Terms and Conditions

Last Updated: 18th February 2025

1. Introduction

1.1 These Terms, Conditions, and Disclaimers (“Terms”) govern the use of our websites, services, and courses (“Courses”), including:
  • Our “S3 Academy” (academy.sociocracy30.org) and all events, workshops, self-directed courses, meetups, seminars, or training programs delivered by Thrive-in Collaboration, either in-person or online (collectively the “Services”).
  • Our e-learning platform at lms.sociocracy30.org and academy@sociocracy30.org, hosted via LearnWorlds Ltd. (the “Website” or “LMS”), including all sub-domains.

1.2 These Terms apply to both individual and business customers unless otherwise agreed in writing. By using our Website, creating an account, or registering for any Course, you (“User,” “Attendee,” or “Customer”) confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to abide by these Terms. You also acknowledge and agree to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy, which explain how we collect, use, and protect your personal data. If you do not agree, you must not use the Website or register for any Course.

1.3 No part of our Website or marketing materials constitutes a contractual offer capable of acceptance. Your order, booking, or registration for any Services constitutes a contractual offer, and our acceptance occurs only upon issuance of a confirmation email.

2. Definitions

n these Terms, unless the context otherwise requires, the following words and expressions have the following meanings:

  • “LearnWorlds”: Our Learning Management System (LMS) provider, which hosts and processes data on lms.sociocracy30.org. LearnWorlds enables course access, user authentication, progress tracking, and platform security.
  • “Account”: The personal profile created within our LMS, LearnWorlds, used to access course materials, manage participation, and store progress-related data.
  • “Content”: text, graphics, images, audio, video, software, data compilations, and other materials provided or made available by Thrive-in Collaboration through the Website or during any Course.
  • “Courses”: any workshop, training, program, talk, meetup, seminar, or other educational event offered by Thrive-in Collaboration (whether in-person, online, or via self-directed modules), as well as any associated materials, manuals, handouts, audio recordings, videos, or e-lessons.
  • “Facilities”: collectively any online facilities, tools, services, or information that Thrive-in Collaboration makes available through the Website or in connection with Courses.
  • “Services”: the services available to you through our Website or otherwise provided by Thrive-in Collaboration, including (but not limited to) access to our proprietary e-learning platform and any in-person or virtual Course sessions.
  • “Payment Information”: any details required to purchase our Services. This includes (but is not limited to) credit/debit card numbers and bank account details.
  • “System”: any online communication infrastructure that Thrive-in Collaboration makes available through the Website, including web-based email, message boards, live chat facilities, or email links.
  • “User” / “Users”: any third party that accesses the Website or uses our Services and is not employed by Thrive-in Collaboration in the course of their employment.
  • “Website”: academy.sociocracy30.org and any sub-domains thereof.
  • “We/Us/Our”: Thrive-in Collaboration, a company incorporated in Romania under company registration number J23/2517/2018, located at 1H Sos. Pipera-Tunari (Vila P29), Voluntari City, Ilfov County, 729941, Romania.
  • “You/Your”: the User, Attendee, or Customer entering into these Terms with Thrive-in Collaboration.
  • “Premises”: means Our place(s) of business located in Romania.
  • “Terms”: means all of these Terms, Conditions and Disclaimers laid out in this policy.

3. Acceptance and Age Restrictions

3.1 Acceptance of Terms
Your agreement to comply with and be bound by these Terms is deemed to occur upon your first use of the Website or upon registration for a Course, whichever is earlier. 

3.2 Age Restrictions
Persons under the age of 18 should use this Website or register for a Course only with the supervision and explicit consent of a parent or guardian. Payment Information must be provided by or with the permission of an adult. If you are under 16 and located in the European Economic Area (EEA), we require verified parental consent for processing your personal data in compliance with GDPR.

4. Payment and Course Bookings

4.1 Self-Directed E-Courses (Hosted via LearnWorlds)
  • Full payment is required before accessing any e-course.
  • Once payment is received and your Account is created in LearnWorlds, access to the Course is granted.

4.2 In-Person (Live or Online) or Blended Courses
  • Confirmation: Your place is considered reserved upon our receiving your booking request and sending you a confirmation email.
  • Payment Timing: We may take payment for in-person (live/online) or blended courses before, during, or after a course has been delivered, in accordance with any additional terms stated at the time of booking.
  • Binding Terms: The sending of our confirmation email confirms your acceptance into the course, at which point you become subject to all relevant Terms, including those relating to cancellation and payment obligations.
  • Access to live or blended courses may involve LearnWorlds integration for course content delivery and progress tracking.


