CHICAGO LAUNCHPAD TERMS OF SERVICE AND PRIVACY POLICY

Last Updated:  August 20th,  2024

These Terms of Service (“Terms”) constitute a legally binding agreement between you (“User,” “you,” or “your”) and Paragon Group, LLC dba Chicago Launchpad (“Chicago Launchpad,” “we,” “us,” or “our”), governing your access to and use of the chicagolaunchpad.com website (the “Site”), including all services, resources, content, and membership plans offered therein (collectively, the “Services”). By accessing or using the Site and Services, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree with these Terms, you must discontinue use of the Site and Services immediately.

1. AGREEMENT TO TERMS

By accessing and using the Site and Services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms, including any future modifications. Chicago Launchpad reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to modify or replace any part of these Terms at any time. It is your responsibility to check these Terms periodically for changes. Your continued use of or access to the Site and Services following the posting of any changes constitutes acceptance of those changes.

2. ELIGIBILITY

The Site and Services are intended for users who are at least 18 years old. By using the Site and Services, you represent and warrant that you meet the eligibility criteria. If you do not meet these requirements, you must not access or use the Site and Services.

3. ACCOUNT REGISTRATION AND RESPONSIBILITIES

To access certain features of the Site and Services, you may be required to register an account with Chicago Launchpad. By registering, you agree to:

• Provide accurate, current, and complete information during the registration process.
• Maintain the security and confidentiality of your login credentials and restrict access to your account.
• Immediately notify Chicago Launchpad of any unauthorized use of your account or other security breaches.

You are solely responsible for all activities that occur under your account, whether authorized by you or not. Chicago Launchpad will not be liable for any loss or damage arising from your failure to comply with these obligations.

4. MEMBERSHIP PLANS AND FEES

Chicago Launchpad may offer various membership plans, including free and paid tiers, providing different levels of access to resources and services. Membership fees are non-refundable and may be subject to change. By subscribing to a membership plan, you agree to:

• Pay all applicable fees associated with the selected membership plan on a recurring basis, as indicated during the subscription process.
• Authorize Chicago Launchpad to charge your payment method on a recurring basis for the membership fees.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date payment information.
• Manage your membership through the Stripe billing portal if changes or cancellations are required.

Membership benefits, including access to resources and services, may be modified or discontinued at any time without notice, and Chicago Launchpad will not be liable for any such changes. Failure to cancel your membership before the renewal date will result in the automatic renewal of your membership, and you will be charged the corresponding fees.

5. USE OF SERVICES AND PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES

Chicago Launchpad grants you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to access and use the Site and Services in accordance with these Terms. You agree not to:

• Use the Site and Services for any illegal, unauthorized, or prohibited purposes.
• Violate any applicable laws, regulations, or these Terms.
• Engage in any activity that may interfere with or disrupt the functioning of the Site or Services.
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to any part of the Site, Services, or any systems or networks connected to the Site.
• Upload, post, or otherwise transmit any content that is unlawful, harmful, defamatory, or otherwise objectionable.
• Reproduce, duplicate, copy, sell, resell, or exploit any portion of the Site and Services without express written permission from Chicago Launchpad.

Chicago Launchpad reserves the right to terminate or restrict your access to the Site and Services if you engage in any prohibited activities or violate these Terms.

6. USER CONTENT AND CONTRIBUTIONS

Users may have the opportunity to submit content, including but not limited to videos, text, images, and other materials (“User Content”) to Chicago Launchpad, including participation in features such as “Startup Stories.” By submitting User Content, you grant Chicago Launchpad a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, fully-paid, sublicensable, and transferable license to use, reproduce, distribute, display, modify, create derivative works from, and otherwise exploit the User Content for any purpose, in any media formats and through any media channels.

You represent and warrant that you own or have the necessary licenses, rights, consents, and permissions to grant the above license to Chicago Launchpad, and that your User Content does not infringe upon the intellectual property rights, privacy rights, or other legal rights of any third party.

Chicago Launchpad reserves the right to remove or modify User Content for any reason, including if it violates these Terms or any applicable laws.

7. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS

All content, materials, trademarks, service marks, and logos on the Site and Services, including but not limited to text, graphics, software, and code, are the intellectual property of Chicago Launchpad or its licensors and are protected by copyright, trademark, and other applicable laws. You are granted a limited license to access and use the Site and Services for personal, non-commercial use only. Any unauthorized use, reproduction, or distribution of this content may violate intellectual property rights and is strictly prohibited.

8. PRIVACY POLICY

8.1 Information Collection
Chicago Launchpad collects personal information that you provide during the registration process and while using the Site and Services. This may include your name, email address, company details, payment information, and other necessary data. We also collect information automatically through cookies, web beacons, and similar technologies.

8.2 Use of Information
The information collected is used to provide and improve our Services, manage your account, communicate with you, process transactions, and for other legitimate business purposes. We may also use your information for marketing purposes, including sending newsletters and promotional offers.

8.3 Sharing of Information
We may share your personal information with third-party service providers, partners, and affiliates for the purposes of providing the Services, processing payments, and performing analytics. We may also disclose your information if required by law or to protect the rights, property, or safety of Chicago Launchpad or others.

