Terms of Service
EXPlore Innovations LLC
Effective Date: March 1, 2026 | Last Updated: July 14, 2026
These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the EXPlore Pittsburgh Tech Week website at techweekpittsburgh.com, our community calendar at lu.ma/Pittsburghtechweek, and all events, programming, and services offered by EXPlore Innovations LLC ("EXPlore," "we," "us," or "our").
By accessing our website, registering for events, submitting an event to our community calendar, applying for the Startup Showcase and Pitch Competition, or otherwise engaging with EXPlore, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, please do not use our services.
EXPlore Pittsburgh Tech Week is produced by EXPlore Innovations LLC, with STEM Coding Lab (a 501c3 organization) serving as fiscal sponsor for grant and administrative purposes.
1. Who These Terms Apply To
These Terms apply to all individuals and organizations who interact with EXPlore in any capacity, including:
• Attendees who register for or attend EXPlore-produced events
• Community members who attend events hosted by third-party organizations on the Tech Week community calendar
• Event Hosts who submit and produce their own events during Tech Week
• Sponsors and Partners who provide financial or in-kind support
• Applicants to the EXPlore Startup Showcase and Pitch Competition
• Speakers, panelists, and moderators participating in EXPlore programming
• Media and press attending or covering EXPlore events
• General visitors to our website and community calendar
2. The EXPlore Platform — What We Are and Are Not
EXPlore Pittsburgh Tech Week operates as an unconference-style citywide platform. This means EXPlore creates the conditions and infrastructure for community programming — we do not produce or control the majority of events on our community calendar.
What EXPlore Produces Directly: EXPlore-produced signature events include Opening Day, Youth Day, AI for Educators, EXPlore Upskill Days at Nova Place, and The Confluence. For these events, EXPlore is responsible for programming, venue coordination, and event management.
What EXPlore Does Not Control: Community calendar events are independently hosted, produced, and managed by third-party organizations and individuals. EXPlore provides calendar listing and promotional support but is not responsible for the content, conduct, safety, accessibility, or any other aspect of independently hosted events. Attendees of community calendar events engage with those events at their own risk and should review the policies of each individual host organization.
3. Event Attendance — Terms for Attendees
Registration and Tickets: Most EXPlore events are free and open to the public. Some events may have limited capacity or require advance registration through Luma or other platforms. Registration does not guarantee admission if capacity limits are reached. EXPlore reserves the right to cancel, reschedule, or modify events at any time.
Code of Conduct: All attendees at EXPlore-produced events are expected to:
• Treat all participants, volunteers, staff, and venue personnel with respect
• Refrain from harassment, discrimination, or intimidation of any kind based on race, ethnicity, gender, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic
• Comply with all venue rules and the instructions of EXPlore staff and volunteers
• Refrain from disruptive behavior that interferes with the experience of other attendees
EXPlore reserves the right to remove any attendee from an event without refund for violation of this Code of Conduct. Repeated or severe violations may result in exclusion from future EXPlore events.
Photography and Recording by Attendees: EXPlore events are photographed and recorded by our official media team. Attendees may take personal photos and videos for non-commercial purposes. Recording of speakers or panelists for commercial use or redistribution requires prior written permission from EXPlore and the individual being recorded.
Assumption of Risk: Attendance at in-person events involves inherent risks. By attending, you acknowledge and accept responsibility for your own safety and wellbeing. EXPlore is not liable for personal injury, property damage, or loss incurred at or in connection with events, except where caused by EXPlore's own gross negligence.
4. Event Hosts — Terms for Community Calendar Submissions
Eligibility and Approval: Any individual, business, nonprofit, school, or community organization may submit an event for consideration on the EXPlore community calendar. Submission does not guarantee inclusion. EXPlore reserves the right to approve, reject, or remove any event submission at its sole discretion.
