Privacy Policy

This Policy applies to personal information processed by The GUILD in connection with:

• founders and startup teams using Bloom, the Studio, or Academy programs;
• mentors, advisors, speakers, and operators;
• investors and ecosystem partners;
• partner organizations (e.g. UC Berkeley, DWIH, AHK USA, 28Digital, accelerators, chambers of commerce, corporates);
• website visitors and prospective users;
• cohort participants, applicants, and invited collaborators;
• administrators and team members.

This Policy does not apply to third-party platforms, services, or websites that maintain separate privacy policies, even when linked from the Platform.

We collect information:

1. directly from users (sign-up, applications, profile, Bloom inputs);
2. through Platform usage;
3. from devices and browsers;
4. from cookies and similar tracking technologies;
5. from integrations and APIs (e.g. calendar, auth providers);
6. from partners that invite you to a cohort or program;
7. from AI and automated processing systems;
8. from analytics and telemetry systems.

We may use information to:

• operate, secure, and maintain the Platform and authenticate users;
• deliver Bloom features: impulses, check-ins, Wheel of Life, Owl, deck tools;
• deliver Studio engagements and ship products with founders;
• run Academy programs and partner cohorts;
• facilitate curated introductions to investors, mentors, and partners;
• generate aggregated benchmarks, educational outputs, and ecosystem insights;
• improve our products, algorithms, and AI systems;
• conduct analytics, troubleshoot, and monitor performance;
• prevent fraud and abuse, enforce our Terms, and comply with law;
• communicate with you about your account, programs, and content from The GUILD.

The GUILD may generate anonymized reports, cohort analytics, ecosystem trends, and aggregated insights to share with partners, sponsors, and the founder community. Such outputs will not intentionally identify individual users or companies unless explicitly authorized. Users agree not to attempt to re-identify anonymized or aggregated data.

The GUILD does not sell personal information for monetary consideration. We do not knowingly share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising in a manner intended to constitute a "sale" under applicable law.

We retain information as long as reasonably necessary to provide services, comply with law, maintain security and audit logs, resolve disputes, and pursue legitimate business purposes. Inactive Bloom accounts may be deleted following notice. Aggregated or anonymized analytics may be retained indefinitely.

We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards including:

• encryption in transit and at rest,
• role-based access controls,
• authentication systems and audit logging,
• infrastructure monitoring and access limitations,
• environment separation and security review procedures.

However, no system is completely secure. Users use the Platform at their own risk.

Depending on applicable law, you may have rights to:

• access information we hold about you,
• correct or update information,
• delete information (including your Bloom account and content),
• request a copy in portable form,
• opt out of certain processing,
• limit certain disclosures.

Requests may be submitted to legal@letsguild.com. We may require identity verification before processing requests.

California residents have rights under the CCPA / CPRA, including rights to know, access, correct, delete, opt out, limit certain processing, and non-discrimination. The GUILD does not discriminate against users for exercising privacy rights.

If you are in the European Union, the United Kingdom, or another jurisdiction with similar laws, you also have rights to object to processing, to withdraw consent at any time (without affecting prior lawful processing), and to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority. Our legal bases for processing typically include consent, performance of a contract, compliance with legal obligations, and our legitimate interests in operating and improving the Platform.

You may receive transactional emails, onboarding communications, Bloom notifications, investor and mentor communications, Academy program communications, support communications, newsletters, and marketing communications. Marketing communications can be unsubscribed from at any time. Transactional communications are necessary for Platform operation.

The GUILD may support partner dashboards, sponsor reporting, accelerator integrations, CRM integrations, and API integrations. Such integrations may involve authorized data sharing consistent with this Policy and any applicable partner agreement.

The Platform is hosted in the United States. If you access the Platform from outside the United States, you understand that your information will be processed in the United States and potentially other countries where our service providers operate. Where required, we rely on appropriate transfer mechanisms such as the EU Standard Contractual Clauses.

The Platform is not intended for individuals under eighteen (18) years old, and we do not knowingly collect information from minors.

The Platform may link to or integrate with third-party services. The GUILD is not responsible for third-party privacy practices. Users should review third-party privacy policies independently.

We may modify this Policy at any time. Material changes may be communicated through email, Platform notifications, or updated postings on this page. Continued use after updates constitutes acceptance.

Starling Design LLC dba The GUILD
San Francisco, California, USA
legal@letsguild.com
https://www.letsguild.com