4.3 Pricing and Availability
All prices displayed on the Website or in any official Thrive-in Collaboration material are correct at the time of publication. We reserve the right to alter prices and to add or remove promotions from time to time.

While we endeavor to ensure that our Services are accessible at all times, availability may vary. We do not guarantee any specific results or that any particular Course or Service will always be available.

All prices are exclusive of any applicable taxes unless otherwise stated. You are responsible for paying any taxes, duties, or other charges required by your jurisdiction.

4.4 Business Customers
These Terms also apply to businesses procuring our Services.

5. Cancellations and Refunds

Because our Courses (both in-person and online) involve limited places and pre-incurred costs, our cancellation and refund policies differ slightly based on the type of Service:

5.1 Courses (In-Person or Live Online Events)
  • 28 days or more before the course start date: 90% refund (we retain 10% to cover administrative costs).
  • Between 14 and 27 days before the course start date: 50% refund.
  • Between 7 and 13 days before the course start date: 25% refund.
  • Between 0 and 6 days before the course start date: No refund.

5.1.1 Transferring Tickets
You may transfer your participation in a Course to another person at no extra cost, up until 48 hours before the Course’s scheduled start time. Please inform us via email with the new participant’s details as soon as possible.

5.1.2 Cancellation by Thrive-in Collaboration
We reserve the right to cancel or reschedule a Course for any of the following reasons:
a) Trainer illness/unavailability;
b) Insufficient minimum number of participants (e.g., fewer than 8 people);
c) Force majeure (e.g., pandemic, natural disaster, acts of violence, etc.).
In the event that we cancel a Course, you are entitled to a full refund of any fees paid or the option to participate in a re-scheduled Course of the same or similar format. We assume no liability for any other costs related to your booking, such as travel or accommodation.

5.2 Online Services and EU “Cooling Off” Period
For EU-based consumers purchasing online Courses or e-learning Services, the statutory 14-day cooling-off period applies from the date we accept your order. To cancel within this period, you must notify us in writing at academy@sociocracy30.org.

However:
  • For self-paced e-learning courses (asynchronous, pre-recorded content), if you start accessing the course within the 14-day period, you lose your right to cancel once the course is fully provided. If you cancel before full access, you must pay for the portion used.
  • For live online courses (with scheduled live sessions and interaction), the cooling-off period does not apply if the course is scheduled for a specific date, similar to an in-person event. In this case, our standard cancellation and refund policy for live events applies (see Section 5.1).

6. Intellectual Property

6.1 Ownership
Unless otherwise stated, all Content provided through our Website(s), Courses, or Learning Management System (LMS) at academy.sociocracy30.org and lms.sociocracy30.org (hosted via LearnWorlds Ltd.) is the property of Thrive-in Collaboration or third parties who have granted us permission to use it. This includes but is not limited to:
  • Text, graphics, logos, icons, images, video clips, and audio recordings.
  • Course materials, compilations, page layouts, scripts, and interactive features.
  • Software, databases, and underlying source code.
  • Tools, frameworks, methodologies, and training structures used in our Courses.

All rights to this Content are reserved, and nothing in these Terms grants you ownership or sublicensing rights over our intellectual property.

6.2 License and Restrictions on Use
By purchasing or accessing a Course, you are granted a limited, non-exclusive, revocable, non-transferable license to use Course materials strictly for personal learning purposes. This license does not grant you any ownership rights, and you agree not to:
  • Share, copy, reproduce, modify, distribute, store, publish, sell, or exploit Course materials without our express written permission.
  • Download, screen record, or create derivative works from any materials hosted on LearnWorlds unless explicitly permitted.
  • Circumvent, disable, or interfere with LearnWorlds' technical restrictions, security features, or digital rights management.
  • Use our Course content to develop, market, or distribute competing courses, training, or consultancy services.

If you are granted explicit permission to use specific Course materials beyond personal learning, this must be documented in a separate written agreement with Thrive-in Collaboration.

6.3 Course Access and Revocation
Your access to Course content is granted on a time-limited basis and is subject to the terms of LearnWorlds’ platform policies. We reserve the right to suspend or revoke access to our Courses (without refund) if:

  • You engage in unauthorized sharing or distribution of Course content.
  • You attempt to circumvent LearnWorlds' security features, including but not limited to account sharing, password sharing, or unauthorized downloads.
  • You breach any copyright or intellectual property laws related to the materials provided.
  • Your LearnWorlds account is flagged for fraudulent activity or unauthorized access.

