Terms and Conditions
Effective date: 16 October 2026 · Last updated: 16 October 2026
1. Who we are and how these Terms apply
1.1 Palistra is an AI academy operated by Hermessi LLC, a limited liability company registered in the State of Delaware, United States, and the proprietor and provider of the Palistra website at palistra.ai ("Palistra", "we", "us" or "our"). Palistra is a brand fully owned by Hermessi LLC. We serve learners across Africa and in other regions.
1.2 These Terms and Conditions ("Terms") form a legally binding agreement between you and Hermessi LLC. They apply when you visit palistra.ai, register for a free session, or enrol in and pay for any Palistra programme, course, workshop or live session (together, the "Services").
1.3 You accept these Terms by ticking the acceptance box, clicking "Enrol", "Pay", "Register" or a similar button, or by using the Services. If you do not agree, do not use the Services.
1.4 If you enrol on behalf of an employer or other organisation, you confirm that you have authority to bind that organisation and the named learner to these Terms.
1.5 These Terms include the following documents, which form part of them:
our Privacy Policy;
the cookie section of our Privacy Policy;
our Code of Conduct, which is set out in clause 8 of these Terms; and
the programme page, enrolment form and any programme-specific terms shown to you before you pay ("Programme Terms").
If Programme Terms conflict with these Terms, the Programme Terms prevail for that programme only.
2. Definitions
Learner or you: an individual who uses the Services, including a learner enrolled by a Sponsor.
Sponsor: an employer, government body, foundation or other third party that pays for or nominates a Learner.
Programme: any paid or free course, cohort, one-on-one training, workshop, masterclass or webinar we offer.
Cohort: a group of Learners who take a Programme together on a fixed schedule.
Start Date: the date of the first scheduled live session of a Programme.
Palistra Materials: all curriculum, lessons, slides, videos, recordings, templates, prompts, code samples, assessments and other content we provide.
Learner Work: projects, apps, code, designs, submissions and other output you create during a Programme.
Demo Day: any event, live or online, at which Learners present their projects.
3. Eligibility
3.1 You must be at least 18 years old to enrol. A person aged 16 or 17 may enrol only with the verifiable consent of a parent or legal guardian, who accepts these Terms on their behalf and is responsible for their participation.
3.2 You must give accurate, current and complete information when you enrol, and tell us if it changes.
3.3 Your place is personal to you. Do not share your access to live sessions or recordings with anyone else.
3.4 We may refuse an application or enrolment where a Programme is full, where you do not meet its published entry requirements, or where we reasonably believe admission would put other Learners, our staff or the Services at risk.
4. Enrolment, fees and payment
4.1 Contract formation. Your place in a paid Programme is confirmed, and a contract for that Programme is formed, when we receive payment in full, and send you a confirmation email.
4.2 Fees and currency. The fee for each Programme is shown on the programme page and at checkout in your local currency, or in another currency available for your country. Fees may change from time to time (see clause 4.6); the fee that applies to you is the one shown at checkout when you pay. Fees exclude taxes such as value added tax or sales tax, which will be added where they apply in your country. Your bank, card issuer or mobile money provider may charge exchange or transaction fees, which you bear.
4.3 Payment processors. Payments are processed by trusted third-party payment processors. We do not receive or store your card, bank or mobile money details, and we do not keep financial transaction records; the payment processor handles and keeps these under its own terms.
4.4 Sponsored places and scholarships. Where a Sponsor pays for your place or you receive a scholarship or discount, the Sponsor's agreement or the scholarship terms may override clauses 4 and 5. A Sponsor may receive your attendance, progress and completion records, as explained in our Privacy Policy.
4.5 Discount codes. Discount codes cannot be combined unless stated, have no cash value, and may be withdrawn at any time before they are used.
4.6 Price changes. We may change our prices for future enrolments. A price change does not affect a Programme you have already paid for.
5. Cancellation and refunds
5.1 Cancellation by you. If you cancel by writing to us more than seven (7) days before the Start Date of your Cohort or Programme, you will receive a full refund. If you cancel seven (7) days or less before the Start Date, or once the Programme has started, the fees are non-refundable.
5.2 Missed sessions. Live sessions run on a fixed schedule and cannot be rescheduled for individual Learners. If you miss a session, you can catch up by watching its recording. Missed sessions are not refunded.
5.3 If we cancel or change a Programme. If we cancel a Programme before its Start Date, you may choose a full refund or a transfer to another Cohort. If we change the schedule, format or facilitator in a way that materially reduces its value to you, you may choose a transfer or a pro-rata refund of the unused portion.
5.4 Removal for breach. If we remove you from a Programme for a serious or repeated breach of these Terms or the Code of Conduct, no refund is due.
5.5 How to request a refund. Email info@palistra.com with your name, the Programme, the Cohort and your payment reference. We will acknowledge your request within five (5) business days. Approved refunds are paid to the original payment method within a reasonable time, in the currency you paid. Payment processor charges that the processor does not return to us are deducted.
