Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using Wimentor (the "Platform," "Service," "we," "us," or "our"), you ("User," "you," or "your") agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree to these Terms, you may not access or use the Platform.

Wimentor connects ambitious African students ("Mentees") with experienced professionals ("Mentors") to provide career guidance, skill development, and professional support. These Terms govern your use of all Wimentor services, including our website, mobile applications, and any related services.

2. Eligibility

To use Wimentor, you must meet the following eligibility requirements:

• Age Requirement: You must be at least 16 years old. Users between 16-18 must have parental or guardian consent.
• Accurate Information: You must provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration and keep your account information updated.
• Legal Capacity: You must have the legal capacity to enter into a binding contract in your jurisdiction.
• Compliance: You must not be prohibited from using the Service under applicable laws or regulations.

We reserve the right to refuse service, terminate accounts, or remove content at our sole discretion if we believe you do not meet these requirements.

3. Role of the Platform

Wimentor acts as a facilitator and infrastructure provider. We provide the tools, matching algorithms, communication channels, and structured environments for mentorship to take place. We do not directly provide mentorship services.

3.1 For Mentors

• You are volunteering your time and expertise as an independent user of the Platform.
• You are not an employee, contractor, or agent of Wimentor unless explicitly stated in a separate written agreement.
• Wimentor does not supervise, direct, or control the mentorship you provide.
• You are solely responsible for the quality, accuracy, and legality of the advice and guidance you provide.

3.2 For Mentees

• Wimentor provides guidance tools and connections but does not guarantee employment, internships, university admissions, or specific career outcomes.
• Mentors provide advice based on their personal experience and expertise. This advice should be considered informational and not professional career counseling or legal advice.
• You are responsible for evaluating and acting upon the advice you receive.

4. User Accounts

4.1 Account Creation

To access certain features, you must create an account. You agree to:

• Provide accurate and complete registration information.
• Maintain the security of your password and account credentials.
• Notify us immediately of any unauthorized access or security breach.
• Accept responsibility for all activities that occur under your account.

4.2 Account Verification

We may require verification of your identity, educational credentials, or professional background. Failure to provide requested verification may result in account suspension or termination.

4.3 Account Sharing

Accounts are personal and non-transferable. You may not share your account credentials or allow others to access your account.

5. Code of Conduct

To maintain a safe, respectful, and productive environment, all users must adhere to our Code of Conduct. Wimentor has a zero-tolerance policy for harassment, discrimination, or abuse.

5.1 Reporting Violations

If you experience or witness behavior that violates this Code of Conduct, please report it immediately to safety@wimentor.com. We investigate all reports and take appropriate action, which may include warnings, account suspension, or permanent bans.

6. Data Usage & AI Training

Wimentor is an AI-first platform. By using our services, you acknowledge and agree that we collect and process data to improve our matching algorithms, career guidance models, and platform features.

What we do: We analyze successful mentorship interactions, career trajectories, question-answer patterns, and skill development pathways to build better guidance tools for the next generation of African professionals.

What we don't do: We do not sell your Personally Identifiable Information (PII) to third-party advertisers. Data used for AI training is anonymized and aggregated where possible, following industry best practices for data privacy.

7. Intellectual Property

7.1 Platform Ownership

The Wimentor Platform, including its code, design, logos, trademarks, proprietary AI models, algorithms, and all related intellectual property, is the exclusive property of Wimentor, Inc. and is protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws.

7.2 User Content

You retain ownership of the content you create (e.g., your profile, questions, advice, feedback). However, by posting content on the Platform, you grant Wimentor a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, sublicensable, and transferable license to use, reproduce, distribute, prepare derivative works of, display, and perform such content in connection with:

• Operating and improving the Platform.
• Promoting Wimentor and its services.
• Training AI models (as described in Section 6).
• Complying with legal obligations.

7.3 Restrictions

You may not copy, modify, distribute, sell, or lease any part of our Platform or included software, nor may you reverse engineer or attempt to extract the source code of that software, unless laws prohibit these restrictions or you have our written permission.