8.4 Data Security
Chicago Launchpad implements reasonable security measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. However, no security measures are foolproof, and we cannot guarantee the absolute security of your information.

8.5 Data Retention
We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.

8.6 Your Rights
You have the right to access, correct, or delete your personal information, as well as to request that we cease processing your data for certain purposes. To exercise these rights, please contact us at team@chicagolaunchpad.com.

9. DISCLAIMERS AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

9.1 Disclaimers
The Site and Services are provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis, without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. Chicago Launchpad disclaims all warranties, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. Chicago Launchpad does not warrant that the Site and Services will be uninterrupted, secure, or error-free, or that any defects will be corrected.

9.2 Limitation of Liability
To the fullest extent permitted by law, Chicago Launchpad, its affiliates, and their respective directors, officers, employees, agents, and representatives shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages arising out of or in connection with your use of the Site and Services, including but not limited to any errors, mistakes, or inaccuracies in content, personal injury or property damage, unauthorized access to or use of our servers, or any bugs, viruses, or other harmful code transmitted through the Site. In no event shall Chicago Launchpad’s aggregate liability for any claims arising out of or relating to these Terms exceed the amount paid by you, if any, for accessing the Site and Services.

10. WAIVER OF LIABILITY AND LEGAL CLAIMS

10.1 Waiver of Liability

By accessing or using the Site and Services, you expressly agree that your use is at your sole risk. Chicago Launchpad LLC, including its affiliates, partners, officers, directors, employees, agents, contractors, licensors, service providers, and suppliers (collectively, the “Released Parties”), shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages, including but not limited to loss of data, loss of profits, personal injury, property damage, or any other damages resulting from your use of the Site and Services.

10.2 Waiver of Right to Sue

To the fullest extent permitted by law, you irrevocably and unconditionally waive any and all rights to bring any claim, lawsuit, action, or legal proceeding against Chicago Launchpad and the Released Parties, whether now known or unknown, anticipated or unanticipated, in connection with your use of the Site and Services, any interaction with Chicago Launchpad, or any matter, event, or circumstance, whether or not related to the Site and Services. This waiver extends to all types of claims, including but not limited to contract, tort, statutory, common law, and equitable claims.

10.3 Release of All Claims

You hereby fully release, discharge, and hold harmless the Released Parties from any and all claims, demands, causes of action, losses, damages, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including attorneys’ fees) of any kind or nature, whether arising directly or indirectly, whether foreseeable or unforeseeable, whether existing or arising in the future, that you may have against the Released Parties in connection with or related to your use of the Site and Services, any transactions or communications with Chicago Launchpad, or any other related or unrelated matter.

10.4 Indemnification

In addition to the foregoing, you agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the Released Parties from any and all claims, damages, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including attorneys’ fees) arising from your breach of these Terms or your use of the Site and Services, including any claims made by third parties due to or arising out of your use of the Site and Services.

10.5 Binding Arbitration and No Class Action

Any disputes arising out of or relating to this waiver and these Terms shall be resolved exclusively through binding arbitration, as specified in Section 12. By agreeing to arbitration, you waive your right to sue in court, including the right to a jury trial. You also waive your right to participate in a class action or other collective proceeding.

10.6 Perpetual and Irrevocable Agreement

This waiver of liability and right to bring legal claims is perpetual, irrevocable, and remains in effect even after termination of your use of the Site and Services. This waiver applies to you, your heirs, assigns, and any other party acting on your behalf.

11. TERMINATION

Chicago Launchpad reserves the right to terminate or suspend your account and access to the Site and Services at any time, with or without notice, for any reason, including if you violate these Terms. Upon termination, your right to use the Site and Services will immediately cease, and any provisions of these Terms that by their nature should survive termination will continue in full force and effect.

12. GOVERNING LAW AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION

These Terms and your use of the Site and Services shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Illinois, without regard to its conflict of law principles. Any disputes arising out of or relating to these Terms or your use of the Site and Services shall be resolved through binding arbitration in Chicago, Illinois, in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association. The arbitration shall be conducted on an individual basis, and neither party shall be entitled to join or consolidate claims with others or to pursue any claim as a representative of a class or in a private attorney general capacity.

13. MISCELLANEOUS

13.1 Entire Agreement
These Terms, together with any other legal notices and agreements published by Chicago Launchpad on the Site, constitute the entire agreement between you and Chicago Launchpad concerning your use of the Site and Services and supersede any prior agreements between you and Chicago Launchpad.

13.2 Severability
If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, such provision shall be deemed severable from the remaining provisions and shall not affect the validity and enforceability of the remaining provisions.

13.3 Waiver
The failure of Chicago Launchpad to enforce any right or provision of these Terms shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision.

13.4 Assignment
You may not assign or transfer any of your rights or obligations under these Terms without the prior written consent of Chicago Launchpad. Chicago Launchpad may assign its rights and obligations under these Terms without restriction.

14. CONTACT US

If you have any questions or concerns about these Terms or the Site and Services, please contact us at:

Chicago Launchpad LLC
team@chicagolaunchpad.com