SEC Form DEF 14A filed by Skillz Inc.

 

 

October 21, 2024

Dear Fellow Stockholder:

You are cordially invited to attend the 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”) of Skillz Inc. (the “Company,” “Skillz,” “we,” “our” or “us”) to be held through a virtual web conference at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/SKLZ2024 on December 9, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. You will be able to attend the Annual Meeting online, vote your shares electronically, and submit questions during the meeting by logging in to the website listed above using your 16-digit control number, which can be found in your Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials, on your proxy card, or on any additional voting instructions accompanying these proxy materials. We recommend that you log in a few minutes before the meeting to ensure you are admitted when the meeting starts.

We have included with this letter, a proxy statement that provides you with detailed information about the Annual Meeting. We encourage you to read the entire proxy statement carefully. You may also obtain more information about Skillz from documents we have filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).

We are delivering our proxy statement pursuant to the SEC rules that allow companies to furnish proxy materials to their stockholders over the Internet. We believe that this delivery method expedites stockholders’ receipt of proxy materials and lowers the cost and environmental impact of our Annual Meeting. On or about October 21, 2024, we will mail to our stockholders a notice containing instructions on how to access our proxy materials. In addition, the notice includes instructions on how you can receive a paper copy of our proxy materials.

You are being asked at the Annual Meeting to vote on the following matters:

We encourage you to vote your shares prior to the Annual Meeting. You may vote your shares through one of the methods described in the enclosed proxy statement. We strongly urge you to read the accompanying proxy statement carefully and to vote FOR the nominees proposed by the Board of Directors and FOR the other proposals by following the voting instructions contained in the proxy statement.

Sincerely,

 

Andrew Paradise

This proxy statement is dated October 21, 2024 and is first being made available to stockholders on October 21, 2024.

 

6625 Badura Ave

Las Vegas, Nevada 89118

Our Board has fixed the close of business on October 7, 2024, as the record date (the “Record Date”) for determining holders of our Common Stock entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Annual Meeting or any adjournments or postponements thereof. To participate in the Annual Meeting, you will need your 16-digit control number, which can be found in your Notice of Internet Availability of the Proxy Materials (the “Notice”), on your proxy card, or on any additional voting instructions accompanying these proxy materials.

By Order of the Board,

Nikul Patel

Upon the recommendation of our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee (the “Nominating Committee”), the Board has nominated the seven individuals listed below to stand for election to the Board for a one-year term ending at the annual meeting of stockholders in 2025 or until their successors, if any, are elected or appointed. Our Fourth Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (the “Charter”) and our Amended and Restated Bylaws (“Bylaws”) provide for the annual election of directors. Each director nominee must receive the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast to be elected (i.e., the number of shares voted “for” a director nominee must exceed the number of votes cast “against” that nominee). Unless contrary instructions are given, the shares represented by your proxy will be voted FOR the election of all director nominees.

Our Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, Mr. Paradise, beneficially owns 100% of the Company’s Class B Common Stock and controls a majority of the voting power of all outstanding capital stock. As a result, Mr. Paradise has the power to elect each of the nominees named in this proxy statement.

All of the director nominees listed below have consented to being named in this proxy statement and to serve if elected. However, if any nominee becomes unable to serve, proxy holders will have discretion and authority to vote for another nominee proposed by the Board. Alternatively, the Board may reduce the number of directors to be elected at the Annual Meeting.

Biographical information relating to each of the director nominees is set forth below under “Directors and Management” and incorporated by reference herein.

THE BOARD UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS A VOTE “FOR” THE ELECTION OF EACH OF THE DIRECTOR NOMINEES NAMED IN THIS PROXY STATEMENT.

The names of our directors, certain biographical information about our directors, and the experiences, qualifications, attributes or skills that the Nominating Committee considered when recommending the directors for nomination, are set forth below. Ages are as of October 21, 2024.

Mr. Paradise is the Chief Executive Officer, Chairman of the Board and founder of Skillz (NYSE: SKLZ). Since its founding in 2012, Mr. Paradise has grown Skillz into a leading mobile games platform for fair, fun, and meaningful competition, backed by leading venture capitalists, media companies, and professional sports leagues and franchises. Mr. Paradise is a thought leader, inventor, and serial entrepreneur with a successful track record. Prior to Skillz, Mr. Paradise founded AisleBuyer, which was best known for pioneering mobile self-checkout prior to its sale to Intuit (NASDAQ: INTU) in 2012. Mr. Paradise has been the founding inventor behind companies in different technology sectors ranging from eCommerce to image recognition to HR technology. He is a regular contributor to Forbes and has been featured in outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, BBC, Bloomberg, Fast Company, CNBC and was named to the San Francisco Business Times’ 40 Under 40 Class of 2018. Mr. Paradise’s industry experience, leadership abilities and strategic insight make him a valued member of the Board.

Mr. Chafkin is a Director and co-founder of Skillz. Since its founding in 2012 until September 2024, Mr. Chafkin served as the Chief Strategy Officer of Skillz where he was responsible for growing Skillz into the leading mobile games platform for fair, fun and meaningful competition, backed by leading venture capitalists, media companies, and professional sports leagues and franchises. Prior to Skillz, Mr. Chafkin was the VP of Business Development for AisleBuyer (now Intuit GoPayment) (NASDAQ: INTU) from 2010 to 2012. He is an expert in mobile payments and performance marketing. Mr. Chafkin received his B.S. in economics from Duke University and his MBA from Harvard Business School. As a leader, entrepreneur, and co-founder, Mr. Chafkin has been featured in outlets such as CNBC, VentureBeat, and Silicon Valley Business Journal. Mr. Chafkin’s leadership and business experience, along with his experience in the industry make him a valued member of the Board.

Mr. Hoffman has served on the Board since August 2022. Mr. Hoffman is a Partner at SL Advisors and Portfolio Manager of the SL Advisors MLP & Infrastructure SMA strategies. Mr. Hoffman is also Co-Portfolio Manager of the Catalyst Energy Infrastructure Fund and Co-Portfolio Manager for the Rational Inflation Growth Fund. Mr. Hoffman is co-creator of the American Energy Indices, with a deep passion for the energy infrastructure space. Mr. Hoffman has been with SL Advisors since 2010. Before joining SL Advisors, Mr. Hoffman worked as a buy-side equity analyst for PNC Capital Advisors and a private equity real estate analyst for PNC Realty Investors. Mr. Hoffman graduated from Duke University with a Bachelor of Science in economics and a minor in chemistry. Mr. Hoffman's extensive experience in the financial services industry makes him a valued member of the Board.

Mr. Cabot has served on the Board since October 2024. Anthony Cabot held the position of Distinguished Fellow of Gaming Law at the UNLV Boyd School of Law until May 2023, overseeing the esteemed gaming law program. For over two decades, he shared his expertise not only with students but also with legislators and regulators worldwide. Prior to transitioning to academia full-time in March 2018, Professor Cabot spent 37 years practicing gaming law. Notably, he chaired the gaming law practice and served on the executive committee at Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie LLP. Since the outset of his career in 1981, Professor Cabot has been instrumental in shaping significant gaming legislation both domestically in Nevada and on the international stage. Known for his prolific writing, he has authored or edited thirteen books on gaming-related topics, including “Sports Wagering in America: Policies, Economics, and Regulation” (2018), “Regulating Land-based Casinos” (2nd ed. 2018), “The Law of Gambling and Regulated Gaming: Cases and Materials” (3rd ed. 2021), “Regulating Internet Gaming: Challenges and Opportunities” (2013), and “Practical Casino Math” (2nd ed. 2005). Additionally, he is a founding member and former president of the International Masters of Gaming Law.

Mr. Mandel has served on the Board since January of 2023 and is an independent financial consultant. He served as Chief Financial Officer of the Influential Network Inc., a privately-held influencer marketing company, from January 2022 through September 2023, and as Interim Chief Financial Officer through December 2023. From January 2019 through December 2021, he served as Chief Financial Officer of Fluent, Inc. (NASDAQ: FLNT) and as an independent financial consultant to the company from July 2018 through December 2018. From February 2016 to June 2018, Mr. Mandel served as the Chief Financial Officer of IAC Applications, a division of IAC/InterActiveCorp (NASDAQ: IAC). From 2010 to 2015, Mr. Mandel was employed by LendingTree, Inc. (NASDAQ: TREE), including as its Chief Financial Officer from 2012 to 2015. He was a Managing Director at Centerview Partners LLC, an investment banking advisory firm in New York City, from 2008 to 2010. Prior to that, Mr. Mandel held various positions at investment banking firm Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc. from 1996 to 2008, including Managing Director beginning in 2003. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Tufts University and his Masters of Business Administration from Columbia Business School. Mr. Mandel's decades of financial experience, coupled with his deep understanding of user acquisition, makes him a valued member of the Board.

Mr. Wakeford has been an independent director of Skillz since 2020 and has more than 20 years of experience in the technology, digital media, ad tech, gaming and esports industries. Mr. Wakeford has co-founded multiple companies, including Gen.G Esports (“Gen.G”), tvScientific, Colossal Inc. (“Colossal”), Integral Ad Science, and Rally Networks. Mr. Wakeford currently serves as Co-Chief Executive officer of Form Bio since 2022 and as a director of tvScientific since 2017. Mr. Wakeford previously served as Chief Operating Officer of Colossal from March 2021 to September 2022 and in various roles at Gen.G, including President, Chief Operating Officer and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, from June 2017 to October 2022. He has extensive experience in the game industry having served as Chief Operating Officer of Kabam from 2014 to 2017, where he helped grow Kabam to a globally diverse game company with over 1,000 employees in seven countries. Kabam games were played by over 500 million people around the world and generated over a billion dollars in revenue. Mr. Wakeford helped lead the sale of Kabam to Netmarble Games for $800 million. Mr. Wakeford is a co-inventor on over 80 issued patents in the game industry and a prolific industry spokesperson featured in Bloomberg, CNBC, The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, and ESPN. Mr. Wakeford received an undergraduate degree from the University of California, Los Angeles and a Juris Doctor from the University of Southern California. Mr. Wakeford’s leadership experience and industry experience make him a valued member of the Board.

Our business and affairs are managed under the direction of our Board. Our directors have been elected to serve a term ending at the Annual Meeting. Pursuant to our Charter, the number of our directors will generally be determined from time to time by resolution of the Board and currently may not exceed nine members unless approved in accordance with the Charter. Our Board currently consists of six persons and all six are standing for reelection.

The Nominating Committee is responsible for identifying individuals that are qualified to become members of the Board and ensuring that the Board has the requisite expertise and that its membership consists of persons with sufficiently diverse and independent backgrounds. Pursuant to our Corporate Governance Guidelines, the Nominating Committee may take into account many factors and seek individuals with backgrounds and qualities that, when combined with those of the Company’s incumbent directors, provide a blend of skills and experience to further enhance the effectiveness of the Board. Consideration will be given to individual qualifications, including, but not limited to: relevant career experience; strength of character; judgment; familiarity with the Company’s business and industry; independence of thought; ability to work collegially; diversity of background and perspective, for example, with respect to age, gender, race, ethnicity, place of residence, specialized experience and global perspective; and all other factors deemed appropriate. Such other factors may include, but are not limited to: existing commitments to other businesses; potential conflicts of interest with other pursuits; legal considerations; corporate governance background; financial and accounting background; executive compensation background; relevant industry experience and technical skills; and the size, composition and combined expertise of the existing Board.

The standing committees of the Board consist of an Audit Committee, a Compensation Committee and a Nominating Committee. The Board may from time to time establish other committees.

Skillz’s Chief Executive Officer and other executive officers regularly report to the non-executive directors and the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee and the Nominating Committee to ensure effective and efficient oversight of our activities and to assist in proper risk management and the ongoing evaluation of management controls. The charters of the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee and the Nominating Committee are available on our website at https://investors.skillz.com/governance/governance-documents. The information on, or otherwise accessible through, our website does not constitute a part of this proxy statement.

Our Audit Committee consists of Messrs. Mandel (Chair), Hoffman and Wakeford. Each member of the Audit Committee qualifies as an independent director under the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) corporate governance standards applicable to audit committee members and the independence requirements of Rule 10A-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) and all such members are financially literate. Mr. Mandel qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” as such term is defined in Item 407(d)(5) of Regulation S-K and possesses financial sophistication, as defined under the rules of the NYSE. The primary purpose of the Audit Committee is to assist the Board in overseeing and monitoring (1) the quality and integrity of the financial statements, (2) compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, (3) Skillz’s independent registered public accounting firm’s qualifications, independence and performance, (4) the performance of Skillz’s internal audit function, and (5) to prepare the audit committee report required by the SEC to be included in Skillz’s proxy statement.

The Compensation Committee consists of Messrs. Wakeford (Chair) and Hoffman each of whom qualifies as (i) an “independent director” under the NYSE Listing Rules (ii) an “outside director” under Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”) and (iii) “non-employee directors” as defined pursuant to Rule 16b-3 of the Exchange Act. The purpose of the Compensation Committee is to assist the Board in discharging its responsibilities relating to (1) setting Skillz’s compensation program and compensation of its executive officers and directors, (2) monitoring Skillz’s incentive and equity-based compensation plans and (3) preparing the compensation committee report required to be included in Skillz’s proxy statement under the rules and regulations of the SEC.

The Compensation Committee also has the authority, in its sole discretion, to select and retain any compensation consultant to be used by the Company to assist with the execution of the Compensation Committee’s duties and responsibilities, or to engage independent counsel or other advisors as it deems necessary or appropriate to carry out its duties. In 2024, the Compensation Committee continued its engagement with Pearl Meyer & Partners, LLC (“Pearl Meyer”), a national compensation consulting firm, as an independent compensation consultant to assist with advice on executive compensation, director compensation, and incentive plan design.

The Nominating Committee consists of Messrs. Paradise (Chair), Chafkin and Cabot. Mr. Cabot is a non-employee director and is independent as defined in the listing standards of the NYSE. Mr. Paradise is an employee director and neither Messrs. Paradise nor Chafkin is independent. The Company is availing itself of the “controlled company” exception with respect to the requirement that the Nominating Committee be composed of entirely independent directors. See “Corporate Governance—Controlled Company Exemption” for more information. The primary purpose of the Nominating Committee is to assist the Board in discharging its responsibilities relating to (1) identifying individuals qualified to become new Board members, consistent with criteria approved by the Board, (2) reviewing the qualifications of incumbent directors to determine whether to recommend them for reelection and selecting, or recommending that the Board select, the director nominees for the next annual meeting of stockholders, (3) identifying Board members qualified to fill vacancies on any Board committee and recommending that the Board appoint the identified member or members to the applicable committee, (4) reviewing and recommending to the Board corporate governance principles applicable to Skillz and (5) overseeing the evaluation of the Board and management.