8. Prohibited Uses

You agree not to engage in any of the following prohibited activities:

• Illegal Activities: Using the Platform for any unlawful purpose or in violation of any local, state, national, or international law.
• Harassment: Harassing, abusing, threatening, or intimidating other users.
• Impersonation: Impersonating another person or entity, or falsely stating or misrepresenting your affiliation with a person or entity.
• Spam: Sending unsolicited messages, advertisements, or promotional materials.
• Scraping: Using automated systems (bots, scrapers, crawlers) to access the Platform without our express written permission.
• Security Violations: Attempting to gain unauthorized access to the Platform, other user accounts, or computer systems/networks.
• Malware: Uploading viruses, malware, or any other malicious code.
• Interference: Interfering with or disrupting the Platform or servers/networks connected to the Platform.
• Commercial Exploitation: Using the Platform for unauthorized commercial purposes without our written consent.

9. Payments & Fees

9.1 Free Services

Wimentor currently offers its core mentorship matching and guidance services free of charge to students and mentors. We reserve the right to introduce paid features or premium tiers in the future.

9.2 Future Paid Services

If we introduce paid services, we will provide clear notice and pricing information. By purchasing paid services, you agree to pay all applicable fees and taxes. All fees are non-refundable unless otherwise stated or required by law.

9.3 Payment Processing

Payments are processed through third-party payment processors (e.g., Stripe, PayPal). Your payment information is subject to the privacy policies and terms of service of these processors.

10. Termination

10.1 Termination by You

You may terminate your account at any time by contacting us at support@wimentor.com or using the account deletion feature in your settings.

10.2 Termination by Wimentor

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account and access to the Platform at any time, with or without cause, and with or without notice, for any reason including but not limited to:

• Violation of these Terms or our Code of Conduct.
• Fraudulent, abusive, or illegal activity.
• Extended periods of inactivity.
• Requests by law enforcement or other government agencies.

10.3 Effect of Termination

Upon termination, your right to use the Platform will immediately cease. We may delete your account and all associated data, though we may retain certain information as required by law or for legitimate business purposes (see our Privacy Policy for details).

11. Limitation of Liability

11.1 Disclaimer of Warranties

We expressly disclaim all warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, including but not limited to:

• Implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement.
• Warranties that the Platform will be uninterrupted, error-free, or secure.
• Warranties regarding the accuracy, reliability, or quality of any advice, content, or information obtained through the Platform.

11.2 Limitation of Damages

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Wimentor shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including but not limited to:

• Loss of profits, revenue, data, or business opportunities.
• Personal injury or property damage.
• Emotional distress or reputational harm.
• Costs of procurement of substitute services.

Our total liability to you for any claims arising from your use of the Platform shall not exceed the amount you paid to Wimentor in the 12 months preceding the claim, or $100 USD, whichever is greater.

12. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Wimentor, its officers, directors, employees, agents, and affiliates from and against any and all claims, damages, obligations, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from:

• Your use of the Platform or services.
• Your violation of these Terms or any applicable law.
• Your violation of any rights of another party, including other users.
• Any content you post or share on the Platform.
• Any advice or guidance you provide as a Mentor.

13. Dispute Resolution

13.1 Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of [Jurisdiction to be specified], without regard to its conflict of law provisions.

13.2 Arbitration Agreement

Any dispute, controversy, or claim arising out of or relating to these Terms or your use of the Platform shall be resolved through binding arbitration, except that either party may seek injunctive or other equitable relief in court to prevent the actual or threatened infringement, misappropriation, or violation of intellectual property rights.

13.3 Class Action Waiver

You agree that any arbitration or proceeding shall be limited to the dispute between you and Wimentor individually. To the full extent permitted by law, no arbitration or proceeding shall be joined with any other, no dispute shall be arbitrated on a class-action basis, and you waive any right to participate in a class-action lawsuit or class-wide arbitration.

14. Changes to These Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. We will notify you of material changes by:

• Posting the updated Terms on the Platform with a new "Last Updated" date.
• Sending an email notification to your registered email address.
• Displaying a prominent notice on the Platform.

Your continued use of the Platform after such notification constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms. If you do not agree to the changes, you must stop using the Platform and may terminate your account.

15. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or feedback regarding these Terms of Service, please contact us: