Celebrating organizations that create economic opportunity in the digital era.

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Announcing the 2016 Winners!

Meet the Winners

2016 Awards Details

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    The acceleration of technology has led to remarkable benefits for business and the economy, but what about people earning middle- and base-level incomes?

    Digital innovations can enable a broader population to share in the prosperity of the Second Machine Age.

    The Inclusive Innovation Challenge identifies and celebrates those organizations that are inventing a more inclusive, productive, and sustainable future for all.

    Where does your organization fit in?

    Rules

    By participating in this Challenge and in accordance with these Rules, you are eligible to receive various forms of recognition and a possible cash Prize of up to $125,000.00. Please read the following Rules and Terms & Conditions carefully.

    View All Rules

    As you participate, you may periodically be asked to recognize your acceptance of these Rules and the Terms & Conditions ("Terms") by clicking "accept" at various pages on this website, but by continuing any use of this website you expressly consent to all of these Rules and the Terms. The Rules governing this competition are stated here as an extension of the Terms for use of this website. The full Terms are available for your review by accessing them at the foot of various pages on this website. The Rules constitute "Competition Terms and Conditions" under Clause 2.3 of the Terms. Capitalized words used but not defined in the Rules have meanings given to them in the Terms.

    1. Subject to the limitations set out herein and in the Terms, any organization and/or business entity (such as a corporation, partnership, limited liability company, nonprofit agency, etc.) may participate (“You”); except that employees of the Competition Sponsor, RAMPIT, and any of their subsidiaries and/or affiliates of those entities and immediate family members (spouse, parent, child, sibling and their respective spouses, regardless of where they live) or persons living in the same households of such employees from those entities, are not eligible. You must complete registration to participate. Individuals must be 18 years of age or older at the time of entry to participate by representing an organization. You cannot reside in nor be governed by countries that are prohibited by law, regulation (including United States or other applicable export laws and regulations), treaty or administrative act from entering into trade relations (including export of technology) with the United States of America or its citizens.
    2. Your Entry should meet the application requirements stipulated on this website. You are required to register in advance of any deadlines for the submission of an Entry, and You must comply with all other deadlines posted on this website. Your Entry may not, in the sole and unfettered discretion of the Competition Sponsor and RAMPIT, contain obscene, provocative, defamatory, or otherwise objectionable or inappropriate content. Competition Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to cancel, modify or suspend the COMPETITION in whole or in part without liability to You (a) if it determines that the number of registrants is insufficient to warrant holding the COMPETITION, (b) in the event of fraud, technical or circumstances beyond Competition Sponsor’s reasonable control or (c) if Competition Sponsor in its sole discretion concludes that the integrity of the COMPETITION is compromised. Competition Sponsor also reserves the right to disqualify You from participating in its sole discretion.
    3. The Content created or provided by You must be your own. You represent and warrant that your Entry is an original work created solely by You, that You own all Intellectual Property in and to the Entry, and that no other party has any right, title, claim or interest in the Entry, except as expressly identified by You to us in writing. You retain all right, title and interest in any inventions, software or work of authorship You invent or create during the COMPETITION, but grant Competition Sponsor the right to distribute and display Your COMPETITION entry.
    4. You may participate by registering, and You may not register more than one true and uniform identity; multiple registrations for a participant using multiple identities are not allowed. We reserve the right to disqualify any Entry made by a participant violating this limitation, regardless of whether all of the respective parties had knowledge of such violation.
    5. The application requirements for your Entry are clearly described on this website. Your Entry will be reviewed by five Judges, who will be assigned to score your Entry either randomly or after considering any potential conflicts of interest, using the scoring rubric and judging criteria that are also described on this website. In cases where a Judge indicates any potential conflict of interest, the Entry will be assigned to another Judge. Those Judges, each of whom is named on this website, will be responsible for scoring your Entry. Judges are permitted to communicate with Participants solely for the purposes of carrying out due diligence for evaluating your Entry and assigning a score during the review process, but those Judges are not required to contact directly any individual.
    6. Once a rank order of Entries has been calculated, the top Competitors will be presented before a separate Selection Committee. Selection Committee members will meet to review and discuss the top Entries and will determine all Winners using judging criteria that may incorporate the same scoring rubric employed by previous judges, but they are not limited solely to using that criteria. At least one of the initial Judge assigned to score the total pool of Competitors will be independent of the Competition Sponsor. If the Selection Committee determines that an event should be hosted, where the top Competitors may be required to attend, then You may be asked to attend that event and to prepare additional materials in advance or upon the date of the event. You will be required to respond to any invitations to attend any events as promptly and clearly as possible.
    7. Should Your organization be selected as the Winner of any Award(s), various cash payments may be provided (subject to terms specified in a separately executed agreement with the Competition Sponsor (each a “Separate Agreement”)). Some of the Award amounts available through this Competition are described on this website, but others may be bestowed by the Competition Sponsor, based solely on their prerogative to select additional Award winners. You may not submit any petitions for a division of any Award(s). All Winners will be announced on this Website.  If you or your team has a winning entry in the COMPETITION, and do not enter into a Separate Agreement, you or your team may be unable to receive an Award.  If you win and receive an Award, you will be responsible for all federal, state and local taxes, if any, that apply to your Award. 
    8. While RAMPIT, LLC (“RAMPIT”) is providing an online platform for your participation, RAMPIT is not responsible for the payment of any Award(s). Payment of any Award(s) is the sole responsibility of the Competition Sponsor, and under the Terms each participant has agreed to look solely to the Competition Sponsor for the payment of any Award(s). Please note that the Winner of an Award may be subject to certain taxes. Under the Terms, the Winner of an Award will be solely responsible for paying such taxes. Neither the Competition Sponsor nor RAMPIT and/or its affiliates will accept responsibility for paying such taxes.
    9. Under Section 9.2 of the Terms, the Winner and Competition Sponsor may elect, but are not required, to enter into a separate, agreement with one another.
    10. By submitting your Entry, you agree to release, discharge and hold harmless RAMPIT and the Competition Sponsor and their partners, affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising agencies, agents and their employees, officers, directors and representatives from any Loss arising out of your participation in this Competition and the acceptance and use, misuse, or possession of any Award(s). Neither RAMPIT nor the Competition Sponsor assumes responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, or delay in operation or transmission; communications line failure; theft or destruction of or unauthorized access to Competition entries or entry forms; or alteration of entries or entry forms. Neither RAMPIT nor the Competition Sponsor are responsible for any problems with or technical malfunction of any telephone network or lines, computer online systems, servers or providers, computer equipment, software, failure of any entry to be received on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet or any website, human errors of any kind, or any combination thereof, including any injury or damage to entrants’ or any other persons’ computers related to or resulting from participation, uploading or downloading of any materials related to this Competition.
    11. THIS COMPETITION IS VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. Entrants agree that this Competition shall be subject to and governed by the laws of Tennessee and the United States of America and the forum of any dispute shall be in the courts of Davidson County, Tennessee, United States of America. To the extent permitted by law, the right to litigate, to seek injunctive relief or to make any other recourse to judicial or any other procedure in case of disputes or claims resulting from or in connection with this Competition are hereby excluded and any entrant expressly waives any and all such rights. Certain restrictions may apply.
    12. If for any reason the Competition is not capable of running as planned, due to infection by computer virus, bugs, worms, Trojan horses, denial of service, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures or any other causes beyond the control of RAMPIT that corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of this Competition, RAMPIT reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual(s) who tamper with the process, and/or to cancel, terminate, modify, or suspend the Competition. If RAMPIT or the Competition Sponsor terminates the Competition, it will not retain any rights in the submitted Entries.
    13. The Competition Sponsor, reserves the right to disqualify any participant who violates these Rules, the Terms and any standards of behavior expressed or implied in them. We look forward to receiving your most thoughtful and creative Entry.

    Contact Information:

    You may contact us with any questions or comments about these Rules. Please enter “MIT Inclusive Innovation Competition” in the subject line of your email. You may reach us at: iic@mit.edu

    The Competition Sponsor is represented by:

    Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

    77 Massachusetts Avenue

    Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139

    Devin Cook, Executive Producer, MIT Inclusive Innovation Competition

    (Devinc@mit.edu)


    Why Inclusive Innovation?

    Inclusive Innovation will enable more people to share in the wealth and prosperity generated by technology in the Second Machine Age.

    Learn More

    Supporters & Partners

    We'd like to thank our supporters who have generously contributed to the creation of the Inclusive Innovation Challenge. And thank you to our partners who have engaged with us to strengthen the Challenge's impact.

    View Our Supporters & Partners

    A Level Playing Field

    We appreciate your interest in the Inclusive Innovation Competition and want to explain how every applicant will be treated during the scoring process. Here is an explanation of how the Judges' scores are calculated.

    View the Explanation

    Once an application has been submitted, a minimum of five Core Judges will be assigned to score each submission. Those judges will offer both scores and comments against each of four distinct traits. Each trait will be scored on a 0-5 point scale, in increments of 0.1. Those scores will combine to produce a total normalized score. Examples of possible scores for a trait are… 1.4, 3.7, etc.

    The most straightforward way to ensure that everyone is treated by the same set of standards would be to have the same judges score every application; unfortunately, due to the number of applications that we may receive, that is not possible.

    Since the same judges will not score every application, the question of fairness needs to be explained carefully. One judge scoring an application may take a more critical view, giving any assigned candidate a range of scores only between 1.0 and 2.0, as an example; meanwhile, another judge may be more generous and want to score every submission between 4.0 and 5.0.

    For illustrative purposes, let’s look at the scores from two hypothetical judges:

    The first judge is far more generous, as a scorer, than the second judge, who gives much lower scores. If your application was rated by the first judge, it would earn a much higher total score than if it was assigned to the second judge.

    We have a way to address this issue. We ensure that no matter which judges are assigned to you, each application will be treated fairly. To do this, we utilize a mathematical technique relying on two measures of distribution, the mean and the standard deviation.

    The mean takes all the scores assigned by a judge, adds them up, and divides them by the number of scores assigned, giving an average score.

    Formally, we denote the mean like this:

    The standard deviation measures the “spread” of a judge’s scores. As an example, imagine that two judges both give the same mean (average) score, but one gives many zeros and fives, while the other gives more ones and fours. It wouldn't be fair, if we didn’t consider this difference.

    Formally, we denote the standard deviation like this:

    To ensure that the judging process is fair, we rescale all the scores to match the judging population. In order to do this, we measure the mean and the standard deviation of all scores across all judges. Then, we change the mean score and the standard deviation of each judge to match.

    We rescale the standard deviation like this:

    Then, we rescale mean like this:

    Basically, we are finding the difference between both distributions for a single judge and those for all of the judges combined, then adjusting each score so that no one is treated unfairly according to which judges they are assigned.

    If we apply this rescaling process to the same two judges in the example above, we can see the outcome of the final resolved and normalized scores. They appear more similar, because they are now aligned with typical distributions across the total judging population.

    We are pleased to answer any questions you have about the scoring process. You are able to ask questions related to the scoring process on the discussion forums once you register and begin developing your application.

    Application

    Judges will score and comment on submissions that satisfy the guidelines below

    Application Guidelines

    APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

    There are three sections in the application: 1. Your Quick Pitch, 2. Your Solution, and 3. Your Practice. Please read through all of the sections before proceeding. We encourage you to take full advantage of the word counts for each section. Finalists will be required to complete a Video Pitch as described below.







    1. YOUR QUICK PITCH

    In 25 words or less, provide a clear and succinct explanation of the solution (product, service, etc.) that your organization is offering to raise economic prospects for middle- and base-level earners. Your Quick Pitch is a brief statement that each assigned Judge will read to develop an initial impression of your solution. It should inspire the judges to read more. Keep it simple.



    2. YOUR SOLUTION

    In this section, you will respond to several questions that help describe your solution. Take time to underscore both the specific strengths of your solution and how it represents a broader overall strategy to address a specific problem that ensures meaningful progress towards creating economic opportunity for working people.

    PROBLEM STATEMENT

    Start by explaining the specific problem that you are committed to solving, which currently inhibits access to meaningful economic opportunity for middle- and base-level earners.  Demonstrate your understanding of the underlying problem before explaining your solution to it. Take time to explain the circumstances that led to the problem that you are committed to solving and set the stage for why your solution offers meaningful change.


    THE BIG CHALLENGE (200 words)

    Please provide a broad description of the problem that you are committed to solving. Offer an explanation of the current resources that are available to address the problem. Focus on why those resources are insufficient to ensure one or more aspects of a meaningful solution. Explain any previous attempts to solve the problem, if there were any, and why your big challenge persists within the current environment. This is your opportunity to look at the largest possible definition of the challenges that you and others face, in attempting to advance your solution.

    SPECIFIC CONDITIONS (200 words)

    Build on your description of the big challenge and offer a complementary description of the conditions specific to how you have chosen to implement your solution. Show that you understand the environment or target populations in which you have chosen to create or support economic opportunity.  Explain your understanding of specific operational or tactical hurdles that you face every day by dealing with a specific region, population, technology, or technical approach to the solution.


    APPROACH

    Now that you’ve defined the problem that you are solving and described the specific conditions affecting your implementation, please offer a description of your underlying strategy and the specific scope of your solution.


    EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (150 words)

    Briefly describe your solution to the big challenge that you previously described.  Explain your overarching strategy and the tactical or operational approaches that you have employed to address conditions specific to your organization. Reference the core philosophy behind your solution, to illustrate any guiding principles or factors that differentiate your approach from other organizations with similar missions. The executive summary is your opportunity to share an overview of the endeavor, your goals, and salient or measured indicators of success that summarily validate your approach. This broad description should provide judges with a brief overview of your solution before you are asked to provide specific details, and it should entice the judges to read on.

    NOTE:  Your Executive Summary may be extracted from your application and published in materials, for the public or others to view.


    PAST PERFORMANCE (250 words)

    Please provide clear and compelling evidence that your organization’s solution has proven to be measurably effective. For some, a technology or a technical approach can be measured for its intrinsic innovation or effectiveness (such as performance according to an organization’s internal standards or requirements). Show specific and quantifiable evidence of past performance that directly drives economic opportunity for working people.


    TIMING AND DURABILITY (100 words)

    Please provide the total duration over which your solution has been in practice. You are welcome to explain any fluctuations during that time, such as when the solution may have expanded or evolved and how any previous iterations may be measured across different or overlapping timelines. We want to know that you have been operating during a sufficient duration to offer reliable proof of performance and value.


    VALUE (250 words)

    Now that you have provided quantifiable measures of your organization’s past performance, please explain the broader impact of your solution, as it relates to the needs of middle- and base-level earners. Explain how your organization will substantially improve their economic prospects, by either increasing income and/or earning potential. Does your organization enable middle- and base-level earners to realize improved and/or increased work opportunity and how? For some, the past performance section of your application will offer measures of value, but here please explain how those workers are improving or may improve (in the future) their prospects through your solution, to realize value in the broader labor markets.


    VISION (250 words)

    Describe your broader vision for the future of your organization and your solution. Make the case for why your solution is both bold and disruptive. Draw on the measures of your performance and other data to show that your core ideas are truly innovative and effective. What is your organization’s ambition for expanding the solution to reach broader and deeper outcomes?  This is your opportunity to inspire the judges to see the future through your organization’s experience and to convince them that your organization offers an inventive and creative solution that offers meaningful change for middle- and base-level earners.







    3. YOUR PRACTICE

    You have already established a firm understanding of your solution. Any claims should be supported by measures of your past performance and the present or future value that you are offering to middle- and base-level earners. Now, you are asked to provide more detailed information to explain the operational practices of your organization, so that the judges can understand the viability and scalability of your organization and solution.


    ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE (150 words)

    Please explain the operational and legal structure of your organization. Describe how that structure affects your operations and plan for growth. Please describe any relationships between your organization and partners or other organizations, if any, and the degree to which they are essential to your success. If your organization includes a Board or external Advisors, to complement the talents of your management team, please explain those relationships and any governing control over the organization’s operations. This is your opportunity to explain how your organization is designed to support the solution that you described in detail earlier in this application.


