Account & Profile

1. Who can create an account on Mission Cultivate?
   Mission Cultivate is designed for members of the Defense Industrial Base (DIB), an ecosystem of innovators, small and medium-sized businesses, non-traditional contractors, prime contractors, government personnel, non-profits, researchers, advisors, consultants, and venture capitalists engaged in buying, selling, contracting, and advancing defense capabilities.
   If you’re part of the community working to strengthen and improve the defense industry, Mission Cultivate is built for you.

2. How do I create an account?
   During our early launch phase (August 19–September 19), account creation is limited to members of select defense communities with early access. If you are part of one of these communities, you will receive an invitation by email to join Mission Cultivate. Broader access will be introduced after this initial phase as we expand to the entire Defense Industrial Base.

3. How do I reset my password?
   If you are logged in, open your account from the right-hand sidebar, select “Edit Password,” and enter your new password.
   If you cannot log in, use the “Forgot Password” option on the login page to reset it via email.

4. How can I edit or delete my profile?

   Keep your profile current with a relevant avatar or image, a brief description of your expertise in the Defense Industrial Base, and your contact details (visible only to your connections) to help build meaningful professional relationships.
   If you wish to delete your profile, please email support@missioncultivate.com.

5. How do I change my email?
   From your account in the right-hand sidebar, select “Manage Profile” and click Contact Details to update your email address. You will receive a verification email to confirm the change. For security reasons, your account will remain inaccessible until you complete this verification.

Getting Started with Mission Cultivate

1. How do I post content or start a discussion?
   Log in to Mission Cultivate, click “Create Post” in the top-right corner, choose the type of content you wish to post, and complete all required fields. Other users can comment on your posts as well as on individual comments, whether the content is an opportunity, event, or discussion.

2. What types of content are allowed on the platform?
   Mission Cultivate is a space for sharing opportunities, events, and discussions relevant to the Defense Industrial Base. Content should serve the professional community and maintain a standard of professionalism. Posts that violate our community guidelines will be removed and may be reported.

3. How do I follow topics, communities, or people?
   Your Explore feed displays content from the people, communities, and organizations you follow. To enrich your experience, follow a diverse range of voices within your area of interest. For an unfiltered view of all platform activity, visit the “Explore” tab by clicking the stacked three bars on the top left of your screen to access the navigation bar.

Networking & Community Membership

1. How do I send messages or connect with other users?

   1. You can connect with users in a couple of different ways! If you see someone make a post within one of the communities you are currently in you can click on their name and it will open their profile. On their profile page it will give you a button in the top right corner that says "Connect" that allows you to connect to them.

   2. You can also see "People" from your Explore feed (available from left navigation) to find other folks you can connect with

   3. **One thing to note about connections in MC- the connections are more focused on quality over quantity. When you connect with someone you are providing them with your contact information. The idea is that your Mission Cultivate connections drive intentional collaborations within the platform (hidden communities remain hidden unless you are both members).

2. How do I send messages?

   1. Direct messaging is available only between connected users. When your connection request is accepted you will see a Message button in two places within the platform:

      1. On the People tab once you click Explore from your left navigation

      

      1. When you click a specific users profile

         

3. How do I join or create a community?
   To join a public community, browse the Communities tab under the Explore from your left navigation or follow a direct link, then select “Request to Join.” To join a private community, you must first request membership and be approved by the community’s administrators. To create a new community, go to “Create” in the top right corner and select “Start a Community.” You will need to provide a community name, determine the level of visibility of your community and a brief description.

   1. **Note- You will be able to change the name of the community after it is created but you will not be able to edit the community identifier

4. What are the differences between Public, Private, and Hidden communities?

   1. Public communities are open to everyone, visible in search, anyone can join, and they show up on member profiles.

   2. Private communities limit content to members only; non-members can see the overview but not posts, though the community still appears on profiles.

   3. Hidden communities are completely private, only members and invitees can see or discover them, and they don’t appear in search or on profiles.

5. What is the difference between communities, organizations, and people?

   1. Communities are groups of individuals brought together by shared interests, topics, or existing affiliations.

   2. Organizations are formal entities—such as companies, agencies, non-profits, or research institutions—engaged in activities within the Defense Industrial Base. They have their own profiles, can host or participate in communities, and may be represented by multiple members.

   3. People are individual users who can belong to multiple communities and organizations.
      Opportunities are a specific type of post designed to share, collaborate, and connect across the Defense Industrial Base.

6. What is an opportunity?

   1. Opportunities are posts created by any member of the defense industrial base or government to connect with others around a specific need, resource, event, or collaboration idea. They function as open invitations for others to engage — whether that’s to partner on a project, share a capability, recruit expertise, or announce something valuable to the community. Opportunities make it easy for both government and industry to find each other and work together.

      1. Example – Small Business:
         We are a veteran-owned technology startup that is looking for an opportunity to integrate our secure drone communications system into existing DoD platforms. We have included details on the technology, potential use cases, and the types of partners (e.g., prime contractors, R&D teams) we want to connect with.

      2. Example – Government:

         I am a part of an Air Force innovation office and we have an upcoming open house event where industry, academia, and other agencies can learn about current mission focus areas, see demonstrations, and explore potential areas for future collaboration. The event is on 10 October, 2025.

7. Can I block or mute someone?

   If you are connected with a user, you can remove the connection. If you are following them, you can choose to unfollow. A mute option to hide a user’s posts from your feed is not yet available but will be introduced in a future update.

8. Can I repost content I find valuable?

   Yes, you can click the three dot menu on any post and select “Repost” and you will be able to repost it to a specific community or to the larger Mission Cultivate community with your own thoughts.

9. How do I report inappropriate content or behavior?
   For any post, event, or opportunity, click the three-dot menu and select “Report” to notify us of content or behavior that violates our community guidelines.

Privacy & Security

1. How is my data protected?
   We do not sell or share your data with third parties. Our revenue comes from sponsorship, never from the sale of personal information. Secure messaging on the platform is encrypted using the Matrix protocol. Organizations are verified through their Unique Entity Identifiers (UEIDs), and all users are verified using government-issued identification.

2. Can other users see my activity or profile?
   Other members can see your posts and comments in public communities. Content within hidden or private communities is only visible to members of those specific groups.

3. How do I delete my account?

   Please reach out to customer support at support@missioncultivate.com

4. How do I enable two-factor authentication?
   During sign-up, all users are required to set up two-factor authentication. You can choose between two methods: email verification or an authenticator app of your choice (such as Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, or OneLogin). To select your preferred method, use the dropdown menu to choose either “Authenticator App” or “Email.”

5. How do I control who can contact me?

   Only your accepted connections can reach out to you directly. We recommend accepting connection requests only from individuals you know or wish to know. By accepting, you grant them access to your profile’s contact details and other shared information (hidden communities remain hidden unless you are both members) and enable direct messaging. If you wouldn’t share something in person, consider keeping it private here. You can remove a connection at any time, which will revoke their access to your contact information and direct messaging. Mission Cultivate is designed to foster authentic, purposeful connections—spamming is prohibited and there is no benefit to amassing the highest number of connections.

6. Does Mission Cultivate (MC) sell my data to third parties?
   No. Mission Cultivate never sells your data. Our business model is transparent and relies on paid sponsorships from community partners, not the sale of user information.