Host Responsibilities: By submitting and hosting an event on the EXPlore community calendar, you agree to:
• Produce and manage your own event, including venue, registration, staffing, marketing, and all associated logistics
• Ensure your event complies with all applicable local, state, and federal laws and regulations
• Maintain appropriate insurance coverage for your event and venue
• Implement and enforce your own code of conduct and safety measures
• Accurately represent your event in all promotional materials and calendar listings
• Handle all attendee data collected through your event registration in compliance with applicable privacy laws
• Not misrepresent your event as an officially produced EXPlore event
Prohibited Event Content: Events submitted to the EXPlore community calendar may not include or promote:
• Content that discriminates against or demeans any person or group based on protected characteristics
• Illegal activities of any kind
• Commercial sales pitches or multi-level marketing presentations disguised as educational content
• Content that violates the intellectual property rights of any third party
EXPlore's Liability for Community Events: EXPlore is not a co-producer, co-sponsor, or co-host of independently submitted community calendar events. EXPlore assumes no liability for any claims, damages, losses, or injuries arising from or related to independently hosted events. Hosts indemnify and hold harmless EXPlore Innovations LLC, its officers, partners, contractors, and fiscal sponsor from any claims arising from their independently hosted events.
Use of EXPlore Branding by Hosts: Hosts may identify their event as "part of EXPlore Pittsburgh Tech Week" or "on the EXPlore Pittsburgh Tech Week community calendar" in promotional materials. Hosts may not use the EXPlore wordmark, logo, or brand assets without prior written permission. Hosts may not represent themselves as official EXPlore partners or sponsors without a signed agreement.
5. Startup Showcase and Pitch Competition
Eligibility: Applicants to the EXPlore Startup Showcase and $10,000 Pitch Competition must meet eligibility requirements published on our website at the time applications open. EXPlore reserves the right to modify eligibility criteria and to disqualify any applicant who misrepresents their qualifications or violates these Terms.
Application Materials: By submitting an application, you grant EXPlore a limited, non-exclusive license to use your submitted materials (including company name, description, and non-confidential business information) for event promotion, press coverage, and program documentation. EXPlore will not publicly disclose proprietary or confidential information without your consent.
Competition Rules: Detailed competition rules, judging criteria, and prize disbursement procedures will be published separately and incorporated into these Terms by reference. All participants agree to abide by the published rules. EXPlore's judging decisions are final and binding.
Prize Disbursement: Prizes are disbursed subject to verification of eligibility, execution of any required prize agreements, and compliance with applicable tax reporting requirements. EXPlore reserves the right to withhold prizes from applicants found to have violated these Terms or competition rules.
Intellectual Property: Participation in the Startup Showcase does not transfer any intellectual property rights to EXPlore. You retain full ownership of your business concept, product, and all related intellectual property. EXPlore retains no license to your proprietary technology, methodology, or business model beyond the limited promotional license described above.
6. Sponsors and Partners
Sponsor Agreements: Sponsor and partner relationships with EXPlore are governed by separately executed sponsorship agreements. In the event of any conflict between a signed sponsorship agreement and these Terms, the signed agreement controls.
Recognition and Branding: Sponsors receive recognition as described in their executed agreement. EXPlore reserves the right to make reasonable adjustments to event programming, scheduling, and format without triggering sponsor refund obligations, provided the core deliverables of the sponsorship agreement are fulfilled.
No Endorsement: Sponsor recognition at EXPlore events does not constitute an endorsement by EXPlore of any sponsor's products, services, or business practices. EXPlore does not allow sponsors to direct, control, or influence editorial, programming, or speaker selection decisions.
7. Intellectual Property
EXPlore's Intellectual Property: All content on the EXPlore website, including text, graphics, logos, programming frameworks, curriculum methodology, event formats, and the EXPlore Pittsburgh Tech Week brand and wordmark, are the intellectual property of EXPlore Innovations LLC. Unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or commercial use of EXPlore's intellectual property is prohibited.
Limited License to Users: EXPlore grants you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to access and use our website and community calendar for personal, non-commercial purposes. This license does not include the right to scrape, reproduce, or redistribute any content from our website or calendar.
User-Submitted Content: By submitting content to EXPlore (including event listings, speaker bios, application materials, or communications), you grant EXPlore a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use, display, and promote that content in connection with Tech Week programming and marketing. You represent that you own or have the right to submit all content you provide.
8. Disclaimers and Limitation of Liability
No Warranties: EXPlore's website, community calendar, and events are provided "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not warrant that our website will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free of viruses or other harmful components. We do not warrant the accuracy or completeness of any information on our website or community calendar.
Third-Party Events and Content: EXPlore does not endorse, verify, or warrant the accuracy of information provided by third-party event hosts, speakers, sponsors, or other community participants. Reliance on any such information is at your own risk.
Limitation of Liability: To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, EXPlore Innovations LLC, its officers, partners, contractors, agents, and fiscal sponsor shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of our website, attendance at events, or participation in Tech Week programming, even if advised of the possibility of such damages.
EXPlore's total liability for any claim arising from or related to these Terms or our services shall not exceed the amount, if any, you paid to EXPlore in connection with the event or service giving rise to the claim. Because most EXPlore events are free, this limitation may result in no monetary liability to EXPlore.
9. Indemnification
You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless EXPlore Innovations LLC, its co-producers, officers, partners, contractors, volunteers, and fiscal sponsor from and against any and all claims, damages, losses, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from:
• Your violation of these Terms
• Your submission of false, misleading, or infringing content to EXPlore
• Your conduct at or in connection with any EXPlore event
• Any event you independently host on the EXPlore community calendar
• Your violation of any applicable law or third-party rights
10. Privacy
Your use of EXPlore's website and services is also governed by our Privacy Policy, available at techweekpittsburgh.com/privacy-policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference. By agreeing to these Terms, you also acknowledge and agree to our Privacy Policy.
11. Links to Third-Party Sites and Platforms
Our website and community calendar contain links to third-party websites, platforms, and services including Luma, Calendly, and the websites of event hosts, sponsors, and community partners. These links are provided for convenience only. EXPlore does not endorse or assume any responsibility for the content, privacy practices, or policies of third-party sites. Your interactions with third-party platforms are governed by their own terms and policies.
12. Modifications to Events and Programming
EXPlore reserves the right to modify, reschedule, or cancel any event or programming at any time due to circumstances including but not limited to weather, venue issues, speaker cancellations, public health considerations, or other factors outside our control. EXPlore will make reasonable efforts to notify registered attendees of material changes. EXPlore is not liable for any costs or losses incurred by attendees or hosts as a result of event modifications or cancellations.
13. Modifications to These Terms
EXPlore reserves the right to modify these Terms at any time. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this document and, where appropriate, provide notice on our website. Your continued use of our website or services after the effective date of any modifications constitutes your acceptance of the updated Terms.
We recommend bookmarking and periodically reviewing this page to stay informed of any updates.
14. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution
These Terms are governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. Any disputes arising from or related to these Terms or your use of EXPlore's services shall be resolved in the state or federal courts located in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, and you consent to personal jurisdiction in those courts.
Before initiating formal legal proceedings, we encourage you to contact us directly at kenya@techweekpittsburgh.com to attempt to resolve any dispute informally. Many concerns can be addressed quickly through direct communication.
15. Severability and Entire Agreement
If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid under applicable law, that provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable, or severed if modification is not possible, without affecting the enforceability of the remaining provisions.
These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and any separately executed sponsorship or partnership agreements, constitute the entire agreement between you and EXPlore Innovations LLC regarding your use of our services and supersede all prior agreements or understandings on the same subject matter.
16. Contact Us
If you have questions about these Terms of Service or need to report a concern, please contact us:
EXPlore Innovations LLC
Attn: Kenya Porter, Founder
Email: kenya@techweekpittsburgh.com
Website: techweekpittsburgh.com
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
We will respond to all inquiries within 30 days.