    MANAGEMENT (150 words)

    The following information is required to capture a basic understanding of the leadership, vision, and capabilities of those responsible for the implementation and growth of your solution. Please provide a narrative description of your organization’s leadership team and management structure, focusing on senior team members or executives responsible for delivering the solution, and their relationship to other senior team members or executives. Consider discussing how those leaders first conceived or supported the solution. Emphasize where any specific experience informed the development of the solution and how.  This is your opportunity to showcase the talents that drive and inform your organization.


    FINANCIAL HEALTH & STABILITY (250 words)

    Please provide a narrative description of the financial health of your organization. Judges have been trained to look for as much detail as possible, to distinguish those organizations that can show a clear roadmap towards long-term stability or expansion. Rather than prescribing a format, whereby any financial statements or formal records of financial activity would reveal those characteristics, we are allowing you to make your best case by offering details of your organization that clearly indicate your position as a viable and financially successful concern.

    NOTE: If your organization is selected as a potential finalist, you may be asked to submit additional information and formal financial records.


    SCALABILITY (250 words)

    Explain how your organization and your solution will grow over time and increase in effectiveness, impacting a greater number of people and driving enhanced performance and value.  How will your organization continue to increase earning and earning potential, as well as access to work opportunities?  How will you ensure that your organization is positioned to manage any increasing resource requirements as you plan for growth? Describe your pathway to scalability and your vision for the future growth of your organization and the solution.


    RISK MANAGEMENT (200 words)

    Please describe any threats to your organization and your intended response or plans to manage them. While every organization and solution is different, we expect you to raise the most pressing assumptions of risk. Where possible, show that your team of managers, investments in specific resources, and strategic decisions will ensure that those risks do not threaten the long-term viability and growth of your organization and solution.


    OTHER CONSIDERATIONS (150 words)

    Here, you are welcome to offer any final comments and information that may not have been covered in other sections of your application and that you would like our judges to consider. This is also your opportunity to describe (more completely) any outstanding points raised earlier or explanations of your organization and your solution that you feel are critical to demonstrating your success.







    ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

    In addition to the preceding application, the following questions will be used to consider your organization for a Judges’ Choice Award.  Each candidate may choose to respond to the following optional questions.  When answering “Yes” to any of the following questions, please provide an additional succinct explanation.

    • If the solution described in your submission is an initiative within a larger organization, is the initiative’s purpose and goals distinctly separate from the parent organization’s? (YES/NO)
      • If YES, please briefly explain the difference between your initiative and purpose or goals of the larger organization (75 words).
    • Is the developing world the geographic target area for your solution? Is your organization focused on meeting the needs of target beneficiaries in those countries or regions? (YES/NO) 
      • If YES, please briefly explain where and how (150 words).
    • From the following list, please select the description that best describes your organization’s current level of development:
      • SEED PHASE: Seed Phase organizations are those who have demonstrated an early level of performance or have data to support projected performance of their solution, but who are still developing, building a leadership team, and formalizing their relationships with the service or product beneficiaries. Seed Phase organizations are typically cash constrained and working to secure critical funding goals to achieve initial milestones for success.
      • EARLY PHASE: Early Phase organizations are engaged in providing a solution that has begun to demonstrate results and outcomes. They have begun to explore expanding the development of a service or product offering, adding staff or leadership, and investigating a deeper understanding of beneficiaries. Early Phase organizations remain somewhat resource and funding constrained but are seeking to broaden established fundraising activities or cash generating activities to achieve growth goals.
      • GROWTH PHASE: Growth Phase organizations have turned their primary focus to expansion. They attend to improving service or product offering(s) through careful analysis of data to support key decisions and can produce sophisticated evidence of past and projected performance. They often focus on scaling by addressing cost factors or fundraising goals, organizing staff and leadership into more specific task-oriented roles, and pressure-testing existing offerings to ensure broader use and expanded capabilities.
      • LATE PHASE: Late Phase organizations deliver one or more recognizable service or product offering(s) or can showcase data to chart activity over a sufficient period to exhibit strong performance. They have established a track record of meeting funding or cash flow needs to justify experimentation for expanding service or product offerings into possibly new applications. They are structured to accommodate sophisticated levels of leadership and management, often including strong Board membership or external Advisory roles. Late Phase organizations are noted for their readiness to shift strategically, to learn better where and how to move next. 
      • Please briefly explain your selection. (150 words)
    • Does your organization focus on improving or supporting the public sector or government agencies? (YES/NO)
      • If YES, please briefly name your public sector partners and/or government agencies and explain your commitment to those partners/agencies through your primary offering (150 words). 






    VIDEO PITCH

    If your organization is named as a potential Finalist, you will be notified by late July, and you will have three weeks to produce a short video presentation that summarizes your application. Your video may be published to the general public on our website, and it will be used by our Selection Committee as one consideration when determining any award winners. Therefore, to provide you with as much advanced notice as possible for what to include in your video pitch (and how), we are offering the following detailed explanation.

    Video submissions should follow these general guidelines:

    • A length of 3 minutes.
    • One person (at least) should present himself or herself during the video.
    • Focus on providing a personal connection; it is not necessary to produce a sophisticated video.
    • Your Video Pitch must be in English.

    Video submissions that do not follow these general guidelines may be removed.

    Here are some logistical and technical suggestions:

    • Video cameras, digital cameras, and phones are easy ways to record your video.
    • Laptop and desktop computers can typically record video through attached/embedded cameras and software.
    • If possible, set to low resolution to reduce file size; this enables easier video uploading.
    • If you are having difficulty uploading the video file, try logging out of the application and logging back in using another Internet browser (Google’s Chrome browser is preferred).

    Here are general suggestions for delivering a high-quality video pitch:

    • Introduce yourself and your organization or team.
    • What is the problem that you are committed to solving?
    • What is your solution?
    • What is unique about your team and your technology or technical approach?
    • What data or evidence can you provide to validate any claims of achievement?

    Hone your content:

    • Keep your descriptions and language simple.
    • Demonstrate passion through your words and enthusiasm.
    • Thoroughly prepare

    Practice numerous times and solicit feedback from colleagues, family, and friends. You may publish your video to others and solicit their feedback. Do not submit a video pitch if you see room for improvement.

    NOTE: The Video Pitch will be uploaded by providing a YouTube Video ID#.

    Privacy Policy

    This Website is managed by RAMPIT, LLC, ("RAMPIT") and all provisions governing your participation in this Competition (including the Services provided through it) are described in the Terms and Conditions ("Terms"). This Privacy Policy is incorporated into and is a part of the Terms.

    View Full Policy

    Capitalized language used, but not defined in this Privacy Policy, may have the meanings given to them elsewhere in the Terms. Please read this Privacy Policy carefully, as it describes what information we gather from you, and how we may use and disclose that information. By registering a User Account and/or by accessing or using this Website, you expressly consent to the information handling practices described in this Privacy Policy.

    The Information RAMPIT Collects:

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    We are not in the business of selling your information. We do, however, disclose your personally identifiable information in a variety of circumstances in connection with developing and maintaining this Website and operating or supporting Competitions. For example:

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    2. RAMPIT may disclose your personally identifiable information to the Competition Sponsor and/or Competitors, as applicable, to enable your participation in and the operation of Competitions.
    3. RAMPIT works with third party service providers to provide general website hosting, specialized Content hosting (e.g. the hosting of video Content), maintenance, and other services. These third parties may have access to or process your personally identifiable information as a result of performing the services they were engaged to perform.
    4. RAMPIT may also disclose your information if required to do so by law or in the good-faith belief that such action is necessary or useful to comply with applicable laws, to respond to a court order, judicial or other government subpoena or warrant, or to otherwise assist or cooperate with law enforcement activity or other similar activities in connection with internal or coordinated fraud detection and prevention, and the protection or enforcement of third party rights.
    5. RAMPIT works to promote a safe and reliable service for all Users. We reserve the right to disclose your information that we believe, in good faith, is appropriate or necessary to take precautions against liability; to protect RAMPIT and others from fraudulent, abusive, predatory, or unlawful uses or activity; to investigate and defend ourselves against any third party claims or allegations; to protect the security or integrity of this Website; or to protect or vindicate the rights, property, or personal safety of RAMPIT, our Users, or others.

    Your Choices

    You may, of course, decline to share certain personally identifiable information with RAMPIT, in which case RAMPIT may not be able to provide to you some of the features and functionality found on this Website. Please note that we may retain all information you submit for a variety of purposes, including backups and archiving, prevention of fraud and abuse, and analytics.

    To protect your privacy and security, we take reasonable steps to verify your identity before granting you account access or making corrections to your information. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING THE SECRECY OF YOUR UNIQUE PASSWORD AND ACCOUNT INFORMATION AT ALL TIMES.

    We may now or in the future make certain tools and features for configuring your privacy settings available to you through this Website, but any such features and settings we may provide do not guarantee the anonymity or confidentiality of any information, including personally identifiable information and Postings you provide or submit to this Website.

    Third Party Websites:

    This Website contains links to Websites and services provided by third parties. Any personally identifiable information you provide on third party sites or services is provided directly to that third party and is subject to that third party's policies, if any, governing privacy and security. We are not responsible for the content or privacy and security practices and policies of third party sites or services to which links are displayed on this Website. We encourage you to learn about third parties' privacy and security policies before providing them with personally identifiable information.

    Our Commitment to Children's Privacy:

    Protecting the privacy of children is especially important. For that reason, RAMPIT does not knowingly collect or maintain personally identifiable information from persons under 13 years-of-age, and no part of this Website is directed to persons under 18 years-of-age. IF YOU ARE UNDER 18 YEARS OF AGE, THEN PLEASE DO NOT USE OR ACCESS THIS WEBSITE FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE COMPETING AT ANY TIME OR IN ANY MANNER. If RAMPIT learns that personally identifiable information of persons less than 13-years-of-age has been collected on this Website without verifiable parental consent, then RAMPIT will take the appropriate steps to delete this information. If you are a parent or guardian and discover that your child under the age of 13 has obtained a User Account on this Website, then you may alert RAMPIT at privacy@RAMPIT.com and request that RAMPIT delete that child's personally identifiable information from its systems.

    Our Commitment to Data Security:

    RAMPIT uses a variety of physical, managerial, and technical safeguards designed to improve the security of our systems and your personally identifiable information. We cannot, however, ensure or warrant the security of any information you transmit to RAMPIT, nor can we guarantee that such information may not be accessed, disclosed, altered, or destroyed by breach of any of our physical, technical, or managerial safeguards. You transfer your information to RAMPIT at your own risk.

    If RAMPIT learns of a security systems breach, then we will attempt to notify you electronically so that you can take appropriate protective steps. Depending on where you live, you may have a legal right to receive notice of a security breach in writing. If you'd like to receive such a notice, please notify us at privacy@RAMPIT.com

    International Visitors:

    Your information may be stored and processed in any country in which RAMPIT and its affiliates maintain facilities. In this regard, or for purposes of sharing or disclosing data in accordance with this Privacy Policy, RAMPIT reserves the right to transfer, store, and process your information outside of your country. Your acceptance of the Terms includes your consent to any such transfer, storage, and processing of your information outside of your country.

    Changes and Updates to this Privacy Policy:

    Please revisit this page periodically to stay aware of any changes to this Privacy Policy, which may be revised at RAMPIT's sole discretion, as provided in the Terms. Note that our amended Privacy Policy will become effective on a going forward basis as set forth in the Terms, except that: (i) unless you agree otherwise, we will use your personally identifiable information in the manner described in the Privacy Policy in effect when we received that information; and, (ii) if you do not agree with any changes to the Privacy Policy, you must terminate your participation and cease use of this Website. Your continued use of this Website after a revised Privacy Policy has become effective indicates that you have read, understood, and agreed to the current version of the Privacy Policy.

    RAMPIT Contact Information:

    Please contact RAMPIT with any questions or comments about this Privacy Policy, your personally identifiable information, our use and disclosure practices, or your consent choices by email: privacy@RAMPIT.com

    Terms & Conditions

    RAMPIT, LLC (“RAMPIT”) provides an online platform for skill-based competitions through various websites, including but not limited to this website, which are subject to the following terms and conditions. PLEASE READ THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS CAREFULLY BEFORE USING THIS WEBSITE.

    View All Terms & Conditions

    THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SET OUT THE TERMS OF A LEGALLY BINDING AGREEMENT BETWEEN YOU AND RAMPIT FOR YOUR USE OF THIS WEBSITE AND THE RELATED SERVICES. BY RECOGNIZING YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF THESE TERMS, EITHER BY REGISTERING A USER ACCOUNT AND/OR BY ACCESSING AND USING THIS WEBSITE, AS APPLICABLE, YOU AGREE TO BE BOUND BY ALL OF THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE, YOU MUST CEASE USING THIS WEBSITE AND THE RELATED SERVICES.

    1. Definitions and interpretation
    In this document, the following capitalized terms have the following meanings, unless otherwise expressly indicated:

    1.1 "Agreement"means: 

    1. these terms and conditions;
    2. any amendments subsequently made to these terms and conditions;
    3. any replacement or novation of this Agreement;
    4. terms and conditions incorporated into this Agreement by reference; and,
    5. any policies (including the Privacy Policy), Rules, terms, conditions, Competition Terms and Conditions, notices and disclaimers contained elsewhere on this Website or provided by RAMPIT in connection with the Services.

    1.2 “Competition" means any challenge or contest posted on this Website, however expressed.

    1.3 "Competition Information" means all Content provided in relation to a particular Competition, including the Competition Terms and Conditions.

    1.4 "Competition Sponsor" means in relation to any Competition posted on this Website, the person or entity responsible for the Competition or those procuring RAMPIT and/or its owners to post the Competition. For this Competition, the Competition Sponsor is the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) at 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139.

    1.5 "Competition Terms and Conditions" has the meaning given to that term in Clause 2.3.

    1.6 "Competitor" means in relation to any Competition posted on this Website, a person, a team of persons and/or a corporate entity, either for profit or nonprofit, that submits or proposes to submit an Entry to the Competition.

    1.7 "Content" means any information, files, text, code, material, images, data, sounds, graphics, software, photos, designs, software downloads, goods, services documents, layouts, applet, CGI interfaces, descriptions, illustrations, catalogues, advertisements, audio and video material or specifications contained in or referred to in this Website, obtained through or via this Website or available to be viewed by accessing any part of this Website (which may be out of date or superseded), whether it be obtained directly or indirectly, in any machine or human readable format. Without limiting the foregoing, “Content” includes any Entry submitted through or via this Website.

    1.8 "Entity" means an entity duly organized and validly existing under state or federal law in the United States of America that is represented on the Website by a natural U.S. person at least 18 years of age who is the duly authorized representative of such Entity.

    1.9 "Entry" means an entry by a Competitor in response to a Competition.

    1.10 "Entry Content" means all Content used, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, in describing, drafting, developing, devising, calibrating, testing, evaluating, analyzing or generating an Entry, or which itself constitutes the whole or part of an Entry. The term "Entry Content" may include physical copies of the foregoing in addition to electronic copies.

    1.11 "Intellectual Property Rights" means all intellectual property rights of any type whatsoever throughout the world including all rights which subsist in copyright, patent rights, or trademark rights, whether or not such rights are registered or capable of being registered.

    1.12 “Judge” means any individual, organization or other entity represented on this website as responsible for the subjective assessment of Entry Content, either for the purposes of determining or informing the determination of any Award(s) or designation(s) of Winner(s) in the Competition.

    1.13 "Loss" means any direct, indirect, special, incidental or consequential liabilities, damages, claims, losses, costs, expenses, actions, demands or suits, whether in contract, tort (including negligence), statute or otherwise and whether pecuniary or non-pecuniary. This includes, but is not limited to, loss of profits, legal costs and defense or settlement costs.

    1.14 "User" means any person who has registered a user account on this Website. The term "User" includes all Competitors.

    1.15 "Posting" means any addition, insertion or uploading of content to this Website, as well as any submission or communication made through or via this Website. For the avoidance of doubt, this includes (in the case of a Competitor) all Entries and Entry Content posted by that Competitor.

    1.16 "Privacy Policy" means RAMPIT's privacy policies and notices posted on this Website, specific pages thereof, and/or provided by RAMPIT in connection with the Services.

    1.17 "Award" means any cash prize or other forms of recognition and/or benefit to declared or selected Winner(s), as set out in the Competition Terms and Conditions.