Access to Courses may be terminated for policy violations, and we reserve the right to pursue legal action for intellectual property infringement.

6.4 Confidentiality and Non-Compete
Certain materials, methodologies, and tools provided in our Courses are proprietary to Thrive-in Collaboration. You agree:
  • To keep all Course materials confidential, except for those explicitly marked as shareable.
  • Not to use our Course content to create, deliver, or sell competing courses, training programs, or consultancy services, unless explicitly agreed in writing.
  • To refrain from replicating or rebranding our tools, techniques, or strategies under your own name or business without prior written consent.

Violation of these terms may result in legal action for intellectual property infringement and immediate termination of Course access. 

7. Liability Waiver and Disclaimers

7.1 Limitation of Liability
Except in cases of fraud, gross negligence, or willful misconduct, neither Thrive-in Collaboration nor any of its affiliates, employees, trainers, or contractors will be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, punitive, or consequential damages (including lost profits or goodwill) related to your use of the Website or participation in a Course.
You acknowledge that use of the Website and any Services is at your own risk. We do not guarantee any specific results from the use of our Services, nor do we guarantee uninterrupted or error-free operation of our Website or LMS.
Nothing in these Terms shall exclude or limit liability for death or personal injury resulting from our negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or any other liability that cannot be excluded under applicable law.
In no event will Thrive-in Collaboration’s aggregate liability to you exceed the total amounts paid by you for the relevant Services giving rise to the claim.
7.2 No Professional Advice
The information and materials provided by Thrive-in Collaboration—whether in a Course or on our Website—do not constitute legal, financial, medical, or other professional advice. They are for informational and educational purposes only. You bear sole responsibility for any actions you take based on the information provided.
7.3 Attendee Liability Waiver (For In-Person or Live Events)
You accept all risk to your health and injury or death resulting from participation in any Course. You release Thrive-in Collaboration and its representatives from all liability for any loss or damage to property or for any illness or injury to you, including death, unless resulting from our gross negligence or willful misconduct.
If you require emergency medical treatment, you consent to such treatment and agree to be financially responsible for any costs incurred as a result. 
7.4 Availability and LMS Outages
While we strive for high uptime and performance, LearnWorlds may experience temporary outages, scheduled maintenance, or service disruptions beyond our control.
We do not provide refunds for LearnWorlds-related downtime unless legally required.

7.5 Indemnification
You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Thrive-in Collaboration, its affiliates, officers, employees, and agents from any and all third-party claims, liabilities, damages, and/or costs (including, but not limited to, reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising from: 

  • Your use of the Website or participation in any Course;
  • Your violation of these Terms;
  • Your infringement of any intellectual property or other right of any person or entity.

8. Use of Communications Facilities

8.1 Acceptable Use
When interacting with any System or communication tools on the Website or during a Course, you agree not to post or transmit any content that:
  • Is unlawful, defamatory, abusive, vulgar, harassing, obscene, or otherwise objectionable;
  • Violates any applicable laws or regulations;
  • Infringes upon the intellectual property or privacy rights of any third party;
  • Constitutes unauthorized mass communication (spam).

8.2 Monitoring
We reserve the right to monitor or review communications sent or received through our System. By using the System, you consent to such monitoring. 

8.3 User-Generated Content
We may modify any material you send via our System for use within the Website or a Course. By submitting content, you waive your moral right to be identified as the author unless you expressly reserve it in writing.

9. Accounts

9.1 Creating an LMS Account
Certain parts of our Services require you to create an account via LearnWorlds. By registering, you acknowledge that LearnWorlds processes your personal data on our behalf.

9.2 Account Security and Sharing
You must not share your LearnWorlds account credentials with any third party. If unauthorized access is detected, LearnWorlds may lock or suspend your account for security purposes.

9.3 Termination and Cancellation of Accounts
You or we may terminate your Account at any time. If we terminate your Account, we will do so by email (if feasible) and reserve the right to terminate without giving reasons. Any pending orders or payments will be canceled, and any refunds due will be provided where applicable.

10. Communications

10.1 Essential Course Communications
By enrolling in a Course or using our Services, you acknowledge and agree that we may contact you via email, in-platform notifications, or other electronic means for essential course-related communications. These communications are necessary for providing the Services and include, but are not limited to:
  • Course access details, schedules, and participation requirements.
  • Learning materials, assignments, progress reminders, and certification updates.
  • Important service-related notifications, such as security updates or policy changes.
  • Support and troubleshooting assistance related to your course.
Because these communications are essential to course participation, you cannot opt out of them without withdrawing from the Course.

