Growth & Marketing Committee (GMC)

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What is the Growth & Marketing Committee (GMC)?

The Growth & Marketing Committee (GMC) serves as a strategic planning, consultative and advisory body, uniting a diverse group of experienced marketing professionals and community advocates from the Cardano community. The GMC is devoted to encouraging and supporting the development and implementation of innovative, effective marketing and ecosystem expansion strategies while remaining guided by the vision of the Cardano community. It focuses on empowering and steering global marketing campaigns, transcending conventional limits to foster the Cardano ecosystem's decentralization, growth, and broader acceptance, adoption and usage.

The GMC is guided by the vision and priorities of the Cardano community, operates with autonomy in its advisory function, and collaborates closely with founding entities, working groups, and other Intersect committees to ensure its work supports the sustained growth of the Cardano ecosystem. Where execution capacity is required, the committee may recommend approaches, produce supporting materials, or advise on proposals brought forward by other actors in the ecosystem.

Mission & Vision

The mission of the Intersect Growth & Marketing Committee, aligning with its core values of transparency and inclusivity, is to support and advance the global adoption of Cardano through the production of high-quality advisory input on growth and marketing strategy, production of ecosystem intelligence that supports informed decision-making, and - with DRep consent, -coordination across the ecosystem to reduce fragmentation and duplication.

Through its advisory work, the GMC aims to help position Cardano as a leading Layer 1, to strengthen the connection between technical capability and measurable adoption, and to support DReps, working groups, and ecosystem partners in making growth-oriented decisions that reflect the priorities of the community.

By leveraging and supporting the advancement and network of strategic partnerships, fostering community-driven initiatives, and amplifying Cardano’s product roadmap and vision, the committee aims to advise and help position Cardano as a leading layer 1, ensuring the sustained growth and vitality of the Cardano ecosystem.

GMC focus points:

• Produce structured, evidence-based input on growth and marketing budget proposals submitted through the Intersect budget process, on behalf of the full committee rather than individual members.
• Develop and maintain strategic frameworks (including vertical prioritization, adoption pathways, and evaluation lenses) that support informed decision-making across the ecosystem.
• Support ecosystem efforts with strategic partnerships and community-driven initiatives.
• Conduct and coordinate ecosystem intelligence work, including vertical mapping and market research.
• Advise on omnichannel marketing strategy, campaign design, and content direction where relevant, including through coordination with founding entities and other committees.
• Coordinate with other Intersect committees (including the Product Committee, Technical Steering Committee, Open Source Committee, and working groups such as the Enterprise Adoption Working Group) to ensure alignment across ecosystem priorities.
• Provide DReps with clear, well-structured, and neutral advisory materials to support their evaluation of growth and marketing proposals.
• Ensure sustained growth and vitality of the Cardano ecosystem by inspiring broad engagement across the community and broader industry.

Community Engagement

• Collaboration and awareness: The GMC collaborates across the Cardano ecosystem to identify opportunities and pain points, ensuring its advisory work reflects the priorities of the community rather than the views of individual members.
• Open forums and inclusivity: The committee holds open meetings, publishes agendas and recordings, and encourages broad geographical and cultural representation in its work.
• Advisory materials and DRep engagement: The GMC produces educational and advisory materials designed to support informed DRep decision-making, coordinates outreach through appropriate channels (including working with Intersect community managers and other ecosystem contacts where relevant), and holds recurring engagement sessions with DReps where possible, particularly ahead of budgeting cycles.

Brand advocacy and insights

• Support the advisory in the construction of any marketing budget proposal (when requested) that is submitted through the Cardano budget process, aligned to the ethos and global messaging of Cardano.
• Committee members act as ambassadors and ecosystem champions, supporting community efforts and raising Cardano's profile through their own networks and public presence, in line with Cardano's ethos and global messaging.
• The GMC gathers and analyzes market data to inform its advisory work, produces ecosystem intelligence that supports the broader community, and contributes to first-line evaluation of growth and marketing efforts across the ecosystem.

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GMC Core Values

• Decentralized: Decisions are made through consensus, considering global perspectives and community input.
• Integrity: Members uphold honesty and strong moral principles in all actions and decisions.
• Respect: Each member's contribution is valued, and everyone is treated with dignity.
• Transparency: Open communication and responsible information sharing are encouraged at all levels of the committee's work.
• Collaboration: Members work together to achieve common goals, sharing knowledge and resources.
• Open-Mindedness: Members remain open to and respectful of the opinions and suggestions of all contributors.
• Inclusivity: The committee embraces diversity and ensures equal opportunities for participation.
• Professionalism: Members maintain a high standard of conduct that reflects positively on the committee and the broader Cardano community.
• Ethical Marketing Practices: Members engage in marketing practices that are ethical, honest, and transparent. Misrepresentation, manipulation, and misleading information are strictly prohibited. All committee activity aims to uphold and enhance the integrity of Cardano.

Operating Procedures

Chair’s Role:

• Opens meetings by presenting the agenda.
• Facilitates discussion by ensuring all voices are heard.
• Maintains focus on the agenda and prevents digressions.
• Summarizes key points and transitions the group between topics.
• Represents the committee in cross-committee coordination and the Intersect Steering Committee (ISC).

