This website is operated by The Optimization Firm, LLC ("TOF"). This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, how we use and protect it, and the choices you have regarding your information. We handle your personal information in accordance with U.S. privacy and information-security laws and the EU General Data Protection Regulation ("GDPR").
Please read this Privacy Policy before using our website.
Who uses your personal data?
TOF controls and processes personal information collected through this website. We collect only the information necessary to provide our services and operate our business securely. We use your information only for the purposes described in this policy.
We process your information in the United States and may share certain information with service providers that help us operate our business, including MailChimp, which provides email marketing services. We take reasonable steps to ensure that these providers handle your personal information securely and consistently with this policy.
We do not sell or distribute your personal information to third parties outside our organization except with your prior consent or when required by law, a court order, or other applicable legal obligation.
What information do we collect?
When you visit our website, we may collect information that you provide voluntarily as well as information collected automatically. We take reasonable steps to keep the information we collect accurate, complete, reliable, and up to date.
Information you provide
We may collect:
- Account information, including your name, username, password, contact information, demographic information, and product preferences. You are responsible for keeping your username and password secure. We hash account passwords, which means we cannot review or resend them. If you forget your password, we will provide instructions for resetting it.
- Payment information when you purchase a product or service through our payment processor. Our payment processor uses information such as your credit card number solely to process your payment.
- Social media information when you interact with us through platforms such as Twitter and LinkedIn. We may collect information you post through those channels and may have administrative access to that information.
Information collected automatically
We may automatically collect information about how visitors use our website. We use this information in aggregate to understand how people use our products and services and to improve them.
This information may include:
- Service or IP address
- Operating system
- Browser type
- Location information
- How you arrived on our website
- Pages you viewed
- Links you clicked
- Keywords you searched for
- Links you clicked in emails from us
We may also receive information about you from other sources, including publicly available sources, seminars you attend, or partners who refer you to us.
Where do we store your personal data and how do we protect it?
We store information collected through our website using systems that employ encryption and other security safeguards. We regularly scan our website for known vulnerabilities and security risks.
We may also store your name and email address with MailChimp so that we can maintain distribution lists and send email campaigns. MailChimp may use its own subprocessors to provide services such as customer support and abuse prevention.
We may store your name, email address, professional affiliation, and other business information on company computers and systems. We protect these systems through measures such as secure servers, encrypted data transmission, encrypted drives, access controls, and confidentiality requirements.
When you make a purchase, our payment gateway processes the transaction. We do not store or process sensitive payment information on our own servers. The payment system encrypts sensitive payment information using Secure Socket Layer ("SSL") technology.
When do we collect information?
We may collect information when you:
- Visit our website
- Make a purchase
- Create an account
- Subscribe to our newsletter
- Send us a question or comment
- Apply for a job
- Use other services available through our website
Some information is provided directly by you; other information may be collected automatically when you use the website.
Why do we use your information?
We use personal information to provide and improve our products and services, communicate with customers and website visitors, maintain the security of our website, and conduct marketing activities where permitted.
Our legitimate business interests include:
- Providing, maintaining, improving, and developing our products and services
- Protecting our website and services
- Conducting marketing activities
We may use your personal information to:
- Respond to questions and inquiries
- Process orders and provide order-related information
- Administer our services, including sending license renewal or software update reminders
- Send information about TOF products, services, conferences, studies, and publications that may interest you
- Communicate with customers and subscribers about our products and services
Where the GDPR applies, we process personal information when:
- We need to comply with a legal or regulatory obligation
- We need to perform a contract with you or take steps you request before entering into a contract
- Processing serves our legitimate interests or those of a third party and those interests do not override your rights
- You have given us consent
How long do we keep your information?
We keep personal information only as long as necessary for legitimate business purposes or to meet legal or regulatory requirements.
Retention periods vary depending on the type of information. In determining how long to keep information, we consider:
- Whether we have a legal or contractual reason to retain it
- Whether we need it to provide our services
- Whether you can access and delete it through your account
- How long you would reasonably expect us to retain it
When we no longer have a legitimate business need to use your personal information, we will delete or anonymize it. If immediate deletion is not possible (for example, because the information remains in a backup archive), we will securely store and isolate the information until we can delete it.
Consent
When consent provides the legal basis for processing your personal information, we will ask you to consent to the relevant uses of your information.
For example, when you create an account, we may send an email asking you to confirm your consent to TOF's use of your personal information. We retain a record of that consent.
You may withdraw your consent at any time.
Your rights
Depending on where you live and the laws that apply to you, you may have the right to:
- Ask whether we hold personal information about you
- Obtain a copy of your personal information
- Correct inaccurate information
- Ask us to delete your personal information
- Ask us to restrict how we process your information
- Receive your information in a commonly used, machine-readable format or ask us to transfer it to another party
- Object to certain uses of your information
- Avoid certain decisions based solely on automated processing, including profiling
We may also need additional information to verify and process your request. Certain requests may also be subject to legal exceptions or other limitations.
If the GDPR applies to you and you wish to exercise one of these rights, email info@minlp.com with the subject line "GDPR Request" and describe the right you wish to exercise.
How to change or delete your information
You can change or delete certain personal information by logging in to your account. You may also delete your account.
To stop receiving marketing emails, use the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any marketing email.
You may also email info@minlp.com to request access to, correction of, updating of, or deletion of your personal information. We will respond in accordance with applicable law.
If you are an EU resident, you may also use that email address to object to processing, request restrictions on processing, or request data portability.
Other privacy and security information
California privacy rights: California residents may have the right to request certain information about our disclosure of personal information to third parties for direct marketing purposes. To make a request, email info@minlp.com.
Commercial email: We comply with the CAN-SPAM Act governing commercial email. Among other things, we do not use false or misleading subject lines or email addresses, we identify advertisements where required, we include our physical business address, and we honor unsubscribe requests.
Children: In accordance with the COPPA law, we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16. If we learn that a child under 16 has provided personal information to us, we will delete it.
Cookies: We use cookies and similar technologies to operate our website, improve its functionality, understand how visitors use it, and support certain third-party services. You can configure your browser to notify you when a website sends a cookie or to disable cookies. Disabling cookies may affect the functionality of certain features on our website.
Data breaches: If a data breach triggers a legal notification requirement, we will provide any required notifications within the time required by applicable law. We will also document the breach, its effects, and steps taken in response.
Legal requirements: We may disclose personal information when necessary to comply with applicable law or legal processes. This may include transferring information to the United States or other countries outside the European Union.
Third-party websites and services: Our website may contain links to websites operated by other organizations or allow you to use third-party sign-in services. Those services may provide us with information such as your name and email address. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of websites or services operated by third parties.
Third-party behavioral tracking: We may allow third-party behavioral tracking on our website.
International transfers: Since TOF operates internationally, we may transfer personal information to authorized systems, service providers, or individuals in countries other than your own, subject to applicable law and this policy.
Vendors: We use third-party service providers for functions such as payment processing and email marketing. These companies may access personal information as necessary to provide services to us, but they may not use that information for unrelated purposes.
Changes to this Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time by posting a revised version on our website. Your continued use of the website after an update will be subject to the policy in effect.
Contact us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our data-processing practices, email us at info@minlp.com.
Last updated: September 8, 2026