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FoundersForge

Terms of Service

Terms of ServicePrivacy Policy

TERMS OF SERVICE

Effective date: October 26, 2026

1. Agreement to These Terms

These Terms of Service (“Terms”) govern your use of https://foundersforge.com (the “Site”), operated by FoundersForge, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located at 404 S Roan St, Johnson City, Tennessee 37601 (“FoundersForge,” “we,” “us,” or “our”). By using the Site, you agree to these Terms and to our Privacy Policy, which explains how we handle your information. If you do not agree, please do not use the Site.

PLEASE READ SECTION 16 CAREFULLY. IT REQUIRES YOU AND FOUNDERSFORGE TO RESOLVE MOST DISPUTES THROUGH BINDING INDIVIDUAL ARBITRATION RATHER THAN in court, AND IT WAIVES JURY TRIALS AND CLASS ACTIONS. YOU MAY OPT OUT WITHIN 30 DAYS AS DESCRIBED IN SECTION 16.

2. Who May Use the Site

The Site is intended for a general audience. You must be at least 13 years old to submit a form or sign up for our newsletter. If you are under 18, you may do so only with the permission of a parent or guardian. If you use the Site on behalf of a company or other organization, you confirm that you are authorized to do so.

3. Our Programs and Services

FoundersForge supports entrepreneurs through events, coaching, mentoring, programs, and connections to investors, lenders, and other resources. Submitting a Get Started or contact form is a request to hear from us; it does not create a client, advisory, fiduciary, employment, partnership, or investment relationship, and it does not guarantee acceptance into any program, an introduction, funding, or any particular result. Participation in specific programs may be subject to additional terms, which we will provide before you join.

4. Information You Submit

When you submit a form, sign up for our newsletter, or otherwise send us information, you agree that the information is accurate and that you have the right to share it.

Business ideas and confidential information. Please do not send us trade secrets or other information you consider confidential through the Site. Information you send through our forms is not received under a nondisclosure agreement. We do not claim ownership of your ideas, and we use what you send only as described in our Privacy Policy: to respond to you and to connect you with the help you request.

Feedback. If you send us suggestions or feedback about the Site or our programs, we may use them without obligation to you.

5. Newsletter and Communications

If you sign up for our newsletter, we will send you news about our events, programs, and startup community. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in any email. If you submit a Get Started or contact form, you agree that we may contact you by email or phone about your request.

6. Events and Tickets

Event listings on the Site are provided for convenience and may change. Event details, including dates, times, locations, prices, and speakers, are subject to change or cancellation. Some events listed on the Site are hosted by our partners. Tickets and registrations are sold and processed by third-party ticketing services, such as Humanitix, under their own terms and refund policies, and event-specific terms may also apply. Photographs and video may be taken at our events and used to share and promote our work, as described at each event.

7. Educational Content, Not Professional Advice

Articles, newsletters, podcasts, videos, events, and other content on the Site are for general educational and informational purposes. They are not legal, tax, accounting, financial, or investment advice, and nothing on the Site is an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security. Mentors, speakers, coaches, and guest authors share their own views, which are not necessarily those of FoundersForge. You should consult qualified professionals about your specific situation before making business, legal, financial, or investment decisions.

8. Affiliate Links and Sponsors

Some posts contain links to products, such as book recommendations linked to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no additional cost to you, and we use any proceeds to support our nonprofit mission. We may also recognize sponsors and partners on the Site. A link or recognition is not an endorsement of every product, service, or statement of that company.

9. Intellectual Property

The Site and its content, including text, graphics, logos, photographs, videos, and the FoundersForge name and marks, are owned by FoundersForge or used with permission and are protected by copyright, trademark, and other laws. You may view, download, and share content from the Site for your personal, noncommercial use, provided you keep all copyright and other notices and credit FoundersForge with a link to the Site. Any other use, including republishing our content, using our logos or name to suggest an endorsement, or using our content commercially, requires our prior written permission.

10. Acceptable Use

You agree not to:

  • use the Site in violation of any law or regulation;
  • submit false, misleading, fraudulent, or spam information, or impersonate any person or organization;
  • send unsolicited advertising or bulk messages through our forms;
  • use bots, scripts, scrapers, or other automated means to access the Site, submit forms, or collect content or information, except for search engine indexing in accordance with our robots.txt file;
  • interfere with, disrupt, overload, or attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Site, its servers, or the systems connected to it, or bypass any security or rate-limiting feature;
  • upload or transmit viruses or other harmful code; or
  • use the Site to harass, threaten, or harm others.

We may block access to the Site or our forms, and decline to respond to submissions, if we believe these Terms have been violated.

11. Third-Party Sites and Services

The Site contains links to, and embeds content from, websites and services we do not operate, including partner programs, ticketing pages, maps, videos, podcasts, and social media. We are not responsible for their content, availability, privacy practices, or terms, and your use of them is at your own risk and subject to their terms.

12. Copyright Complaints

We respect the intellectual property rights of others and respond to notices of alleged copyright infringement under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, 17 U.S.C. § 512 (“DMCA”). If you believe content on the Site infringes your copyright, please send a written notice to our designated copyright agent that includes: (a) your physical or electronic signature; (b) a description of the copyrighted work; (c) the location (URL) of the material you believe is infringing; (d) your address, telephone number, and email address; (e) a statement that you have a good-faith belief that the use is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law; and (f) a statement, under penalty of perjury, that the information in your notice is accurate and that you are the copyright owner or authorized to act on the owner’s behalf.