10.2 Marketing Communications for Course Participants (Soft Opt-In)
As an enrolled participant, we may send you relevant marketing communications about future courses, events, and related services based on our existing relationship with you. This follows the soft opt-in principle under GDPR, which allows us to send you these communications without requiring explicit consent. These emails may include:
  • Announcements of new or upcoming courses.
  • Special offers, discounts, and promotions related to our services.
  • Invitations to relevant events, webinars, or workshops.

You can opt out at any time by:
  • Clicking the “unsubscribe” link in any marketing email.
  • Contacting us at academy@sociocracy30.org with your request.

Your choice to opt out of marketing emails does not affect your course access or essential communications (see Section 10.1).

10.3 Marketing Communications for Non-Registered Users (Explicit Opt-In)
If you are not enrolled in a Course but wish to receive marketing emails, we require your explicit opt-in consent before sending any promotional content. When signing up for our mailing list (e.g., via our website or a newsletter form), you will need to actively check a box confirming your consent to receive marketing communications.
You will only receive marketing emails if you have explicitly opted in.
You can withdraw your consent at any time via the unsubscribe link in emails or by contacting academy@sociocracy30.org.

10.4 Managing Communication Preferences
As a registered user, you can manage aspects of your communication preferences at any time by:
  • Updating your settings in your user account dashboard.
  • Contacting us directly at academy@sociocracy30.org for assistance.

For more details on how we handle personal data, refer to our Privacy Policy.

11. Privacy Policy and Data Protection

11.1 Privacy Policy
Your use of the Website(s) and participation in Courses is governed by our Privacy Policy. This policy applies to all websites, e-learning platforms, and digital services operated by Thrive-in Collaboration, including:
  • academy.sociocracy30.org and lms.sociocracy30.org (our Learning Management System, hosted by LearnWorlds),
  • and any subdomains or related digital services.

We process personal data in accordance with:
  • The EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (EU 2016/679),
  • UK Data Protection Act 2018 (where applicable),
  • And any other relevant national data protection laws.

Our legal bases for processing include:
  • Your consent – e.g., opting into marketing communications, accepting cookies.
  • Contractual necessity – e.g., processing payments, granting course access.
  • Legal obligations – e.g., complying with financial or regulatory requirements.
  • Legitimate interests – e.g., fraud prevention, analytics, and improving services.

As a user, you have the right to:
  • Request access to your data.
  • Request correction or deletion of your personal data.
  • Object to certain types of processing (e.g., marketing).
  • Request data portability for any personal data processed under contractual necessity.

More details on your rights and how to exercise them can be found in our full Privacy Policy.

11.2 Data Collection and Use
  • We collect and process personal data for the following purposes:
  • Providing and operating our Courses (e.g., user authentication, course registration, and lesson progress tracking).
  • Processing payments and transactions securely.
  • Communicating with you (e.g., service updates, account notifications, and marketing emails if opted in).
  • Improving website functionality through analytics and technical troubleshooting.
  • Complying with legal and regulatory obligations.

Data Categories Collected
  • Account & Identity Data – Name, email, date of birth, contact details, and user preferences.
  • Payment Data – Credit/debit card details, invoicing data, and transaction history (processed securely via Stripe).
  • Usage & Technical Data – IP address, browser type, login timestamps, access logs, and course interaction details.
  • Learning Progress Data – Quiz scores, completed lessons, discussion board activity, and engagement metrics.

LearnWorlds as Data Processor
Our LMS is powered by LearnWorlds, which processes the following data on our behalf:
  • User authentication and login data (IP addresses, device/browser info).
  • Course participation records (progress tracking, quiz results, and engagement data).
  • Interaction logs (forum discussions, uploaded materials, lesson feedback).

LearnWorlds does not use this data for independent purposes—it solely processes it for course delivery. LearnWorlds operates under GDPR-compliant data processing agreements, and their privacy policy can be reviewed at: LearnWorlds Privacy Policy.

11.3 Third-Party Data Sharing and Transfers
We only share your personal data with third-party service providers where necessary for service delivery, security, and compliance, including:
LearnWorlds Ltd. – LMS hosting and student data processing.
  • Stripe – Payment processing (credit/debit card transactions).
  • Vimeo – Streaming course-related video content.
  • Cloudflare – Website security and content delivery.
  • Web hosting and IT providers – Secure storage of platform data.
  • Marketing and communication services (if you have opted in).
  • Legal authorities, if required by law or in response to valid legal requests.

