1. About NESEN and These Terms
NESEN — New England Science and Entrepreneurship Network ("NESEN," "we," "us," or "our") is an independent community organization operating a weekly in-person and online referral and pitch network for founders, entrepreneurs, executives, scientists, and professionals in New England. NESEN hosts weekly meetings, pitch sessions, networking events, and community tools at nesen.org (collectively, the "Services").
These Terms of Use ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the Services, including the website, event registrations, the community directory, member profiles, and any communications tools we operate. They apply to all participants — registered members, event attendees, pitch presenters, guests, and visitors.
By using the Services, you enter into a binding agreement with NESEN on the terms set out below.
2. Eligibility
To use the Services, you must:
- Be at least 18 years of age;
- Have the legal capacity to enter into a binding agreement; and
- Not have had a prior account or participation suspended by NESEN for violation of these Terms.
By using the Services, you represent and warrant that you meet all eligibility requirements. If you use the Services on behalf of a company or other entity, you represent that you have authority to bind that entity to these Terms.
3. Account Registration and Security
Creating an account
Certain features of the Services require you to create an account. When you register, you agree to provide accurate, current, and complete information and to keep that information updated. You may not impersonate any person or entity, use a false name, or create an account under a name other than your own.
Account security
You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account. Please notify us immediately at hello@nesen.org if you suspect unauthorized use of your account or any security breach. NESEN is not liable for loss or damage resulting from your failure to maintain account security.
One account per person
You may maintain only one personal account. Creating duplicate or false accounts is prohibited and may result in suspension of all associated accounts.
4. The Services
Community platform
NESEN provides a professional networking community that includes weekly meetings, a member directory, pitch sessions, and event programming for entrepreneurs and professionals in New England. You agree to use the Services only for lawful professional purposes consistent with these Terms.
Weekly meetings and events
NESEN hosts weekly in-person and online meetings, pitch sessions, and networking events. Meeting schedules, formats, and availability are subject to change at NESEN's discretion. NESEN does not guarantee that any specific participant, speaker, or guest will be present at any session.
Pitch sessions
Founders and companies may present pitches at NESEN sessions. Submitting a pitch does not guarantee acceptance or scheduling. NESEN reserves the right to decline or postpone pitch submissions at its discretion without liability. Pitching at a NESEN session does not constitute any endorsement, recommendation, or investment advice from NESEN with respect to the presenting company or its securities.
Service modifications
NESEN reserves the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue any aspect of the Services at any time. We will make reasonable efforts to notify Members of material changes, but we are not liable for any modification, suspension, or discontinuation.
5. Member Content and License
What is Member Content
"Member Content" means any information, text, images, video, audio, presentations, pitch decks, pitch materials, profile information, comments, messages, or other content that you submit, post, upload, publish, or otherwise make available through the Services or at a NESEN event.
No confidentiality in group settings
By presenting a pitch or participating in a NESEN meeting or event, you acknowledge and agree that:
- The content of your pitch and any materials you share are not confidential and carry no expectation of confidentiality;
- Attendees — including investors, operators, journalists, and other professionals — may take notes on your pitch and share those notes with colleagues in the normal course of their professional activities;
- NESEN does not guarantee confidentiality of any content presented or shared in a group setting; and
- You are responsible for deciding what information to disclose and should not share anything you are not comfortable making public.
Your representations about Member Content
By submitting Member Content, you represent and warrant that:
- You own or have all necessary rights, licenses, consents, and permissions to submit the content and to grant the licenses described in these Terms;
- The content does not infringe the intellectual property rights, privacy rights, or any other rights of any third party;
- The content is accurate and not misleading; and
- The content does not violate any applicable law or regulation.
License to NESEN — pitch and event materials
By submitting pitch materials, slides, videos, profiles, or any other Member Content to NESEN, or by presenting at a NESEN event, you grant NESEN a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual, sublicensable, and transferable license to use, reproduce, distribute, adapt, modify, create derivative works of, publicly display, publicly perform, and publish your Member Content — including pitch decks, presentation recordings, excerpts, summaries, and derived content — for any purpose related to operating, promoting, and growing the NESEN community.