Designated copyright agent:

David Nelson
FoundersForge
404 S Roan Street
Johnson City, TN 37601
Phone: (423) 524-9918
Email: dmca@foundersforge.com

Our designated agent is registered with the U.S. Copyright Office (registration number DMCA-1084216). Notices that do not meet the requirements above may not be acted on. Knowingly misrepresenting that material is infringing may result in liability for damages under 17 U.S.C. § 512(f). Where appropriate, we may remove infringing material and, in appropriate circumstances, restrict access by repeat infringers.

13. Disclaimer of Warranties

THE SITE AND ALL CONTENT ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE,” WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING ANY WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, ACCURACY, OR AVAILABILITY. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE SITE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, SECURE, OR ERROR-FREE, OR THAT EVENT LISTINGS OR OTHER INFORMATION ARE COMPLETE OR CURRENT. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN WARRANTIES, SO SOME OF THESE EXCLUSIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

14. Limitation of Liability

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, FOUNDERSFORGE AND ITS DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, VOLUNTEERS, MENTORS, AND AGENTS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR FOR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS, REVENUE, DATA, OR BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY, ARISING FROM OR RELATED TO YOUR USE OF THE SITE, ITS CONTENT, OR ANY THIRD-PARTY SITE OR SERVICE, EVEN IF WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. OUR TOTAL LIABILITY FOR ANY CLAIM ARISING FROM OR RELATED TO THE SITE WILL NOT EXCEED ONE HUNDRED U.S. DOLLARS (US $100). SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THESE LIMITATIONS, SO SOME OF THEM MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

15. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless FoundersForge and its directors, officers, employees, volunteers, and agents from any claims, losses, liabilities, and expenses, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, arising from your misuse of the Site, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of the rights of another person.

16. Dispute Resolution and Arbitration

Informal resolution first. Most concerns can be resolved quickly by talking with us. Before starting an arbitration or court case, you and FoundersForge each agree to send the other a written notice describing the dispute and the relief requested (to us at hello@foundersforge.com or the mailing address below) and to try in good faith to resolve it informally for at least 60 days.

Binding arbitration. If the dispute is not resolved within 60 days, you and FoundersForge agree that any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms, the Site, or our programs and events (a “Dispute”) will be resolved by binding individual arbitration, and not in court, except as stated below. The Federal Arbitration Act governs the interpretation and enforcement of this Section. The arbitration will be administered by the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”) under its Consumer Arbitration Rules then in effect (available at https://www.adr.org), before a single arbitrator. Unless you and we agree otherwise, the arbitration will take place in Washington County, Tennessee, or by video conference or written submissions. Payment of filing, administration, and arbitrator fees will be governed by the AAA’s rules. The arbitrator may award the same individual relief a court could award, and the arbitrator’s decision may be entered as a judgment in any court with jurisdiction. The arbitrator, and not a court, will decide questions about the scope and enforceability of this Section, except as provided under “Class action and jury trial waiver” below.

Exceptions. Either party may bring an individual claim in small claims court if it qualifies. Either party may also ask a court for an injunction or other equitable relief to stop the infringement or misuse of intellectual property or unauthorized access to the Site.

Class action and jury trial waiver. YOU AND FOUNDERSFORGE AGREE THAT EACH MAY BRING DISPUTES AGAINST THE OTHER ONLY IN AN INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY, AND NOT AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY CLASS, COLLECTIVE, CONSOLIDATED, OR REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDING. YOU AND FOUNDERSFORGE EACH WAIVE THE RIGHT TO A TRIAL BY JURY. The arbitrator may not consolidate more than one person’s claims or preside over any form of class or representative proceeding. If this waiver is found unenforceable for a particular claim or request for relief, that claim or request (and only that one) will be severed and decided by a court under Section 17, after the individual arbitration of all other claims is complete.

Opting out. You may opt out of this agreement to arbitrate by emailing hello@foundersforge.com with the subject line “Arbitration Opt-Out,” including your name and the email address you used with us, within 30 days after you first agree to these Terms. Opting out does not affect any other part of these Terms.

Time limit. To the extent permitted by law, any Dispute must be brought within one year after the claim arises; otherwise it is permanently barred.

Changes to this Section. If we change this Section after you have agreed to it, the change will not apply to any Dispute of which we had notice before the change took effect.

17. Governing Law and Venue

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Tennessee and, for Section 16, the Federal Arbitration Act, without regard to conflict-of-law rules. Any Dispute that is not subject to arbitration under Section 16 will be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Washington County, Tennessee, and you consent to the jurisdiction of those courts.

18. Changes to the Site and These Terms

We may change, suspend, or discontinue any part of the Site at any time. We may also update these Terms from time to time by posting the updated version on this page and changing the effective date above. Changes apply from the date they are posted. Your continued use of the Site after that date means you accept the updated Terms.

19. General

These Terms and our Privacy Policy are the entire agreement between you and FoundersForge about the Site. If any provision of these Terms is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions will remain in effect. Our failure to enforce any provision is not a waiver of our right to do so later. You may not assign these Terms without our consent; we may assign them in connection with a merger or transfer of our programs.

20. Contact Us

Questions about these Terms can be sent to:

FoundersForge
404 S Roan St
Johnson City, TN 37601
Email: hello@foundersforge.com
Phone: (423) 524-9918