Document:

IZEA 09.30.11 Ex 10.1 - 2011 B Stock Plan

2011 B EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
1.    Purpose of the Plan.
This 2011 B Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) is intended as an incentive, to retain in the employ of and as directors, officers, consultants, advisors and employees to Izea Holdings, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), and any Subsidiary of the Company, within the meaning of Section 424(f) of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), persons of training, experience and ability, to attract new directors, officers, consultants, advisors and employees whose services are considered valuable, to encourage the sense of proprietorship and to stimulate the active interest of such persons in the development and financial success of the Company and its Subsidiaries.
It is further intended that certain options granted pursuant to the Plan shall constitute incentive stock options within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code (the “Incentive Options”) while certain other options granted pursuant to the Plan shall be nonqualified stock options (the “Nonqualified Options”).  Incentive Options and Nonqualified Options are hereinafter referred to collectively as “Options.”
The Company intends that the Plan meet the requirements of Rule 16b-3 (“Rule 16b-3”) promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and that transactions of the type specified in subparagraphs (c) to (f) inclusive of Rule 16b-3 by officers and directors of the Company pursuant to the Plan will be exempt from the operation of Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act.  Further, the Plan is intended to satisfy the performance-based compensation exception to the limitation on the Company's tax deductions imposed by Section 162(m) of the Code with respect to those Options for which qualification for such exception is intended.  In all cases, the terms, provisions, conditions and limitations of the Plan shall be construed and interpreted consistent with the Company's intent as stated in this Section 1.
2.    Administration of the Plan.
The Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) shall appoint and maintain as administrator of the Plan a Committee (the “Committee”) consisting of two or more directors who are (i) “Independent Directors” (as such term is defined under the rules of the NASDAQ Stock Market), (ii) “Non-Employee Directors” (as such term is defined in Rule 16b-3) and (iii) “Outside Directors” (as such term is defined in Section 162(m) of the Code), which shall serve at the pleasure of the Board.  The Committee, subject to Sections 3, 5 and 6 hereof, shall have full power and authority to designate recipients of Options and restricted stock (“Restricted Stock”) and to determine the terms and conditions of the respective Option and Restricted Stock agreements (which need not be identical) and to interpret the provisions and supervise the administration of the Plan.  The Committee shall have the authority, without limitation, to designate which Options granted under the Plan shall be Incentive Options and which shall be Nonqualified Options.  To the extent any Option does not qualify as an Incentive Option, it shall constitute a separate Nonqualified Option.
Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Committee shall interpret the Plan and all Options and Restricted Stock granted under the Plan, shall make such rules as it deems necessary for the proper administration of the Plan, shall make all other determinations necessary or advisable for the administration of the Plan and shall correct any defects or supply any omission or reconcile any inconsistency in the Plan or in any Options or Restricted Stock granted under the Plan in the manner and to the extent that the Committee deems desirable to carry into effect the Plan or any Options or Restricted Stock.  The act or determination of a majority of the Committee shall be the act or determination of the Committee and any decision reduced to writing and signed by all of the members of the Committee shall be fully effective as if it had been made by a majority of the Committee at a meeting duly held for such purpose.  Subject to the provisions of the Plan, any action taken or determination made by the Committee pursuant to this and the other Sections of the Plan shall be conclusive on all parties.
In the event that for any reason the Committee is unable to act or if the Committee at the time of any grant, award or other acquisition under the Plan does not consist of two or more Non-Employee Directors, or if there shall be no such Committee, or if the Board otherwise determines to administer the Plan, then the Plan shall be 

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administered by the Board, and references herein to the Committee (except in the proviso to this sentence) shall be deemed to be references to the Board, and any such grant, award or other acquisition may be approved or ratified in any other manner contemplated by subparagraph (d) of Rule 16b-3; provided, however, that grants to the Company's Chief Executive Officer or to any of the Company's other four most highly compensated officers that are intended to qualify as performance-based compensation under Section 162(m) of the Code may only be granted by the Committee.  
3.    Designation of Optionees and Grantees.
The persons eligible for participation in the Plan as recipients of Options (the “Optionees”) or Restricted Stock (the “Grantees” and together with Optionees, the “Participants”) shall include directors, officers and employees of, and consultants and advisors to, the Company or any Subsidiary; provided that Incentive Options may only be granted to employees of the Company and any Subsidiary. In selecting Participants, and in determining the number of shares to be covered by each Option or award of Restricted Stock granted to Participants, the Committee may consider any factors it deems relevant, including, without limitation, the office or position held by the Participant or the Participant's relationship to the Company, the Participant's degree of responsibility for and contribution to the growth and success of the Company or any Subsidiary, the Participant's length of service, promotions and potential. A Participant who has been granted an Option or Restricted Stock hereunder may be granted an additional Option or Options, or Restricted Stock if the Committee shall so determine.
4.    Stock Reserved for the Plan.
Subject to adjustment as provided in Section 8 hereof, a total of 3,500,000 shares of the Company's common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Stock”), shall be subject to the Plan.  The shares of Stock subject to the Plan shall consist of unissued shares, treasury shares or previously issued shares held by any Subsidiary of the Company, and such number of shares of Stock shall be and is hereby reserved for such purpose.  Any of such shares of Stock that may remain unissued and that are not subject to outstanding Options at the termination of the Plan shall cease to be reserved for the purposes of the Plan, but until termination of the Plan the Company shall at all times reserve a sufficient number of shares of Stock to meet the requirements of the Plan.  Should any Option or award of Restricted Stock expire or be canceled prior to its exercise or vesting in full or should the number of shares of Stock to be delivered upon the exercise or vesting in full of an Option or award of Restricted Stock be reduced for any reason, the shares of Stock theretofore subject to such Option or Restricted Stock may be subject to future Options or Restricted Stock under the Plan, except where such reissuance is inconsistent with the provisions of Section 162(m) of the Code where qualification as performance-based compensation under Section 162(m) of the Code is intended.
5.    Terms and Conditions of Options.
Options granted under the Plan shall be subject to the following conditions and shall contain such additional terms and conditions, not inconsistent with the terms of the Plan, as the Committee shall deem desirable:
(a)    Option Price.  The purchase price of each share of Stock purchasable under an Incentive Option shall be determined by the Committee at the time of grant, but shall not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value (as defined below) of such share of Stock on the date the Option is granted; provided, however, that with respect to an Optionee who, at the time such Incentive Option is granted, owns (within the meaning of Section 424(d) of the Code) more than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or of any Subsidiary, the purchase price per share of Stock shall be at least 110% of the Fair Market Value per share of Stock on the date of grant.  The purchase price of each share of Stock purchasable under a Nonqualified Option shall not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of such share of Stock on the date the Option is granted.  The exercise price for each Option shall be subject to adjustment as provided in Section 8 below.  “Fair Market Value” means the closing price on the final trading day immediately prior to the grant date of the Stock on the principal securities exchange on which shares of Stock are listed (if the shares of Stock are so listed), or on the NASDAQ Stock Market or OTC Bulletin Board (if the shares of Stock are regularly quoted on the NASDAQ Stock Market or OTC Bulletin Board, as the case may be), or, if not so listed, the mean between the closing bid and asked prices of publicly traded shares of Stock in the over the counter market, or, if such bid and asked prices shall not be available, as reported by any nationally recognized quotation service selected by the Company, or as determined by the Committee in a manner consistent with the provisions of the Code.  Anything in this Section 5(a) to the contrary notwithstanding, in no event shall the purchase price of a share of 