This license expressly includes the right to:
- Record, archive, and make available session recordings to NESEN members and the public;
- Publish pitch summaries, highlights, excerpts, clips, and still images on the NESEN website, blog, social media accounts (including LinkedIn, X, YouTube, and others), newsletters, and partner channels;
- Edit, reformat, translate, caption, or otherwise adapt your content for clarity or platform requirements without seeking your approval before publication;
- Promote NESEN events and community activity using your name, company name, professional title, and a description or excerpt of your pitch or contribution; and
- Syndicate or distribute event content to media partners, sponsors, and other community organizations.
You retain ownership of your Member Content. This license does not give NESEN the right to sell your Member Content to third parties as a standalone commercial product. NESEN will make reasonable efforts to represent your contributions accurately, but does not guarantee pre-publication review or approval.
Profile information
Your name, professional title, company, industry, and any public profile information you provide will be visible to other registered members in the NESEN community directory and on event participant lists. By setting your profile to visible, you consent to this display.
Requesting removal of published content
If you believe that published content containing your name, image, or contributions is materially inaccurate or was published in error, you may request review by contacting us at hello@nesen.org. We will review requests in good faith and respond within 10 business days. NESEN is not obligated to remove content that was lawfully published under these Terms but will consider requests on a case-by-case basis.
6. Recording and Publishing of Sessions
Recording consent
NESEN may record online and in-person events and sessions for the purposes of creating archives, producing highlights and summaries, improving the community, and making content available to members and the public. By attending or participating in a NESEN event — whether as a presenter, panelist, speaker, or attendee — you consent to being recorded and to the use of that recording in accordance with these Terms and the license granted in Section 5.
If you do not wish to appear on camera during an online session, you may attend with your camera disabled. If you have concerns about recording at an in-person event, please notify the organizer before the session begins.
Publishing channels
NESEN may publish, distribute, and promote content from sessions through any channel it operates or partners with, including but not limited to the NESEN website, YouTube, LinkedIn, X (Twitter), email newsletters, and media partners. Published content may include names, company names, titles, pitch summaries, video clips, and still images from sessions.
7. Intellectual Property
NESEN's intellectual property
The Services, including all software, design, text, graphics, logos, trademarks, and other content created or owned by NESEN ("NESEN Content"), are protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. You may not copy, reproduce, distribute, modify, or exploit NESEN Content without our prior written consent, except as expressly permitted by these Terms.
Community data
The NESEN member directory, event participation data, and aggregated community data constitute NESEN proprietary data. You may not scrape, copy, redistribute, or use this data for any commercial purpose without NESEN's prior written consent.
Feedback
If you submit feedback, suggestions, or ideas to NESEN regarding the Services, you grant NESEN a worldwide, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free license to use and act on that feedback for any purpose, without compensation to you.
Copyright complaints
If you believe that content on the Services infringes your copyright, please send a written notice to hello@nesen.org including: (a) identification of the copyrighted work claimed to be infringed; (b) identification of the infringing material and its location on our Services; (c) your contact information; (d) a good-faith statement that the use is not authorized; and (e) a statement that the information is accurate, signed under penalty of perjury. We will respond to valid notices promptly.
8. Prohibited Conduct
You agree not to use the Services to:
- Violate any applicable law, regulation, or third-party right, including intellectual property rights, privacy rights, and securities laws;
- Submit false, misleading, or fraudulent information, including fabricated traction metrics or misrepresented company status;
- Impersonate any person or entity, or falsely claim affiliation with any person or organization;
- Solicit personal information from other members for non-professional purposes;
- Send unsolicited commercial messages, spam, or repeated unwanted communications to other members;
- Harass, abuse, threaten, defame, or discriminate against any member or third party on the basis of any protected characteristic;
- Scrape, crawl, or extract data from the Services using automated tools without NESEN's prior written consent;
- Interfere with or disrupt the integrity or performance of the Services or connected infrastructure; or
- Use the Services to promote illegal activity.
NESEN reserves the right to investigate suspected violations and to take any action we deem appropriate, including removal of content, suspension of participation, and referral to law enforcement.
9. Community Standards
NESEN is a professional community. All participants are expected to interact with honesty, respect, and professional courtesy. Members are expected to:
- Represent their professional background, company status, and activities accurately;
- Engage constructively in pitch Q&A and community discussions, providing feedback that is honest, relevant, and respectful;
- Honor meeting commitments and provide reasonable notice if unable to attend; and
- Refrain from using member contact information for purposes unrelated to the professional activities facilitated by NESEN.
NESEN may remove members who consistently fail to meet these standards, even if their conduct does not rise to the level of a prohibited activity under Section 8.
