Terms & Conditions – Founder Membership

Update: 20.11.2025

These Founder Membership Terms & Conditions (“Terms”) apply to all individuals who join Hospitality Leaders Club™ (“the Club”, “we”, “us”, “our”) during the platform construction phase and who are granted Founder Member status. By becoming a Founder Member, you agree to these Terms in addition to the general Membership Terms & Conditions of Hospitality Leaders Club™.

These Terms exist to clearly outline the privileges, limitations and conditions associated with Founder Member status.

1. Definition of Founder Member

A Founder Member is an individual who joins the Club during the platform construction phase, as determined solely by the Club.
Founder Member status:

• Is awarded only at initial enrolment
• Cannot be purchased after the early-access window closes
• Cannot be reinstated once lost
• Cannot be reassigned at a later date

2. Eligibility

Founder Member status is available exclusively during the Club’s early-development period.
The Club may close Founder enrolment at any time and without prior notice.

3. Founder Rate — First Two Years

Founder Members receive a preferential early-access membership rate (“Founder Rate”) applicable only to:

• Year 1 (initial term)
• Year 2 (first renewal term)

The Founder Rate applies strictly to the Founder Member’s own continuous membership.

4. Exclusive Founder Renewal Rate — From Year Three Onwards

Beginning in Year 3, Founder Members transition to an Exclusive Founder Renewal Rate, a preferential price tier reserved solely for uninterrupted Founder Members.

This Exclusive Founder Renewal Rate:

• May be adjusted periodically to reflect inflation, VAT changes, or strategic pricing
• Will always remain preferential compared to public pricing at the time

5. Lifetime Founder Status

Founder status is described as “lifetime” in recognition of the member’s early contribution.
However, lifetime refers only to the duration of an active and uninterrupted membership.

If the membership:

• ends
• lapses
• is cancelled
• is paused
• remains unpaid

then:

• Founder status is permanently forfeited
• Founder Rates and Exclusive Founder Renewal Rates are permanently forfeited
• The individual may rejoin only under public pricing and conditions

There are no exceptions.
“Lifetime” status does not survive cancellation or interruption.

6. Continuity Requirement

Founder benefits apply only if the membership remains fully active and uninterrupted.

Any break in continuity results in:

• immediate loss of Founder status
• permanent loss of Founder pricing and privileges
• re-entry only under public rates

No continuity = No Founder benefits.

7. Non-transferability

Founder status and its benefits:

• are personal to the individual
• cannot be transferred
• cannot be assigned to employers, employees or colleagues
• cannot be moved across membership types (e.g., Corporate Circle)

8. Adjustments to Founder Rates

The Club may adjust both the Founder Rate and the Exclusive Founder Renewal Rate to account for:

• inflation
• tax changes
• platform development
• market standards
• operational needs

Any adjustments will always preserve a meaningful preferential advantage compared to public pricing.

9. Cancellation, Expiry & Non-Payment

If a Founder Member:

• cancels
• fails to pay
• allows their membership to lapse past renewal
• disputes a payment
• requests a pause

then Founder status and all associated benefits are immediately and permanently revoked.

No refunds are issued for unused membership periods or interrupted access.

10. Rejoining Policy

Former Founder Members cannot rejoin under Founder conditions.

If rejoining, the individual enters as a standard Member under:

• current public pricing
• current public Membership Terms
• no Founder privileges

This protects the integrity of Founder status and prevents re-entry at preferential rates.

11. Founder Badge & Recognition

Active Founder Members may receive digital or visual assets (such as the Founder badge) for personal use, subject to brand guidelines.

If membership ends, the individual must:

• discontinue use of all Founder-related assets
• remove them from profiles, websites or professional materials

12. Limitations

Founder Membership:

• does not guarantee acceptance into future programmes or circles
• does not grant priority access to capacity-limited events
• may evolve as the Club develops, without diminishing the value of active Founder benefits

13. Precedence of These Terms

These Founder Terms take precedence over any previous:

• verbal statements
• marketing materials
• social media posts
• promotional content
• informal descriptions

regarding Founder status or pricing.

14. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws applicable to Between Forks e.U.
Any disputes shall fall under the jurisdiction of the competent courts of Austria, unless otherwise required by mandatory local consumer laws.