    1.18 "RAMPIT" means RAMPIT, LLC, a Tennessee limited liability company, with a place of business at 1004 Hickory Lane, Suite 3, Hermitage, TN 37076.

    1.19 "RAMPIT Affiliate" means an entity affiliated with RAMPIT by ownership or common ownership (including The Common Pool, LLC, and 23Com Software, LLC) or any subsidiary of RAMPIT.

    1.20 "Services" means the services provided by RAMPIT on or via this Website and includes all Competitions.

    1.21 "Third Party Sites" means sites and resources located on servers maintained by others over whom RAMPIT has no control.

    1.22 "User Account" means Your online account with RAMPIT which enables You to use this Website and includes (but is not limited to) Your username, password, rating score and feedback.

    1.23 "Website" means any web pages contained within this domain and any sub-domains and all underlying software and infrastructure which permits the holding of Competitions. Where the context permits, ‘Website’ or 'website' includes the Services provided on the Website.

    1.24 "Winner" means, in relation to any Competition posted on this Website, the Competitor(s) whose Entries are selected by the Competition Sponsor as a winner of any Award(s). Competitors may disqualify their Entries from this selection by expressly informing the Competition Sponsor of their decision within 48 hours after the close of the competition.

    1.25 "You" means the person or team using the Website, including a User, or an Entity duly organized and validly existing under state or federal law in the United States of America that is represented on the Website by a User that is a natural U.S. person at least 18 years of age who is the duly authorized representative of such Entity. For the sake of clarity, “You” does not refer to MIT as the Competition Sponsor.

    1.26 "Your" means the possessive of the person or team using the Website, including a User. For the sake of clarity, “Your” does not refer to MIT as the Competition Sponsor.

    2. Agreement to be bound

    2.1  Use of this Website is subject to this Agreement. You agree to be bound by this Agreement and any subsequent amendments to this Agreement, as set forth below.

    2.2  RAMPIT reserves the right to amend or modify this Agreement at any time, provided that if such modifications materially limit Your rights and/or expand Your obligations hereunder, RAMPIT will notify You electronically, such as by email or through the Website. Such material modifications will take effect on the earlier of the date You indicate Your assent (by clicking "Accept" or otherwise) or 30 calendar days after RAMPIT's notice. No modification of the Agreement will apply to any dispute between You and RAMPIT that arose prior to the effective date of the modification. If at any time You disagree with the Agreement or any modifications thereof, You may terminate this Agreement and shall cease using this Website. Your continued use of the Website after the revised Agreement becomes effective (such as following notice as set forth above) indicates that You have read, understood, and agreed to the revised Agreement. Any new or different terms supplied by You are specifically rejected by RAMPIT unless RAMPIT agrees to them in a signed writing specifically including those new or different terms.

    2.3  Particular Competitions may be subject to additional terms and conditions ("Competition Terms and Conditions"). Competition Terms and Conditions will apply in addition to this Agreement and will not limit this Agreement in any way unless RAMPIT notifies the parties to a Competition that this Agreement is amended by the Competition Terms and Conditions. If RAMPIT does not provide such notification to the parties, this Agreement will prevail in the event of any inconsistency between it and the Competition Terms and Conditions.

    2.4  RAMPIT may alter this Website from time to time by adding or removing features. This Agreement will not be affected by any alterations to this Website.

    2.5  Users may use this Website, including but not limited to those in the capacity of a Competitor. This Agreement will apply to Your use of the Website in that capacity, but Users may also include Competition Administrators or representatives of the Competition Sponsor, and any conditions place on them as Users are identified in the Terms.

    3. Participation

    3.1  In order to participate in any Competition, You must register as a User. Participation on this Website is free.

    3.2  Participation is available only to natural U.S. persons and Entities that are able to form legally binding contracts under applicable law. If You do not accept this Agreement, You will not be permitted to host or participate in any Competition, or otherwise access or use the Website in any way.

    3.3  Without limiting Clause 3.2 above, participation is not available to, and by entering you represent that You are not an:

    1. Individual under the age of 18 years;
    2. Person whose participation has been permanently suspended or terminated under Section 4 below; or,
    3. Person who is or resides in countries that are prohibited by law, regulation (including United States or other applicable export laws and regulations), treaty or administrative act from entering into trade relations (including export of technology) with the United States or its citizens.

    3.4  When registering as a User, You warrant to RAMPIT that:

    1. if You are an individual, You are 18 years of age or older and You are registering as a User on Your own behalf and in Your own name (and not on behalf of and/or in the name of a third person);
    2. if You are a corporation or other business entity, You are duly incorporated or organized under the laws of the place of Your incorporation or organization and have full legal capacity and power to enter into and perform Your obligations under this Agreement; and
    3. You agree to act in good faith and in accordance with this Agreement.

    3.5  No individual or entity may register more than once (for example, by using a different username/email).

    3.6  Acceptance of registration is at the sole discretion of RAMPIT. If RAMPIT believes that any registration has been made in contravention of clauses 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4 or 3.5 above (or otherwise in breach of this Agreement), it may refuse to accept the registration.

    3.7  You are responsible for all use of this Website made using Your User Account (and/or username/email or password), whether or not You are aware of that use or could reasonably have been aware of that use. You agree to notify RAMPIT immediately if You become aware of any unauthorized use of Your User Account.

    3.8  Your User Account is personal to You and may not be sold, assigned or transferred to a third party. If You attempt to sell, assign or transfer Your User Account to a third party, RAMPIT may suspend or terminate Your participation at its sole discretion.

    3.9  RAMPIT may communicate with You through the username/email that You provide at registration. You agree to notify RAMPIT within a reasonable time if there are any changes to Your details. If You fail to notify RAMPIT of any changes to Your details, You agree to waive any objection, claim, defense or recourse You might have had as a consequence of RAMPIT failing to communicate with You. If You change Your email address and fail to notify RAMPIT of the change, RAMPIT will be deemed to have communicated with You on the date on which it communicated with the email address most recently provided by You.

    3.10  You warrant that any Content provided or posted by You (through registration or otherwise):

    1. is not false, inaccurate, misleading or fraudulent;
    2. does not infringe any third party's Intellectual Property Rights or other rights arising at law or otherwise;
    3. is not obscene, defamatory, libelous, threatening or harassing;
    4. does not violate any applicable law;
    5. does not contain or describe pornography and is not otherwise harmful to persons under the age of 18 years;
    6. will not create liability for RAMPIT or cause it to lose the services of its internet service providers or other suppliers (in whole or in part);
    7. will not create liability for the Competition Sponsor of any kind.

    3.11  If RAMPIT believes that any Content contravenes Clause 3.10 (or any other provision of this Agreement), it may remove that Content and/or take any other steps as it deems necessary to protect itself or third parties against any Loss. To the maximum extent permitted by law, RAMPIT will not be liable for any Loss to any person arising from the removal of Content under this Section.

    4. Terminating Your Participation

    4.1  Subject to Clause 4.2, You may terminate Your participation at any time and without cause by notifying RAMPIT through this Website.

    4.2  If You terminate Your participation, this Agreement and any other applicable terms and conditions will continue to apply to any Postings made by You prior to giving the notice described in Clause 4.1 above.

    4.3  RAMPIT may, in its absolute discretion, terminate or suspend Your participation at any time and without notice if it believes that:

    1. You have breached this Agreement or any other applicable terms and conditions;
    2. You have acted in a way which is unlawful, or which may create liability for You, RAMPIT, our Users, our internet service providers or any other supplier, or the Competition Sponsor;
    3. RAMPIT is unable to verify any information provided by You;
    4. Other Users give negative feedback about You which RAMPIT determines in its absolute discretion is worthy of termination;
    5. You have acted or represented Yourself in any way that RAMPIT or the Competition Sponsor deems that your termination is necessary.

    4.4 If RAMPIT terminates Your participation, RAMPIT may in its absolute discretion withdraw any Postings submitted or made by You. If RAMPIT terminates Your participation, RAMPIT may, at its sole discretion, immediately withdraw Your Entries, which will have no force and effect from the date on which Your participation was terminated.

    4.5  Subject to Clause 4.4, if RAMPIT suspends Your participation, any entries or other Postings submitted or made by You may be suspended for the period in which Your participation is suspended.

