The Next Leap is the business trading name for Thierry Heles, a sole trader registered in the UK. This privacy policy will explain how The Next Leap uses the personal data we collect from you.
What data do we collect?
The Next Leap collects the following data:
- Personal identification information (name, email address)
- Download figures for the podcast (anonymised)
- Website visitor figures (anonymised)
- IP addresses (to prevent malicious actors from accessing our website)
How do we collect your data?
You directly provide us with much of the data we collect. We collect and process data when you:
- Contact us via email or our contact form
- Sign up for an account to read The Next Leap
- Use or view our website (we use a privacy-focused service that stores all data on our own server, Koko Analytics)
- Listen to one of our podcast episodes (download figures are anonymised, and IP addresses are only used to understand in which regions listeners are based)
We also collect data as part of our day-to-day journalism activities, including but not limited to contacting you for interviews and data requests. The data we collect as part of these activities comes from a public source (such as the email address listed on your work’s website) or from you (such as when we contact you through LinkedIn and you share your email address with us).
We also receive your data indirectly from the following sources:
- Spotify and Blubrry (anonymised podcast download figures)
- LinkedIn (we do not copy any information you share with us on LinkedIn into our systems, unless this information is subsequently also shared via email)
- Bluesky (we do not copy any information you share with us on Bluesky into our systems, unless this information is subsequently also shared via email)
If you created an account with us and you submitted information on your place of work, we have deleted this data as of January 2026. Your account is otherwise unaffected.
How will we use your data?
We collect your data so that we can:
- Respond to enquiries you contact us about.
- Provide our services to you as requested (such as when you sign up for an account to read our content).
- Email you with offers on products and services we may launch in future that we think you might like.
- Produce our content, including but not limited to news articles, podcasts, and feature articles.
- If we have obtained your email address because you signed up for an account, we may send you newsletters if and when we launch such a service. We will include an opt-out link in such communication.
How do we store your data?
Your email correspondence and account data are safely stored on servers in Germany. Files or documents you share with us are additionally stored on servers in Switzerland using end-to-end encryption.
Third parties
We may, as part of collaborative work with strategic partners, share your contact details with these partners if this is deemed necessary to conduct joint work. If and when that happens, we will identify these partners in our privacy policy, outline how these partners may use your contact details, and ensure that these partners have a GDPR policy in place.
Partners may similarly share contact details with us, in which case our privacy policy will apply to that data in the same way it protects data we have obtained directly or indirectly ourselves through other means identified in the present document.
Currently, we are sharing select contact details with only one strategic partner, UniPrisma Kft., based in Hungary, to facilitate outreach for a joint project. Contact details are stored within a European CRM.
We will never sell your data (notwithstanding an acquisition of The Next Leap). We will never pay a contacts database to obtain an email address for you that would otherwise be private.
Marketing
We do not send marketing emails at this moment in time. If this changes in future, and we hold your email address in our system because you have communicated with us previously, or signed up for a free account, we may send you one (1) email which will include an opt-out option.
If you opt out, we will not contact you about marketing again. You may choose to opt in at any future point.
If you agree to receive marketing emails, you may always opt out at a later date.
What are your data protection rights?
We would like to make sure you are fully aware of all your data protection rights. Every user is entitled to the following:
- The right to access: You have the right to request copies of your personal data. We may charge you a small processing fee for this service.
- The right to rectification: You have the right to request that we correct any information you believe is inaccurate. You also have the right to request to complete the information you believe is incomplete.
- The right to erasure: You have the right to request that we erase your personal data. We may be bound by law to keep records of certain data.
- The right to restrict processing: You have the right to request that we restrict the processing of your personal data, under certain conditions.
- The right to object to processing: You have the right to object to us processing your personal data, under certain conditions.
- The right to data portability: You have the right to request that we transfer the data that we have collected to another organisation, or directly to you, under certain conditions.
If you make a request, we have one month to respond to you. If you would like to exercise any of these rights, please contact us.
We do not aim any of our services at children, nor do we knowingly collect any data on underage users. If we become aware of any such data held by us, we will delete it promptly. If you suspect your child has inadvertently given any data to us, please inform us immediately, and we will delete any relevant data.
You can use our contact form or email gdpr (at) thenextleap (dot) is.
Cookies
Cookies are text files placed on your computer to collect standard internet log information and visitor behaviour information. When you visit our websites, we may collect information from you automatically through cookies or similar technology.
You can read our cookie policy here.
How do we use cookies?
We use cookies in a range of ways to improve your experience on our website, including but not limited to:
- Understanding how you use our website
- Keeping you logged in, if you have signed up for an account
What types of cookies do we use?
There are different types of cookies our website uses:
- Functionality: We use these cookies so that we recognise you on our website and remember your previously selected preferences. We use a mix of first and third-party cookies.
- Security: We use a third-party service, iThemes Security, to protect our website from malicious actors.
- Advertising: Free accounts are subsidised through Google Ads. When you first visit our website, a pop-up will ask for your consent to display personalised ads. You are free to withhold consent, in which case general ads will be displayed. Your choice will be saved in a cookie.
How to manage cookies
You can set your browser not to accept cookies. However, in some cases, website features may not function as a result, including creating and logging in to an account.
Privacy policies of other websites
Our articles routinely contain links to other websites. Our privacy policy applies only to our website, so if you click on a link to another website, you should read their privacy policy.
Changes to our privacy policy
The Next Leap keeps its privacy policy under regular review and places any updates on this web page.
This privacy policy was last updated on 10 March 2026.
How to contact us
If you have any questions about our privacy policy, the data we hold on you, or if you would like to exercise one of your data protection rights, please do not hesitate to contact us.
You can use our contact form or email gdpr (at) thenextleap (dot) is.
If you need to contact us via post, you may send your correspondence to the address below. Please note that there will be a delay in our responding to any postal mail, so we recommend always using our contact form or email address listed above.
How to contact the appropriate authority
Should you wish to file a complaint or if you feel that we have not addressed your concern satisfactorily, you may contact the Information Commissioner’s Office.