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Stock be less than the minimum price permitted under the rules and policies of any national securities exchange on which the shares of Stock are listed.
(b)    Option Term.  The term of each Option shall be fixed by the Committee, but no Option shall be exercisable more than ten years after the date such Option is granted and in the case of an Incentive Option granted to an Optionee who, at the time such Incentive Option is granted, owns (within the meaning of Section 424(d) of the Code) more than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or of any Subsidiary, no such Incentive Option shall be exercisable more than five years after the date such Incentive Option is granted.
(c)    Exercisability.  Subject to Section 5(j) hereof, Options shall be exercisable at such time or times and subject to such terms and conditions as shall be determined by the Committee at the time of grant; provided, however, that in the absence of any Option vesting periods designated by the Committee at the time of grant, Options shall vest and become exercisable as to one-tenth of the total number of shares subject to the Option on each of the three month anniversary of the date of grant; and provided further that no Options shall be exercisable until such time as any vesting limitation required by Section 16 of the Exchange Act, and related rules, shall be satisfied if such limitation shall be required for continued validity of the exemption provided under Rule 16b-3(d)(3).
Upon the occurrence of a “Change in Control” (as hereinafter defined), the Committee may accelerate the vesting and exercisability of outstanding Options, in whole or in part, as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion.  In its sole discretion, the Committee may also determine that, upon the occurrence of a Change in Control, each outstanding Option shall terminate within a specified number of days after notice to the Optionee thereunder, and each such Optionee shall receive, with respect to each share of Company Stock subject to such Option, an amount equal to the excess of the Fair Market Value of such shares immediately prior to such Change in Control over the exercise price per share of such Option; such amount shall be payable in cash, in one or more kinds of property (including the property, if any, payable in the transaction) or a combination thereof, as the Committee shall determine in its sole discretion.
For purposes of the Plan, unless otherwise defined in an employment agreement between the Company and the relevant Optionee, a Change in Control shall be deemed to have occurred if:
(i)    a tender offer (or series of related offers) shall be made and consummated for the ownership of 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the Company, unless as a result of such tender offer more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the surviving or resulting corporation shall be owned in the aggregate by the stockholders of the Company (as of the time immediately prior to the commencement of such offer), any employee benefit plan of the Company or its Subsidiaries, and their affiliates;
(ii)    the Company shall be merged or consolidated with another corporation, unless as a result of such merger or consolidation more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the surviving or resulting corporation shall be owned in the aggregate by the stockholders of the Company (as of the time immediately prior to such transaction), any employee benefit plan of the Company or its Subsidiaries, and their affiliates;
(iii)    the Company shall sell substantially all of its assets to another corporation that is not wholly owned by the Company, unless as a result of such sale more than 50% of such assets shall be owned in the aggregate by the stockholders of the Company (as of the time immediately prior to such transaction), any employee benefit plan of the Company or its Subsidiaries and their affiliates; or
(iv)    a Person (as defined below) shall acquire 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the Company (whether directly, indirectly, beneficially or of record), unless as a result of such acquisition more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the surviving or resulting corporation shall be owned in the aggregate by the stockholders of the Company (as of the time immediately prior to the first acquisition of such securities by such Person), any employee benefit plan of the Company or its Subsidiaries, and their affiliates.

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Notwithstanding the foregoing, if Change of Control is defined in an employment agreement between the Company and the relevant Optionee, then, with respect to such Optionee, Change of Control shall have the meaning ascribed to it in such employment agreement.
For purposes of this Section 5(c), ownership of voting securities shall take into account and shall include ownership as determined by applying the provisions of Rule 13d-3(d)(I)(i) (as in effect on the date hereof) under the Exchange Act.  In addition, for such purposes, “Person” shall have the meaning given in Section 3(a)(9) of the Exchange Act, as modified and used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) thereof; provided, however, that a Person shall not include (A) the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; (B) a trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an employee benefit plan of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; (C) an underwriter temporarily holding securities pursuant to an offering of such securities; or (D) a corporation owned, directly or indirectly, by the stockholders of the Company in substantially the same proportion as their ownership of stock of the Company.
(d)    Method of Exercise.  Options to the extent then exercisable may be exercised in whole or in part at any time during the option period, by giving written notice to the Company specifying the number of shares of Stock to be purchased, accompanied by payment in full of the purchase price, in cash, or by check or such other instrument as may be acceptable to the Committee.  As determined by the Committee, in its sole discretion, at or after grant, payment in full or in part may be made at the election of the Optionee (i) in the form of Stock owned by the Optionee (based on the Fair Market Value of the Stock which is not the subject of any pledge or security interest, (ii) in the form of shares of Stock withheld by the Company from the shares of Stock otherwise to be received with such withheld shares of Stock having a Fair Market Value equal to the exercise price of the Option, or (iii) by a combination of the foregoing, such Fair Market Value determined by applying the principles set forth in Section 5(a), provided that the combined value of all cash and cash equivalents and the Fair Market Value of any shares surrendered to the Company is at least equal to such exercise price and except with respect to (ii) above, such method of payment will not cause a disqualifying disposition of all or a portion of the Stock received upon exercise of an Incentive Option.  An Optionee shall have the right to dividends and other rights of a stockholder with respect to shares of Stock purchased upon exercise of an Option at such time as the Optionee (i) has given written notice of exercise and has paid in full for such shares, and (ii) has satisfied such conditions that may be imposed by the Company with respect to the withholding of taxes.
(e)    Non‐transferability of Options.  Options are not transferable and may be exercised solely by the Optionee during his lifetime or after his death by the person or persons entitled thereto under his will or the laws of descent and distribution.  The Committee, in its sole discretion, may permit a transfer of a Nonqualified Option to (i) a trust for the benefit of the Optionee, (ii) a member of the Optionee's immediate family (or a trust for his or her benefit) or (iii) pursuant to a domestic relations order.  Any attempt to transfer, assign, pledge or otherwise dispose of, or to subject to execution, attachment or similar process, any Option contrary to the provisions hereof shall be void and ineffective and shall give no right to the purported transferee.
(f)    Termination by Death.  Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, if any Optionee's employment with or service to the Company or any Subsidiary terminates by reason of death, the Option may thereafter be exercised, to the extent then exercisable (or on such accelerated basis as the Committee shall determine at or after grant), by the legal representative of the estate or by the legatee of the Optionee under the will of the Optionee, for a period of one (1) year after the date of such death (or, if later, such time as the Option may be exercised pursuant to Section 14(d) hereof) or until the expiration of the stated term of such Option as provided under the Plan, whichever period is shorter.
(g)    Termination by Reason of Disability.  Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, if any Optionee's employment with or service to the Company or any Subsidiary terminates by reason of Disability (as defined below), then any Option held by such Optionee may thereafter be exercised, to the extent it was exercisable at the time of termination due to Disability (or on such accelerated basis as the Committee shall determine at or after grant), but may not be exercised after one (1) year after the date of such termination of employment or service (or, if later, such time as the Option may be exercised pursuant to Section 14(d) hereof) or the expiration of the stated term of such Option, whichever period is shorter; provided, however, that, if the Optionee dies within such ninety (90) day period, any unexercised Option held by such Optionee shall thereafter be exercisable to the extent to which it was exercisable at the time of death for a period of one (1) year after the date of such death (or, if later, such time as the Option may be exercised pursuant to Section 14(d) hereof) or for the stated term of such Option, whichever period is 

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shorter.  “Disability” shall mean an Optionee's total and permanent disability; provided, that if Disability is defined in an employment agreement between the Company and the relevant Optionee, then, with respect to such Optionee, Disability shall have the meaning ascribed to it in such employment agreement.
(h)    Termination by Reason of Retirement.  Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, if any Optionee's employment with or service to the Company or any Subsidiary terminates by reason of Normal or Early Retirement (as such terms are defined below), any Option held by such Optionee may thereafter be exercised to the extent it was exercisable at the time of such Retirement (or on such accelerated basis as the Committee shall determine at or after grant), but may not be exercised after ninety (90) days after the date of such termination of employment or service (or, if later, such time as the Option may be exercised pursuant to Section 14(d) hereof) or the expiration of the stated term of such Option, whichever date is earlier; provided, however, that, if the Optionee dies within such ninety (90) day period, any unexercised Option held by such Optionee shall thereafter be exercisable, to the extent to which it was exercisable at the time of death, for a period of one (1) year after the date of such death (or, if later, such time as the Option may be exercised pursuant to Section 14(d) hereof) or for the stated term of such Option, whichever period is shorter.
For purposes of this paragraph (h), “Normal Retirement” shall mean retirement from active employment with the Company or any Subsidiary on or after the normal retirement date specified in the applicable Company or Subsidiary pension plan or if no such pension plan, age 65, and “Early Retirement” shall mean retirement from active employment with the Company or any Subsidiary pursuant to the early retirement provisions of the applicable Company or Subsidiary pension plan or if no such pension plan, age 55.
(i)    Other Terminations.  Unless otherwise determined by the Committee upon grant, if any Optionee's employment with or service to the Company or any Subsidiary is terminated by such Optionee for any reason other than death, Disability, Normal or Early Retirement or Good Reason (as defined below), the Option shall thereupon terminate, except that the portion of any Option that was exercisable on the date of such termination of employment or service may be exercised for the lesser of ninety (90) days after the date of termination (or, if later, such time as the Option may be exercised pursuant to Section 14(d) hereof) or the balance of such Option's term, whichever period is shorter.  The transfer of an Optionee from the employ of or service to the Company to the employ of or service to a Subsidiary, or vice versa, or from one Subsidiary to another, shall not be deemed to constitute a termination of employment or service for purposes of the Plan.
(i)    In the event that the Optionee's employment or service with the Company or any Subsidiary is terminated by the Company or such Subsidiary for “cause” any unexercised portion of any Option shall immediately terminate in its entirety.  For purposes hereof, unless otherwise defined in an employment agreement between the Company and the relevant Optionee, “Cause” shall exist upon a good-faith determination by the Board, following a hearing before the Board at which an Optionee was represented by counsel and given an opportunity to be heard, that such Optionee has been accused of fraud, dishonesty or act detrimental to the interests of the Company or any Subsidiary of Company or that such Optionee has been accused of or convicted of an act of willful and material embezzlement or fraud against the Company or of a felony under any state or federal statute; provided, however, that it is specifically understood that “Cause” shall not include any act of commission or omission in the good-faith exercise of such Optionee's business judgment as a director, officer or employee of the Company, as the case may be, or upon the advice of counsel to the Company.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, if Cause is defined in an employment agreement between the Company and the relevant Optionee, then, with respect to such Optionee, Cause shall have the meaning ascribed to it in such employment agreement.
(ii)    In the event that an Optionee is removed as a director, officer or employee by the Company at any time other than for “Cause” or resigns as a director, officer or employee for “Good Reason” the Option granted to such Optionee may be exercised by the Optionee, to the extent the Option was exercisable on the date such Optionee ceases to be a director, officer or employee.  Such Option may be exercised at any time within one (1) year after the date the Optionee ceases to be a director, officer or employee (or, if later, such time as the Option may be exercised pursuant to Section 14(d) hereof), or the date on which the Option otherwise expires by its terms; which ever period is 