5.6 Your statutory rights. Nothing in this clause limits any right you have under the consumer protection laws of the country where you live that cannot be excluded by contract.
6. Programme delivery
6.1 Programmes are taught live online, either one-on-one or to a Cohort, and follow the Palistra learning cycle (Learn, Build, Test, Improve, Deploy, Demo) through live sessions, assignments, projects and mentor feedback, as described on each programme page.
6.2 We may change the schedule, content, format or facilitator of a Programme with reasonable notice, to keep it current or for reasons outside our control. We will keep the substance and value of the Programme materially the same; where we cannot, clause 5.3 applies.
6.3 You are responsible for your own equipment, internet connection, a device that can join our online meetings, and any third-party tool accounts the Programme requires. The minimum requirements are listed on each programme page.
6.4 Access to live sessions, any session recordings we share and any paid tools provided for a Programme lasts for the period you have paid for. You may download the materials used in class and keep them for your own personal use, including after your access ends. You may not resell, share or distribute them, or use them for any commercial purpose.
7. Assessment and certificates
7.1 Each Programme publishes its completion criteria, which may include attendance, submitted assignments, a working project and participation in Demo Day.
7.2 If you meet the criteria and have paid all fees, we will issue a certificate of completion. Anyone, such as an employer, may ask us to confirm that a certificate is genuine by emailing info@palistra.com. We will confirm only your name, the Programme and the completion date.
7.3 We may withhold or revoke a certificate issued in error or obtained through plagiarism, misrepresentation or another breach of these Terms. If we are asked to verify a revoked certificate, we will say that it has been revoked.
7.4 Palistra certificates confirm completion of a Palistra Programme. They are not academic degrees or professional licences unless a programme page expressly says otherwise.
8. Your conduct
8.1 You agree to follow the rules in this clause (our "Code of Conduct") and to treat other Learners, mentors and staff with respect. You must not:
harass, threaten, discriminate against or abuse anyone;
submit someone else's work as your own, or let others submit yours, except where collaboration is permitted;
share, sell, upload or redistribute Palistra Materials, recordings or access links;
record, screenshot or stream live sessions without our prior written consent;
join sessions you are not enrolled in, disrupt live sessions, or try to bypass the security of our website or meeting tools;
use the Services, or anything you build in a Programme, for unlawful, fraudulent or harmful purposes, including deceptive deepfakes, spam, malware or infringing content; or
share other people's personal data in community spaces without their permission.
8.2 We may remove content, suspend access or remove you from a Programme for a breach, in line with clause 13.
9. AI tools and third-party services
9.1 Our Programmes teach you to build with third-party AI models, coding assistants, hosting providers and other tools ("Third-Party Tools"). Your use of a Third-Party Tool is governed by that provider's own terms and privacy policy. You are responsible for creating your own accounts, paying any fees those providers charge, and complying with their terms.
9.2 We do not control Third-Party Tools and are not responsible for their availability, pricing, outputs or data practices.
9.3 AI-generated output, including code, can be inaccurate, insecure or infringe third-party rights. You are responsible for reviewing, testing and securing anything you build or deploy, and for the consequences of deploying it.
9.4 Do not enter confidential information, or other people's personal data, into Third-Party Tools during a Programme unless you are entitled to do so.
10. Intellectual property
10.1 Our materials. Hermessi LLC and its licensors own all intellectual property in the Palistra Materials and the Palistra name, logo and brand. We grant you a personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable licence to use the Palistra Materials for your own learning during your access period, and to keep downloaded materials for your personal use afterwards as set out in clause 6.4. No other rights are granted.
10.2 Your work stays yours. As between you and us, you own the Learner Work you create, subject to any rights of Third-Party Tool providers and of any third-party content you use. Templates, starter code and other Palistra Materials included in your Learner Work remain ours; you may keep using them as part of that Learner Work.
10.3 Licence to us. You grant Hermessi LLC a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to use, host, reproduce and display your Learner Work to deliver and assess the Programme. For teaching, case studies and marketing, we will use your Learner Work only in anonymised form, or with your name and identifying details if you give separate written consent.
10.4 Sponsors and employers. If a Sponsor or employer has paid for your place, any agreement between you and that Sponsor or employer decides who owns Learner Work you create for them. We are not a party to that agreement.
10.5 Feedback. If you give us suggestions about the Services, we may use them freely without paying you.
10.6 Brand use. You may say you completed a Palistra Programme and share your certificate. You may not otherwise use our name or logo, or suggest that we endorse your product or business, without our written permission.
11. Recordings, photos and Demo Day
11.1 We record live sessions so Learners can catch up on any session they miss. Recordings may capture your voice, image, name and chat messages if you take part with your camera, microphone or chat switched on. You may join with your camera off and use a display name.
