Ethics
Why We Prioritize a Strong Ethical Position
The burgeoning psychedelic field brings particular ethical considerations from–social justice and inclusion–to data use and privacy. We are committed to being a community leader in both the equal access to psychedelic medicine and the ethical flow of data. We are grateful for the opportunity to identify and operationalize our ethical commitments into every aspect of our company.
At Maya, we believe that psychedelic practitioners have the power to improve the mental health and wellbeing of millions of people on a global scale. However, more data is needed to safely advance and scale psychedelic-assisted healthcare practices. Our software platform was designed to empower psychedelic practitioners to track, measure, and illustrate the clinical outcomes of their work, so that we can scale safely and effectively, serve more people, and contribute clinical data to help advance psychedelic healthcare.
While we know that the Maya platform will play a key role in generating essential insights into psychedelic healthcare practices, we also acknowledge that this role comes with great responsibility. We take our role as the ethical stewards of the flow of data between patients, clients, practitioners and researchers very seriously. The following ethical positions will serve as the foundation for everything that we do and everything we stand for. We’re humbled at the collective knowledge of the psychedelic community and grateful for the opportunity to continue working on these values as our field evolves.
-David Champion, CEO and Co-Founder
Maya's Ethical Commitments
Purpose Over Profit
- We are a Public Benefit Corporation (PBC).
- We are committed to ethically-aligned investment.
Responsible Data Stewardship
- We adhere to the best practices set out by www.dataethics.eu.
- We give you control over your health information.
- We want you to decide how your information is used and with whom it is shared.
- We will not sell or lease your individual-level information to any third party without your explicit consent.
- We will ensure that your individual-level information is restricted from being viewable, downloadable, or exportable from our systems.
- If you opt in and consent to participate in our research, your de-identified data will be used to contribute to research at Maya PBC or third-party institutions working with Maya PBC. Consenting allows our researchers and approved third-party researchers to use a customer's de-identified data in aggregate for a variety of studies.
- We will not use your data to market to you or sell you products, without your explicit consent via opt-in.
Listening to the Community
- We are Signatories on the North Star Psychedelic Ethics Pledge. The North Star Pledge is an opportunity for companies in the psychedelic space to consider seven key commitments and make them their own.
- We encourage community engagement through our Council of Guides. Every element of Maya, from our software platform to our business model, is developed in collaboration with psychedelic practitioners, educators, and researchers.
- We highlight a diverse collection of luminaries on our Psychedelic Therapy Podcast. The podcast is a weekly conversation series with leaders in the psychedelic community specifically for therapists, healers, retreat leaders, and passionate enthusiasts.
Giving Back and Supporting Equal Access to Psychedelic Healthcare
- We will offer discounted software to practitioners, healers, guides, and clinicians who have equal access programs for underserved clients and those who would not otherwise be able to access the platform.
- We will offer non-commercial usage licenses for researchers in an effort to accelerate psychedelic research through access to anonymized aggregated data.
- We will sponsor online learning opportunities for practitioners operating in underserved communities.
- We will give away a percentage of our profits, with a preference to supporting non profit organizations that are aligned with our mission.
North Star Pledge from the Auryn Project
We are grateful for the leadership of the Auryn Project and their dedication to creating a framework for businesses like ours to follow. The North Star Pledge is an opportunity for companies in the psychedelic space to consider seven key commitments and make them their own. We have taken our time with this pledge, to truly work it into our business model and all of our company practices.
01. Start Within
I pledge to ground my work in the field with work on myself, and to treat personal growth as a lifelong process.
COMMITMENT: Maya is committed to supporting our team members’ personal growth and to developing our company culture to be one of transparency, mindfulness, kindness, and integrity. As such, Maya provides paid time off for all employees to pursue personal development opportunities, and provides additional paid time off to encourage the necessary integration processes. Additionally, we invest in regular team retreats in nature to cultivate a strong ethos of collective growth and empowerment. We consider this an investment in our team and our broader mission.
02. Study the Traditions
I pledge to grow my knowledge of the history of psychedelics and their many traditions of use, in a good-faith effort to appreciate both the potential of these substances and the conflict and complexity surrounding them.
COMMITMENT: We have created the The Psychedelic Therapy Podcast, as a platform to disseminate the knowledge of various experts and wisdom teachers, and to bring challenging topics to light. Our Psychedelic Therapy Facebook Group is intended as a safe space for psychedelic practitioners to support one another in their work and development. On matters which don’t fall under our core competency, we graciously defer to other experts and organizations in the field.
03. Build Trust
I pledge to invest in building trust in my relationships across the psychedelic field, and repair trust where possible.
COMMITMENT: In addition to building relationships through The Psychedelic Therapy Podcast and the associated Psychedelic Therapy Facebook group, we have cultivated the Council of Guides. This carefully curated group of psychedelic practitioners is designed to help us better understand the needs of the community, and illuminate our inevitable blind spots. We believe that listening to the valuable insights of our community is the best way for us to continue to learn, grow, and evolve, so in turn, we can better serve.
04. Consider the Gravity
I pledge to consider the implications of the choices that I make, understanding the potential consequences of unethical behavior to individuals, communities, and the psychedelic field at large.
COMMITMENT: We recognize that as the leading provider of software services for psychedelic practitioners, we will have a major impact on the field. That is why we are structured as a Colorado Public Benefit Corporation, which means that our investors, advisors and team members are all aligned to prioritize our purpose above profit. To safeguard this commitment, we require investors to sign an Investor Covenant in agreement to our five principles as a corporation.
We also prioritize the integrity of our Statement on use of Data and Privacy We commit to transparency and an “opt-out frame-work” for the use of aggregated patient data. We are HIPAA and GDPR compliant and commit to being wise and ethical stewards of the data transfer between patients, practitioners, and researchers.
We also prioritize the integrity of our Statement on use of Data and Privacy We commit to transparency and an “opt-out frame-work” for the use of aggregated patient data. We are HIPAA and GDPR compliant and commit to being wise and ethical stewards of the data transfer between patients, practitioners, and researchers.
05. Focus on Process
I pledge to make the process as important as the outcome, letting the future I hope to see guide the approach I take in getting there.
COMMITMENT: As a software company, we are constantly working on improving our platform as we listen to the needs of the psychedelic community. We recognize that our actions and decision-making processes must be held in the highest integrity at all times. Our careful attention to our processes is the core reason why we were methodical and intentional while building our version of the North Star Pledge. We felt it was necessary to first participate in numerous town hall meetings and workshops to better understand the concerns of the broader community.
06. Create Equality & Justice
I pledge to actively take steps to make the world more equitable and just.
COMMITMENT: As an early stage startup company, it is important for us to focus on the most impactful initiatives that we can pursue and resist temptation to solve the many diverse issues at hand. Due to the size of our potential impact, we have chosen safe, widespread, and affordable access to psychedelic medicine as our primary approach to supporting equality and justice. We will offer discounted software to practitioners, healers, guides, and clinicians who have equal access programs for underserved clients and those who would not otherwise be able to access the platform. We will sponsor therapy education programs online so that under-represented practitioners can attain the same quality of training as any other. Additionally, our commitment to supporting diverse voices is evident through the roster of podcast guests and topics on The Psychedelic Therapy Podcast.
07. Pay It Forward
I pledge to support the flourishing of the psychedelic field and the communities in which I work, and to give back should my work lead to personal gain.
COMMITMENT: In order to properly serve the community, we are committed to donating to the psychedelic community once we are able to reach profitability. We hope to be the catalyst in a domino effect of organizations that will choose to “pay it forward.” When psychedelic therapists treat their patients using the Maya platform, they are also providing valuable insights to their peers and the psychedelic community at large.
