Break Through Tech, Inc.

Privacy Policy

Last Updated: April 17, 2026

Break Through Tech ("we," "us," or "our") is a non-profit organization that works with high potential undergraduate students from across the country to train, empower and connect them to influential tech opportunities.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal information when you interact with us, including through our website, programs, services, and events.

This Privacy Policy applies to personal information we collect from program participants, donors, volunteers, website visitors, and other individuals who interact with our organization. By engaging with our website (www.breakthroughtech.org/ ) and the services we provide (collectively, “Services”), you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.

Any capitalized terms used but not defined in these Terms shall have the meanings given to them in the Terms of Use.

  1. PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT

We collect personal information that you provide directly to us, that we collect automatically when you use our Services, and that we receive from third parties.

The categories of personal information we collect include:

  • Identifiers and Contact Information. This includes your name (including aliases), email address, mailing address, telephone number, and signature.
  • Education and Employment Information. This includes educational records, current and past employment information, and employment history, which we may collect from program applicants, participants, and job applicants.
  • Financial Information. This includes bank account information, which we collect solely for the purpose of processing payments, stipends, or reimbursements to program participants and vendors.
  • Demographic Information. This may include age and other demographic information you voluntarily provide in connection with program applications or participation in our other programs, events, or surveys (which may also include your race, ethnicity, gender identity or gender expression). Providing this information is voluntary, and we will only collect this sensitive information with your consent.
  • Internet and Network Activity Information. When you visit our website or other online Services, we automatically collect certain information, including your IP address, browser type, operating system, referring URLs, and information about how you interact with our website.
  • Sensitive Information. We may collect certain categories of sensitive personal information, including financial information (bank account numbers) for payment processing purposes and demographic information for legal compliance and reporting purposes. We use sensitive personal information only for purposes permitted under applicable privacy laws, such as performing services you request, ensuring security, and verifying information. We do not use or disclose sensitive personal information for purposes other than those permitted under applicable law, and we will obtain your consent when the law requires it.
  1. HOW WE COLLECT PERSONAL INFORMATION

We collect personal information from the following sources:

Directly From You. We collect information directly from you, when you provide it or complete our registration or application forms, attend our events, contact us by phone or email, apply for employment, make a donation, sign up for our newsletter, or otherwise communicate with us.

Automatically Through Technology. When you visit our website, we automatically collect information through cookies, web beacons, and similar tracking technologies. This information helps us understand how visitors use our website and improve our services. For more information, please see Section 8(Cookies and Tracking Technologies) below.

From Third Parties. We may receive personal information from third-party service providers and collaborators, including our technology partners that provide services as part of our Services.

  1. HOW WE USE PERSONAL INFORMATION

We use the personal information we collect for the following purposes:

  • Program Administration. To process applications, manage program participation, deliver program services, and support participants throughout our programs.
  • Communications. To respond to your inquiries, send you information about our programs and Services, and keep you informed about our organization's activities and mission.
  • Transactions and Payments. To process donations, payments, stipends, and reimbursements.
  • Marketing and Outreach. To provide you with information about our programs, events, and opportunities that may interest you, and to promote our mission.
  • Analytics and Improvement. To analyze how our Services and programs are used, to measure program effectiveness, and improve our services.
  • Training. To provide training and professional development opportunities to participants, volunteers, and staff.
  • Security and Fraud Prevention. To detect and prevent security incidents, fraud, and other malicious or illegal activities.
  • Legal Compliance and Reporting. To comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes. We may also use your personal information for external and internal compliance obligations.
  1. HOW WE SHARE PERSONAL INFORMATION

We may share your personal information with the following categories of recipient:

Partner Universities and Educational Institutions. We maintain relationships with many partner universities and educational institutions. Following each application cycle, we share the names and email addresses of students who have applied to our programs with their respective universities. This enables universities to provide local support and resources to help students succeed in our programs.

Partner Non-Profit Organizations. We work with partner non-profit organizations and may share names and email addresses with these organizations so that they can provide local support and resources to help their members succeed in our programs.

Service Providers. We use third-party service providers to help us deliver our programs and operate our organization, such as video conferencing platforms and student information systems. These service providers may receive your email address and other personal information solely for the purpose of verifying accounts, processing transactions, and providing services on our behalf. Our service providers are contractually obligated to protect your personal information and are prohibited from using it for any purpose other than providing services to us.