11.2 We use session recordings to deliver the Programme, and to improve our teaching. We will use a recording that identifies you for marketing, or in a Programme for other Learners, only with your separate consent, which you may withdraw at any time for future use.
11.3 Demo Day presentations may be attended by guests, Sponsors and employers, and may be recorded or photographed. We will tell you in advance if a Demo Day is public and ask for your consent before publishing photos or videos in which you can be identified.
11.4 How we process recordings and images is explained in our Privacy Policy.
12. No guarantee of outcomes
12.1 Palistra provides education and training. We do not guarantee any job, internship, interview, client, promotion, income, funding or business result, or that anything you build will succeed commercially.
12.2 Testimonials and examples of past Learners' results describe individual experiences and are not a promise that you will achieve the same.
12.3 Any career support, introductions or talent-pool listings we offer are provided on a best-efforts basis and depend on your eligibility, performance and the availability of opportunities.
13. Suspension and termination
13.1 You may withdraw from a Programme at any time by emailing info@palistra.com. Refunds on withdrawal are governed by clause 5.
13.2 We may suspend or end your access, remove content or remove you from a Programme if you seriously or repeatedly breach these Terms or the Code of Conduct, fail to pay fees when due, or if we are required to by law. Where reasonable, we will warn you first and give you a chance to respond.
13.3 Clauses 5, 10, 12, 14, 15, 17 and 18, and any fees owed, survive the end of these Terms.
13.4 When your access ends, your access to live sessions, recordings and paid tools ends too. You may keep materials you downloaded for your personal use under clause 6.4. If we removed you for a breach of these Terms, you must delete any downloaded Palistra Materials within 30 days, other than your own Learner Work.
14. Disclaimers and limitation of liability
14.1 We will provide the Services with reasonable care and skill. Apart from that, and to the extent the law allows, the Services are provided "as is" and "as available", and we do not promise that our website or the online meeting tools we use will be uninterrupted or error-free.
14.2 To the extent the law allows, we are not liable for indirect or consequential loss, or for loss of profits, income, business, opportunity, goodwill or data, arising from your use of the Services or of anything you build.
14.3 Our total liability to you in connection with the Services will not exceed the total fees you paid us for the Programme giving rise to the claim during the twelve (12) months before the event giving rise to the claim.
14.4 Nothing in these Terms limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or any other liability that cannot be limited or excluded by law, including your non-excludable rights as a consumer.
15. Indemnity
You agree to compensate Hermessi LLC for reasonable losses and costs arising from a third-party claim caused by your breach of clause 8, or by your unlawful use or deployment of anything you build, except to the extent the claim is caused by us.
16. Changes to these Terms
16.1 We may update these Terms to reflect changes in our Services, our business or the law. The version in force when you pay for a Programme applies to that Programme, unless a change is required by law.
16.2 We will give at least thirty (30) days' notice of material changes by email or on palistra.ai. If you do not agree to a change, you may withdraw before it takes effect, and clause 5 applies to any refund.
17. Governing law and disputes
17.1 Governing law. These Terms, and any dispute arising from or relating to them or the Services (a "Dispute"), are governed by the laws of the State of Texas, United States, without regard to its conflict of laws rules. This does not remove any protection you have under the mandatory consumer or data protection laws of the country where you live.
17.2 Dispute notice and negotiation. A party with a Dispute must send the other a written notice describing it (a "Dispute Notice"). Learners should send theirs to info@palistra.com. The parties will then try in good faith to resolve the Dispute through negotiation for thirty (30) days.
17.3 Mediation. If the Dispute is not resolved within thirty (30) days of the Dispute Notice, either party may refer it to mediation through Arbitration Services of Dallas, Inc., Texas. Mediation may take place by video conference so that learners outside the United States can take part. The mediator's fees are shared equally.
17.4 Courts. If the Dispute is not resolved within ninety (90) days of the Dispute Notice, either party may bring proceedings in the federal courts of the United States or the state courts of Texas, in each case sitting in Dallas, Texas, and both parties submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of those courts. To the extent permitted by law, each party waives any right to a jury trial. Either party may seek urgent injunctive relief from any competent court at any time.
18. General
18.1 These Terms, with the documents listed in clause 1.5, are the entire agreement between you and us about the Services.
18.2 If any part of these Terms is found unenforceable, the rest remains in force.
18.3 If we do not enforce a right straight away, we can still enforce it later.
18.4 You may not transfer your rights under these Terms without our written consent. We may transfer ours to an affiliate or to a buyer of our business, and will tell you if we do.
18.5 We are not responsible for delays or failures caused by events outside our reasonable control, such as power or internet outages, natural disasters, public health emergencies, industrial action or government action.
18.6 We will send notices to the email address you gave us when you enrolled. You must send legal notices to info@palistra.com.
18.7 These Terms are written in English. Any translation is for convenience only.
19. Contact us
Hermessi LLC, trading as Palistra
Website: palistra.ai
Email: info@palistra.com