Privacy policy

Effective date: January 6, 2025

Funding Breakthrough Lab Inc. (“Breakthrough Lab,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use and disclose data when you use breakthroughlab.org and take part in our events, programs and communities (together, the “Services”). The Funding Breakthrough Lab accelerator is run by the same organization and follows the matching policy at fundingbreakthroughlab.org/privacy (opens in a new tab).

We are a United States nonprofit subject to U.S. laws, and our servers are located in the United States. The United States may not offer the same level of privacy protection as other jurisdictions. By using our Services, you consent to the collection, storage, processing and transfer of your data to our facilities and to the third parties we share data with as described in this Policy.

1. Information we collect

Personal data is any information relating to an identified or identifiable person. Depending on how you use the Services, we may collect:

• Identification and contact data: name, email, phone number, LinkedIn profile, profile photo.
• Professional details: job title, company, industry, and for our dinners, the company you founded or the investment platform you represent.
• Newsletter choices: your first and last name, email address, LinkedIn profile if you share it, and the topics you pick.
• What you write to us: messages in our invitation, sponsor, hackathon cohost and space request forms, waitlist signups and emails.
• Participation history: events you register for or attend.
• Technical data: IP address, browser and device data, and cookies.

Non-personal data includes browser and device type, pages visited and time spent on the site, and aggregate information combined from many visitors.

2. How we use your information

• To provide and improve the Services, including running events and reviewing invitation requests.
• To send the newsletters and updates you asked for, and to reply to the notes you send us.
• To manage your participation in our programs and events.
• To enforce our policies and terms.
• To understand trends and engagement so we can make the Services better.

3. How we share your information

We never sell or rent your information. We may share personal data with:

• Service providers who help us operate, including Resend (email), Less Annoying CRM (our contact manager), Cloudflare (hosting), Luma (event registration) and Zeffy (donations). Luma and Zeffy handle registration and donations under their own privacy policies.
• Business partners, sponsors, event hosts and co-hosts, so they can connect with attendees and support our programs. For example, Dinners at Poesia requests go to host Jon Staenberg, and dinner sponsors receive the guest list (name, company, job title and professional profile).
• Legal authorities, when the law requires it.
• A successor organization, if we merge with or transfer our programs to another organization.

We may share aggregated, non-personal data for reporting and analytics. Text messaging opt-in data and consent are never shared with third parties.

4. Your choices

• Emails: every email has a link to change your topics or unsubscribe. You can also manage them at breakthroughlab.org/preferences.
• Cookies: you can manage cookie settings in your browser.
• Sharing with partners: you can ask us at any time not to share your information with partners, sponsors or co-hosts by emailing natalie@breakthroughlab.org.

5. Text messaging (SMS)

If you give us your mobile number and opt in, we may send text messages about events, programs and community updates. We use your number and consent only to send these messages, and we do not sell, rent or share mobile numbers or SMS opt-in data with third parties or affiliates for marketing. Reply STOP at any time to opt out, or HELP for help.

6. Data security

We use appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data, including encryption in transit and access controls. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.

7. Data retention

We keep personal data as long as needed to provide the Services, meet legal obligations and resolve disputes.

8. Children

Our Services are not directed to children under 13. If we learn we have collected data from a child under 13, we will delete it.

9. International data transfers

We operate in the United States and may transfer your personal data outside your country, including to the United States, where data protection laws may differ. Where required, we rely on safeguards such as the European Commission's Standard Contractual Clauses and additional security measures required by applicable law. Contact natalie@breakthroughlab.org for more information.

10. Legal bases for processing

Where these apply, we process personal data to perform our agreement with you, for our legitimate interests (operations, outreach and improving the Services), to comply with legal obligations, and with your consent.

11. Your rights

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to:

• Access a copy of your personal data.
• Correct it, delete it, or restrict how we process it.
• Receive it in a portable format.
• Object to processing based on legitimate interests.
• Withdraw consent at any time.

California residents have rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act, including the right to know what personal data we collect, to request deletion, to opt out of any sale of personal data (we do not sell it), and not to be discriminated against for exercising these rights.

To exercise any of these rights, email natalie@breakthroughlab.org. We may verify your identity before acting on a request.

12. Do Not Track

Our Services do not respond to “Do Not Track” browser signals, as there is no industry standard for them yet.

13. Third-party links

We link to communities, events and services run by others. We are not responsible for their privacy practices, so please review their policies.

14. Changes to this policy

We may update this Policy from time to time and will show the date of the latest change at the top of this page. Continuing to use the Services means you accept the updated Policy.

15. Contact us

Funding Breakthrough Lab Inc.
natalie@breakthroughlab.org