10. Investment-Related Disclaimers
NESEN is a community networking organization, not a broker-dealer, investment adviser, crowdfunding portal, or securities exchange. Nothing on the Services constitutes investment advice, a recommendation to buy or sell any security, or an offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any security.
Members who discuss investment opportunities through NESEN are solely responsible for ensuring that their activities comply with all applicable federal and state securities laws. NESEN does not conduct due diligence on companies that pitch at its events and makes no representations regarding their financial condition, business prospects, or the accuracy of their disclosures.
Investing in early-stage companies involves significant risk, including the risk of total loss of invested capital.
11. Third-Party Services and Links
The Services may contain links to third-party websites and services, including video conferencing platforms, calendar tools, and social networks. NESEN does not control and is not responsible for the content, privacy practices, or terms of any third-party services. Your use of third-party services is subject to their respective terms and policies.
12. Disclaimers of Warranties
THE SERVICES ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, NESEN DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.
NESEN does not warrant that the Services will be uninterrupted, secure, or error-free, or that any Member Content is accurate, complete, or reliable.
13. Limitation of Liability
TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT WILL NESEN, ITS ORGANIZERS, VOLUNTEERS, AGENTS, OR PARTNERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THESE TERMS OR YOUR USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE SERVICES, EVEN IF NESEN HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
NESEN's total aggregate liability to you for all claims arising out of or in connection with these Terms or the Services will not exceed ONE HUNDRED U.S. DOLLARS ($100). Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages; in such jurisdictions, NESEN's liability is limited to the fullest extent permitted by law.
14. Indemnification
You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless NESEN and its organizers, volunteers, agents, and partners from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or relating to: (a) your use of the Services; (b) your Member Content; (c) your violation of these Terms; (d) your violation of any applicable law or the rights of any third party; or (e) any business or investment decision made in connection with information obtained through the Services.
15. Termination
Termination by you
You may close your account or withdraw from NESEN at any time by contacting us at hello@nesen.org or through your account settings.
Termination by NESEN
NESEN may suspend or terminate your account and access to the Services at any time, with or without notice, for any reason including violation of these Terms or conduct that we determine is harmful to the community.
Effect of termination
Upon termination, your right to use the Services ceases immediately. Sections 5 (Member Content license), 7 (Intellectual Property), 10 (Investment Disclaimers), 12 (Disclaimers), 13 (Limitation of Liability), 14 (Indemnification), and 17 (Governing Law) survive termination.
16. Electronic Delivery of Notices
By creating an account or otherwise using the Services, you consent to receive from NESEN all communications, agreements, disclosures, notices, and other information in electronic form, including by email to your registered address or by posting notices on the Services. Electronic delivery satisfies any legal requirement that such communication be provided in writing.
You are responsible for keeping your registered email address current. NESEN is not liable for any failure to receive a communication if your email address is incorrect, outdated, or unable to receive messages.
17. Governing Law and Disputes
Informal resolution
Before filing any formal legal claim, you agree to attempt to resolve any dispute with NESEN informally by contacting us at hello@nesen.org with a written description of the dispute. We will attempt to resolve the dispute within 30 days of receipt.
Governing law
These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, without regard to its conflict of law principles. Any dispute not resolved informally will be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, and you consent to personal jurisdiction in those courts.
18. General Provisions
Entire agreement
These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy, and GDPR page, constitute the entire agreement between you and NESEN regarding the Services and supersede all prior agreements and representations.
Severability
If any provision of these Terms is held invalid or unenforceable, it will be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable, or severed if modification is not possible, and the remaining provisions will continue in full force.
Waiver
NESEN's failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms will not constitute a waiver of that right or provision.
Assignment
You may not assign or transfer your rights or obligations under these Terms without NESEN's prior written consent. NESEN may assign these Terms without restriction.
Force majeure
NESEN will not be liable for any delay or failure to perform its obligations to the extent caused by events beyond its reasonable control, including natural disasters, pandemics, government actions, or failures of third-party infrastructure providers.
Updates to these Terms
NESEN may update these Terms from time to time. When we make material changes, we will post the updated Terms with a revised effective date and, where appropriate, notify you by email. Your continued use of the Services after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms. If you do not agree, you must stop using the Services.
19. Contact
Questions about these Terms should be directed to:
Related documents:
- Privacy Policy — how we collect and use personal data
- Cookie Policy — how we use cookies and tracking technologies
- GDPR — additional rights for EEA and UK residents