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shorter, at which time the Option shall terminate; provided, however, if the Optionee dies before the Options terminate and are no longer exercisable, the terms and provisions of Section 5(f) shall control.  For purposes of this Section 5(i), and unless otherwise defined in an employment agreement between the Company and the relevant Optionee, Good Reason shall exist upon the occurrence of the following:
		
	(A)
	the assignment to Optionee of any duties inconsistent with the position in the Company that Optionee held immediately prior to the assignment;

		
	(B)
	a Change of Control resulting in a significant adverse alteration in the status or conditions of Optionee's participation with the Company or other nature of Optionee's responsibilities from those in effect prior to such Change of Control, including any significant alteration in Optionee's responsibilities immediately prior to such Change in Control; and

		
	(C)
	the failure by the Company to continue to provide Optionee with benefits substantially similar to those enjoyed by Optionee prior to such failure.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, if Good Reason is defined in an employment agreement between the Company and the relevant Optionee, then, with respect to such Optionee, Good Reason shall have the meaning ascribed to it in such employment agreement.
(j)    Limit on Value of Incentive Option.  The aggregate Fair Market Value, determined as of the date the Incentive Option is granted, of Stock for which Incentive Options are exercisable for the first time by any Optionee during any calendar year under the Plan (and/or any other stock option plans of the Company or any Subsidiary) shall not exceed $100,000.
6.    Terms and Conditions of Restricted Stock.
Restricted Stock may be granted under this Plan aside from, or in association with, any other award and shall be subject to the following conditions and shall contain such additional terms and conditions (including provisions relating to the acceleration of vesting of Restricted Stock upon a Change of Control), not inconsistent with the terms of the Plan, as the Committee shall deem desirable:
(a)    Grantee rights.  A Grantee shall have no rights to an award of Restricted Stock unless and until Grantee accepts the award within the period prescribed by the Committee and, if the Committee shall deem desirable, makes payment to the Company in cash, or by check or such other instrument as may be acceptable to the Committee.  After acceptance and issuance of a certificate or certificates, as provided for below, the Grantee shall have the rights of a stockholder with respect to Restricted Stock subject to the non-transferability and forfeiture restrictions described in Section 6(d) below.
(b)    Issuance of Certificates.  The Company shall issue in the Grantee's name a certificate or certificates for the shares of Common Stock associated with the award promptly after the Grantee accepts such award.
(c)    Delivery of Certificates.  Unless otherwise provided, any certificate or certificates issued evidencing shares of Restricted Stock shall not be delivered to the Grantee until such shares are free of any restrictions specified by the Committee at the time of grant.
(d)    Forfeitability, Non-transferability of Restricted Stock.  Shares of Restricted Stock are forfeitable until the terms of the Restricted Stock grant have been satisfied.  Shares of Restricted Stock are not transferable until the date on which the Committee has specified such restrictions have lapsed.  Unless otherwise provided by the Committee at or after grant, distributions in the form of dividends or otherwise of additional shares or property in respect of shares of Restricted Stock shall be subject to the same restrictions as such shares of Restricted Stock.
(e)    Change of Control.  Upon the occurrence of a Change in Control as defined in Section 5(c), the Committee may accelerate the vesting of outstanding Restricted Stock, in whole or in part, as determined by the 

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Committee, in its sole discretion.
(f)    Termination of Employment.  Unless otherwise determined by the Committee at or after grant, in the event the Grantee ceases to be an employee or otherwise associated with the Company for any other reason, all shares of Restricted Stock theretofore awarded to him which are still subject to restrictions shall be forfeited and the Company shall have the right to complete the blank stock power.  The Committee may provide (on or after grant) that restrictions or forfeiture conditions relating to shares of Restricted Stock will be waived in whole or in part in the event of termination resulting from specified causes, and the Committee may in other cases waive in whole or in part restrictions or forfeiture conditions relating to Restricted Stock.
7.    Term of Plan.
No Option or award of Restricted Stock shall be granted pursuant to the Plan on or after the date which is ten years from the effective date of the Plan, but Options and awards of Restricted Stock theretofore granted may extend beyond that date.
8.    Capital Change of the Company.
In the event of any merger, reorganization, consolidation, recapitalization, stock dividend, or other change in corporate structure affecting the Stock, the Committee shall make an appropriate and equitable adjustment in the number and kind of shares reserved for issuance under the Plan and in the number and option price of shares subject to outstanding Options granted under the Plan, to the end that after such event each Optionee's proportionate interest shall be maintained (to the extent possible) as immediately before the occurrence of such event.  The Committee shall, to the extent feasible, make such other adjustments as may be required under the tax laws so that any Incentive Options previously granted shall not be deemed modified within the meaning of Section 424(h) of the Code.  Appropriate adjustments shall also be made in the case of outstanding Restricted Stock granted under the Plan.
The adjustments described above will be made only to the extent consistent with continued qualification of the Option under Section 422 of the Code (in the case of an Incentive Option) and Section 409A of the Code.
9.    Purchase for Investment/Conditions.
Unless the Options and shares covered by the Plan have been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), or the Company has determined that such registration is unnecessary, each person exercising or receiving Options or Restricted Stock under the Plan may be required by the Company to give a representation in writing that he is acquiring the securities for his own account for investment and not with a view to, or for sale in connection with, the distribution of any part thereof.  The Committee may impose any additional or further restrictions on awards of Options or Restricted Stock as shall be determined by the Committee at the time of award.
10.    Taxes.
(a)    The Company may make such provisions as it may deem appropriate, consistent with applicable law, in connection with any Options or Restricted Stock granted under the Plan with respect to the withholding of any taxes (including income or employment taxes) or any other tax matters.
(b)    If any Grantee, in connection with the acquisition of Restricted Stock, makes the election permitted under Section 83(b) of the Code (that is, an election to include in gross income in the year of transfer the amounts specified in Section 83(b)), such Grantee shall notify the Company of the election with the Internal Revenue Service pursuant to regulations issued under the authority of Code Section 83(b).
(c)    If any Grantee shall make any disposition of shares of Stock issued pursuant to the exercise of an Incentive Option under the circumstances described in Section 421(b) of the Code (relating to certain disqualifying dispositions), such Grantee shall notify the Company of such disposition within ten (10) days hereof.

