Seeding Labs' Privacy Policy

Thank you for choosing to be a part of our community at Seeding Labs, a Nonprofit Corporation (“Company,” “we,” “us,” or “our”). We are committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy.

If you have any questions about our policy or our practices with regard to your personal information, please contact us at info@seedinglabs.org.

In this privacy notice, we describe:

  • Our privacy policy
  • What information we collect
  • How we use it
  • What rights you have in relation to it


If there are any terms in this Privacy Policy that you do not agree with, please discontinue use of our Sites and our services.

This Privacy Policy governs the manner in which Seeding Labs collects, uses, maintains, and discloses information collected from users, including donors (each, a “User”) of the seedinglabs.org website (“Site”) and other Seeding Labs activities, services, events, features, and resources.

This Privacy Policy applies to the Site and all products and services offered by Seeding Labs, including information collected offline.

Contents

1. What information do we collect?

In short, we collect personal information that you provide to us such as name, address, and contact information.

Personal information you disclose to us.

We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide to us when expressing an interest in obtaining information about us or our products and services, when participating in activities on the Site, or otherwise contacting us. This may include but is not limited to visiting our site, subscribing to a newsletter, filling out a form, and in connection with other activities, services, features, or resources, both on our Site and offline.

Users may visit our Site anonymously. We will collect personal information from Users only if they voluntarily submit such information to us. Users can always refuse to supply personal identification information, except that it may prevent them from engaging in certain activities.

The personal information we collect depends on the context of your interactions with us and the Sites, the choices you make, and the products and features you use. The personal information we collect can include the following:

  • Name and Contact Information: We collect your first and last name, email address, mailing address, phone number, organization, title, and other similar contact data.
  • Payment Data: If you choose to make a donation to Seeding Labs, whether by telephone, postal mail, or this Site, we will collect certain required financial information from you (such as your credit card information if you choose to submit your donation in that manner, and the donation amount). Online donations are processed by a third-party service provider. You should read the Links and Third-Party Sites section below and familiarize yourself with the privacy terms of all such non-Seeding Labs sites before using them. All payment data is stored by our donation service, Classy, and you should review their privacy policy and contact them directly to respond to your questions: Classy Privacy Policy. Seeding Labs does not process or store your credit card information.

All personal information that you provide to us must be true, complete, and accurate, and you must notify us of any changes to such personal information.

Information automatically collected

In short, some information, such as IP address and/or browser and device characteristics, is collected automatically when you visit our Site.

We automatically collect certain information when you visit, use, or navigate to the Site. This information does not reveal your specific identity (like your name or contact information) but may include device and usage information, such as your IP address, browser and device characteristics, operating system, language preferences, referring URLs, device name, country, location, information about how and when you use our Site, and other technical information.

This information is primarily needed to maintain the security and operation of our Site and for our internal analytics and reporting purposes.

2. How do we use your information?

In short, we process your information for purposes based on legitimate business interests, the fulfillment of our contract with you, compliance with our legal obligations, and/or your consent.

We use personal information collected via our Sites for a variety of business purposes described below. We process your personal information for these purposes in reliance on our legitimate business interests (“Business Purposes”), in order to enter into or perform a contract with you (“Contractual”), with your consent (“Consent”), and/or for compliance with our legal obligations (“Legal Reasons”). We indicate the specific processing grounds we rely on next to each purpose listed below.

We use the information we collect or receive:

  • To send you materials or information you requested and to notify you of other communications that may be of interest to you, for Business Purposes, or other Purposes with your Consent. We may use this personal information you send to us for our marketing purposes, if this is in accordance with your marketing preferences. You can opt-out of our marketing emails and mailings at any time (see the “What are your privacy rights?” section below).
  • To process financial donations. 
  • For our operational purposes, including data analysis, identifying usage trends, and enhancing our websites and promotional campaigns,
  • For other Business Purposes. We may use your information for other Business Purposes, such as data analysis, identifying usage trends, determining the effectiveness of our promotional campaigns, and to evaluate and improve our Sites, services, marketing, and your experience.


3. Will your information be shared with anyone?

In short, we only share information with your consent, to comply with laws, to protect your rights, or to fulfill business obligations.

We do not sell, trade, or rent Users’ personal identification information to others. If you subscribe to our email list or become a financial donor to Seeding Labs, your Personally Identifiable Information will not be leased or sold to other organizations.