    4.6  If Your participation is terminated, either by You or by RAMPIT:

    1. You are no longer authorized to access this Website;
    2. all restrictions imposed on You, licenses granted by You and all indemnities, disclaimers and limitations of liability set out in this Agreement, including clauses 11 (Limitation of Liability) and 12 (Indemnities), will survive, along with clauses 14 (Intellectual Property), 16 (Arbitration) and 18 (Miscellaneous).

    5. Use of this Website

    5.1  You must not use the Website to facilitate or participate in any illegal activity or engage in any activity which RAMPIT, in its absolute discretion, considers inappropriate. RAMPIT reserves the right to terminate or restrict Your access to this Website immediately and indefinitely if it suspects that You are engaging in any such behavior or are in breach of any terms of this Agreement. You agree that You will only use Your User Account and this Website for the purposes of using the Services and for no other purpose. Without limiting the foregoing, in using Your User Account and accessing the Website, You agree not to:

    1. use Your User Account in a fraudulent or illegal manner, or email or otherwise send any materials from Your User Account which are offensive, unlawful, harassing, libelous, defamatory, abusive, threatening, harmful, vulgar, obscene or otherwise objectionable;
    2. use Your User Account to stalk or harass another person;
    3. use Your User Account to impersonate any person in any way whatsoever;
    4. use Your User Account to infringe the copyright, trademark, patent or other Intellectual Property Rights of any person or entity;
    5. use Your User Account to send advertising, chain letters, junk mail, spam or any other type of unsolicited electronic communications;
    6. use Your User Account to send or distribute any Content of any kind which contains a virus, spyware, malware or other harmful, disruptive or destructive component;
    7. intentionally or negligently use Your User Account in a way that degrades performance of this Website to other persons;
    8. manipulate, or attempt to manipulate, any Competition;
    9. use Your User Account or any mechanism, software or other scripts in relation to the Website which could disrupt or interfere with the Website or any servers, software, hardware or equipment connected to or via the website;
    10. restrict or inhibit any other User from using or enjoying the Website;
    11. distribute any pornographic, extremist or racist material or any material which might otherwise be harmful to persons under the age of 18 years;
    12. violate any applicable law relating to Your use of the website.

    6. Terms specific to the Competition Sponsor

    6.1  If You are registered as a Competition Sponsor, when You post a Competition on the Website or have RAMPIT run a Competition for You on Your behalf, You warrant that any Content provided by You has not been knowingly obtained:

    1. by fraud;
    2. in breach of any copyright, trademark or other Intellectual Property Right;
    3. in breach of any right of privacy or other right arising under applicable law or any agreement entered into by You;
    4. without limiting any of the foregoing, in breach of any other applicable law; or,
    5. in any way that may create liability for RAMPIT, its Users, its internet service provider or any other suppliers.

    6.4  If You are registered as a Competition Sponsor, You further agree when posting to a Competition:

    1. to be bound by this Agreement and all Competition Information (including the Competition Terms and Conditions) relating to the Competition;
    2. to be bound by any representations made in relation to the Competition (including the Competition Information and Competition Terms and Conditions), whether made directly or indirectly, in writing or orally, by or for You;
    3. that You may only post Competitions that are skills-based challenges to resolve bona fide problems and not, for clarity, games of chance;
    4. that You will select the Winner according to the criteria set out in the Competition Information;
    5. that RAMPIT does not guarantee the quality of Entries or any minimum number of Entries, nor the Competitors' title to the Intellectual Property Rights therein;
    6. to inform RAMPIT of any additional Competition Terms and Conditions that will govern the relationship between You and Competitors; and,
    7. that RAMPIT may at its sole discretion republish or make available the Competition Information through this Website.

    6.5  You agree and warrant that You will not cancel a Competition initiated by You for the purpose of contracting separately with any User or Competitor or to avoid paying any Award(s).

    6.6  If You wish to withdraw from a Competition, You must notify RAMPIT in writing. RAMPIT will in its sole discretion decide whether to withdraw the Competition from the public by choosing whether to terminate the website and related Competition information.

    7. Terms specific to Competitors

    7.1  If You are registered as a Competitor, You agree and acknowledge that:

    1. in making an Entry, to be bound by this Agreement and all Competition Information (including the Competition Terms and Conditions) relating to the Competition;
    2. RAMPIT does not guarantee the accuracy of the Competition Information (or other Content posted on the Website), ownership of any Content, or the availability of any Award(s);
    3. any leader board appearing in connection with a Competition is indicative only and makes no representations and creates no entitlements in relation to any Award(s);
    4. RAMPIT does not control the decisions of the Competition Sponsor and You release RAMPIT from any claims You may have in relation to the decisions of the Competition Sponsor (including the selection of the Winner and ranking of Competitors), including any defamation or other claims arising from its ranking of Competitors;
    5. RAMPIT is not responsible for any Postings provided by other Users or for the accuracy of Content provided by other Users;
    6. RAMPIT is not liable to pay any Award(s), and You will look solely to the Competition Sponsor for payment of any Award(s);
    7. in the event that You have any dispute with another User, You release RAMPIT from all claims of any kind arising from that dispute;
    8. You will not initiate contact with a Competition Sponsor for the purpose of contracting separately with the Competition Sponsor to circumvent any Competition; and,
    9. an Entry will be deemed to have been lodged at the time that it is received by RAMPIT. You agree that neither RAMPIT nor the Competition Sponsor is responsible for any Entry not being received due to technical reasons or otherwise.

    7.2 Judges are permitted to interact with Competitors to carry out due diligence, as necessary to evaluate Entries against the judging criteria. It is the responsibility of each Competitor to respond to inquiries from Judges in a timely manner.

    7.3 The Competition Sponsor reserves the right to conduct an administrative review of any Entry or any team in order to screen for completeness and other Entry Content requirements (as described in the Competition Terms and Conditions) before distributing approved Entries to Judges.

    7.3 Competitors permit RAMPIT and/or the Competition Sponsor to publish any Entry, Entry Content, or Content to other Competitors, Judges or other designees, as necessary, to promote greater transparency, collaboration, and follow-on investment for Competitors during the Competition. For further information regarding the sharing of Entries, Entry Content, and Content, please refer to the Privacy Policy.

    8. RAMPIT's relationship with Competitor and Competition Sponsor 

    8.1  RAMPIT is not involved in any way in the formation of any contract between the Competitor and the Competition Sponsor. RAMPIT at no time acts as an agent for a Competitor or Competition Sponsor.

    8.2  RAMPIT will not be liable to You in any respect if a Competition Sponsor or Competitor fails to perform its obligations under this Agreement or the Competition.

    8.3  The Competition Sponsor will at all times be liable to pay Award(s) to the Winner(s) in accordance with the Agreement and the Competition Terms and Conditions. RAMPIT will have no liability whatsoever in respect to the failure of a Competition Sponsor to pay Award(s) to Winner(s), and You acknowledge and agree that You will not take action of any kind against RAMPIT in respect to any claim for any Award(s) that You may or may not have or wish to make.

    9. Terms specific to the Winner and Competition Sponsor 

    9.1  The Winner agrees that payment of any Award is conditional upon receipt by the Competition Sponsor of any Entry Content used or consulted by the Winner in generating the winning Entry and that any Award(s) will not be paid until this condition has been satisfied.

    9.2  The Winner and the Competition Sponsor acknowledge and agree that once the Winner has been chosen and notified, each Winner will enter into a separate agreement with the Competition Sponsor (each a “Separate Agreement”).  RAMPIT and its third party providers will not be a party to this Separate Agreement and will have no responsibility or liability whatsoever in relation to the performance or failure to perform under the Separate Agreement.

    9.3  The Competition Sponsor acknowledges that RAMPIT does not make any warranties or representations as to the accuracy or utility of any Entry or associated Entry Content from a Winner.

    10. Taxes on Awards 

    10.1 You will be responsible for any tax, levy, or other charge that may arise under any applicable law from the use of this website, including from receiving any Award(s). You acknowledge that You will not be entitled to demand any additional payment by reason of any Award(s) being subject to any tax, levy, or other charge in any jurisdiction.