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11.    Effective Date of Plan.
The Plan shall be effective on August 22, 2011; provided, however, that if, and only if, certain options are intended to qualify as Incentive Stock Options, the Plan must subsequently be approved by majority vote of the Company's stockholders no later than August 22, 2012, and further, that in the event certain Option grants hereunder are intended to qualify as performance-based compensation within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Code, the requirements as to stockholder approval set forth in Section 162(m) of the Code are satisfied.
12.    Amendment and Termination.
The Board may amend, suspend, or terminate the Plan, except that no amendment shall be made that would impair the rights of any Participant under any Option or Restricted Stock theretofore granted without the Participant's consent, and except that no amendment shall be made which, without the approval of the stockholders of the Company would:
(a)    materially increase the number of shares that may be issued under the Plan, except as is provided in Section 8;
(b)    materially increase the benefits accruing to the Participants under the Plan;
(c)    materially modify the requirements as to eligibility for participation in the Plan;
(d)    decrease the exercise price of an Incentive Option to less than 100% of the Fair Market Value per share of Stock on the date of grant thereof or the exercise price of a Nonqualified Option to less than 100% of the Fair Market Value per share of Stock on the date of grant thereof; or
(e)    extend the term of any Option beyond that provided for in Section 5(b).
(f)    except as otherwise provided in Sections 5(d) and 8 hereof, reduce the exercise price of outstanding Options or effect repricing through cancellations and re-grants of new Options.
Subject to the forgoing, the Committee may amend the terms of any Option theretofore granted, prospectively or retrospectively, but no such amendment shall impair the rights of any Optionee without the Optionee's consent.
It is the intention of the Board that the Plan comply strictly with the provisions of Section 409A of the Code and Treasury Regulations and other Internal Revenue Service guidance promulgated thereunder (the “Section 409A Rules”) and the Committee shall exercise its discretion in granting awards hereunder (and the terms of such awards), accordingly.  The Plan and any grant of an award hereunder may be amended from time to time (without, in the case of an award, the consent of the Participant) as may be necessary or appropriate to comply with the Section 409A Rules.
13.    Government Regulations.
The Plan, and the grant and exercise of Options or Restricted Stock hereunder, and the obligation of the Company to sell and deliver shares under such Options and Restricted Stock shall be subject to all applicable laws, rules and regulations, and to such approvals by any governmental agencies, national securities exchanges and interdealer quotation systems as may be required.
14.    General Provisions.
(a)    Certificates.  All certificates for shares of Stock delivered under the Plan shall be subject to such stop transfer orders and other restrictions as the Committee may deem advisable under the rules, regulations and other requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission, or other securities commission having jurisdiction, any applicable Federal or state securities law, any stock exchange or interdealer quotation system upon which the Stock 

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is then listed or traded and the Committee may cause a legend or legends to be placed on any such certificates to make appropriate reference to such restrictions.
(b)    Employment Matters.  Neither the adoption of the Plan nor any grant or award under the Plan shall confer upon any Participant who is an employee of the Company or any Subsidiary any right to continued employment or, in the case of a Participant who is a director, continued service as a director, with the Company or a Subsidiary, as the case may be, nor shall it interfere in any way with the right of the Company or any Subsidiary to terminate the employment of any of its employees, the service of any of its directors or the retention of any of its consultants or advisors at any time.
(c)    Limitation of Liability.  No member of the Committee, or any officer or employee of the Company acting on behalf of the Committee, shall be personally liable for any action, determination or interpretation taken or made in good faith with respect to the Plan, and all members of the Committee and each and any officer or employee of the Company acting on their behalf shall, to the extent permitted by law, be fully indemnified and protected by the Company in respect of any such action, determination or interpretation.
(d)    Registration of Stock.  Notwithstanding any other provision in the Plan, no Option may be exercised unless and until the Stock to be issued upon the exercise thereof has been registered under the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws, or are, in the opinion of counsel to the Company, exempt from such registration in the United States.  The Company shall not be under any obligation to register under applicable federal or state securities laws any Stock to be issued upon the exercise of an Option granted hereunder in order to permit the exercise of an Option and the issuance and sale of the Stock subject to such Option, although the Company may in its sole discretion register such Stock at such time as the Company shall determine.  If the Company chooses to comply with such an exemption from registration, the Stock issued under the Plan may, at the direction of the Committee, bear an appropriate restrictive legend restricting the transfer or pledge of the Stock represented thereby, and the Committee may also give appropriate stop transfer instructions with respect to such Stock to the Company's transfer agent.
15.    Non-Uniform Determinations.
The Committee's determinations under the Plan, including, without limitation, (i) the determination of the Participants to receive awards, (ii) the form, amount and timing of such awards, (iii) the terms and provisions of such awards and (ii) the agreements evidencing the same, need not be uniform and may be made by it selectively among Participants who receive, or who are eligible to receive, awards under the Plan, whether or not such Participants are similarly situated.
16.    Governing Law.
The validity, construction, and effect of the Plan and any rules and regulations relating to the Plan shall be determined in accordance with the internal laws of the State of Nevada, without giving effect to principles of conflicts of laws, and applicable federal law.

9IZEA 09.30.11 Ex 10.2 - Schram Employment Agreement

    
EXECUTIVE EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
This EXECUTIVE EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is made and entered into as of the 30th day of July 2011, by and between IZEA Holdings, Inc., a Nevada corporation headquartered at 150 N. Orange Avenue, Suite 412, Orlando, Florida and   Ryan Schram, an individual residing at ___________________________ (“Executive”).  As used herein, the “Effective Date: of this Agreement shall mean September 12, 2011.
W I T N E S S E T H:
WHEREAS, the Executive desires to be employed by the Company as its Chief Marketing Officer and the Company wishes to employ Executive in such capacity;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing recitals and the respective covenants and agreements of the parties contained in this document, the Company and Executive hereby agree as follows: 
1.Employment and Duties.  The Company agrees to employ and Executive agrees to serve as the Company's Chief Marketing Officer.  The duties and responsibilities of Executive shall include the duties and responsibilities as the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) may from time to time assign to Executive.

Executive shall devote substantially all of his working time and efforts during the Company's normal business hours to the business and affairs of the Company and its subsidiaries and to the diligent and faithful performance of the duties and responsibilities duly assigned to him pursuant to this Agreement.  Provided that none of the additional activities interferes with the performance of the duties and responsibilities of Executive or are determined by the inconsistent with the position, standing, stature, reputation or best interests of the Company, nothing in this Section 1, shall prohibit Executive from (a) serving as a director or member of a committee of up to two (2) entities that do not, in the good faith determination of the Board, compete or present the appearance of competition with the Company or otherwise create, or could create, in the good faith determination of the Board, a conflict of interest or appearance of a conflict of interest with the business of the Company; (b) delivering lectures, fulfilling speaking engagements, and any writing or publication relating to his area of expertise; provided, that any fees, royalties or honorariums received therefrom shall be promptly turned over to the Company; (c) serving as a director or trustee of any governmental, charitable or educational organization or (d) engaging in additional activities in connection with personal investments and community affairs; provided that such activities are not inconsistent with Executive's duties under this Agreement and do not violate the terms of Section 13.  
Commencing on the Effective Date, the Executive shall be an official observer of the Board.  The Executive shall be appointed to the Board, subject to the provisions of the Company's certificate of incorporation, as amended and the Company's bylaws, upon the Company generating at least eighty percent (80%) of the gross revenue budget approved by the Company's board of directors (the “Gross Revenue Budget”) for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012 as disclosed in the 

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Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for such fiscal year.  If the Company does not generate at least eighty percent (80%) of the Gross Revenue Budget for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012, the Executive shall be nominated to the Board and the appointment of the Executive to the Board shall be subject to shareholder approval at the Company's annual shareholder meeting in 2013.
2.Term.  The term of this Agreement shall commence on the Effective Date and shall continue through December 31, 2014 and shall be automatically renewed for successive one (1) year periods thereafter unless either party provides the other party with written notice of his or its intention not to renew this Agreement at least three (3) months prior to the expiration of the Initial Term or any renewal term of this Agreement.  “Employment Period” shall mean the Initial Term plus renewals, if any. 

3.Place of Employment.  Executive's primary office location shall be his home office in Michigan provided, however, that Executive shall be expected to and will spend significant time at the Company's offices located in Orlando, Florida as mutually determined by the parties. The parties acknowledge that Executive may be required to travel in connection with the performance of his duties hereunder. 

4.Base Salary.  For all services to be rendered by Executive pursuant to this Agreement, the Company agrees to pay Executive during the Employment Period a base salary (the "Base Salary") at an annual rate of $230,000, with such increases to the Base Salary as shall be determined by the Board in its sole discretion. The Base Salary shall be paid in periodic installments in accordance with the Company's regular payroll practices. 

