Mentor Agreement

Effective date: June 28, 2026

Note: This is a draft agreement. It must be reviewed by qualified legal counsel before public launch.

This Mentor Agreement ("Agreement") governs your participation as a mentor on the Velynk platform ("Platform"), operated by [Velynk Legal Entity Name] ("Company", "we", "us"). By accepting this Agreement, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by its terms.

1. Independent Contractor Relationship

You are an independent contractor, not an employee, worker, agent, or partner of the Company. Nothing in this Agreement creates an employment, joint venture, or agency relationship between you and the Company.

You are solely responsible for:

Determining when, where, and how you provide mentorship services
Setting your own schedule and session availability
Providing your own equipment and internet access
Complying with all applicable laws and regulations in your jurisdiction

The Company does not:

Control the methods, content, or manner of your mentorship
Provide benefits, insurance, workers' compensation, or retirement plans
Withhold taxes from your earnings (except where legally required, such as TDS in India)

2. Services

As a mentor, you provide voluntary, one-on-one mentorship sessions to students through the Platform. Sessions may include career advice, academic guidance, industry insights, interview preparation, and other professional development topics.

You acknowledge that your advice represents your personal experience and opinions, not professional, legal, medical, or financial advice.

3. Compensation and Platform Commission

Session pricing: You set your own hourly rate through the Platform. If you do not set a rate, the Platform's default rate for your payout currency applies. You may also offer free sessions by setting your rate to zero.
Platform commission: The Company retains [X]% of the gross session revenue as a platform fee for providing technology, payment processing, student matching, and support services.
Net earnings: Your earnings for each session equal the gross session revenue minus the platform commission and any applicable refunds.

4. Payment Terms

Payout schedule: Earnings are aggregated and paid bi-weekly (1st–14th and 15th–end of month).
Payout methods:
- India-based mentors: Payouts via RazorpayX (NEFT, IMPS, or UPI) in Indian Rupees (INR). TDS will be deducted as required by law.
- US-based mentors: Payouts via Wise Business in US Dollars (USD). You will receive a payout claim link at your registered email.
Currency: Your payout currency is determined by your country of tax residence as set in your profile ("US" → USD, "IN" → INR).
Minimum payout: The Company may set a minimum payout threshold to avoid excessive transaction fees. Any balance below the threshold carries forward to the next payout period.

5. Tax Obligations

You are solely responsible for understanding and complying with all tax obligations arising from your earnings on the Platform.

United States

You will receive IRS Form 1099-NEC if your annual earnings exceed $600.
You are required to provide a completed W-9 form before your first payout.
You are responsible for paying all federal, state, and local income taxes, self-employment taxes, and any other applicable taxes.
The Company does not withhold federal or state income taxes from your payments.

India

The Company is required to deduct Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) at 10% under Section 194J of the Income Tax Act, 1961, on fees for professional services exceeding INR 30,000 in a financial year (April–March).
If you do not provide a valid PAN, TDS will be deducted at 20% per Section 206AA.
You must provide your PAN (Permanent Account Number) through the Platform before receiving your first payout.
You are responsible for filing your own income tax returns and claiming TDS credit using Form 16A issued by the Company.
If your aggregate annual revenue from all sources exceeds INR 20,00,000 (twenty lakhs), you may be required to register for GST. The Company is not responsible for your GST compliance.

6. Session Pricing and Rate Setting

You may set a custom hourly rate at any time through your profile settings.
Rates are denominated in your payout currency (USD or INR).
You may set your rate to zero to offer free sessions.
The Platform may display converted prices to students in other currencies for informational purposes; the actual charge is always in your payout currency.
Rate changes apply to future bookings only; confirmed bookings retain the rate at the time of booking.

7. Cancellations and Refunds

If a student cancels a booking according to the Platform's cancellation policy, or if you cancel a booking, the session is not counted toward your earnings.
If a payment is refunded after capture, the refunded amount will be deducted from your earnings in the next payout period.
The Company reserves the right to issue refunds at its discretion for service quality issues, disputes, or policy violations.

8. Conduct and Content Standards

You agree to:

Treat all students with respect and professionalism
Provide accurate information about your background and experience
Not engage in discriminatory, harassing, or inappropriate behavior
Not solicit students for services or payments outside the Platform
Comply with the Platform's Community Guidelines and Terms of Service

Violation of these standards may result in suspension or termination of your account.

9. Intellectual Property

You retain ownership of your personal advice, insights, and original content shared during sessions.
You grant the Company a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use session metadata (topics, duration, ratings, anonymized feedback) for Platform improvement, analytics, and marketing.
You grant students a personal, non-transferable license to use the advice and information you provide for their own professional development.

10. Confidentiality

You must treat all student personal information as confidential and use it only for the purpose of providing mentorship through the Platform.
You must not disclose, share, or use student data for any purpose outside the Platform.
The Company treats your personal and financial information (PAN, bank details, earnings) as confidential and processes it in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

11. Term and Termination

This Agreement is effective upon your acceptance and continues until terminated.
Either party may terminate this Agreement at any time with 7 days' written notice (email sufficient).
The Company may immediately terminate your account for cause, including but not limited to: violation of conduct standards, fraudulent activity, legal requirement, or material breach of this Agreement.
Upon termination, the Company will pay any earned but unpaid amounts within 30 days, minus any applicable deductions (refunds, TDS, commission).

12. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, the Company's total liability to you under this Agreement is limited to the net earnings paid to you in the 12 months preceding the claim. The Company is not liable for indirect, incidental, consequential, or punitive damages.

13. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Company from any claims, damages, or expenses arising from: (a) your breach of this Agreement, (b) your mentorship content or advice, (c) your violation of any law or regulation, or (d) any dispute between you and a student.

14. Dispute Resolution

Any dispute arising from this Agreement shall first be attempted to be resolved through good-faith negotiation.
If negotiation fails, disputes shall be resolved through binding arbitration under [applicable arbitration rules] in [jurisdiction].
Governing law: This Agreement is governed by the laws of [jurisdiction], without regard to conflict of law principles.

15. Miscellaneous

Entire agreement: This Agreement, together with the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, constitutes the entire agreement between you and the Company regarding your participation as a mentor.
Amendments: The Company may update this Agreement with reasonable notice. Continued use of the Platform after the effective date of changes constitutes acceptance. If you do not agree with updates, you may terminate this Agreement.
Severability: If any provision is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in effect.
Waiver: Failure to enforce any provision does not constitute a waiver of that provision.
Assignment: You may not assign this Agreement. The Company may assign it in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets.

By clicking "I Accept" or continuing to use the Platform as a mentor after the effective date, you agree to be bound by this Mentor Agreement.