Vice-Chair’s Role:

• Assists the Chair by monitoring time and tracking discussion progress.
• Steps in to facilitate discussions if the Chair is unavailable.
• Helps mediate conflicts or differences in opinion.
• Supports the Chair in cross-committee coordination and ISC representation when required.

Secretary:

• Works closely with the Chair and Vice-Chair to prepare agendas.
• Monitors speaking turns and supports the Chair in time management during meetings.
• Produces and shares meeting summaries with the committee, in addition to formal meeting minutes.
• Compiles and posts meeting recordings and minutes on GitBook and other relevant channels.
• Coordinates cross-committee scheduling, follow-ups, and administrative continuity between sessions.

Committee Member (Seats):

• Actively participate in meetings by presenting ideas, asking questions, and contributing to discussions.
• Review pre-meeting materials and come prepared with feedback.
• Take on workstreams (research, vertical mapping, content contributions, etc.) where capacity allows.
• Respect speaking turns and adhere to agreed time limits for comments.

Meeting Rules of Order

• Robert's Rules of Order (Adapted for Simplicity): Intersect’s Robert’s Rules
• Quorum Requirement: Minimum number of members (e.g., 50% + 1) must be present to make decisions.

Speaking Order:

• Members request to speak by raising a hand (virtually or physically).
• The chair recognizes speakers in turn.

Time Management:

• Limit individual speaking time to avoid monopolizing discussions.
• Allocate time for each agenda item.

Code of Conduct:

• Expected Behavior: Members are expected to:
  • Communicate respectfully and considerately with others.
  • In meetings, raise your hand and wait to be called to speak to avoid speaking over others.
  • Provide constructive feedback and be open to receiving the same.
  • Honor commitments and responsibilities agreed upon.
  • Promote a welcoming environment for all participants.
  • Comply with all applicable rules and guidelines.
  • When generating text via AI, make sure to understand the text well and change it accordingly before exposing it to the group as your work.
• Unacceptable Behavior: Unacceptable behaviours include, but are not limited to:
  • Harassment or Discrimination: Any form of verbal or physical harassment, discrimination, or derogatory remarks based on race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or any other personal characteristic.
  • Abuse or Intimidation: Aggressive behaviour, threats, or actions intended to intimidate or harm another member.
  • Conflict of Interest: Failing to disclose any personal or financial interests that may affect impartial judgment.
  • Misrepresentation: Providing false information or misrepresenting the Group or its objectives.
  • Violation of Confidentiality: Unauthorized sharing of confidential or proprietary information.
• Confidentiality: Members must respect the confidentiality of sensitive information shared within the Group. Such information should not be disclosed to external parties without explicit permission.
• Conflict of Interest: Any potential conflicts must be disclosed to the committee's leadership to determine appropriate actions. This is particularly relevant when the committee reviews budget proposals from entities or individuals with which members may have working relationships.
• Reporting and Enforcement
  • Reporting: Members who witness or experience any violations of this Code are encouraged to report them to the Group's designated Compliance Officer or leadership team. Reports will be handled discreetly and sensitively.
  • Enforcement: Violations of the Code may result in corrective actions, including warnings, suspension, or removal from the Group, depending on the severity of the offence.
• Amendments: This Code of Conduct is a living document and may be updated as necessary. Members will be notified of changes, and feedback will be considered in the revision process.
• Respectful communication is mandatory.
• Zero tolerance for harassment or discrimination.

The GMC is also subject to Intersect’s Code of Conduct. Questions? Contact: conduct@intersectmbo.org.

Ways of Working

• Regularly scheduled meetings (weekly), with flexibility for urgent sessions.
• Clear start and end times to respect members’ availability.
• Collaboration Tools: G-Drive, Slack, Discord, Clickup.
• Agenda available 24 hours in advance. (Clickup)
• Members review materials and come prepared with feedback. (G-Drive)
• Meetings are open with recordings made publicly accessible. (GitBook)

Decision Making Structure

Consensus First:

• Aim for unanimous agreement by discussing concerns and finding common ground.

Voting:

• Simple Majority: Used for most decisions (e.g., 50% + 1 of members)

Process:

• Chair calls for a motion to vote.
• Motion is seconded by another member. (optional)
• Members vote (e.g., verbally, show of hands, or electronic poll).
• Chair announces the results.

Documentation: All decisions are recorded in meeting minutes, including the rationale for decisions and any dissenting opinions.

Voting

In Person or Video Meeting Voting Procedures:

• All topics on which the MC will take a vote will need a simple committee majority tallied during the meeting in which the MC convenes, tally and action to be recorded by the Secretary.

Offline Voting Procedures:

• All topics on which the MC will take a vote will need a simple committee majority tallied based on the medium on which the MC chooses.

No Vote:

• In the event of a no vote or insufficient vote, topics or items will then be shelved or facilitated to revision based on the nature of the vote.
• A vote by a committee should be considered binding if it receives a simple majority of positive votes from a quorum consisting of at least two thirds of the committee members being present and participating in the vote

Committee Comments on Proposals Submitted Through Any Cardano Budget Process:

Any official committee comment on a budget proposal must be approved through a committee vote before being posted. Committee comments reflect a shared committee view, not individual perspectives, and are posted by the Secretary via the committee wallet. Members may also comment on proposals independently, in which case those comments represent personal opinions rather than the committee's official position.