Sign in

You're signed outSign in or to get full access.

Carly Luogameno

Director at DATS
Board

About Carly Luogameno

Independent director of DatChat, Inc. since August 2021; age 36; background in digital marketing, ecommerce, SEO and paid media; BA in Arts, Entertainment & Media Management from Columbia College Chicago . Board service began in August 2021; no family relationships with executives; no legal proceedings disclosed under Item 401(f) in past ten years .

Past Roles

OrganizationRoleTenureCommittees/Impact
ShmeeLiveDigital ConsultantSince May 2011Digital marketing, content strategy, SEO and paid media focus
Lust For Life, LLC (subsidiary of Renewable Energy & Power, Inc. - OTCQB: RBNW)Digital DirectorMay 2018–June 2020Led digital initiatives
Jerrick Media (OTC: JMDA; now Creatd, OTC: VOCL)Marketing DirectorAug 2013–Sep 2015Inbound marketing, content engagement

External Roles

OrganizationTypeRoleNotes
None disclosedNo current or prior public company directorships for Carly were disclosed

Board Governance

  • Independence: The Board determined Carly Luogameno is independent under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5605(a)(2) .
  • Committees: Member—Audit, Compensation, and Nominating & Corporate Governance; all chaired by Wayne Linsley .
  • Attendance: In FY2024 the Board met 3 times; Audit 4, Compensation 1, Nominating 1; no director attended fewer than 75% of meetings on which they served . In FY2023 the Board met 3 times; Audit 5, Compensation 1, Nominating 1; no director <75% .
  • Leadership structure: Combined Chair/CEO roles; Board sees no need for a Lead Independent Director given company size .
  • Executive sessions: Independent directors meet separately without management on a regular basis .
  • Anti-hedging: No policy prohibiting hedging transactions for employees, officers or directors (alignment risk) .
  • Section 16 compliance: FY2023 noted failures to report a Form 4 for several insiders including Carly; FY2024 disclosures indicate compliance .

Fixed Compensation (Non-Employee Director)

MetricFY 2023FY 2024
Annual cash retainer ($)$36,000 $36,000
Committee/meeting fees ($)Not disclosed (none shown) Not disclosed (none shown)
Stock awards ($)$0 $0
Option awards ($)$13,322 (2,500 options granted Feb 2023) $0
Total ($)$49,322 $36,000

Performance Compensation (Plan Design Features; no director-specific metrics disclosed)

FeaturePlan/ProvisionNotes
Equity vehiclesOptions, SARs, Restricted Stock, RSUs, other stock-based awards RS/RSUs may include performance goals; awards can be cash- or share-settled
Option terms≥100% FMV strike; max 10-year term; ISO rules Exercise methods include cash/cashless/share tender
Change-in-controlDiscretionary acceleration of vesting and lapse of restrictions; potential option/SAR expiration at transaction close
ClawbackRestatement-based recoupment for Section 16 and Exchange Act 10D-1(d) officers over prior 3 fiscal years
Tax withholdingUp to maximum statutory rates; share withholding permitted

No performance-based compensation or targets were disclosed for non-employee director grants in FY2023–FY2024; grants to directors consisted of fixed cash retainers and, in FY2023, a small option grant .

Other Directorships & Interlocks

PersonOther public boardsCommittees/RolesPotential interlocks
Carly LuogamenoNone disclosed None disclosed

Expertise & Qualifications

  • Digital marketing and ecommerce expertise with specialization in inbound content, SEO, and paid media, with startup sector exposure across technology, healthcare, and fashion .
  • Education: BA in Arts, Entertainment & Media Management, Columbia College Chicago .
  • Board role: Independent director since August 2021; no family relationships; no 401(f) legal proceedings disclosure issues .

Equity Ownership (Skin-in-the-Game)

MetricAs of Oct 18, 2024 (Record Date)As of Jun 12, 2025 (Record Date)
Beneficial ownership (shares)7,500 10,000
Ownership as % of outstanding<1% <1%
Vested options included in beneficial ownership7,500 10,000
Unvested equityNot disclosed Not disclosed
Pledged sharesNot disclosed; no pledging indicated

Beneficial ownership percentages are based on 3,076,274 shares outstanding (2024 record date) and 5,026,274 shares outstanding (2025 record date) .

Governance Assessment

  • Strengths

    • Independent status with full committee participation (Audit, Compensation, Nominating & Corporate Governance), supporting oversight breadth .
    • Board and committee attendance ≥75% with regular independent executive sessions, indicating engagement .
    • Audit committee chaired by an “financial expert” (Linsley), with Carly as a member; committee meets Nasdaq independence and financial literacy standards .
  • Concerns and RED FLAGS

    • No anti-hedging policy for directors—potential misalignment with long-term shareholder interests (RED FLAG) .
    • Combined CEO/Chair; Board asserts no need for Lead Independent Director—elevated governance risk in a small-cap context (RED FLAG) .
    • FY2023 Section 16 filing delinquency for Carly and others—process weakness; though FY2024 shows compliance (RED FLAG; improved subsequently) .
    • Low director ownership (<1%)—limited “skin-in-the-game” for independent directors (signal of alignment risk) .
    • Ongoing equity plan share increases (from 300k→600k in Dec 2024; seeking 1,000k in 2025) raise dilution sensitivity; total reserved equals ~17% of fully diluted shares as of 2025 record date (monitor burn and grant practices) .
  • Related Party Transactions

    • No related-party transactions disclosed involving Carly; 2024–2025 related party activity involved CEO/CTO via VR Interactive LLC acquiring a 25% non-controlling interest in RPM Interactive (monitor governance controls, but no direct Carly exposure) .
  • Compensation Structure

    • Non-employee director pay is predominantly fixed cash retainer with modest historical options (FY2023 only); no performance-based director pay disclosed—neutral for independence, weaker for pay-for-performance signaling .

Overall: Carly’s independence and broad committee participation support board effectiveness. Key governance watchpoints include the absence of anti-hedging, combined Chair/CEO without a lead independent role, historically low director ownership, and prior Section 16 reporting lapses. Continued monitoring of equity plan dilution and any evolution of director ownership or hedging policies is warranted .