    11. Limitation of liability 

    11.1  THIS WEBSITE AND SERVICES, AND ALL CONTENT ASSOCIATED THEREWITH, ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITH ALL FAULTS AND WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMISSIBLE PURSUANT TO APPLICABLE LAW, RAMPIT AND COMPETITION SPONSOR AND THE OWNERS, DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, AFFILIATES, LICENSORS AND SUPPLIERS OF EACH EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ANY WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED, STATUTORY, OR OTHERWISE, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. RAMPIT DOES NOT WARRANT THIS WEBSITE AND RELATED SERVICES AND THE CONTENT PROVIDED THROUGH IT, INCLUDING THE ENTRIES AND ASSOCIATED ENTRY CONTENT, TO BE AVAILABLE, ACCURATE, USEFUL, OR FREE OF ERRORS, VIRUSES, OR OTHER HARMFUL COMPONENTS. YOU ARE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE TO YOUR EQUIPMENT, SOFTWARE, LOSS OF DATA, OR OTHER HARM THAT RESULTS FROM YOUR USE OF THIS WEBSITE (INCLUDING THE SERVICES). 

    11.2  UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL RAMPIT OR COMPETITION SPONSOR OR THE OWNERS, DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, AFFILIATES, LICENSORS OR SUPPLIERS OF EITHER BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE, OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES ARISING OR RELATED TO THIS WEBSITE, INCLUDING LOSS OF PROFITS, LOSS OF DATA, LOSS OF BUSINESS OR ANTICIPATED SAVINGS, EVEN IF RAMPIT OR COMPETITION SPONSOR OR THE AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF EITHER HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. THESE LIMITATIONS WILL APPLY NOTWITHSTANDING ANY FAILURE OF ESSENTIAL PURPOSE OF ANY LIMITED REMEDY.

    Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, You agree that neither RAMPIT NOR COMPETITION SPONSOR is responsible for any Loss arising out of, or in any way connected with:

    1. delay or inability to access or use this Website;
    2. reliance on any Competition Information or other Content;
    3. the transmission of any computer virus, however occurring;
    4. any unauthorized access to, modification or alteration of Content;
    5. any Content sent or received or not sent or received;
    6. any transaction entered into through this Website;
    7. any infringement of rights, including Intellectual Property Rights;
    8. any threatening, defamatory, obscene, offensive, harmful, inappropriate or illegal Content or conduct of any party;
    9. any Content sent by any third party using and/or included in this Website;
    10. termination of Your participation; or,
    11. any delays, interruptions, inaccuracies, errors, omissions or cessation of services.

    11.3  For the avoidance of doubt, You acknowledge that RAMPIT is a provider of an interactive computer service and that neither RAMPIT nor COMPETITION SPONSOR is a publisher under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996, and therefore not responsible for any of the Users' Postings. If, notwithstanding the provisions of this Clause 11.3, a court of competent jurisdiction holds RAMPIT or COMPETITION SPONSOR liable in respect of any matters arising under or incidental to this Agreement, RAMPIT'S AND COMPETITION SPONSOR’S TOTAL LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ALL DAMAGES, LOSSES, AND CAUSES OF ACTION ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR YOUR USE OF THIS WEBSITE OR RELATED SERVICES (WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE, WARRANTY, OR OTHERWISE) WILL IN NO EVENT EXCEED THE AMOUNT PAID BY YOU FOR USING THIS WEBSITE DURING THE 12 MONTHS PRECEDING YOUR CLAIM, OR, IF NO AMOUNT WAS PAID, SUCH LIABILITY WILL BE LIMITED TO $100.

    11.4  You agree that neither RAMPIT nor COMPETITION SPONSOR nor the third party providers of either will be liable or responsible for any failure in, or delay to, the provision of the Services or in RAMPIT nor COMPETITION SPONSOR complying with its obligations under this Agreement where such failure or delay has arisen as a direct or indirect result of:

    1. fire, earthquake, storm, flood, hurricane, inclement weather or other act of God, war, terrorism, explosion, sabotage, industrial accident or industrial strike;
    2. telecommunications failure, hardware failure or software failure;
    3. the failure of any third party to fulfill any obligations to RAMPIT or COMPETITION SPONSOR; or
    4. any other circumstance or event which is or is not within the reasonable control of RAMPIT or COMPETITION SPONSOR.

    12. Indemnity 

    12.1  You agree to indemnify and hold RAMPIT and the Competition Sponsor, its owners, officers, employees, agents and suppliers, harmless from all claims and Losses (including legal fees) due to or arising out of or in connection with Your Postings, Competition, Competition Information and other Content (as applicable), Your use of this Website, or Your breach of this Agreement.

    13. Access to the Site outside of the United States 

    13.1 Neither RAMPIT nor COMPETITION SPONSOR represents or warrants that the content on this Website complies with the laws of any country outside of the United States. If You access this Website from outside the United States, You do so at Your own risk.

    14. Intellectual property 

    14.1  You acknowledge that, as between the parties, RAMPIT is the owner of all Intellectual Property Rights in and to this Website (excluding Postings). You acknowledge that You have no Intellectual Property Rights in or to this Website or to any Postings not made directly by you except for a limited license to use this Website as necessary to participate in a Competition or evaluate the possibility of such participation.

    14.2  You acknowledge that all text, graphics, user interfaces, photographs, trademarks, logos and artwork, including the design, structure, selection, coordination, expression, 'look and feel' and arrangement of such Content, provided by RAMPIT or its licensors on this Website is owned or licensed by or to RAMPIT and is protected by applicable copyright, patent and trademark laws and various other intellectual property rights and unfair competition laws. No such Content can be copied, publicly displayed, modified, sold, licensed or distributed in any way by You without RAMPIT's prior written consent. You shall not use the name “Massachusetts Institute of Technology” or “MIT” or any variation, adaptation, or abbreviation thereof, or the name of any of MIT’s trustees, officers, faculty members, students, employees, or agents, or any trademark owned by MIT, in any promotional material or other public announcement or disclosure, nor copied, publicly displayed, modified, sold, licensed or distributed in any way by You without the prior written consent of MIT’s Technology Licensing Office, which consent MIT may withhold in its sole discretion.

    15. Third party sites  

    15.1  From time to time, RAMPIT may provide, or any Content may contain, links to Third Party Sites and resources (e.g., www.youtube.com). You acknowledge that:

    1. Neither RAMPIT nor COMPETITION SPONSOR has any control over Third Party Sites and resources;
    2. Neither RAMPIT nor COMPETITION SPONSOR is responsible for the availability of such external sites or resources; and
    3. Neither RAMPIT nor COMPETITION SPONSOR endorses nor is either responsible for any content, advertising, products, services or other materials on or available from such sites or resources.

     

    15.2 You acknowledge and agree that neither RAMPIT nor COMPETITION SPONSOR will be responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any Loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with Your use of or reliance on any Content or material available on or through any Third Party Sites or resource.

    16. Arbitration 

    16.1  In the interest of resolving disputes between You and RAMPIT or COMPETITION SPONSOR in the most expedient and cost effective manner, You and RAMPIT and COMPETITION SPONSOR agree that any and all disputes arising in connection with this Agreement shall be resolved by binding arbitration. Arbitration is more informal than a lawsuit in court. Arbitration uses a neutral arbitrator instead of a judge or jury, may allow for more limited discovery than in court, and can be subject to very limited review by courts. Arbitrators can award the same damages and relief that a court can award. Our agreement to arbitrate disputes includes, but is not limited to all claims arising out of or relating to any aspect of this Agreement, whether based in contract, tort, statute, fraud, misrepresentation or any other legal theory, and regardless of whether the claims arise during or after the termination of these Terms. You understand and agree that, by entering into these Terms, You and RAMPIT and COMPETITION SPONSOR are each waiving the right to a trial by jury or to participate in a class action.

    16.2  Exceptions. Notwithstanding subsection (a), You and RAMPIT and COMPETITION SPONSOR each agree that nothing herein shall be deemed to waive, preclude, or otherwise limit any of our rights to (i) bring an individual action in small claims court, (ii) pursue enforcement actions through applicable federal, state, or local agencies where such actions are available, (iii) seek injunctive relief in a court of law, or (iv) to file suit in a court of law to address intellectual property infringement claims.