5.Bonuses.  The Executive shall be eligible to receive an annual and quarterly bonus the (“Bonus”) as set forth in the attached Schedule A (unless adjusted by the Compensation Committee of the Board (the “Compensation Committee”)). The Bonus shall be paid by the Company to the Executive promptly after determination that the relevant targets have been met; it being understood that the attainment of any financial targets associated with any bonus shall not be determined until following the completion of the Company's quarterly review and shall be paid promptly following the Company's announcement of earnings but, in any event, not later than the earlier of (a) fifteen (15) days following the filing of the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for such quarter or (b) the second pay period after such quarter. In the event that the Compensation Committee is unable to act or if there shall be no such Compensation Committee, then all references herein to the Compensation Committee (except in the proviso to this sentence) shall be deemed to be references to the Board.  

6.Severance Compensation.    Upon termination of Executive's employment prior to expiration of the Employment Period unless the Executive's employment is terminated for Cause or Executive terminates his employment without Good Reason, the Executive shall be entitled to receive any and all reasonable expenses paid or incurred by the Executive in connection with and related to the performance of his duties and responsibilities for the Company during the period ending on the termination date, any accrued but unused vacation time through the termination date in accordance with Company policy and an amount equal to (a) Executive's Base Salary during the prior six months and (b) Bonus and Override Bonus during, prior six months (the “Separation Period”), as in effect as of the date of termination (the “Separation Payment”), provided that Executive executes an agreement releasing Company and its affiliates from any liability associated with this Agreement in form and terms satisfactory to the Company and complies with his other obligations under this Agreement as provided in Section 12 and 13 hereof, as a condition to such Separation Payment. In the event that either party provides the other party with written notice not 

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to renew this Agreement at least three (3) months prior to the expiration of the Employment Period pursuant to Paragraph 2 and the Company, after such notice, terminates Executive's employment prior to the expiration of the Employment Period, the date of termination for purposes of this Paragraph 6 shall be construed to be the expiration of the Employment Period; the effect which shall be that Executive shall continue to receive his Base Salary, Bonuses and other perquisites and benefits specified in this Agreement through the stated Employment Period after which the Severance Compensation as specified in this Paragraph 6 shall commence.  [For purposes of illustration, in the event that Executive notifies Company on September 15, 2014 of his intention not to renew this Agreement and Company, on September 16, 2014 terminates Executive's employment, Executive shall be entitled to receive his Base Salary, Bonuses and other perquisites and benefits specified in this Agreement in full through December 31, 2014 as if still employed by Company with the Severance Compensation specified in this Paragraph 6 to commence on January 1, 2015.]  In addition, the Executive's cost of COBRA coverage will be covered for a period of six months following the date of termination. The Separation Payment shall be paid in in accordance with the customary payroll practices of the Company.

7.Equity Awards.  The Executive shall be eligible for such grants of awards under a Company incentive plan (or any successor or replacement plan adopted by the Board and approved by the stockholders of the Company) (the “Plan”) as the Compensation Committee or Board may from time to time determine (the “Share Awards”).  Share Awards shall be subject to the applicable Plan terms and conditions, provided, however, that Share Award shall be subject to any additional terms and conditions as are provided herein or in any award certificate(s), which shall supersede any conflicting provisions governing Share Awards provided under the Plan.  The Executive will be eligible for option grants as outlined in Schedule B.

8.Clawback Rights.  (a) The Bonus, and any and all stock based compensation (such as options and equity awards) (collectively, the “Clawback Benefits”) shall be subject to “Company Clawback Rights” as follows: During the period that the Executive is employed by the Company and  upon the termination of the Executive's employment and for a period of one (1) year thereafter, if there is a Restatement (as defined below) of any financial results from which any Clawback Benefits to Executive shall have been determined, Executive agrees to repay any Clawback Benefits amounts which were determined by reference to any Company financial results which were later restated (as defined below), to the extent the Clawback Benefits amounts paid exceed the Clawback Benefits amounts that would have been paid, based on the Restatement of the Company's financial information.  All Clawback Benefits amounts resulting from such restated financial results shall be retroactively adjusted by the Compensation Committee to  take into account the restated results, and any excess portion  of  the Clawback Benefits  resulting from such restated results shall be immediately surrendered to the Company  and if not so surrendered within ninety (90) days of the revised calculation being provided to the Executive by the Compensation Committee following a publicly announced Restatement, the Company shall have the right to take any and all action to effectuate such adjustment. The calculation of the Revised Clawback Benefits amount shall be determined by the Compensation Committee and applicable law, rules and regulations.  All determinations by the Compensation Committee with respect to the Clawback Rights shall be final and binding on the Company and Executive.  The Clawback Rights shall be subject to applicable law, rules and regulations. For purposes of this Section 8, a restatement of financial results that requires a repayment of a portion of the Clawback Benefits amounts shall mean “a restatement resulting from material non-compliance of the Company with any financial reporting requirement under the federal securities laws and shall not include a restatement of financial results resulting from subsequent changes in accounting pronouncements 

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or  requirements which were not in effect on the date the financial statements were originally prepared (“Restatement”)”.  The parties acknowledge it is their intention that the foregoing Clawback Rights as relates to Restatement conform in all respects to the provisions of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (the “Dodd Frank Act”) and requires recovery of all “incentive-based” compensation, pursuant to the provisions of the Dodd Frank Act and any and all rules and regulations promulgated thereunder from time to time in effect.  Accordingly, the terms and provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed automatically amended from time to time to assure compliance with the Dodd Frank Act and such rules and regulation as hereafter may be adopted and in effect.

(b)  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Clawback Benefits, including Share Awards, shall be subject to automatic forfeiture to the Company if at any time during the period that the Executive is employed by the Company and upon the termination of the Executive's employment and for a period of one (1) year thereafter if there is (i) any breach of any Agreement by Executive relating to confidentiality, non-competition, non-raid of employees, or non-solicitation of vendors or customers; or (ii) any material breach of Company policy or procedures which causes harm to the Company, as determined by the Board (collectively, the “Fiduciary Clawbacks”).  In the event of a Fiduciary Clawback, the Executive shall forfeit the Clawback Benefits, including Share Awards, to the Company within ninety (90) days of the occurrence of a breach pursuant to (i) or (ii) herein. 
9.Expenses.  Executive shall be entitled to prompt reimbursement by the Company for all reasonable ordinary and necessary travel, entertainment, and other expenses incurred by Executive while employed (in accordance with the policies and procedures established by the Company for its senior executive officers) in the performance of his duties and responsibilities under this Agreement; provided, that Executive shall properly account for such expenses in accordance with Company policies and procedures. 

10.Other Benefits.  During the term of this Agreement, the Executive shall be eligible to participate in incentive, stock purchase, savings, retirement (401(k)), and welfare benefit plans, including, without limitation, health, medical, dental, vision, life (including accidental death and dismemberment) and disability insurance plans (collectively, "Benefit Plans"), in substantially the same manner and at substantially the same levels as the Company makes such opportunities available to the Company's managerial or salaried executive employees.  The Executive shall be entitled to five (5) weeks of vacation (in addition to the usual national holidays) during each contract year during which he serves hereunder.  Such vacation shall be taken at such time or times as will be mutually agreed between the Executive and the Company.  Vacation not taken during a calendar year may not be carried forward.

11.Termination of Employment. 
(a)    Death.  If Executive dies during the Employment Period, this Agreement and the Executive's employment with the Company shall automatically terminate and the Company shall have no further obligations to the Executive or his heirs, administrators or executors with respect to compensation and benefits accruing thereafter, except for the obligation to pay to the Executive's heirs, administrators or executors any earned but unpaid Base Salary, unpaid pro rata Bonus for the current year through the date of death,  reimbursement of any and all reasonable expenses paid or incurred by the Executive in connection with and related to the performance of his duties and responsibilities for the Company during the period ending on the termination date and any accrued but unused vacation time through the termination date in accordance with Company policy.  The Company shall deduct, from all payments made hereunder, all applicable taxes, including income tax, FICA and FUTA, and other appropriate deductions.  In addition, the Executive's spouse and 