In 2022, in light of the discovery of material weaknesses in change management procedures and controls, the Board formed a special task force comprised solely of independent directors (the “Special Task Force”). The Special Task Force was charged with monitoring the remediation efforts of the material weaknesses. The task force continued its work throughout 2023. In 2023, the Special Task Force consisted of Mr. Wakeford and Mr. Mandel.

At Skillz, we are strong believers in continuous improvement. To that end, our Board utilizes a comprehensive, multi-part process for its ongoing self-evaluation to ensure that the Board is operating effectively and that its processes reflect best practices. Our Board believes that this process supports continuous improvement and provides opportunities to strengthen Board and committee effectiveness. Each year, the Company’s Nominating Committee oversees the evaluation process to ensure that the full Board and each committee conduct an assessment of their performance and solicit feedback for enhancement and improvement. The Board conducts an annual self-evaluation to review the effectiveness of the Board and its committees, led by our independent directors. In this comprehensive review, the self-evaluation focuses on:

Each committee also performs a self-evaluation on an annual basis, which is held in executive session for the Audit and Compensation Committees and led by the committees’ respective chairs. The chairs of the Audit and Compensation Committee share insights from their self-evaluations with the full Board and management. Self-evaluation items requiring follow-up and execution are monitored on an ongoing basis by the Board, each of the committees, and by management. While this formal self-evaluation is conducted on an annual basis, the evaluation process is an ongoing process throughout the year, with the Chairman consistently soliciting feedback from independent directors on the functioning of the Board.

Our Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, Mr. Paradise, beneficially owns 100% of the Company’s Class B Common Stock and controls a majority of the voting power of all outstanding capital stock. As a result, the Board has determined Skillz is a “controlled company” within the meaning of corporate governance standards of the NYSE. Under these corporate governance standards, a company of which more than 50% of the voting power is held by an individual, group or another company is a “controlled company” and may elect not to comply with certain corporate governance standards, including the requirements (1) that a majority of its board of directors consist of independent directors, (2) that its board of directors have a compensation committee that is composed entirely of independent directors with a written charter addressing the committee’s purpose and responsibilities and (3) that its board of directors have a nominating and corporate governance committee that is composed entirely of independent directors with a written charter addressing the committee’s purpose and responsibilities. Skillz has elected to take advantage of the exemptions pertaining to the independence of the Nominating Committee. If Skillz ceases to be a “controlled company” and its shares continue to be listed on the NYSE, we will be required to comply with all applicable NYSE corporate governance standards and, depending on the Board’s independence determination with respect to its then-current directors, Skillz may be required to add additional directors to its Board in order to achieve such compliance within the applicable transition periods.

NYSE rules generally require that independent directors must comprise a majority of a listed company’s board of directors. As a controlled company, we are exempt from such requirements. No director qualifies as independent unless the Board determines that the director has no direct or indirect material relationship with the Company. In addition to considering the NYSE independence criteria, the Board will consider all relevant facts and circumstances of which it is aware in making an independence determination with respect to any director. The Board has made director independence determinations with respect to each of our current directors. Based on the NYSE independence guidelines, the Board has affirmatively determined that: (i) four of our current directors, Messrs. Hoffman, Mandel, Cabot and Wakeford (A) have no relationships or only immaterial relationships with us, (B) meet the NYSE independence guidelines with respect to any such relationships and (C) are independent; (ii) two of our current directors Messrs. Paradise and Chafkin are not independent as Mr. Paradise is our Chief Executive Officer and Mr. Chafkin was our Chief Strategy Officer until September 2024, and (iii) a proposed director nominee.

One of the key functions of our Board is informed oversight of our risk management process. Our Board administers this oversight function directly, with support from its three standing committees, the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee and the Nominating Committee, each of which addresses risks specific to its respective areas of oversight. In particular, as more fully described below, our Audit Committee has the responsibility to consider and discuss our major financial risk exposures and the steps our management has taken to monitor and control these exposures, including guidelines and policies to govern the process by which risk assessment and management is undertaken. The Audit Committee also monitors compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, in addition to oversight of the performance of our internal audit function. Our Compensation Committee assesses and monitors whether any of our compensation policies and programs has the potential to encourage excessive risk taking. Our Nominating Committee provides oversight with respect to governance-related risks and monitors the effectiveness of our corporate governance guidelines. The Board believes that the administration of its risk oversight function has not affected its leadership structure.

Particularly, with respect to cybersecurity risk, the Company has implemented policies and processes designed to detect, prevent, and respond to cybersecurity incidents. All these policies are reviewed annually and updated as needed to address emerging risks or gaps in compliance. If a material cybersecurity breach occurs, the incident will be reviewed to determine whether further escalation is appropriate. Any incident assessed as potentially being or becoming material will immediately be escalated for further assessment and reported to designated members of our executive leadership team and if deemed necessary, the Board. We plan to consult with outside counsel as appropriate, including on materiality analysis and disclosure matters, and make the final materiality determination regarding disclosure and other compliance decisions. We also plan to keep our independent public accounting firm informed of such incidents as appropriate. While we maintain cybersecurity insurance, the costs related to cybersecurity threats or disruptions may not be fully insured.

Our Board has the ultimate responsibility for oversight of our risk management framework. The Board receives information and periodic updates and actively engages with management with respect to the effectiveness of the Company’s cybersecurity and information security framework, data privacy, and risk management. In addition, as necessary, the Board receives reports summarizing threat detection and mitigation plans, audits of internal controls, training and certification, and other cyber priorities and initiatives, as well as timely updates from management on material incidents relating to information systems.

We believe that the structure of our Board and its committees provides strong overall management of our Company. In accordance with our Corporate Governance Guidelines, our Board does not currently have a policy as to whether the offices of the Chair of the Board and Chief Executive Officer should be separate. Our Board, in consultation with our Nominating Committee, believes that it should have the flexibility to make this determination as circumstances require, and in a manner that it believes is best to provide appropriate leadership. Pursuant to our Corporate Governance Guidelines, from time to time, our Board may determine that it should have a Lead Independent Director who may perform such additional duties as our Board may otherwise determine and delegate. Our Nominating Committee will periodically consider our Board’s leadership structure and make recommendations to change the structure as it deems appropriate. Currently, Mr. Paradise serves as our Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board and we do not have a Lead Independent Director. As a founder of our Company, Mr. Paradise is best positioned to identify strategic priorities, lead critical discussion and execute our business plans. The Board believes that this overall structure meets the current corporate governance needs and oversight responsibilities of the Board. Mr. Paradise oversees all Board meetings. Moreover, the Board believes that the independent directors, who comprise a majority of the Board, provide effective oversight of management.