We may share generic aggregated demographic information not linked to any personal identification information regarding visitors and users with our business partners, trusted affiliates, and advertisers for the purposes outlined above.

We only share and disclose your information in the following situations:

  • Compliance with Laws. We may disclose your information where we are legally required to do so in order to comply with applicable law, governmental requests, a judicial proceeding, court order, or legal process, such as in response to a court order or a subpoena (including in response to public authorities to meet national security or law enforcement requirements.)
  • Vital Interests and Legal Rights. We may disclose your information where we believe it is necessary to investigate, prevent, or take action regarding potential violations of our policies, suspected fraud, situations involving potential threats to the safety of any person and illegal activities, or as evidence in litigation in which we are involved.
  • Vendors, Consultants, and Other Third-party Service Providers. We may share your data with third-party vendors, service providers, contractors, or agents who perform services for us or on our behalf and require access to such information to do that work. Examples include: payment processing, data analysis, email delivery, and hosting services. We may allow selected third parties to use tracking technology on the Sites, which will enable them to collect information about how you interact with the Sites over time. This information may be used to, among other things, analyze and track data, determine the popularity of certain content, and better understand online activity. Unless described in this Policy, we do not share, sell, rent, or trade any of your information with third parties for their promotional policies.
  • Business Transfers. We may share or transfer your information in connection with, or during negotiations of, any merger, sale of company assets, financing, or acquisition of all or a portion of our business to another company.
  • With Your Consent. We may disclose your personal information for any other purpose with your consent.

Links and Third-Party Sites

This Policy applies solely to information collected by the Site. The Site contains hyperlinks or “links” to other sites, including access to content, products, and services of our affiliated and non-affiliated sites. For example, online donations to Seeding Labs are facilitated by our non-affiliated service provider, Classy.

When you follow links to make such a donation, you will be linked to our service provider’s web site, which is subject to separate privacy and other terms and conditions. In some cases, these other websites are made available via “framing technology” and may appear to be part of our Site.

We urge you to familiarize yourself with the individual privacy and other terms for each linked or framed site prior to submitting any Personally Identifiable Information. We are not responsible for the data collection, privacy and information sharing policies and procedures, or the content of such web sites.

4. Do we use cookies and other tracking technologies?

In short, we use cookies and other tracking technologies to collect and store your information.

We use cookies to understand how this Site is used and to improve your user experience. Specific information about how we use such technologies and how you can refuse certain cookies is set out in our Cookie Policy.

5. Do we use Google Maps?

In short, yes, we use Google Maps for the purpose of providing better service.

This website uses Google Maps APIs. You may find the Google Maps APIs Terms of Service here. To better understand Google’s Privacy Policy, please refer to this link. By using our Maps API implementation, you agree to be bound by Google’s Terms of Service.

6. How long do we keep your information?

In short, we keep your information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this privacy policy unless otherwise required by law.

We will only keep your personal information for as long as it is necessary for the purposes set out in this privacy policy and our Document Retention policies, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law (such as tax, accounting, or other legal requirements).

Information collected for archival purposes in the interest of the scientific community will be retained indefinitely, unless you ask that it be removed. Seeding Labs will strive to only collect that information needed for the preceding purposes. Any other information collected for any other purpose will be retained until such time that said other purpose is fulfilled or abandoned.

When we have no ongoing legitimate business need to process your personal information, we will either delete or anonymize it, or, if this is not possible (for example, because your personal information has been stored in backup archives), then we will securely store your personal information and isolate it from any further processing until deletion is possible.

7. How do we keep your information safe?

In short, we aim to protect your personal information through a system of organizational and technical security measures.

We take the security of your personal information very seriously. We have implemented appropriate technical and organizational security measures designed to protect the security of any personal information we process. Our website protects your personal information during transfer using encryption technology such as Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). After transfer, your personal information is stored in secure databases with limited access.

However, please remember that we cannot guarantee that the internet itself is 100% secure. Although we will do our best to protect your personal information, transmission of your personal information to and from our Sites is at your own risk. You should only access the services within a secure environment.

How we store your information

Seeding Labs maintains physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards designed to protect your Personally Identifiable Information. Your information is stored in operating environments that are not available to the public. All of Seeding Labs’ personnel and affiliates are dedicated to maintaining and upholding your privacy and security and are made aware of our privacy and security policies. The servers where we store your information are located in the USA.

