Travis Mason
About Travis Mason
Travis Mason (age 41) is an Independent Director of Destiny Tech100 Inc. (DXYZ), serving as a Class I director since April 2022 with a term expiring at the 2026 annual meeting . He is determined independent under NYSE, Exchange Act, and 1940 Act standards and serves on the Audit, Compensation, and Nominating & Corporate Governance Committees, chairing the Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee; his attendance in 2024 was 100% with the Board meeting 8 times . Mason’s background centers on public policy and regulatory strategy for emerging technologies across global jurisdictions; he holds a Bachelor’s from Syracuse University (Truman Scholar), a Master’s from the University of Michigan, and pursued studies at Princeton and Harvard as a Galbraith Scholar .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merlin Labs | Chief Policy and Regulatory Officer | 2022–2025 | Led policy strategy for autonomous aviation technologies |
| 776 Fund Management | Operating Partner | 2021–2022 | VC operating role; supported founders navigating policy barriers |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Fellow | 2020–2021 | Research/policy focus on future technologies |
| Airbus SE | Vice President, Certification and Regulation | 2017–2020 | Led global policy for autonomous air taxis, unmanned aircraft, urban air mobility |
| Alphabet (Google/Google X) | Policy/Engineering roles | Prior to 2017 (years not specified) | Advanced projects (drone delivery, autonomous vehicles) to market |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Policy, Syracuse University | Director (Board of Directors) | 2018–present | Governance/advisory; academic institution board service |
| Omnitron Sensors | Director | 2024–present | Company director; technology/sensors focus |
| Akute Networks, Inc. | Advisor | 2025–present | Non-profit advisor role |
| KinectAir | Director | Not dated (current per narrative) | Aviation/tech board service |
| BluPrint Collective | Director | Not dated (current per narrative) | Board service |
| Other public company boards | None | — | Company discloses no other directorships for Mason |
Board Governance
- Independence and Board structure: The Board has a majority of Independent Directors; Mason is independent. The Board is classified into three classes, promoting continuity via staggered terms .
- Attendance: Board met 8 times in 2024; all incumbent directors attended all Board and committee meetings (100% attendance for Mason) .
- Leadership: Chairman is Sohail Prasad (an “interested director” given control of the Adviser); no Lead Independent Director—Audit Chair acts as liaison with management .
- Committee assignments: Mason is a current member of Audit and Compensation and chairs Nominating & Corporate Governance; following the 2025 Annual Meeting he remains on Audit and Compensation, continues to chair Nominating & Corporate Governance .
| Committee | Mason’s Role (2024) | Mason’s Role (post-2025 AGM) |
|---|---|---|
| Audit Committee | Member | Member |
| Compensation Committee | Member | Member |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee | Chair | Chair |
| Meeting Metric | 2024 Value |
|---|---|
| Board meetings held | 8 |
| Mason’s attendance | 100% (all Board and committee meetings) |
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount/Policy | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Annual independent director fee | $100,000 (cash retainer) | Policy current as of Proxy date |
| Aggregate compensation from fund (Mason) | $100,000 | FY 2024 |
| Pension/retirement benefits | None (no pension plan for directors) | FY 2024 |
| Equity grants/options | None (no stock or option plan for directors) | FY 2024 |
| Meeting/chair fees | Directors are entitled to fees for Board/committee participation and annual chair fees (amounts not itemized) | Policy current |
Performance Compensation
| Metric/Instrument | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Performance-based cash (bonuses) | Not disclosed/none for directors | Company notes no non-equity incentive plan for directors |
| Equity-based awards (RSUs/PSUs/options) | None for directors | Company states no stock or option plan for directors |
| Clawbacks tied to director pay | Not disclosed for directors | Code of ethics and insider trading policy apply |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Current public company boards (Mason) | None disclosed |
| Potential interlocks with competitors/suppliers/customers | Not disclosed in proxy |
| Private/academic/non-profit boards | Maxwell School (board); KinectAir; BluPrint Collective; Omnitron Sensors; Akute Networks (advisor) |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Regulatory and certification leadership: Airbus VP Certification & Regulation; led global policy on autonomous aviation platforms .
- Emerging technology commercialization: Work at Google/Google X advancing drone delivery and autonomous vehicles .
- Policy advisory and governance: Fellow at MIT; multiple board/advisory roles across tech and academic institutions .
- Education/recognition: BA (Syracuse, Truman Scholar), Master’s (Michigan), studies at Princeton and Harvard (Galbraith Scholar) .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Outstanding | Dollar Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Travis Mason | 0 | 0.0% (0 of 14,427,988; calculated from ) | None |
- Ownership guidelines: Not disclosed for directors; however, hedging, short-selling, and pledging of Company securities are prohibited for directors and officers .
- Pledged/hedged shares: Not applicable given prohibitions; no pledging permitted under policy .
Governance Assessment
-
Strengths
- Clear independence, multi-committee engagement, and chairing of Nominating & Corporate Governance supports board process and refreshment .
- 100% attendance in 2024, with robust meeting cadence (8 Board meetings) indicates engagement .
- Deep regulatory and certification background in aviation/autonomy and experience advancing frontier tech through policy constraints strengthens risk oversight in complex sectors .
-
Risks/RED FLAGS
- Chairman is an “interested director” and the Board has no Lead Independent Director, which may reduce perceived independent oversight balance .
- Mason held no DXYZ shares at the October 13, 2025 record date (“None” dollar range), which may signal limited ownership alignment versus many director-ownership norms .
- Classified Board structure can entrench directors and slow shareholder-driven change, a factor some investors view negatively despite continuity benefits .
-
Additional Notes
- Audit Committee leadership transitioning to an independent financial expert (Jacobson) post-AGM while Mason remains a member supports financial reporting oversight .
- Insider trading policy restricts hedging/pledging/short-selling by directors and officers, which aligns with investor expectations for long-term alignment .
Overall: Mason’s independence, committee leadership (Nominating & Corporate Governance), and perfect attendance bolster governance effectiveness; the lack of a Lead Independent Director and zero-share ownership at the record date are notable investor-confidence considerations .