In 2023, the Board held six meetings, the Audit Committee held four meetings, the Compensation Committee held two meetings and the Nominating Committee held two meetings. The Board and the Nominating Committee recognize the importance of director attendance at Board and committee meetings. In 2023:

None of the seven directors serving on the Board at the time of the Skillz’s 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders attended the meeting. Skillz has no formal policy on director attendance at annual meetings of stockholders, but members of the Board are strongly encouraged to attend annual meetings of stockholders.

In accordance with our Corporate Governance Guidelines and the listing standards of the NYSE, our non-employee directors meet regularly in executive sessions of the Board without management present. Historically, Mr. Wakeford has presided over these executive sessions. Additionally, executive sessions of the non-management directors are led by the Chairs of the Compensation and Audit Committees, respectively, at least once per year.

We have adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics that applies to all of our directors, officers and employees, including our principal executive officer, principal financial officer and principal accounting officer, which is available on our website at https://investors.skillz.com/governance/governance-documents. The information on, or otherwise accessible through, our website does not constitute a part of this proxy statement. To the extent required by law, we expect to disclose any amendments to the code, or any waivers of its requirements, on our website.

Our Board adheres to governance principles designed to ensure the continued vitality of the Board and excellence in the execution of its duties. The Board has had in place a set of corporate governance guidelines reflecting these principles, including the Board’s policy of requiring a majority of the Board to be comprised of independent directors (except as otherwise permitted by NYSE rules), the importance of stock ownership by the Board to align the interests of directors and stockholders, and access by the Board to Company management and independent advisors. These guidelines are available on our website at https://investors.skillz.com/governance/governance-documents.

Stockholders and interested parties can contact the Board (including the Chairman of the Board and non-employee directors) through email at [email protected] or through written communication sent to Skillz Inc., 6625 Badura Avenue, Las Vegas, Nevada 89118, Attention: Nikul D. Patel, Interim General Counsel. Our Corporate Secretary reviews all written communications and forwards to the Board a summary and/or copies of any such correspondence that is directed to the Board or that, in the opinion of the Corporate Secretary, deals with the functions of the Board or Board committees or that he otherwise determines requires the Board’s or any Board committee’s attention. Concerns relating to accounting, internal accounting controls or auditing matters are promptly brought to the attention of our internal audit department and handled in accordance with procedures established by the Audit Committee with respect to such matters. From time to time, the Board may change the process by which stockholders may communicate with the Board. Any such changes will be reflected in our Corporate Governance Guidelines, which are posted on our website at https://investors.skillz.com. To the extent required by law, we expect to disclose any amendments to the code, or any waivers of its requirements, on our website.

Communications of a confidential nature can be made directly to our non-employee directors or the Chair of the Audit Committee regarding any matter, including any accounting, internal accounting control or auditing matter, by submitting such concerns to the Audit Committee. Any submissions to the Audit Committee should be marked confidential and addressed to the Chair of the Audit Committee, c/o Skillz Inc., 6625 Badura Avenue, Las Vegas, Nevada 89118.

In accordance with its charter, the Nominating Committee will consider candidates for election as a director of the Company that are recommended by any stockholder, provided that the recommending stockholder follows the procedures set forth in Section 1.10 of the Bylaws for nominations by stockholders of persons to serve as directors. The Nominating Committee evaluates such candidates in the same manner by which it evaluates other director candidates considered by the Nominating Committee, as described above.

Pursuant to Section 1.10 of the Bylaws, nominations of persons for election to the Board at a meeting of stockholders may be made by any stockholder of record of the Company entitled to vote for the election of directors at the meeting who sends a timely notice in writing to our Secretary. To be timely, a stockholder’s notice must be delivered to, or mailed and received by, our Secretary at the Company’s principal executive offices not less than 90 nor more than 120 days before the first anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting; provided however, that in the event that the date of the annual meeting is advanced by more than 30 days, or delayed by more than 70, from the first anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting, a stockholder’s notice must be so received not earlier than the 120^th day prior to such annual meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of (A) the 90^th day prior to such annual meeting and (B) the tenth day following the day on which public disclosure of the date of such annual meeting is first made.

The stockholder’s notice or recommendation is required to contain certain prescribed information about each person whom the stockholder proposes to recommend for election as a director, the stockholder giving notice and the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf notice is given as set forth in Section 1.10 of the Bylaws. The stockholder’s notice must also include the consent of the person proposed to be nominated and to serve as a director if elected. Recommendations or notices relating to director nominations should be sent to Skillz Inc., 6625 Badura Avenue, Las Vegas, Nevada 89118, Attention: Nikul D. Patel, Interim General Counsel and Corporate Secretary. See “Stockholder Proposals for 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.” In addition, to comply with the universal proxy rules, stockholders who intend to solicit proxies in support of director nominees other than Skillz’s nominees must provide notice that sets forth the information required by Rule 14a-19 under the Exchange Act.

A copy of our Bylaws has been filed as Exhibit 3.6 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the SEC on August 29, 2024.

The Skillz non-employee director compensation program is designed to provide competitive compensation necessary to attract and retain high quality non-employee directors and to encourage ownership of Skillz stock to further align their interests with those of our stockholders. In 2023, our non-employee director compensation program provided the following compensation components:

Director Compensation Consultant: The Compensation Committee retains Pearl Meyer, a national compensation consulting firm, to assess trends and developments in director compensation practices and to compare the Company’s practices against them. The Compensation Committee uses the analysis prepared by the consultant as part of its periodic review of Skillz’s director compensation practices. Other than the foregoing consulting services and the services provided to the Compensation Committee with respect to Executive Compensation (as set forth under the heading “Executive Compensation; Compensation Discussion and Analysis; How Compensation Decisions Are Made; Role of Compensation Consultants” below), Pearl Meyer did not provide any other material services to the Company in 2023.

The following table provides information concerning the compensation of each non-employee director who served on the Board in 2023. Mr. Paradise and Mr. Chafkin did not receive any additional compensation for their services as directors of the Company during 2023. All dollar amounts are rounded to the nearest whole dollar.

The following table sets forth information regarding the beneficial ownership of our Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock as of October 7, 2024 by: (a) each of our directors, nominees and named executive officers; (b) all directors, nominees and executive officers as a group; and (c) each person who is known to us to own beneficially more than 5% of the Company’s Common Stock.

Beneficial ownership is determined according to the rules of the SEC, which generally provide that a person has beneficial ownership of a security if he, she or it possesses sole or shared voting or investment power over that security, including options and warrants that are currently exercisable or exercisable within 60 days. In computing the number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by a person and the percentage ownership, the Company deemed outstanding shares of its Common Stock subject to options and warrants held by that person that are currently exercisable or exercisable within 60 days. The Company did not deem these shares outstanding, however, for the purpose of computing the percentage ownership of any other person.

The percentage ownership of Common Stock is based on 14,438,426 shares of Class A Common Stock and 3,430,063 shares of Class B Common Stock outstanding as of October 7, 2024. Unless otherwise indicated or subject to applicable community property laws, the Company believes that all persons named in the table have sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares of Common Stock of the Company beneficially owned by them. Unless otherwise indicated below, the address of each beneficial owner listed in the table below is c/o Skillz Inc., 6625 Badura Avenue, Las Vegas Nevada 89118.

