impacts
• Processes for stakeholder consultation
• Internal digital rights impact reporting
• External digital rights impact reporting
• Stakeholder complaint channels
• Governance sub-committee on digital rights impacts
• Independent evaluation/audit of company practices

Identification

Identification practices help companies get better at seeing around corners to anticipate or understand potential digital rights impacts to stakeholders

• Stakeholders impact mapping
• Product risk reviews

Mitigation

Mitigation practices help startup avoid triggering a potential harmful impact.

• Internal impact reporting
• Harm reporting / escalation policy
• Stakeholder engagement / feedback

Resources

As RightsWise Investing adoption scales new tools will emerge to support further adoption and iteration of the framework. View some of our existing resources below.

Resources