Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy describes how Skillnest ("Company," "we," "us," or "our"), located at 433 Park Point Dr, Golden, CO 80401, collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects information about individuals ("you," "your") who visit our website, inquire about our services, engage us as a client, or otherwise interact with Skillnest. We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information with transparency, integrity, and care. By using our website or services, you consent to the practices described in this Privacy Policy.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information You Provide Directly

We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide to us when you interact with our website or services. This includes:

• Contact and inquiry information: Your name, email address, company name, job title, phone number, and the content of messages you send through contact forms or direct communications.
• Project and engagement information: Details about your organization, learning goals, team size, budget parameters, timelines, and other information shared during the sales and onboarding process.
• Billing information: For active clients, billing contact details and information necessary to process invoices and payments. We do not directly store payment card information; such information is handled by our secure, PCI-compliant payment processors.
• Communications and correspondence: Records of emails, messages, meeting notes, and other communications exchanged between you and Skillnest during or after an engagement.
• Feedback and survey responses: Information you provide in response to satisfaction surveys, project feedback forms, or testimonial requests.

1.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website, certain information is collected automatically through standard web technologies:

• Log data: Your IP address, browser type and version, operating system, referring/exit pages, date and time of your visit, and pages viewed.
• Device information: Device type, screen resolution, and other technical characteristics of the device used to access our website.
• Cookies and similar technologies: We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to improve website functionality, analyze traffic patterns, and remember your preferences. You may control cookie settings through your browser, though disabling cookies may affect website functionality.
• Analytics data: We use third-party analytics tools (such as Google Analytics) to collect aggregated, anonymized data about how visitors interact with our website. This data helps us understand user behavior and improve our digital experience.

1.3 Information from Third Parties

We may receive information about you from third-party sources, including professional networking platforms (such as LinkedIn), industry databases, referrals from existing clients or partners, and publicly available sources. We combine this information with data we collect directly to better understand your needs and context.

2. How We Use Your Information

Skillnest uses the information we collect for the following purposes:

• Service delivery: To provide, manage, and improve our services, fulfill project obligations, and communicate with you about ongoing engagements.
• Business communication: To respond to inquiries, send project updates, share proposals, and manage client relationships.
• Billing and administration: To process invoices, manage accounts, and fulfill contractual obligations.
• Marketing and outreach: With your consent or under applicable legitimate interest provisions, to send information about our services, industry insights, case studies, and company updates. You may opt out of marketing communications at any time.
• Website improvement: To analyze traffic, identify technical issues, and improve the functionality and user experience of our website.
• Legal compliance: To comply with applicable laws, respond to legal process, enforce our agreements, and protect the rights, safety, and property of Skillnest and others.
• Security: To detect, prevent, and address fraud, unauthorized access, and other harmful activities.

3. Legal Basis for Processing (for EEA/UK Users)

If you are located in the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom, our legal basis for collecting and processing your personal information includes:

• Contract performance: Processing necessary to fulfill our contractual obligations to you as a client.
• Legitimate interests: Processing for our business purposes, such as improving services, maintaining security, and conducting marketing, where such interests are not overridden by your rights.
• Legal obligation: Processing necessary to comply with applicable legal requirements.
• Consent: Where we rely on your consent, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing.

4. Information Sharing and Disclosure

Skillnest does not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for their marketing purposes. We may share your information in the following limited circumstances:

• Service providers and contractors: We engage trusted third-party vendors and contractors who assist in delivering our services, including cloud storage providers, analytics platforms, project management tools, communication platforms, and payment processors. These parties are contractually obligated to protect your information and may only use it as directed by Skillnest.
• Professional advisors: We may share information with our attorneys, accountants, auditors, and other professional advisors on a confidential, need-to-know basis.
• Business transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, sale of assets, or other business transaction, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to the successor entity honoring the commitments in this Privacy Policy.
• Legal requirements: We may disclose your information if required to do so by law, regulation, court order, or governmental authority, or if we believe disclosure is necessary to protect the safety, rights, or property of Skillnest, our clients, or the public.
• With your consent: We may share your information for any other purpose with your explicit consent.

5. Data Retention

We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, including to satisfy legal, accounting, tax, or reporting requirements. Specifically:

• Client project records and engagement files are retained for a minimum of seven (7) years following the conclusion of the engagement, in compliance with applicable accounting and legal standards.
• Marketing communication records are retained until you opt out or request deletion.
• Website analytics data is retained in aggregated form for up to twenty-four (24) months.
• Inquiry records from non-clients are retained for up to two (2) years from the date of last contact.

When personal information is no longer needed, we securely delete or anonymize it in accordance with our data lifecycle management procedures.

6. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your location and applicable law, you may have the following rights with respect to your personal information:

• Access: The right to request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Correction: The right to request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete personal information.
• Deletion: The right to request that we delete your personal information, subject to certain legal exceptions.
• Restriction: The right to request that we restrict the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.
• Portability: The right to receive your personal information in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format.
• Objection: The right to object to our processing of your personal information based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing purposes.
• Opt-out of marketing: You may opt out of receiving marketing communications at any time by contacting us at the details below or following the unsubscribe instructions in any marketing email.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information in the Contact section of this Policy. We will respond within the timeframe required by applicable law, typically within thirty (30) days.

7. Cookies Policy

Our website uses cookies — small text files placed on your device — to enhance your browsing experience. We use the following categories of cookies:

• Strictly necessary cookies: Essential for the website to function properly. These cannot be disabled.
• Preference cookies: Used to remember your settings and preferences, such as your selected color theme.
• Analytics cookies: Used to collect anonymized data about how visitors use our website, helping us improve functionality and content.
• Marketing cookies: Used to track visits across websites for the purpose of delivering relevant advertising. We use these only with your consent.

You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings or our cookie preference center. Note that disabling certain cookies may affect your experience on our website.

8. Data Security

Skillnest implements appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, accidental loss, destruction, alteration, or disclosure. These measures include encryption of data in transit (TLS/SSL), access controls limiting data access to authorized personnel, regular security assessments, secure deletion of data when no longer needed, and employee training on data protection best practices.

However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security. In the event of a data breach affecting your rights and freedoms, we will notify you in accordance with applicable law.

9. International Data Transfers

Skillnest is based in the United States. If you are located outside the United States, please be aware that your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States, where data protection laws may differ from those in your country. We take steps to ensure that any international transfers of personal information are subject to appropriate safeguards, including contractual protections and compliance with applicable data transfer mechanisms.

10. Children's Privacy

Our services are intended for business professionals and are not directed to individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a minor, please contact us immediately and we will take steps to delete such information.

11. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, tools, or resources. This Privacy Policy does not apply to those third-party sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party services you visit, as we have no control over their practices or content.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or technology. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this Policy periodically. Your continued use of our services after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated Policy.

13. Contact Our Privacy Team

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please do not hesitate to contact us. We take privacy inquiries seriously and will respond promptly and with care.