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minor children shall be entitled to Medical Continuation Coverage including, without limitation, health, medical, dental plans.
(b)    Disability.  In the event that, during the term of this Agreement the Executive shall be prevented from performing his duties and responsibilities hereunder to the full extent required by the Company by reason of Disability (as defined below), this Agreement and the Executive's employment with the Company shall automatically terminate and the Company shall have no further obligations or liability to the Executive or his heirs, administrators or executors with respect to compensation and benefits accruing thereafter, except for the obligation to pay the Executive or his heirs, administrators or executors any earned but unpaid Base Salary, unpaid pro rata Bonus for the current year accrued through the Executive's last date of employment with the Company, reimbursement of any and all reasonable expenses paid or incurred by the Executive in connection with and related to the performance of his duties and responsibilities for the Company during the period ending on the termination date and any accrued but unused vacation time through the termination date in accordance with Company policy. The Company shall deduct, from all payments made hereunder, all applicable taxes, including income tax, FICA and FUTA, and other appropriate deductions through the last date of the Executive's employment with the Company. In addition, the Executive's spouse and minor children shall be entitled to Medical Continuation Coverage.  For purposes of this Agreement, “Disability” shall mean a physical or mental disability that prevents the performance by the Executive, with or without reasonable accommodation, of his duties and responsibilities hereunder for a period of not less than an aggregate of three (3) months during any twelve (12) consecutive months.
(c)    Cause.
(1)    At any time during the Employment Period, the Company may terminate this Agreement and the Executive's employment hereunder for Cause. For purposes of this Agreement, “Cause” shall mean: (a) the willful and continued failure of the Executive to perform substantially his duties and responsibilities for the Company (other than any such failure resulting from Executive's death or Disability) after a written demand by the Board for substantial performance is delivered to the Executive by the Company, which specifically identifies the manner in which the Board believes that the Executive has not substantially performed his duties and responsibilities, which willful and continued failure is not cured by the Executive within thirty (30) days of his receipt of such written demand; (b) the conviction of, or plea of guilty or nolo contendere to, a felony, or (c) fraud, dishonesty or gross misconduct which is materially and demonstratively injurious to the Company. Termination under clauses (b) or (c) of this Section 11(c)(1) shall not be subject to cure. 
(2)    For purposes of this Section 11(c), no act, or failure to act, on the part of Executive shall be considered “willful” unless done, or omitted to be done, by him in bad faith and without reasonable belief that his action or omission was in, or not opposed to, the best interest of the Company (including reputationally). Prior to any termination for Cause, Executive will be given five (5) business days written notice specifying the alleged Cause event and will be entitled to appear (with counsel) before the full Board to present information regarding his views on the Cause event, and after such hearing, there is at least a majority vote of the full Board (other than Executive) to terminate him for Cause.  After providing the notice in foregoing sentence, the Board may suspend the Executive with full pay and benefits until a final determination pursuant to this Section 11(c) 

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has been made.

(3)    Upon termination of this Agreement for Cause, the Company shall have no further obligations or liability to the Executive or his heirs, administrators or executors with respect to compensation and benefits thereafter, except for the obligation to pay the Executive any earned but unpaid Base Salary, reimbursement of any and all reasonable expenses paid or incurred by the Executive in connection with and related to the performance of his duties and responsibilities for the Company during the period ending on the termination date and any accrued but unused vacation time through the termination date in accordance with Company policy.  The Company shall deduct, from all payments made hereunder, all applicable taxes, including income tax, FICA and FUTA, and other appropriate deductions.
 (d)    Good Reason and Without Cause.  
(1)    At any time during the term of this Agreement, subject to the conditions set forth in Section 11(d)(2) below, the Executive may terminate this Agreement and the Executive's employment with the Company for “Good Reason.” For purposes of this Agreement, “Good Reason” shall mean the occurrence of any of the following events: (A) the assignment, without the Executive's consent, to the Executive of duties that are significantly different from, and that result in a substantial diminution of, the duties that he assumed on the Effective Date; (B) the assignment, without the Executive's consent, to the Executive of a title that is different from and subordinate to the title Chief Marketing Officer of the Company or any subsidiary, provided, however, for the absence of doubt following a Change of Control, should the Executive cease to retain either the title or responsibilities assumed on the Effective Date, or Executive is required to serve in a diminished capacity or lesser title  in a division or unit of another entity (including the acquiring entity), such event shall constitute Good Reason regardless of the title of Executive in such acquiring company, division or unit; or (C) material breach by the Company of this Agreement.
(2)    Executive shall not be entitled to terminate this Agreement for Good Reason unless and until he shall have delivered written notice to the Company within ninety (90) days of the date upon which the facts giving rise to Good Reason occurred of his intention to terminate this Agreement and his employment with the Company for Good Reason, which notice specifies in reasonable detail the circumstances claimed to provide the basis for such termination for Good Reason, and the Company shall not have eliminated the circumstances constituting Good Reason within thirty (30) days of its receipt from the Executive of such written notice.
(3)    In the event that the Executive terminates this Agreement and his employment with the Company for Good Reason or the Company terminates this Agreement and Executive's employment with the Company without Cause, the Company shall pay or provide to the Executive (or, following his death, to the Executive's heirs, administrators or  executors) the Separation Payment amount; provided, however, that in the event Executive elects to terminate this Agreement for Good Reason, such election must be made within ninety (90) days of the occurrence of the Change of Control  and Executive shall be entitled to receive the Separation Payment.   The Company shall deduct, from all payments made hereunder, all applicable taxes, including income tax, FICA and FUTA, and other appropriate deductions.
 (4)    Executive shall not be required to mitigate the amount of any payment provided for in this Section 11(d) by seeking other employment or otherwise, nor shall the amount of any payment 

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provided for in this Section 11(d) be reduced by any compensation earned by the Executive as the result of employment by another employer or business or by profits earned by Executive from any other source at any time before and after the termination date. The Company's obligation to make any payment pursuant to, and otherwise to perform its obligations under, this Agreement shall not be affected by any offset, counterclaim or other right that the Company may have against Executive for any reason.  Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the benefits to Executive under this Agreement shall be reduced by the amount of any insurance proceeds. 
(e)    Without “Good Reason” by Executive.  At any time during the term of this Agreement, the Executive shall be entitled to terminate this Agreement and the Executive's employment with the Company without Good Reason by providing prior written notice of at least thirty (30) days to the Company.  Upon termination by the Executive of this Agreement or the Executive's employment with the Company without Good Reason, the Company shall have no further obligations or liability to the Executive or his heirs, administrators or executors with respect to compensation and benefits thereafter, except for the obligation to pay the Executive any earned but unpaid Base Salary, reimbursement of any and all reasonable expenses paid or incurred by the Executive in connection with and related to the performance of his duties and responsibilities for the Company during the period ending on the termination date and any accrued but unused vacation time through the termination date in accordance with Company policy. The Company shall deduct, from all payments made hereunder, all applicable taxes, including income tax, FICA and FUTA, and other appropriate deductions.
(f)    Change of Control.  For purposes of this Agreement, “Change of Control” shall mean the occurrence of any one or more of the following: (i) the accumulation (if over time, in any consecutive twelve (12) month period), whether directly, indirectly, beneficially or of record, by any individual, entity or group (within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) or 14(d)(2) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) of 50.1% or more of the shares of the outstanding Common Stock of the Company, whether by merger, consolidation, sale or other transfer of shares of Common Stock (other than a merger or consolidation where the stockholders of the Company prior to the merger or consolidation are the holders of a majority of the voting securities of the entity that survives such merger or consolidation), (ii) a sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company or (iii) during any period of twelve (12) consecutive months, the individuals who, at the beginning of such period, constitute the Board, and any new director whose election by the Board or nomination for election by the Company's stockholders was approved by a vote of at least two-thirds (2/3) of the directors then still in office who either were directors at the beginning of the 12-month period or whose election or nomination for election was previously so approved, cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the Board; provided, however, that the following acquisitions shall not constitute a Change of Control for the purposes of this Agreement: (A) any acquisitions of Common Stock or securities convertible, exercisable or exchangeable into Common Stock directly from the Company, or (B) any acquisition of Common Stock or securities convertible, exercisable or exchangeable into Common Stock by any employee benefit plan (or related trust) sponsored by or maintained by the Company.
(g)    Any termination of the Executive's employment by the Company or by Executive (other than termination by reason of Executive's death) shall be communicated by written Notice of Termination to the other party of this Agreement. For purposes of this Agreement, a “Notice of Termination” shall mean a written notice which shall indicate the specific termination provision in 

