— Legal & Governance

Privacy Policy

Last updated: 10 October 2026

1. Introduction

Welcome to Build the Founder First.

Your privacy matters to us. We are committed to protecting your personal information and being transparent about how it is collected, used, stored and shared.

This Privacy Policy explains how we handle your personal information when you visit our website, download resources, purchase products, register for training, subscribe to communications or use our services.

We process personal information in accordance with applicable UK data protection legislation, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

2. Who we are

Build the Founder First is a trading name of Sandra Rutendo Mtambirwa, operating as a sole trader in the United Kingdom.

Sandra Rutendo Mtambirwa is the data controller responsible for personal information collected and processed through this website and its associated business activities.

Business name: Build the Founder First

Legal operator: Sandra Rutendo Mtambirwa, Sole Trader

Website: www.buildthefounderfirst.com

Email: sandra@buildthefounderfirst.com

ICO registration number:

For questions about this Privacy Policy or how your information is handled, please contact us using the details above.

3. Information we collect

We may collect and process the following categories of personal information.

3.1 Information you provide directly

When you interact with Build the Founder First, we may collect:

Your name and email address.
Your telephone number, where provided.
Your billing address and transaction details.
Information submitted through contact forms, enquiries or registration forms.
Details of products, resources or services you purchase.
Information you voluntarily provide when participating in training, workshops or founder development programmes.
Your communication preferences, including marketing consent.

3.2 Information collected automatically

When you visit our website, certain technical information may be collected, including:

IP address.
Browser type and device information.
Pages visited and website interactions.
Referral sources.
Cookie preferences.
Website performance and security information.

This information helps us maintain website functionality, improve the user experience and protect our website.

3.3 Information from third parties

We may receive limited information from third-party providers, including payment processors, course platforms or other services used to operate our business.

Where books or products are purchased through external retailers such as Amazon, those retailers generally process customer information under their own privacy policies. We do not automatically receive the personal information of everyone who purchases through those platforms.

4. How we use your information

We use personal information only where there is a valid purpose and lawful basis for doing so.

PurposeLawful basisProviding requested free resources and downloadsLegitimate interests or contract, depending on the circumstancesProcessing purchases and delivering paid products or servicesContractRegistering participants for workshops, training or programmesContractResponding to enquiries and communicationsLegitimate interestsSending newsletters, founder insights and promotional communicationsConsentMaintaining accounting, tax and financial recordsLegal obligationMaintaining website security and preventing misuseLegitimate interestsUsing non-essential analytics and advertising cookiesConsent

Where we rely on legitimate interests, we consider the impact on your rights and freedoms.

We do not use your personal information for purposes incompatible with those explained in this policy without an appropriate lawful basis.

5. Free resources and downloads

Build the Founder First may offer free resources, including worksheets, guides, checklists and other founder development materials.

When you request a free resource, we collect the information necessary to deliver it, usually your first name and email address.

Requesting a free resource does not automatically subscribe you to marketing communications.

You may be offered a separate opportunity to subscribe to founder insights, updates, training opportunities and occasional promotional offers.

Marketing consent is optional and will not be a condition of receiving a free resource.

Where email confirmation is used, you may be asked to verify your email address before receiving the requested material.

6. Email marketing and communications

If you choose to subscribe to our mailing list, we may send you:

Founder development insights and practical guidance.
Information about books, workbooks and digital resources.
Training and workshop announcements.
New programme launches.
Relevant offers and business updates.

We send optional email marketing where we have an appropriate lawful basis and comply with applicable electronic marketing rules.

You can withdraw your consent at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link included in marketing emails or by contacting us directly.

Withdrawing consent does not affect processing that was lawful before withdrawal.

We may continue to send essential service communications relating to your purchases, registrations or enquiries where necessary.

7. Purchases, payments and transactions

When you purchase products or services directly from Build the Founder First, we may collect information required to process your order, deliver your purchase and maintain appropriate business records.

Payments are processed through secure third-party payment providers.

We do not directly store full payment card details.

Payment providers may process certain personal information as independent data controllers under their own privacy policies.

Where you purchase our books or other products through third-party retailers, including Amazon, the retailer's own terms and privacy policy will also apply.

8. Training, workshops and founder development programmes

If you register for a workshop, course, coaching session or founder development programme, we may collect information necessary to deliver the service.

This may include registration details, attendance information, learning progress, submitted activities and feedback.

Information shared during training or founder development activities will be used for the relevant programme, administration, participant support and service improvement where appropriate.