If you are located in another jurisdiction, you should be aware that your Personally Identifiable Information once submitted will be transferred to our servers, and the USA currently does not have uniform data protection laws in place.

8. Do we collect information from minors?

In short, we do not knowingly collect data from children under 18 years of age.

We comply with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (“COPPA”). COPPA requires that web site operators never knowingly request personally identifiable information from anyone under the age of 13 without requesting verifiable parental consent. In accordance with COPPA, we do not knowingly collect any personally identifiable information from children under the age of 13.

We recommend that no one under the age of 18 submit personally identifiable information to our Site. We do not knowingly solicit data from children under 18 years of age. By using these Sites, you represent that you are at least 18 or that you are the parent or guardian of such a minor and consent to such minor dependent’s use of the Sites.

If we learn that personal information from users less than 18 years of age has been collected, we will take reasonable measures to delete such data from our records. If you become aware of any data we have collected from children under age 18, please contact us at info@seedinglabs.org.

9. What are your privacy rights?

In short, you may review, change, or terminate your information at any time.

With regard to Personal Information collected for specific purposes, such as our newsletters, users can opt-out and remove themselves directly from many of these purposes by clicking “unsubscribe” from the respective newsletter. Alternatively, users can, at any time, contact us directly at info@seedinglabs.orgto tell us specifically what communications they would like to continue or discontinue.

If you are resident in the European Economic Area and you believe we are unlawfully possessing your personal information, you also have the right to complain to your local data protection supervisory authority. You can find contact details here.

Cookies and similar technologies: Most Web browsers are set to accept cookies by default. If you prefer, you can usually set your browser to remove cookies and reject cookies. If you choose to remove or reject cookies, this could affect certain features or services of our Sites. Click here to learn more about cookies, including how to control, disable, or delete them.

10. Do California residents have specific privacy rights?

In short, yes, if you are a resident of California, you are granted specific rights regarding access to your personal information.

California Civil Code Section 1798.83, also known as the “Shine the Light” law, permits our users who are California residents to request and obtain from us, once a year and free of charge, information about categories of personal information (if any) we disclosed to third parties for direct marketing purposes and the names and addresses of all third parties with which we shared personal information in the immediately preceding calendar year.

If you are a California resident and would like to make such a request, please submit your request in writing using the contact information provided below.

11. Do we make updates to this policy?

In short, yes, we will update this policy as necessary to stay compliant with relevant laws.

We may update this policy from time to time. The updated version will be indicated by an updated “Revised” date and the updated version will become effective as soon as it is accessible. If we make material changes to this privacy policy, we may notify you either by prominently posting a notice of such changes or by directly sending you a notification.

12. How can you contact us about this policy?

If you have questions or comments about this policy, you may contact our Data Protection Officer (DPO), David Qualter, by email at info@seedinglabs.org or by phone at +1-617-500-3014, or by post to: David Qualter, ℅ Seeding Labs, 25 Dorchester Ave. #51914, Boston, MA 02205, USA.

Seeding Labs' Cookie Policy

This website, seedinglabs.org (the “Site”), is operated by Seeding Labs, A Nonprofit Corporation, also referred to in this Cookie Policy as “we,” or  “us.” Seeding Labs is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy.

This Cookie Policy should be read together with Seeding Labs’ Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and explains what cookies are and how and why they may be stored on and accessed from your device when you access this Site.

What are cookies?

Cookies are text files containing a small amount of data, usually a unique string of letters and numbers. They are commonly used throughout the Internet and are stored on and accessed from your device when you visit a website (including this Site). This allows the website to recognize your visit from those of other users of the website.

You can find more information at www.allaboutcookies.org and www.youronlinechoices.eu.

How does this Site use cookies?

This Site uses the following cookies for the following purposes:

Performance CookiesNamesDescriptionMore Info
Google Analtytics_utm*, _ga*Used to collect information about how visitors use our Site. The cookies collect information in an anonymous form, including the number of visitors to the Site, where visitors have come to the Site from and the pages they visited. We use the information to compile statistic reports of our users’ browsing patterns so that we can improve the Site.Google Analytics Privacy Policy
Facebook, Twitter, and other social mediaguest_id, metrics_token, personalization_id, lang, frAll social media platforms have
their own cookie and privacy policies over which we have no control.
Facebook Privacy Policy; Twitter Privacy Policy;
LinkedIn Privacy Policy;
YouTube Policies and Safety

 

Google Analytics

By using this Site, you agree that we can store and access the above cookies on your device.

Combining the cookie information with other data about your computer

When you enter the Site, we may also collect information, where available, about your computer for system administration purposes, such as your IP address, operating system, and browser type. This information may be combined with the data we collected via the Google Analytics cookies above.

This information is statistical data about our users’ browsing patterns and generally does not identify our users, except when a user makes an online donation, in which case we would be able to identify those users based on their IP address.

Your consent to the use of cookies

By using this Site, you agree that we can store and access the above cookies on your device.

Refusing or withdrawing your consent to the use of cookies

You may refuse to accept cookies by altering the settings on your Internet browser. For further information about how to do so, please refer to your browser’s help section or visit www.allaboutcookies.org.

Please note that if you adjust your Internet browser settings to refuse the setting of cookies, you may be unable to access or use fully certain parts or functionality of the Site.

Do not track preferences

Do not track is a function that allows visitors to opt out from being tracked by websites for any purpose including the use of analytics services, advertising networks and social platforms. Do not track options are available in a number of browsers, including Firefox, Internet Explorer, Chrome, Safari, and Opera.

  • If you enable do not track in your web browser, we will respect your choice.
  • If you have enabled the do not track function, you will not be tracked with Google Analytics.
  • If you have disabled all cookies from your browser, we will still collect some general data about your browsing (e.g., a record of a visitor to our website). Additionally, the Site may not function as intended if cookies are disabled.

Contact us

If you have any questions or need further information about our cookie practices, please contact us at info@seedinglabs.org or write to us at Seeding Labs, Attn: Data Protection Officer, 25 Dorchester Ave. #51914, Boston, MA, 02205 USA.

This Cookie Policy, the Privacy Policy and/or the Terms of Use may be amended by us at any time. Please check this page periodically to inform yourself of any changes. It was last amended on March 10, 2020.
EK Wahome

EK Wahome
Logistics Intern

EK Wahome started working for Seeding Labs in 2024 primarily in the Instrumental Access Program. She is currently a Junior at Tufts University studying Biochemistry and Biotechnology.

EK is passionate about making research equitable and accessible to all.

Jennifer Raymond

Jennifer Raymond
Director of Corporate Relations

Jennifer partners with corporations, universities, and nonprofit organizations to identify opportunities to repurpose surplus scientific laboratory equipment that will in turn empower talented scientists in developing countries through the Instrumental Access program.

Prior to joining Seeding Labs, Jennifer served as a Development Officer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, where she managed relationships with donors, foundations, and corporations to advance the groundbreaking work of research scientists.

She also directed membership programs for the Boston Symphony Orchestra and alumni relations for the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University. Jennifer graduated from Wellesley College with a BA in French studies and a minor in philosophy.

Manisha Patel

Manisha Patel
Scientific Director

Manisha uses her scientific expertise to implement the equipment-related aspects of Seeding Labs’ programs and plays a key role in Instrumental Access.

She provides support to Instrumental Access awardees, helping them choose the instruments that best meet their research and teaching goals. She also advises the Corporate Relations team on equipment that would be useful in our awardees’ labs.

Manisha has extensive experience in managing academic research labs with knowledge spanning lab setup, compliance, and equipment training. Most recently, she oversaw labs at Harvard University.

For the past decade, Manisha directed an undergraduate internship program focused on one of her passions:  diversity and inclusion in STEM. She holds a BS in ecology from Rutgers University and an MS in ecology from the University of Vermont.

Micaela Leaska

Micalea Leaska
Programs Specialist,
Metrics & Evaluation

Micalea works with the Programs team to develop and implement metrics and evaluation tools, and to monitor the worldwide impact of Instrumental Access. She compiles and analyzes quantitative data and qualitative stories that exemplify our mantra, “talent is everywhere.”

Her prior work experience includes consulting for the World Bank, working on Water Security Assessments for Peru and Central America, and improving access to safe water in rural Ecuadorian communities with the nonprofit WaterStep.