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this Agreement relied upon and shall set forth in reasonable detail the facts and circumstances claimed to provide a basis for termination of the Executive's employment under the provision so indicated, provided, however, failure to provide timely notification shall not affect the employment status of Executive.
12.Confidential Information.
(a)    Disclosure of Confidential Information. The Executive recognizes, acknowledges and agrees that he has had and will continue to have access to secret and confidential information regarding the Company, its subsidiaries and their respective businesses (“Confidential Information”), including but not limited to, its products, methods, formulas, software code, patents, sources of supply, customer dealings, data, know-how, trade secrets and business plans, provided such information is not in or does not hereafter become part of the public domain, or become known to others through no fault of the Executive.  The Executive acknowledges that such information is of great value to the Company, is the sole property of the Company, and has been and will be acquired by him in confidence.  In consideration of the obligations undertaken by the Company herein, the Executive will not, at any time, during or after his employment hereunder, reveal, divulge or make known to any person, any information acquired by the Executive during the course of his employment, which is treated as confidential by the Company, and not otherwise in the public domain. The provisions of this Section 12 shall survive the termination of the Executive's employment hereunder.
(b)    The Executive affirms that he does not possess and will not rely upon the protected trade secrets or confidential or proprietary information of any prior employer(s) in providing services to the Company or its subsidiaries.
(c)    In the event that the Executive's employment with the Company terminates for any reason, the Executive shall deliver forthwith to the Company any and all originals and copies, including those in electronic or digital formats, of Confidential Information; provided, however, Executive shall be entitled to retain (i) papers and other materials of a personal nature, including, but not limited to, photographs, correspondence, personal diaries, calendars and rolodexes, personal files and phone books, (ii) information showing his compensation or relating to reimbursement of expenses, (iii) information that he reasonably believes may be needed for tax purposes and (iv) copies of plans, programs and agreements relating to his employment, or termination thereof, with the Company.
13.Non-Competition and Non-Solicitation.
(a)    The Executive agrees and acknowledges that the Confidential Information that the Executive has already received and will receive is valuable to the Company and that its protection and maintenance constitutes a legitimate business interest of the Company, to be protected by the non-competition restrictions set forth herein. The Executive agrees and acknowledges that the non-competition restrictions set forth herein are reasonable and necessary and do not impose undue hardship or burdens on the Executive. The Executive also acknowledges that the products and services developed or provided by the Company, its affiliates and/or its clients or customers are or are intended to be sold, provided, licensed and/or distributed to customers and clients primarily in and throughout the United States (the “Territory”) (to the extent the Company comes to operate, 

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either directly or through the engagement of a distributor or joint or co-venturer, or sell a significant amount of its products and services to customers located, in areas other than the United States during the term of the Employment Period, the definition of Territory shall be automatically expanded to cover such other areas), and that the Territory, scope of prohibited competition, and time duration set forth in the non-competition restrictions set forth below are reasonable and necessary to maintain the value of the Confidential Information of, and to protect the goodwill and other legitimate business interests of, the Company, its affiliates and/or its clients or customers. The provisions of this Section 13 shall survive the termination of the Executive's employment hereunder.
(b)    The Executive hereby agrees and covenants that he shall not, during the Employment Period and any Separation Period, without the prior written consent of the Company, directly or indirectly, in any capacity whatsoever, including, without limitation, as an employee, employer, consultant, principal, partner, shareholder, officer, director or any other individual or representative capacity (other than (i) as a holder of less than two (2%) percent of the outstanding securities of a Company whose shares are traded on any national securities exchange or (ii) as a limited partner, passive minority interest holder in a venture capital fund, private equity fund or similar investment entity which holds or may hold an equity or debt position in portfolio companies that are competitive with the Company; provided however, that the Executive shall be precluded from serving as an operating partner, general partner, manager or governing board designee with respect to such portfolio companies), or whether on the Executive's own behalf or on behalf of any other person or entity or otherwise howsoever, during the Employment Period and the Separation Period and thereafter to the extent described below, within the Territory: 
(1)    Engage, own, manage, operate, control, be employed by, consult for, participate in, or be connected in any manner with the ownership, management, operation or control of any business in competition with the business of the Company;
(2)    Recruit, solicit or hire, or attempt to recruit, solicit or hire, any employee, or independent contractor of the Company to leave the employment (or independent contractor relationship) thereof, whether or not any such employee or independent contractor is party to an employment agreement, for the purpose of competing with the business of the Company;
(3)    Attempt in any manner to solicit or accept from any customer of the Company, with whom Executive had significant contact during Executive's employment by the Company (whether under this Agreement or otherwise), business of the kind or competitive with the business done by the Company with such customer or to persuade or attempt to persuade any such customer to cease to do business or to reduce the amount of business which such customer has customarily done or might do with the Company, or if any such customer elects to move its business to a person other than the Company, provide any services of the kind or competitive with the business of the Company for such customer, or have any discussions regarding any such service with such customer, on behalf of such other person; or
(4)    Interfere with any relationship, contractual or otherwise, between the Company and any other party, including, without limitation, any supplier, distributor, co-

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venturer or joint venturer of the Company, for the purpose of soliciting such other party to discontinue or reduce its business with the Company.   
With respect to the activities described in Paragraphs (1), (2), (3) and (4) above, the restrictions of this Section 13(b) shall continue during the Employment Period and until one (1) year following the termination of this Agreement or of the Executive's employment with the Company (including upon expiration of this Agreement), whichever occurs later, unless this Agreement or Executive's employment was terminated by Executive for Good Reason or by Company without Cause.
14.Section 409A. 
The provisions of this Agreement are intended to comply with Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) and any final regulations and guidance promulgated thereunder (“Section 409A”) and shall be construed in a manner consistent with the requirements for avoiding taxes or penalties under Section 409A.  The Company and Executive agree to work together in good faith to consider amendments to this Agreement and to take such reasonable actions which are necessary, appropriate or desirable to avoid imposition of any additional tax or income recognition prior to actual payment to Executive under Section 409A.

To the extent that Executive will be reimbursed for costs and expenses or in-kind benefits, except as otherwise permitted by Section 409A, (a) the right to reimbursement or in-kind benefits is not subject to liquidation or exchange for another benefit, (b) the amount of expenses eligible for reimbursement, or in-kind benefits, provided during any taxable year shall not affect the expenses eligible for reimbursement, or in-kind benefits to be provided, in any other taxable year; provided that the foregoing clause (b) shall not be violated with regard to expenses reimbursed under any arrangement covered by Section 105(b) of the Code solely because such expenses are subject to a limit related to the period the arrangement is in effect and (c) such payments shall be made on or before the last day of the taxable year following the taxable year in which you incurred the expense.

A termination of employment shall not be deemed to have occurred for purposes of any provision of this Agreement providing for the payment of any amounts or benefits upon or following a termination of employment unless such termination constitutes a “Separation from Service” within the meaning of Section 409A and, for purposes of any such provision of this Agreement references to a “termination,” “termination of employment” or like terms shall mean Separation from Service.

Each installment payable hereunder shall constitute a separate payment for purposes of Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-2(b), including Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-2(b)(2)(iii).  Each payment that is made within the terms of the “short-term deferral” rule set forth in Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(b)(4) is intended to meet the “short-term deferral” rule.  Each other payment is intended to be a payment upon an involuntary termination from service and payable pursuant to Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(b)(9)(iii), et. seq., to the maximum extent permitted by that regulation, with any amount that is not exempt from Code Section 409A being subject to Code Section 409A.

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, if Executive is a “specified employee” within the meaning of Section 409A at the time of Executive's termination, then only 

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that portion of the severance and benefits payable to Executive pursuant to this Agreement, if any, and any other severance payments or separation benefits which may be considered deferred compensation under Section 409A (together, the “Deferred Compensation Separation Benefits”), which (when considered together) do not exceed the Section 409A Limit (as defined herein) may be made within the first six (6) months following Executive's termination of employment in accordance with the payment schedule applicable to each payment or benefit.  Any portion of the Deferred Compensation Separation Benefits in excess of the Section 409A Limit otherwise due to Executive on or within the six (6) month period following Executive's termination will accrue during such six (6) month period and will become payable in one lump sum cash payment on the date six (6) months and one (1) day following the date of Executive's termination of employment.  All subsequent Deferred Compensation Separation Benefits, if any, will be payable in accordance with the payment schedule applicable to each payment or benefit. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if Executive dies following termination but prior to the six (6) month anniversary of Executive's termination date, then any payments delayed in accordance with this paragraph will be payable in a lump sum as soon as administratively practicable after the date of Executive's death and all other Deferred Compensation Separation Benefits will be payable in accordance with the payment schedule applicable to each payment or benefit. 