Please avoid submitting sensitive personal information unless it is necessary and specifically requested.

Where special category personal information is collected, we will identify an appropriate legal basis and additional condition for processing it.

9. How we share your information

We do not sell your personal information.

We may share relevant information with trusted service providers who assist us in operating Build the Founder First.

These may include:

Website hosting providers: To host and maintain our website, including Hostinger.
Email service providers: To deliver requested resources and manage email subscriptions.
Payment processors: To process purchases and payments securely.
Learning platforms: To administer courses, training and participant access.
Professional advisers: Including accountants, legal advisers and insurers where necessary.
Public authorities: Including HM Revenue & Customs where disclosure is legally required.

We only share information where necessary and require appropriate safeguards when service providers process personal information on our behalf.

10. International data transfers

Some of our technology and service providers may process or store personal information outside the United Kingdom.

Where international transfers are subject to UK data protection restrictions, we use an appropriate legal transfer mechanism, such as UK adequacy regulations or approved contractual safeguards.

We take reasonable steps to ensure personal information remains appropriately protected.

11. How long we keep your information

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this policy, including applicable legal, accounting and contractual requirements.

Our general retention approach is:

InformationRetention periodMarketing subscriptionsUntil you unsubscribe, with limited suppression records retained where necessaryFree resource registrations without marketing consentNormally up to 12 monthsGeneral enquiriesNormally up to 2 yearsPurchase and financial recordsNormally up to 7 years where justified by applicable obligationsTraining and programme recordsNormally up to 7 years where necessary for contractual, insurance or legal purposesWebsite technical and security recordsFor a proportionate period based on operational and security requirements

We may retain information for longer where necessary to establish, exercise or defend legal claims or comply with legal obligations.

Where information is no longer required, we will delete it securely or anonymise it.

12. Cookies and website technologies

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to support website functionality, security and performance.

Cookies may include:

Essential cookies: Necessary for website operation, security and core functionality.

Analytics cookies: Help us understand how visitors use the website and identify improvements.

Marketing cookies: May be used to measure advertising performance or support relevant marketing activities.

Non-essential cookies will only be used where appropriate consent has been obtained.

You can manage or withdraw cookie consent through the website's cookie settings.

Further details about the specific cookies used may be provided through our cookie settings or a separate Cookie Policy.

13. How we protect your information

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information from unauthorised access, misuse, accidental loss, alteration or disclosure.

These measures may include secure website connections, access controls, password protection, appropriate service provider arrangements and restricted access to personal information.

Although we take reasonable precautions, no online transmission or storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

14. Your data protection rights

Under UK data protection law, you may have the following rights, depending on the circumstances:

Right of access: Request a copy of personal information we hold about you.

Right to rectification: Ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.

Right to erasure: Request deletion of your information where applicable.

Right to restriction: Ask us to restrict certain processing activities.

Right to object: Object to certain processing, including processing based on legitimate interests.

Right to data portability: Request your information in a portable format where applicable.

Right to withdraw consent: Withdraw consent at any time where processing relies on consent.

Rights relating to automated decisions: Receive applicable protections concerning qualifying solely automated decisions.

To exercise your rights, contact us at: sandra@buildthefounderfirst.com

We normally respond within one calendar month, subject to applicable legal requirements.

Some rights are subject to exceptions, including where we must retain information to meet legal obligations.

15. Children's privacy

Build the Founder First is primarily intended for adults interested in entrepreneurship, business development and founder education.

We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children through our general website services.

If we become aware that personal information has been collected from a child without an appropriate lawful basis or required authorisation, we will take appropriate action.

16. Third-party websites

Our website may contain links to external websites, including Amazon, payment providers, social media platforms and other resources.

We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of third-party websites.

We encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing personal information.

17. Complaints and concerns

If you have concerns about how we collect or use your personal information, please contact us using the details provided in Section 2.

We will review your concerns and seek to resolve them appropriately.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

Website: www.ico.org.uk

Telephone: 0303 123 1113

18. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our business activities, services, technology or legal requirements.

Any updates will be published on this page, and the date at the beginning of the policy will be revised.

We encourage visitors to review this policy periodically.

19. Contact us

For questions, privacy requests or concerns about how your personal information is handled, please contact:

Build the Founder First

Operated by Sandra Rutendo Mtambirwa, Sole Trader

Website: www.buildthefounderfirst.com

Email: sandra@buildthefounderfirst.com