Based upon our review of reports filed with the SEC and written representations that no other reports were required, we believe that all of our directors, executive officers and beneficial owners of more than ten percent of our equity securities complied with the reporting requirements of Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act during 2023, with the exception of (i) a Form 4 filed late on September 8, 2023, reporting one transaction for Henry Hoffman and (ii) a Form 4 filed late on November 13, 2023, reporting transactions for Jason Roswig, each due to an inadvertent administrative error.

Our Board has adopted a written related party transaction approval policy pursuant to which the Audit Committee will review and approve or take such other action as it may deem appropriate with respect to the following transactions:

There were no related party transactions requiring Audit Committee approval in 2023.

Mr. Chafkin, the former Chief Strategy Officer and current non-independent director of the Company, entered into a Letter Agreement with the Company on September 19, 2024 (the “Chafkin Letter Agreement”), under which Mr. Chafkin provides consulting services to the Company and will continue to do so through the date of completion of certain services set forth in the Chafkin Letter Agreement. As consideration for the consulting services, the Company provides to Mr. Chafkin a monthly salary of $5,000 and, upon Mr. Chafkin's request and subject to Company approval, additional compensation at the rate of $250 per hour for services rendered exceeding a monthly twenty hour threshold.

In determining director independence, our Board reviews other transactions with related persons. As required by Item 407(a)(3) of Regulation S-K, our Board considered the following transaction in evaluating Mr. Cabot’s independence:

Prior to joining the Company’s Board in October 2024, Mr. Cabot previously served as a strategic advisor to the Company providing advisory services to the Company. As consideration for the services, the Company paid Mr. Cabot $115,000. Since Mr. Cabot’s appointment to the Board, he has provided no advisory services to the Company and has solely served as an independent director.

Set out below is the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, which is a discussion of Skillz’s executive compensation programs and policies written from the perspective of how we and management view and use such programs and policies. Given the Compensation Committee’s role in providing oversight to the design of those programs and policies, and in making specific compensation decisions for senior executives using those programs and policies, the Compensation Committee participated in the preparation of the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, reviewing successive drafts of the document and discussing those with management. The Compensation Committee recommended to the Board that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in this proxy statement. We join with management in welcoming readers to examine our pay practices and in affirming the commitment of these pay practices to the long-term interests of stockholders.

Kent Wakeford (Chair)

Henry Hoffman

The following discussion and analysis of compensation arrangements of our named executive officers for 2023 should be read together with the compensation tables and related disclosures set forth below. This discussion contains forward-looking statements that are based on our current considerations, expectations, and determinations regarding future compensation programs. The actual amount and form of compensation and the compensation programs that we adopt may differ materially from current or planned programs as summarized in this discussion.

Our Compensation Discussion and Analysis describes the compensation paid to our named executive officers in 2023 and is organized into the following sections:

The following discussion and analysis relates to the compensation arrangements for 2023 of (i) our principal executive officer, (ii) our Chief Strategy Officer, (iii) the two most highly compensated persons, other than our principal executive officer, who were serving as executive officers at the end of our fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 and (iv) one former executive officer who left the Company prior to the end of our fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 but who would have been included in the two most highly compensated persons other than our principal executive officer had they remained at the Company until such time (our “named executive officers” or “NEOs”). For the year ended December 31, 2023, Skillz’s named executive officers were:

At Skillz, our mission is to build the competition layer of the internet. This is a long-term mission, and our compensation programs are designed to reflect this. Whereas salary or wages are intended to meet our employees’ near-term liquidity needs, we believe that compensation for the individuals who are responsible for our Company’s strategic direction and operations should motivate them to achieve sustainable stockholder value and/or tangible milestones rather than to simply remain at Skillz or maintain the status quo.

Accordingly, the key objectives of Skillz’s compensation program are to:

We evaluate our compensation philosophy and programs regularly and evolve them as circumstances merit with oversight by the Compensation Committee, particularly with respect to executive and director compensation. For example, if our stock price experiences significant movement over a short period of time that results in a persistent change to equity compensation, certain adjustments may be considered to align our compensation program to their intended purposes.

An employee’s compensation, at any level, reflects that employee’s value to the business, taking into account the market value of their skills, their individual contribution and business results. To be sure we appropriately assess the value of our senior executives, Skillz utilizes the following evaluation process:

1. Develop Performance Commitments.

All Skillzians, including the Chief Executive Officer and our executive officers, develop goals, both qualitative and quantitative, that they seek to achieve in a particular year in support of the business in consultation with their supervisors and, for our executives, the Board and/or Compensation Committee. The Board reviews and approves the Chief Executive Officer’s performance goals and formally reviews progress and outcomes.

2. Determine Annual Bonus Payouts.

Evaluation of Chief Executive Officer by the Compensation Committee - The Chair of the Compensation Committee works directly with the Compensation Committee’s compensation consultant to provide a decision-making framework for use by the Compensation Committee in determining annual incentive payouts for the Chief Executive Officer. This framework considers the Chief Executive Officer’s self-assessment of performance against commitments in the year, both qualitative and quantitative, and also considers progress against strategic objectives, as well as an analysis of the Company’s total performance over the year. The Compensation Committee considers all of this information in developing its recommendations, which are then presented to the independent members of the Board for further review, discussion, and final approval. The Compensation Committee meets regularly in executive session. Our Chief Executive Officer is not present during Compensation Committee deliberations or votes on his compensation and also recuses himself from sessions of the Board where the Board acts on the Compensation Committee’s recommendations regarding his compensation.

Evaluation of Executive Officer Results by the Chief Executive Officer and the Compensation Committee - Executives work with their managers throughout the year to update their own results against their stated goals. The self-assessments of the Executive Officers are reviewed by the Head of People Operations and the Chief Executive Officer, who evaluate the information. Following this in-depth review and taking into account the Company’s performance, the Chief Executive Officer makes compensation recommendations to the Compensation Committee based on an evaluation of the executive officers’ compensation for the year, and the Compensation Committee ultimately decides whether to approve or adjust the Chief Executive Officer’s recommendations. The Compensation Committee then presents the compensation decisions for the Chief Executive Officer to the independent members of the Board for ratification.

3. Set Competitive Target Pay.

Benchmarking - Skillz utilizes several compensation surveys that provide general trend information and details on levels of salary, target annual incentives and long-term incentives, the relative mix of short- and long-term incentives, and mix of cash and stock-based pay. Given the battle for talent that exists in our industry, the benchmark companies that are used by the Compensation Committee to guide its decision making have included a broad range of key information technology companies and size appropriate (at the time of adoption) companies in the following industries: gaming, media and entertainment. The surveys and benchmark data are supplemented by input from the Compensation Committee’s outside consultant on factors such as recent market trends. The Compensation Committee reviews and approves this list annually. In setting 2023 target compensation levels for the NEOs, the Company used the peer group detailed below. This peer group was determined by the Compensation Committee based on an in-depth review by its independent compensation consultant, Pearl Meyer, which included an assessment of potential comparators to evaluate the degree to which the current peers have kept pace with the Company’s size (revenue and market capitalization), growth and evolution.

Individual Compensation - For individual compensation decisions, the benchmark information is used together with an internal view of individual performance relative to other executives and recognizing that the skills and experience of our senior executives are highly sought after by other companies and, in particular, by our competitors. The Compensation Committee does not benchmark directly to the peer group, but rather uses it as a frame of reference in determining executive compensation. Because factors such as performance and retention, as well as size and complexity of the job role, are considered when compensation decisions are made, the cash and total compensation for an individual named executive officer may be higher or lower than the broader benchmark group.

Evaluation of Chief Executive Officer Target Pay by the Compensation Committee - The Chair of the Compensation Committee works directly with the Compensation Committee’s compensation consultant to provide a decision-making framework for use by the Compensation Committee in setting target compensation opportunities for the Chief Executive Officer. The independent members of the Board review and provide final approval. Where appropriate and as both previously disclosed and described in greater detail below, the Special Committee makes decisions with respect to Chief Executive Officer’s compensation arrangements, including the grant and terms and conditions of long-term compensation.

Evaluation of Executive Officers by the Chief Executive Officer and the Compensation Committee - The Chief Executive Officer makes compensation recommendations on the executive officers’ target compensation to the Compensation Committee. The Compensation Committee evaluates all of the factors considered by the Chief Executive Officer and reviews compensation summaries that tally the dollar value of all compensation and related programs, including salary, annual incentive, long-term compensation, deferred compensation, retention payments and pension benefits. These summaries provide the Compensation Committee with an understanding of how their decisions affect other compensation elements, and the impact of potential separations of employment or retirement. The Compensation Committee decides whether to approve or adjust the Chief Executive Officer’s recommendations for the NEOs. The Compensation Committee then presents the compensation decisions for the Chief Financial Officer to the independent members of the Board for ratification.

Role of Compensation Consultants - The Compensation Committee believes that independent advice is important in developing and overseeing our executive compensation program. The Compensation Committee has continued its engagement with Pearl Meyer to provide consulting services in relation to executive and director compensation decisions. Pearl Meyer reports directly to the Compensation Committee and only provides services to us on such matters as needed and as directed solely by the Compensation Committee. These services include providing guidance on trends in CEO, executive, and non-employee director compensation; the development of the specific components of our executive compensation program; and a competitive market assessment of our executive compensation program, including the composition of our compensation peer group. The Compensation Committee has assessed the independence of Pearl Meyer in accordance with applicable SEC and NYSE rules and confirmed that Pearl Meyer’s work does not raise any conflicts of interest and that Pearl Meyer remains independent under applicable rules.

The specific elements of Skillz’s executive compensation programs are:

Base Salaries

Base salaries established for Skillz’s NEOs are paid to attract and retain qualified talent and are set at a level that is commensurate with each executive’s duties and authorities, contributions, prior experience and sustained performance. For 2023, none of the NEOs received base salary increases. They were entitled to the following annual base salaries (which do not reflect pro-ration for any partial years of service completed in 2023):

Annual Cash Bonuses

In order to more closely align the Company’s annual bonus program with the interests of stockholders and the Company’s short-term operating goals, effective January 1, 2022, the Compensation Committee approved two significant modifications to the Company’s bonus program:

The Company sets business objectives at the beginning of each year. At the end of the year, performance for the Company is assessed against these predetermined financial targets in combination with the Compensation Committee’s assessment of an executive’s individual performance. An executive generally must be employed by the Company at the end of the performance period in order to be eligible to receive an annual bonus payout. This incentive design ensures payouts are aligned to the Company’s overall business performance.

 

For 2023, our NEOs had the following target bonuses.

Bonuses under the annual cash bonus program can be earned at threshold, target and maximum amounts representing 75%, 100% and 125%, respectively, of the annual total incentive opportunity for each named executive officer. If Revenue After Engagement Marketing performance was achieved at $130 million, $154 million, or $169 million, the bonus would payout at 75%, 100%, or 125%, respectively, of target. Revenue After Engagement Marketing is not a generally accepted accounting principle (“GAAP”) financial performance metric. Revenue After Engagement Marketing is determined by taking consolidated revenue and adjusting for engagement marketing expenses included in sales and marketing expenses. Accordingly, stockholders should not rely on this metric as an indicator of financial performance. If Adjusted EBITDA was achieved at negative $52 million, negative $41 million or negative $37 million, the bonus would payout at 75%, 100%, or 125%, respectively, of target. To the extent performance falls between threshold and target or target and maximum, interpolation is used to determine the amount of bonus payable. If less than threshold performance is achieved, no bonus is paid out.

Long Term Equity Incentive Grants

Our equity award program is the primary vehicle for offering long-term incentives to our named executive officers. The equity awards we have historically granted and currently grant include options to purchase shares of our Class A Common Stock and RSU awards that are settled in shares of our Class A Common Stock upon vesting, and we have granted to our named executive officers both awards that vest over a long-term period and awards that vest only upon the achievement of specified performance milestones, in each case subject to continued service. As a result, a significant portion of our named executive officers’ total compensation is at risk, depending on long-term stock price performance.

While we strive to offer a total level of compensation that is competitive within specific roles and geographical markets, we do not have an inflexible set of criteria for granting equity awards; instead, the Compensation Committee exercises its judgment and discretion, in consultation with our Chief Executive Officer and a compensation consultant. The Compensation Committee considers, among other things, the role and responsibility of the named executive officer, competitive market factors, the amount of stock-based equity compensation already held by the named executive officer, the impact of any dramatic changes in our stock price over a short period of time and the cash-based compensation received by the named executive officer, to determine the level and types of equity awards that it approves. We generally grant substantial one-time new hire equity awards to our employees, including executives, upon their commencement of employment with us, or upon their promotion to new positions. Additionally, as part of our ongoing executive compensation review and alignment process, we periodically grant additional equity awards to our executives.

The Compensation Committee meets periodically, including to approve equity award grants to our executives from time to time. We do not have, nor do we plan to establish, any program, plan or practice to time equity award grants in coordination with releasing material non-public information.

CEO Long-Term Equity Grant

As previously disclosed, in November 2022, the Special Committee approved a long-term equity award to Mr. Paradise using a mix of 75% RSUs ($25.875 million grant date fair value) and 25% PSUs ($8.625 million grant date fair value). The RSUs were granted subject to the Company’s standard time-vesting schedule, continued service through each applicable vesting date and the terms of the Omnibus Plan, and as required under SEC rules, were reported in the 2023 proxy. The PSUs were granted on January 1, 2023, following the determination and approval of the performance metrics and targets by the Compensation Committee. As such, and as required under SEC rules, are reported in the Summary Compensation Table in this proxy statement.

A Closer Look at the PSUs. Mr. Paradise received a grant of 9,661,525 PSUs, which vest over four, one-year periods (January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023, January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024, January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2025, January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026) in each case subject to continuous service with the Company through each applicable vesting date and the attainment of certain corporate performance goals.

2023 Equity Awards Made to Other Named Executive Officers

In June 2023, the Compensation Committee approved an equity award for Mr. Dahlinghaus who joined as the General Counsel and Corporate Secretary. Mr. Dahlinghaus was awarded 44,235 RSUs which were to vest 100% on the first anniversary of the grant date, generally subject to the NEO’s continued employment with the Company through the applicable vesting date. Mr. Dahlinghaus’ RSUs were forfeited for no consideration upon his resignation from the Company in accordance with the grant terms. Mr. Dahlinghaus was also awarded 44,235 PSUs, subject to certain performance goals. Mr. Dahlinghaus separated with the Company prior to the PSU grant being issued.