Micalea holds a BA from Saint Michael’s College and completed her Master’s degree in Climate Change and Global Sustainability from SIT Graduate Institute, where she studied global science issues alongside scientists, stakeholders, and community members in Iceland, Tanzania, and Ecuador.

Chiudo Ehirim

Chiudo Ehirim
Instrumental Access
Consultant

After completing an Atlas Corps Fellowship with Seeding Labs, Chiudo now provides support to our Instrumental Access partners from his Rumines Ltd. office in Lagos, Nigeria. Chiudo is CEO of Rumines, an environmental technology and management consulting company.

Prior to his fellowship, Chiudo was a country manager for Nigeria with Climate Scorecard, a US-based organization that monitors how the top 25 greenhouse gas-emitting countries implement the Paris Agreement on climate change.

Chiudo earned a BS in pure and industrial chemistry from the University of Nigeria and a Master’s of Science in environmental technology and management from the University of Port Harcourt in Nigeria.

David Borman

David Borman, PhD
Communications
Director

David works to highlight the innovation and scientific successes of Instrumental Access awardees. In telling these scientists’ stories, he helps to show the global impact of the Seeding Labs mission.

Prior to joining Seeding Labs, David worked as the alumni affairs director for Brevard College in North Carolina and managed communications for Kids Center for Pediatric Therapies, a nonprofit in Louisville, Kentucky, that provides services to children with special needs.

David earned his PhD in English from the University of Miami. He holds an MA in English from the University of Louisville and a BA in English from Bellarmine University.

Christine Srivastava

Christina Viola Srivastava

Vice President of Programs

Christina is responsible for program development, planning, and implementation at Seeding Labs. 

Christina has experience as a research program evaluator and science policy analyst. She’s held roles with the consulting firm Abt Associates, Inc. and the Science and Technology Policy Institute.

Prior to entering the consulting world, Christina worked for the Boston-area nonprofits Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics and Urban Ecology Institute. She holds an undergraduate degree in biology from Swarthmore College

Rick Sherman

Rick Sherman

Vice President of Philanthropy

Rick is responsible for the fundraising activities at Seeding Labs, engaging with corporations, foundations, and individuals to increase their financial and equipment donations to the organization.

Prior to joining Seeding Labs, Rick spent 17 years working in a similar capacity at a number of science-focused organizations, including Keystone Symposia, the Carnegie Institution for Science, and the Chemical Heritage Foundation (now the Science History Institute).

Rick earned an MS in Finance from Drexel University, and a BS in Paper Science and Engineering from State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry.

David Qualter

Vice President of Operations

David is responsible for global logistics at Seeding Labs, overseeing the efficient movement of lab equipment worldwide.

He joined Seeding Labs from Image Arts, a subsidiary of Hallmark Cards, where he provided logistics direction for the company with $110 million in annual sales.

He brings 20 years of supply chain management experience with in-depth knowledge of international logistics, warehouse execution, and distribution center operations.

Originally an art student at Southeastern Massachusetts University, David now uses his creative talents to develop logistics strategies that produce operational efficiencies and quality customer service.

Melissa P. Wu, PhD

Melissa P. Wu, PhD

Chief Executive Officer

Please direct speaking requests to media@seedinglabs.org


As the CEO of Seeding Labs, Dr. Melissa P. Wu connects scientists and institutions around the world to help reduce barriers to scientific discovery.

Part scientist, part engineer, and part facilitator, Melissa brings strategic insight and rigorous methodology to her work, together with a dedication to helping people.


Melissa is driven by two overarching values: that scientific research is a critical tool for improving human lives, and that research thrives and we as a community make the best discoveries when we foster diversity in perspectives, approaches, and ideas. Joining these two ideas has given her a career focus on creating opportunities for people of all backgrounds to engage in scientific research.


Prior to being named CEO of Seeding Labs in 2019,
Melissa served as Senior Vice President of Operations. She revamped Seeding Labs’ Instrumental Access program to increase its efficiency while expanding its impact.


Melissa’s previous positions at the Harvard Office for
Diversity Inclusion and Community Partnership and the BioBuilder Educational Foundation helped spread scientific knowledge to students nationwide.

She is proud to have mentored many students through
programs at the Journal of Emerging Investigators, Harvard, Boston Children’s Hospital, and MIT.

Melissa earned a PhD in Cellular and Developmental
Biology from Harvard University and holds an SB in Biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.