International Data Transfers
If your personal data is transferred outside the EU/EEA (e.g., to US-based providers such as LearnWorlds or Stripe), we ensure GDPR compliance through:
  • Adequacy decisions (if the receiving country is deemed safe by the European Commission).
  • Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) with additional safeguards.
  • Explicit user consent, where required.
  • For full details on how we protect your data, see our Privacy Policy.

12. Cookie Statement

By visiting and using our websites (including academy.sociocracy30.org and lms.sociocracy30.org), you agree to our use of cookies in accordance with our cookie policy or disclosures. Cookies help us customize and improve your user experience. You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings, but this may affect your access to certain features on our sites.

13. Audio/Visual Rules and Release

13.1 Recording and Photography
By attending Thrive-in Collaboration’s courses and events (both in-person and online), you acknowledge and agree that portions of these events may be recorded in video or audio format and/or photographed.

You grant Thrive-in Collaboration and its assigns the irrevocable right and permission to use such recordings and photographs that may include your name, likeness, voice, biographical details, testimonial, or image for marketing, advertising, or any other purpose in any media or format, whether online or offline, now or in the future, without further compensation, permission, or notification.

Some Courses involve video streaming via LearnWorlds and Vimeo. Your participation implies consent to appear in recorded or live sessions where applicable.

If you do not wish to appear in recordings, you must inform us in advance, and where feasible, we will take reasonable steps to accommodate your request (e.g., by seating you outside of recording areas or blurring images). However, we cannot guarantee exclusion from all recordings.

13.2 Ownership of Recordings
All recordings, images, and related materials from Thrive-in Collaboration events are the exclusive property of Thrive-in Collaboration. You acknowledge that you do not have any ownership rights or claims to these materials and waive any expectation of compensation related to their use. You further agree not to record, reproduce, or distribute any course content or event recordings without express written permission from Thrive-in Collaboration.

14. Third-Party Websites and Links

Our Website or Course materials may include links to third-party websites. Unless expressly stated otherwise, these sites are not under our control, and we assume no responsibility for their content or any losses or damages arising out of their use. A link does not imply endorsement.

If you wish to place a link to our homepage, you may generally do so without prior permission. Deep linking to internal pages requires our express written permission.

15. Modifications and Updates

15.1 Changes to Our Services
We reserve the right to change, modify, or remove the Website or any Services (including Course content) at any time. You will be bound by any new or updated Terms upon your continued use of the Website or participation in a Course after changes become effective. 

15.2 Changes to LearnWorlds Services
If LearnWorlds implements platform updates that affect Course delivery, we will notify you in advance of significant changes.

15.3 Notification of Changes
We may make revisions to these Terms, conditions, and disclaimers from time to time. Please review them regularly. We will notify you of significant changes via email or a prominent posting on our Website. The “Last Updated” date at the top of these Terms indicates when the latest modifications were made.

16. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

16.1 These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Romania.

16.2 You agree that any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms or your use of the Services shall be submitted to binding arbitration in Romania, in accordance with applicable laws and arbitration rules.

16.3 If any part of these Terms is held invalid or unenforceable under applicable law, that part shall be deemed severed and the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect.

17. Force Majeure

17.1 We accept no liability for any delay or failure to perform resulting from causes outside our reasonable control, including acts of God, war, terrorism, strikes, pandemics, or other events of force majeure.

Force majeure includes but is not limited to cyberattacks, LMS system failures, third-party service disruptions, or internet outages that prevent access to digital Course materials.

17.2 Unexpected LearnWorlds service outages that affect access to Courses shall be deemed force majeure events beyond our control.

18. No Waiver

No failure or delay by either party in exercising any right, power, or privilege under these Terms shall operate as a waiver thereof. Any express waiver of any breach shall not be deemed a waiver of any subsequent breach.

19. No Third Party Rights

Nothing in these Terms confers any right upon any third party. The agreement created by these Terms is between you and Thrive-in Collaboration only. 

20. Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with any additional terms or policies referenced herein (e.g., Privacy Policy, Cookie Statement), constitute the entire agreement between you and Thrive-in Collaboration concerning the subject matter and supersede all prior agreements or understandings. 

21. Contact Us

If you have questions about these Terms, or wish to discuss any possible exceptions, please contact us at academy@sociocracy30.org. We pride ourselves on being flexible and open to discussing reasonable accommodations. 

By using our Website, creating an Account, or registering for a Course, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to these Terms.

Thrive-in Collaboration
1H Sos. Pipera-Tunari (Vila P29), Voluntari City, Ilfov County, 729941, Romania
Company Registration Number: J2018002517235
Email: academy@sociocracy30.org