Third Party Platforms. We also use Third Party Platforms to help us deliver our programs. These third party platforms may include learning management systems, career services platforms, and community platforms. Your use of these Third Party Platforms is governed by those parties’ privacy policies.

Legal and Regulatory Disclosures. We may disclose your personal information when required by law, such as in response to a subpoena, court order, or other legal process, or when we believe disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, protect your safety or the safety of others, investigate fraud, or respond to a partner university, educational institution, or government request.

Business Transfers. In the event of a merger, acquisition, reorganization, or similar transaction involving our organization, your personal information may be transferred to the successor organization.

  1. DATA RETENTION

We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. To determine the appropriate retention period, we consider various criteria, including whether the personal information continues to be necessary to provide our services; the amount, nature, and sensitivity of the personal information; the potential risk of harm to consumers from unauthorized use or disclosure; and the purposes for which we collect the personal information. Except as otherwise permitted or required by law, if personal information is no longer needed, we will securely delete or anonymize it in accordance with our data retention policies.

  1. YOUR PRIVACY RIGHTS

Depending on your state of residence, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information. We are committed to honoring these rights for all individuals, regardless of location.

Right to Know. You have the right to request that we disclose the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you, the categories of sources from which we collected your personal information, our business purposes for collecting your personal information, and the categories of third parties with whom we share your personal information.

Right to Delete. You have the right to request that we delete the personal information we have collected about you, subject to certain exceptions. We may deny your deletion request if retaining the information is necessary for us or our service providers to complete a transaction, detect security incidents, comply with a legal obligation, or make other internal and lawful uses of the information that are compatible with the context in which you provided it.

Right to Correct. You have the right to request that we correct inaccurate personal information we maintain about you.

Right to Opt-Out of Sale or Sharing. As stated above, we do not sell your personal information, as that term is defined in applicable state privacy laws. We also do not "share" your personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising purposes as defined under applicable state privacy laws.

Right to Non-Discrimination. We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your privacy rights. We will not deny you services, charge you different prices, or provide you with a different level or quality of services for exercising your rights.

How to Exercise Your Rights. To exercise any of the rights described above, please submit a request by contacting us at hello@breakthroughtech.org. We may verify your identity before processing your request by asking you to confirm information we have on file about you.

  1. DATA SECURITY

We implement appropriate administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, and destruction. These measures include:

  • Limiting access to personal information to employees and service providers who need it to perform their job functions;
  • Using encryption and secure connections when transmitting sensitive personal information;
  • Requiring service providers to implement appropriate security measures through contractual obligations;
  • Conducting regular reviews of our data collection, storage, and processing practices.

While we strive to protect your personal information, no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is completely secure. We cannot guarantee the absolute security of your information.

  1. COOKIES AND TRACKING TECHNOLOGIES

We use cookies, web beacons, and similar tracking technologies on our website to collect information about your browsing activities. These technologies help us:

  • Understand how visitors use our website and which pages are most popular;
  • Remember your preferences and settings;
  • Improve our website and services;
  • Measure the effectiveness of our communications and outreach.

Most web browsers are set to accept cookies by default. You can usually modify your browser settings to remove or reject cookies. Please note that removing or rejecting cookies may affect the availability and functionality of our website.

Do Not Track Signals

Some browsers include a "Do Not Track" (DNT) feature that signals to websites that you do not want your online activity tracked. Because there is no uniform standard for DNT signals, our website does not currently respond to DNT signals. However, you can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings as described above.

  1. CHILDREN'S PRIVACY

Our website and services are not directed to children under the age of sixteen (16), and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16. If we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under 16, we will take steps to delete such information as soon as possible. If you are a parent or guardian and believe that your child has provided us with personal information without your consent, please contact us at hello@breakthroughtech.org.

  1. CHANGES

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, services, or applicable laws. When we make material changes to this Privacy Policy, we will notify you by updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, provide additional notice (such as by email or through a prominent notice on our website).

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we are protecting your personal information. Your continued use of our services after any changes to this Privacy Policy constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

  1. CONTACT US

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your privacy rights, or have concerns about our privacy practices, please contact us at:

Break Through Tech

hello@breakthroughtech.org

243270041.1

248228-10003