    16.3  Any arbitration between You and RAMPIT or COMPETITION SPONSOR will be governed by the Commercial Dispute Resolution Procedures and the Supplementary Procedures for Consumer Related Disputes (collectively, "AAA Rules") of the American Arbitration Association ("AAA"), as modified by these Terms, and will be administered by the AAA. The AAA Rules and filing forms are available online at www.adr.org, by calling the AAA at 1-800-778-7879.

    16.4  A party who intends to seek arbitration must first send a written notice of the dispute to the other, by certified mail or Federal Express (signature required), or in the event that we do not have a physical address on file for You, by electronic mail ("Notice"). RAMPIT's address for Notice is: RAMPIT, LLC, 1004 Hickory Lane, Suite 3, Hermitage, TN 37076 or support@rampit.com. COMPETITION SPONSOR’s address is Office of the General Counsel, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02142. The Notice must (a) describe the nature and basis of the claim or dispute; and, (b) set forth the specific relief sought. We agree to use good faith efforts to resolve the claim directly, but if we do not reach an agreement to do so within 30 calendar days after the Notice is received, You and/or RAMPIT and/or COMPETITION SPONSOR, as pertinent, may commence arbitration proceedings.

    16.5  Any arbitration hearings will take place at a location to be agreed upon by the parties to the arbitration or, if a location cannot be agreed upon, then it will be agreed upon by the arbitrator(s), provided that if the claim is for $10,000 or less, You may choose whether the arbitration will be conducted solely on the basis of documents submitted to the arbitrator, through a non-appearance based telephonic hearing, or by an in-person hearing as established by the AAA Rules. Regardless of the manner in which the arbitration is conducted, the arbitrator shall issue a reasoned written decision sufficient to explain the essential findings and conclusions on which the decision and award, if any, are based. The arbitrator may make rulings and resolve disputes as to the payment and reimbursement of fees or expenses at any time during the proceeding and upon request from either party made within 14 calendar days of the arbitrator's ruling on the merits.

    16.6  YOU AND RAMPIT AGREE THAT EACH MAY BRING CLAIMS AGAINST THE OTHER ONLY IN YOUR OR ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY, AND NOT AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY PURPORTED CLASS OR REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDING. Further, unless both You and RAMPIT agree otherwise, the arbitrator may not consolidate more than one person's claims, and may not otherwise preside over any form of a representative or class proceeding.

    16.7  If only Clause 16.6 is found to be unenforceable, then the entirety of this Section 16 shall be null and void and, in such case, the parties agree that the exclusive jurisdiction and venue described in Section 18 shall govern any action arising out of or related to the Agreement.

    17. Digital Millennium Copyright Act 

    17.1 If you are a copyright owner or an agent thereof and believe that any Content infringes upon your copyrights, you may submit a notification pursuant to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act ("DMCA") by providing RAMPIT's copyright agent (the "Copyright Agent") with the following information in writing (see 17 U.S.C 512(c)(3) for further detail):

    1. A physical or electronic signature of a person authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed;
    2. Identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed, or, if multiple copyrighted works at a single online site are covered by a single notification, a representative list of such works at that site;
    3. Identification of the material that is claimed to be infringing or to be the subject of infringing activity and that is to be removed or access to which is to be disabled and information reasonably sufficient to permit the service provider to locate the material;
    4. Information reasonably sufficient to permit the service provider to contact you, such as an address, telephone number, and, if available, an electronic mail;
    5. A statement that you have a good faith belief that use of the material in the manner complained of is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law; and
    6. A statement that the information in the notification is accurate, and under penalty of perjury, that you are authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed.

     

    17.2  RAMPIT's designated Copyright Agent to receive notifications of claimed infringement is Copyright Agent, RAMPIT, LLC, 1004 Hickory Lane, Suite 8, Hermitage, TN 37076, email: support@rampit.com. You acknowledge that if you fail to comply with all of the requirements of this Section 17, your DMCA notice may not be valid.

    17.3  If you believe that your Content that was removed (or to which access was disabled) is not infringing, or that you have the authorization from the copyright owner, the copyright owner's agent, or pursuant to the law, to post and use the material in your Content, you may send a counter-notice containing the following information to the Copyright Agent:

    1. Your physical or electronic signature;
    2. Identification of the Content that has been removed or to which access has been disabled and the location at which the Content appeared before it was removed or disabled;
    3. A statement that you have a good faith belief that the Content was removed or disabled as a result of mistake or a misidentification of the Content; and
    4. Your name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address, a statement that you consent to the jurisdiction of the federal court in Nashville, Tennessee, and a statement that you will accept service of process from the person who provided notification of the alleged infringement.

     

    17.4  If a counter-notice is received by the Copyright Agent, RAMPIT may send a copy of the counter-notice to the original complaining party informing that person that it may replace the removed Content or cease disabling it in 10 business days. Unless the copyright owner files an action seeking a court order against the Content provider, member or user, the removed Content may be replaced, or access to it restored, in 10 to 14 business days or more after receipt of the counter-notice, at RAMPIT's sole discretion.

    18. Miscellaneous 

    18.1  As defined in Clause 1.1, this Agreement is the entire agreement between You and RAMPIT relating to the subject matter herein, and supersedes all previous communications, representations, understandings and agreements, either oral or written, between You and RAMPIT with respect to said subject matter. This Agreement shall not be modified except in a writing signed by both parties, or by a change made as provided in Clause 2.2. If any provision of this Agreement is invalid or unenforceable, such invalidity or unenforceability will not affect the remainder of this Agreement, which is severable from said provision and will remain in full force and effect.

    18.2  If You breach any provision of this Agreement and RAMPIT has knowledge (either actual or constructive) of that breach, a failure to pursue legal action or to enforce any remedy against You will not constitute a waiver of its legal rights. Any waiver of rights under this Agreement must be in writing and signed by RAMPIT.

    18.3  All matters relating to this Website and this Agreement are governed by and are to be construed according to the laws applicable in the state of Tennessee, United States (without regard to any rules governing choice of law). If one or more of the exceptions from arbitration expressly set forth in Section 16 above apply, You agree unconditionally to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts in Davidson County, Tennessee, in relation to all matters arising out of or in any way connected with this Agreement or this Website.

    18.4  RAMPIT may assign its rights and novate or transfer obligations which arise under this Agreement. You must not assign, novate or otherwise transfer Your rights or obligations under this Agreement without the prior written consent of RAMPIT. Any assignment attempted in violation of this Clause 18.4 shall be void.

    18.5  The parties agree that no rule of construction applies to the disadvantage of a party because that party was responsible for the preparation of this Agreement or part of it.

    18.6  Unless otherwise requested in writing by You, RAMPIT may refer to You and Your corporate identity (if applicable) as part of promoting this Website and RAMPIT in the marketplace.

    18.7  RAMPIT accepts content uploaded from Users in good faith and on the basis of warranties provided by Users. It is Your responsibility at all times to investigate and become satisfied as to the accuracy of the information provided by any other party (including all Users) on this Website. RAMPIT at no time makes any representations as to the accuracy of any information provided on this Website.

    18.8  You acknowledge and agree that to the extent that this Agreement relates to a Competition, a prospective Competition or any Posting, this Agreement is intended also to be for the benefit of the Competition Sponsor, the Competitors and other Users, who are entitled to enforce the provisions of this Agreement against You.

    18.9  All notices, requests, demands, consents, approvals, offers, agreements or other communications given by You to RAMPIT must be emailed to RAMPIT at support@rampit.com

    18.10 In the interpretation of this Agreement, unless the contrary intention appears:

    1. the words 'includes' or 'including' mean 'includes without limitation' or 'including without limitation';
    2. a reference to a 'person' or 'entity' includes a reference to an individual, group of individuals, corporation, firm, association or other entity;
    3. the singular includes the plural and vice versa;
    4. an agreement, representation or warranty made by two or more persons is made by them jointly and by each of them severally; and headings are inserted for convenience only and do not affect the interpretation of this Agreement.

    18.11  This Competition is a skills-based challenge to resolve bona fide requirements and not, for clarity, any game(s) of chance.

    Meet the Winners

    The MIT IDE Inclusive Innovation Challenge is pleased to announce the 2016 Winners. This year, we presented five Awards, including one Grand Prize, in each of four categories: Skills, Matching, Humans + Machines, and New Models. Additionally, we recognized four Judges' Choice Award winners. Congratulations!

    Meet the Winners