For purposes of this Agreement, “Section 409A Limit” will mean a sum equal (x) to the amounts payable prior to March 15 following the year in which Executive terminations plus (y) the lesser of two (2) times: (i) Executive's annualized compensation based upon the annual rate of pay paid to Executive during the Company's taxable year preceding the Company's taxable year of Executive's termination of employment as determined under Treasury Regulation 1.409A-1(b)(9)(iii)(A)(1) and any IRS guidance issued with respect thereto; or (ii) the maximum amount that may be taken into account under a qualified plan pursuant to Section 401(a)(17) of the Code for the year in which Executive's employment is terminated.  
15.Miscellaneous.
(a)    The Executive acknowledges that the services to be rendered by him under the provisions of this Agreement are of a special, unique and extraordinary character and that it would be difficult or impossible to replace such services.  Furthermore, the parties acknowledge that monetary damages alone would not be an adequate remedy for any breach by the Executive of Section 12 or Section 13 of this Agreement. Accordingly, the Executive agrees that any breach or threatened breach by him of Section 12 or Section 13 of this Agreement shall entitle the Company, in addition to all other legal remedies available to it, to apply to any court of competent jurisdiction to seek to enjoin such breach or threatened breach. The parties understand and intend that each restriction agreed to by the Executive hereinabove shall be construed as separable and divisible from every other restriction, that the unenforceability of any restriction shall not limit the enforceability, in whole or in part, of any other restriction, and that one or more or all of such restrictions may be enforced in whole or in part as the circumstances warrant. In the event that any restriction in this Agreement is more restrictive than permitted by law in the jurisdiction in which the Company seeks enforcement thereof, such restriction shall be limited to the extent permitted by law. The remedy of injunctive relief herein set forth shall be in addition to, and not in lieu of, any other rights or remedies that the Company may have at law or in equity.
(b)    Neither the Executive nor the Company may assign or delegate any of their rights or duties under this Agreement without the express written consent of the other; provided, however, that the Company shall have the right to delegate its obligation of payment of all sums due to the 

11

Executive hereunder, provided that such delegation shall not relieve the Company of any of its obligations hereunder.
(c)    During the term of this Agreement, the Company (i) shall indemnify and hold harmless Executive and his heirs and representatives as, and to the extent, provided in the Company's bylaws and (ii) shall cover Executive under the Company's directors' and officers' liability insurance on the same basis as it covers other senior executive officers and directors of the Company.    
(d)    This Agreement constitutes and embodies the full and complete understanding and agreement of the parties with respect to the Executive's employment by the Company, supersedes all prior understandings and agreements, whether oral or written, between the Executive and the Company, and shall not be amended, modified or changed except by an instrument in writing executed by the party to be charged (it being understood that, pursuant to Section 7, Share Awards shall govern with respect to the subject matter thereof). The invalidity or partial invalidity of one or more provisions of this Agreement shall not invalidate any other provision of this Agreement. No waiver by either party of any provision or condition to be performed shall be deemed a waiver of similar or dissimilar provisions or conditions at the same time or any prior or subsequent time.
(e)    This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of, be binding upon and enforceable against, the parties hereto and their respective successors, heirs, beneficiaries and permitted assigns.
(f)    The headings contained in this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement.
(g)    All notices, requests, demands and other communications required or permitted to be given hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given when personally delivered, sent by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, or by reputable national overnight delivery service (e.g. Federal Express) for overnight delivery to the party at the address set forth in the preamble to this Agreement, or to such other address as either party may hereafter give the other party notice of in accordance with the provisions hereof.  Notices shall be deemed given on the sooner of the date actually received or the third business day after deposited in the mail or one business day after deposited with an overnight delivery service for overnight delivery.
(h)    This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York without reference to principles of conflicts of laws and each of the parties hereto irrevocably consents to the jurisdiction and venue of the federal and state courts located in the County and State of New York.
(i)    This Agreement may be executed simultaneously in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one of the same instrument. The parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the date set forth above.
(j)    The Executive represents and warrants to the Company, that he has the full  power and authority to enter into this Agreement and to perform his obligations hereunder and that the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the performance of his obligations hereunder will not conflict with any agreement to which Executive is a party.
(k)    The Company represents and warrants to Executive that it has the full  power and 

12

authority to enter into this Agreement and to perform its obligations hereunder and that the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the performance of its obligations hereunder will not conflict with any agreement to which the Company is a party.

[Signature page follows immediately]

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Executive and the Company have caused this Executive Employment Agreement to be executed as of the date first above written.

	
		
	COMPANY:
	EXECUTIVE:

	IZEA HOLDINGS, INC.
	RYAN SCHRAM

	By: /s/ Edward Murphy
	By: /s/ Ryan Schram

	Title: Founder/CEO
	Title: Chief Marketing Officer

	Date: July 30, 2011
	Date: July 30, 2011

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Schedule A

Bonus
Signing Bonus
The Executive shall be entitled to a bonus of $12,000, payable upon the Effective Date.

Revenue Override Bonus
The Executive shall be entitled to a bonus equal to one half percent (.5%) of the Company's Gross Revenue, increasing to three quarter percent (.75%) of Gross Revenue upon exceeding the Gross Revenue Budget.  The Revenue Override Bonus will begin October 1, 2011.  
Payment of Revenue Override Bonus: The Executive will be entitled to a draw equal to seventy-five percent (75%) of the Revenue Override Bonus payable against the previous quarters' revenue and shall be paid in periodic installments in accordance with the Company's regular payroll practices.  Within fifteen (15) days following the filing of the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for such quarter, the Executive will be paid any additional Revenue Override Bonus as calculated from the preceding quarter.  In the event the draw for the preceding quarter is greater than the revenue calculated, the amount will be deducted from Executive's future draws.
”Gross Revenue” is determined by applying generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP).
Bonus
The Executive will be entitled to an annual Bonus of up to $100,000 per year beginning October 1, 2011 based upon achieving key performance indicators (“KPI”), as determined in advance by the Compensation Committee or the Board.  The KPI for Q4 2011 and for the year 2012 will be seventy-five percent (75%) based on the Gross Revenue Budgetapproved by the board of directors and twenty-five percent (25%) based on other KPI's determined in advance by the Compensation Committee or the Board.  The Gross Revenue Budget for Q3 2011 and Q4 2011 have been established and approved by the Board of Directors at $1,500,000 and $2,000,000 respectively.  

The Bonus will be split twenty percent (20%) per quarter for quartile goals and twenty percent (20%) annual for annual goals.  The Bonus will be granted upon meeting eighty percent (80%) of gross revenue targets and other key performance indicators and shall be paid at sixty percent (60%) of total Bonus.  At ninety percent (90%) of target, eighty percent (80%) of total Bonus shall be paid.  At one hundred percent (100%) of target, one hundred percent (100%) of total Bonus shall be paid.  

	
													
	Period / 20% of total Bonus
	100% Bonus
	100% target KPI / 100% Bonus
	90% target KPI / 80% Bonus
	80% target KPI / 60% Bonus

	Q4 2011
	$
	20,000
	

	$
	20,000
	

	$
	16,000
	

	$
	12,000
	

	Annual 2011 20% of total Bonus (prorated)
	$
	5,000
	

	$
	5,000
	

	$
	4,000
	

	$
	3,000
	

	Q1 2012
	$
	20,000
	

	$
	20,000
	

	$
	16,000
	

	$
	12,000
	

	Q2 2012
	$
	20,000
	

	$
	20,000
	

	$
	16,000
	

	$
	12,000
	

	Q3 2012
	$
	20,000
	

	$
	20,000
	

	$
	16,000
	

	$
	12,000
	

	Q4 2012
	$
	20,000
	

	$
	20,000
	

	$
	16,000
	

	$
	12,000
	

	Annual 2012 20% of total Bonus
	$
	20,000
	

	$
	20,000
	

	$
	16,000
	

	$
	12,000
	

15

Within the earlier of (a) fifteen (15) days following the filing of the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for such quarter or (b) the third pay period after such quarter, the Executive will be paid Bonus in accordance with the Company's regular payroll practices.

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Schedule B

Equity Awards
Initial Equity Award
The Executive shall be entitled to an option to purchase 500,000 shares of the Company's common stock under the Company's equity incentive plan at an exercise price of $0.50 per share to be issued effective July 1, 2011 and which shall vest in equal monthly installments over a period of four (4) years beginning one year from the date of issuance.

Follow-on Equity Awards
The Executive shall, on an annual basis, be entitled to receive, at the discretion of the Board,  option grants under the Company's equity incentive plan to purchase up to 500,000 shares of the Company's common stock, vesting in equal monthly installments, each year starting December 31, 2012 based on the KPI and proration of targets used for the Bonus calculation.

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