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

In connection with the closing of the Skillz’s successful business combination with Flying Eagle Acquisition Corp. on December 16, 2020 (the “Business Combination”), we adopted the Skillz Inc. 2020 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “ESPP”), a broad-based benefit plan in which our employees, including our NEOs, may purchase shares of Skillz’s Class A Common Stock at up to a 15% discount. A total of 711,196 shares of Class A Common Stock are reserved for issuance pursuant to future grants under the ESPP. An additional 9,034 shares of Class A Common Stock were added to the share reserve as of January 1, 2024.

Employee Benefits

We provide standard health, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance benefits to our NEOs, on the same terms and conditions as provided to all other eligible employees. Our NEOs may also participate in our broad-based 401(k) plan, which includes a company match up to 3% of an employee’s eligible salary. The company match is fully vested at the time of the match. We believe these benefits are consistent with the broad-based employee benefits provided at the companies with whom we compete for talent and therefore are important to attracting and retaining qualified employees. Skillz did not maintain any executive-specific benefit or perquisite programs in 2023.

Clawback Policy

In compliance with the requirements under Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (“Dodd-Frank”), our Board has adopted a recovery (“clawback”) policy with respect to any annual incentive payment or long-term incentive payment that may be received by an executive officer, where such payment would be predicated upon achieving certain financial results that were subsequently the subject of a restatement of our financial statements, and a lower payment would have been made to the executive based upon the restated financial results. In such a case, the Board has the authority to seek to recover from the executive officer the amount by which such officer’s incentive payments for the relevant period exceeded the lower payment that would have been made based on the restated financial results.

Hedging Policy

At Skillz, we believe that hedging transactions may permit a director, officer or employee to continue to own Company securities obtained through employee benefit plans or otherwise, but without the full risks and rewards of ownership. These hedging transactions include use of financial instruments such as prepaid variable forwards, equity swaps, collars and exchange funds. When an insider utilizes these hedging transactions, the director, officer or employee may no longer have the same objectives as the Company’s other stockholders. Therefore, all members of the Skillz Board, as well as all Skillz officers and employees are prohibited from engaging in any such hedging transactions.

Compensation Program Risk Assessment

Our Compensation Committee, together with its independent compensation consultant, assesses and considers potential risks when reviewing and approving our compensation policies and practices for our executive officers and our employees. We have designed our compensation programs, including our incentive plans, with features to address potential risks while rewarding participants for achieving financial and strategic objectives through prudent judgment and appropriate risk taking. We believe that our compensation policies and practices, taken as a whole, are not reasonably likely to have a material adverse impact on our business or our financial condition.

All of our NEOs are employees-at-will and none of them have employment agreements with Skillz. Some of our executive officers have offer letters with the Company, including our NEOs:

Mr. Roswig is party to an offer letter with the Company dated June 1, 2022, pursuant to which he served as President and Chief Financial Officer of the Company (the “Roswig Offer Letter”). On February 27, 2023, he transitioned to the role of President and on April 14, 2023, transitioned back to the role of President and Chief Financial Officer. There are no other changes to the Roswig Offer Letter. He is paid a salary of $500,000 per year, and is eligible to receive annual target incentive compensation of $500,000, subject to achievement of certain performance goals. In connection with the Roswig Offer Letter, Mr. Roswig received a RSU award equal to $15,000,000 of the Company’s Class A Common Stock, calculated based on the 90 day volume weighted average stock price of the Company’s Class A Common Stock as of the end of the first quarter of Mr. Roswig’s employment. The award vests 25% on the first anniversary of Mr. Roswig’s start date and the remainder vests in twelve substantially equal quarterly

installments, in each case subject to continuous service with the Company through each applicable vesting date and the terms of the Omnibus Plan. Mr. Roswig also received a PSU award equal to $5,000,000 of the Company’s Class A Common Stock. The award is scheduled to vest over four years according to the achievement of certain Company performance goals. Mr. Roswig resigned from his position in January 2024.

Mr. Dahlinghaus is party to an offer letter with the Company (the “Dahlinghaus Offer Letter”) dated May 19, 2023, pursuant to which he served as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary. He is paid a salary of $350,000 per year, and is eligible to receive annual target incentive compensation of $350,000 (pro-rated for 2023), subject to achievement of certain performance goals. In connection with the Dahlinghaus Offer Letter, Mr. Dahlinghaus received a RSU award equal to $500,000 of the Company’s Class A Common Stock, calculated based on the 90 day volume weighted average stock price of the company’s Class A Common Stock as of the end of the second quarter of 2023. The award vests 100% on the first anniversary of Mr. Dahlinghaus’ start date, subject to the continuous service with the Company through each applicable vesting date and the terms of the Omnibus Plan. Mr. Dahlinghaus resigned from his position in February 2024. As Mr. Dahlinghaus resigned, he forfeited all unvested awards and was not entitled to any separation, transition or post-termination payments or benefits.

Ms. Edelman was a party to a transition letter with the Company dated April 14, 2023 (the “Edelman Transition Agreement”), pursuant to which she continued to provide services to the Company up to September 2023. During the transition period, Ms. Edelman was paid her base salary and remained eligible to vest in prior equity awards. Upon completion of the transition period, the Company (i) paid Ms. Edelman severance equal to nine months of her base salary, (ii) allowed her the full remaining option term to exercise her vested stock options, and (iii) provided up to nine months of COBRA premiums, in each case subject to Ms. Edelman’s execution of a general release of claims. The Edelman Transition Agreement also contains cooperation and non-disparagement provisions.

Mr. Chafkin, in connection with his resignation from his former role as Chief Strategy Officer, is party to the Chafkin Letter Agreement, pursuant to which Mr. Chafkin provides consulting services to the Company and will continue to do so through the date of completion of certain services set forth in the Chafkin Letter Agreement. As consideration for the consulting services, the Company provides to Mr. Chafkin a monthly salary of $5,000 and, upon Mr. Chafkin's request and subject to Company approval, additional compensation at the rate of $250 per hour for services rendered exceeding a monthly twenty hour threshold. All of Mr. Chafkin’s outstanding unvested equity awards will continue to vest for the term of Chafkin Letter Agreement.

The following Summary Compensation Table shows information concerning the annual compensation for services provided to Skillz by our NEOs for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022. Certain other information is provided in the narrative footnotes following the Summary Compensation Table. All dollar amounts are rounded to the nearest whole dollar.

The following table shows information regarding equity awards held by the NEOs that were outstanding as of December 31, 2023. Dollar amounts, except exercise prices, are rounded to the nearest whole dollar.

In connection with the closing of the Business Combination (and as set forth in the “Outstanding Equity Awards at 2023 Fiscal Year End” table above), Messrs. Paradise and Chafkin each received, pursuant to the Omnibus Plan, nonqualified stock options to purchase, respectively, 498,000 shares of Class B Common Stock and 102,000 shares of Class A Common Stock. The options will vest in three equal increments as follows: (i) one-third (1/3) of the options will vest and become exercisable as of the date, following the grant date, that the VWAP on the NYSE of a share of Class A Common Stock over a ten (10) trading day period equals or exceeds 3.0x the VWAP of the shares as of the closing date of the Business Combination, (ii) one-third (1/3) of the options will vest and become exercisable as of the date, following the grant date, that the VWAP of the shares equals or exceeds 4.0x the VWAP of the shares as of the closing date of the Business Combination, and (iii) one-third (1/3) of the options will vest and become exercisable as of the date, following the grant date, that the VWAP of the shares equals or exceeds 5.0x the VWAP of the shares as of the closing date of the Business Combination. The exercise price per share subject to these options is $353.60, the closing price of a share of Class A Common Stock on the closing date of the Business Combination.

The Skillz Inc. Executive Severance and Change in Control Plan (the “Severance Plan”) was adopted by the Company in order to: (i) provide financial support to a select group of senior-level executives of Skillz, including the NEOs, in the period following the termination of their employment, (ii) recognize the valuable contributions made by eligible employees to the Company, and (iii) help attract and retain highly qualified employees who are essential to the Company’s success. Under the Severance Plan, a covered executive who experiences a qualifying termination is eligible to receive severance benefits based on the executive’s years of service and position, consisting of (i) cash severance equal to an amount ranging from three to eighteen months’ base salary, and (ii) healthcare continuation payments for a period ranging from three to eighteen months. In addition, an executive who experiences a qualifying termination in connection with a change in control (as such term is defined in the Omnibus Plan) is eligible to receive a portion of their target bonus.

Pursuant to the Severance Plan, in the event of a termination without cause or for good reason (each as defined in the Severance Plan), not in connection with a change in control, (i) Mr. Paradise would be eligible to receive severance benefits equal to 12 months of continued base salary and continued health and welfare coverage for 12 months, (ii) Messrs. Chafkin, Roswig, and Dahlinghaus would be eligible to receive severance benefits equal to 9 months of continued base salary and continued health and welfare coverage for 9 months. Any equity awards held by our NEOs that were granted under the Omnibus Plan in substitution for the pre-closing awards they had received under the Skillz Inc. 2017 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2017 Plan”), will also vest in full in the event of a termination by Skillz without cause or a resignation for good reason. The receipt of all severance benefits is subject to the NEO’s execution and non-revocation of a general release of claims. For purposes of these awards, “good reason” means, without the NEO’s consent, (i) the material reduction by Skillz of the executive’s duties, authority or responsibilities, taken as a whole, (ii) a material reduction in the executive’s target annual cash compensation (other than pursuant to a company-wide salary reduction applicable to similarly situated employees), or (iii) a required relocation that increases the executive’s one-way commuting distance by more than 40 miles. Ms. Edelman separated from the Company in 2023. For a description of the payments Ms. Edelman received, see the summary of the Edelman Transition Agreement above under “Executive Compensation—Compensation Discussion and Analysis—Transition Arrangements.”

The following table sets forth estimates of the benefits that our NEOs would have received in the event of a termination without cause or a resignation in a constructive termination or a termination due to death or disability, in each case not in connection with a change in control (assuming the termination occurred on December 31, 2023).

Pursuant to the Severance Plan, if a termination without cause or for good reason occurs within the three months prior to or 12 months following the consummation of a change in control (a “CIC Qualifying Termination”), the Severance Plan instead would provide (i) Mr. Paradise with 18 months of base salary, payable in a lump sum, 1.5 times his target bonus for the year of termination, and continued health and welfare coverage for 18 months, and (ii) Messrs. Chafkin, Roswig, and Dahlinghaus with 12 months of base salary, payable in a lump sum, their target bonuses for the year of termination, and continued health and welfare coverage for 12 months. The receipt of all severance benefits is subject to the NEO’s execution and non-revocation of a general release of claims.

The Severance Plan also provides that, in the event of a CIC Qualifying Termination, any outstanding and unvested time-based equity awards held by the NEOs under the Omnibus Plan will automatically vest in full, and any outstanding performance-vesting equity awards held by the NEOs under the Omnibus Plan will be treated as set forth in the Omnibus Plan and applicable award agreements (if any). The following table sets forth estimates of the benefits that our NEOs would have received in the event of a CIC Qualifying Termination (assuming the termination occurred on December 31, 2023).

Ms. Edelman separated from the Company in June 2023. Therefore, she is not included in the following table because her separation was unrelated to a CIC Qualifying Termination.

The Company’s Insider Trading Policy prohibits the Company’s NEOs, other executive officers and directors from entering into hedging or monetization transactions involving our stock, from holding our securities in a margin account or pledging our securities as collateral for a loan. An excerpt of the policy is set forth below.

Hedging or monetization transactions can be accomplished through a number of possible mechanisms, including through the use of financial instruments such as prepaid variable forwards, equity swaps, collars and exchange funds. Such hedging transactions may permit a director, officer or employee to continue to own Company securities obtained through employee benefit plans or otherwise, but without the full risks and rewards of ownership. When that occurs, the director, officer or employee may no longer have the same objectives as the Company’s other stockholders. Therefore, directors, officers and employees, as well as their family members and controlled entities, are prohibited from engaging in any such transactions.

In order to avoid a margin sale or foreclosure sale at a time when a pledgor, who is a Company director, officer or employee, or their family members or controlled entities, is aware of inside information or otherwise is not permitted to trade Company securities due to a blackout period, no Company director, officer or employee, or their family members or controlled entities, may hold Company securities in a margin account or otherwise pledge (or hypothecate) Company securities as collateral for a loan without first obtaining prior approval from the Insider Trading Policy’s administrator (“Administrator”). Pre-clearance is required for such transactions because Company securities held in a margin account may be sold by the broker without the customer’s consent if the customer fails to meet a margin call and Company securities pledged (or hypothecated) as collateral for a loan may be sold in foreclosure if the borrower defaults on the loan. Any Company director, officer or employee, or their family members or controlled entities, preparing to pledge Company securities or hold such securities in a margin account must submit a request for approval to the Administrator at least two weeks prior to the proposed execution of documents evidencing the proposed pledge or margin account. In its request, such Company director, officer or employee, or their family members or controlled entities, shall:

The above is not meant to restrict the rehypothecation or lending of securities held in a brokerage account; provided that the securities are permitted to be held in such account in accordance with the Insider Trading Policy.

In August 2022, the SEC released the final version of its pay versus performance disclosure rules as mandated under Dodd-Frank, and other official guidance issued thereunder, and which became effective starting with fiscal year ending December 31, 2023. The final rules were codified under Item 402(v) of Regulation S-K (along with other official guidance issued, “PvP disclosure rules”) and require the Company to provide the following tabular and narrative disclosures.

The below table sets forth the following information determined pursuant to the PvP disclosure rules for the previous three fiscal years (i) the total and average total compensation set forth in the Summary Compensation Table (“SCT”) for the Chief Executive Officer and the named executive officers as a group (excluding the Chief Executive Officer), respectively, (ii) the total and average total “compensation actually paid” (as determined in accordance with the PvP disclosure rules) for the Chief Executive Officer and the named executive officers as a group (excluding the Chief Executive Officer), respectively, and (iii) the Company’s cumulative Total Shareholder Return (“Cumulative TSR”).

CAP is determined by taking the “Total Compensation” column amount from the SCT for each covered fiscal year and adjusting as follows for our PEO and Non-PEO NEOs, respectively: