Document:

NANOPHASE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION 8-K 

 

Exhibit
10.1

 

NANOPHASE
TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION

 

2019
EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN

 

 

 

The
purpose of the 2019 Nanophase Technologies Corporation Equity Compensation Plan (the “Plan”) is to provide designated
employees of Nanophase Technologies Corporation (the “Company”) and its subsidiaries, and certain advisors, including
non-employee members of the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) who perform services for the Company or
its subsidiaries, with the opportunity to receive grants of incentive stock options, non-qualified options, restricted shares,
performance shares and stock appreciation rights. The Company believes that the Plan will encourage the participants to contribute
materially to the growth of the Company, thereby benefiting the Company’s shareholders, and will align the economic interests
of the participants with those of the shareholders.

 

ARTICLE
I 

 

ADMINISTRATION
OF THE PLAN 

 

Section
1.1 Administration. 

 

(a)            Committee.
The Plan shall be administered and interpreted by the Compensation and Governance Committee of the Board (the “Committee”).
The Committee shall consist of three or more persons appointed by the Board, all of whom shall be “outside directors”
as defined under Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) and related Treasury
regulations, shall be “non-employee directors” as defined under Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”).

 

(b)            Committee
Authority. The Committee shall have the sole authority to (i) determine the individuals to whom grants shall be made under
the Plan, (ii) determine the type, size and terms of the grants to be made to each such individual, (iii) determine the time when
the grants will be made and the duration of any applicable exercise or restriction period, including the criteria for exercisability
and the acceleration of exercisability, and (iv) make all determinations with respect to any other matters arising under the Plan.
The Committee may delegate the authority to make grants during the periods between regularly scheduled meetings of the Committee;
however, grants in excess of 5,000 shares or grants with non-standard terms shall be made subject to Committee approval. Any grant
made pursuant to the Committee’s delegated authority shall be reported to the Board at the next meeting following the grant.

 

(c)            Committee
Determinations. The Committee shall have power and authority to interpret the Plan, make factual determinations, and to adopt
or amend such rules, regulations, agreements and instruments for implementing the Plan as it deems necessary or advisable, in
its sole discretion. The Committee’s interpretations and determinations shall be conclusive and binding on all persons having
any interest in the Plan. Determinations made by the Committee under the Plan need not be uniform as to similarly situated individuals.

 

Section
1.2 Grants. Awards under the Plan may consist of grants of (i) incentive stock options as described in Section 2.1
(“Incentive Stock Options”) and (ii) non-qualified options as described in Section 2.1 (“Non-qualified Options”)
(Incentive Stock Options and Non-qualified Options are collectively referred to as “Options”).

 

     

     

    

 

All
Grants shall be subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein and to such other terms and conditions specified in the individual
in a grant instrument (the “Grant Instrument”). The Committee shall approve the form and provisions of each Grant
Instrument.

 

Section
1.3 Shares Subject to the Plan. 

 

(a)          Shares
Authorized. 

 

(i)
For purposes of the Plan, a “Share” means one share of common stock of the Company, par value $0.01 per share. Subject
to adjustments as provided in Section 1.3(b) below, the aggregate number of Shares available for Grants under the Plan shall be
3,000,000 Shares.

 

(ii)
For each calendar year, Grants under the Plan shall also be subject to the following limitations:

 

(A)
Subject to adjustments as provided in Section 1.3(b) below, and for other than newly hired employees receiving grants as part
of their initial compensation, the maximum aggregate number of Shares that shall be subject to Grants made under this Plan during
any calendar year shall be 600,000 Shares. This limit shall not apply to Grants made to a person as an inducement material to
the individual’s entering into employment with the Company (“New Hire Grants”).

 

(B)
No grant recipient (“Grantee”) shall receive more than twenty (20) percent of the aggregate number of any class of
Grants, excluding any New Hire Grants, made during any calendar year. This will make the absolute limit that any Grantee can receive
in any given calendar year equal to 120,000 (20% of 600,000 shares, as referenced above), excluding any New Hire Grants that Grantee
may have received in that same calendar year.  

 

(C)
During each calendar year, Employees shall be granted under the Plan no more than two (2) percent of the Company’s outstanding
Shares and Non-Employee Directors shall be granted no more than one-half (1/2) percent of the Company’s outstanding Shares.
The number of outstanding Shares for purpose of this subsection will be determined as of the first business day of each applicable
calendar year on a fully-diluted basis.

 

(iii)
The limitations set forth in subsection (ii) above shall not apply to New Hire Grants made to a person as an inducement material
to the individual’s entering into employment with the Company, except for the overall limit of the New Hire Grant being
120,000 Options, as described in subsection (ii)(B) per person as it applies to this type of grant only. In addition, New Hire
Grants shall not count against the aggregate maximum amounts set forth above in subsection (ii)(A) above.

 

(iv)
The Shares may be authorized but unissued Shares or reacquired Shares, including Shares purchased by the Company on the open market
for purposes of the Plan. If and to the extent Options granted under the Plan terminate, expire, or are canceled, forfeited, exchanged
or surrendered without having been exercised, the Shares subject to such Grants shall no longer be available for future Grants
for purposes of the Plan. Once the cumulative Options granted within the life of the Plan reach 3,000,000, there will be no further
shares available for Grants without an amendment to the Plan to authorize additional shares being added to the Plan.

 

     

     

    

 

(b)               Adjustments
for Significant Events. If the number or kind of outstanding Shares change by reason of (i) a dividend, spin-off, recapitalization,
split or combination or exchange of Shares, (ii) a merger, reorganization or consolidation in which the Company is the surviving
corporation, (iii) a reclassification or change in par value, or (iv) any other extraordinary or unusual event affecting the outstanding
Shares of the Company as a class without the Company’s receipt of consideration, or if the value of outstanding Shares is
substantially reduced as a result of a spin-off or the Company’s payment of an extraordinary dividend or distribution the
maximum number of Shares available for Grants, the maximum number of Shares that any individual participating in the Plan may
be granted in any year, the number of Shares covered by outstanding Grants, the kind of Shares issued under the Plan, and the
price per Share or the applicable market value of such Grants may be appropriately adjusted by the Committee to reflect any increase
or decrease in the number of, or change in the kind or value of, issued Shares to preclude, to the extent practicable, the enlargement
or dilution of rights and benefits under such Grants. Any fractional Shares resulting from such adjustment shall be eliminated.
Any adjustments determined by the Committee shall be final, binding and conclusive.

 

Section
1.4 Eligibility for Participation. 

 

(a)          Eligible
Persons. All employees of the Company, its parents and its subsidiaries (“Employees”), including Employees who
are officers or members of the Board, and members of the Board who are not Employees (“Non-Employee Directors”) shall
be eligible to participate in the Plan. Advisors who perform services to the Company or any of its parents or its subsidiaries
(“Key Advisors”) shall be eligible to participate in the Plan if the Key Advisors render bona fide services and such
services are not in connection with the offer or sale of securities in a capital-raising transaction.

 

(b)          Selection
of Grantees. The Committee shall select the Employees, Non-Employee Directors and Key Advisors to receive Grants.

 

ARTICLE
II 

 

EQUITY
INCENTIVE GRANTS 

 

Section
2.1 Options. 

 

(a)          Number
of Shares. The Committee shall determine the number of Shares that will be subject to each Grant of Options, subject to the
limitations in Section 1.3 above.

 

(b)          Type
of Option and Price. 

 

(i)
The Committee may grant Incentive Stock Options that are intended to qualify as “incentive stock options” within the
meaning of Section 422 of the Code or Non-qualified Options that are not intended so to qualify or any combination of Incentive
Stock Options and Non-qualified Options.

 

(ii)
The purchase price (the “Exercise Price”) of Shares subject to an Option shall be equal to, or greater than, the Fair
Market Value (as defined below) of a Share on the date the Option is granted. The Exercise Price of an Incentive Stock Option
shall be equal to, or greater than, the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date the Incentive Stock Option is granted and may
not be granted to an Employee who, at the time of grant, owns Shares possessing more than 10 percent of the total combined voting
power of all Shares and other classes of stock of the Company or any parent or subsidiary of the Company, unless the Exercise
Price per Share is not less than 110% of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of grant.

 

     

     

    

 

(iii)
If the Shares are publicly traded, then the Fair Market Value per Share shall be determined as follows: (x) if the principal trading
market for the Shares is a national securities exchange or the Nasdaq National Market, the last reported sale price thereof on
the date of grant or, if there were no trades on that date, the earliest subsequent date upon which a sale was reported, or (y)
if the Shares are not principally traded on such exchange or market, the mean between the last reported “bid” and
“asked” prices of a Share on the following date, as reported on Nasdaq or, if not so reported, as reported by the
National Daily Quotation Bureau, Inc. or as reported in a customary financial reporting service, as applicable and as the Committee
determines. If the Shares are not publicly traded or, if publicly traded, are not subject to reported transactions or “bid”
or “asked” quotations as set forth above, the Fair Market Value per Share shall be as determined in good faith by
the Committee; provided that, if the Shares are publicly traded, the Committee may make such discretionary determinations where
the Shares have not been traded for 10 trading days.

 

(c)          Option
Term. The Committee shall determine the term of each Option. The term of any Option shall not exceed seven years from the
date of grant. For Incentive Stock Options granted to an Employee who, at the time of grant, owns Shares possessing more than
10 percent of the total combined voting power of all Shares and other classes of stock of the Company, or any parent or subsidiary
of the Company, the term shall not exceed five years from the date of grant.

 

(d)          Vesting
of Options. Options shall vest in accord with the terms and conditions specified in the Grant Instrument. The Committee may
accelerate the vesting of any or all outstanding Options at any time for any reason.

 

(e)          Termination
of Employment, Disability or Death. 

 

(i)
Except as provided below, an Option may only be exercised while the Grantee is an Employee, Key Advisor or member of the Board.
In the event that a Grantee has a Termination of Service (as defined below) for any reason other than Disability (as defined below),
death or Cause (as defined below), any Option which is otherwise exercisable by the Grantee shall terminate unless exercised within
90 days after the date of such termination, but in any event no later than the date of expiration of the Option term. Any Options
that the Grantee cannot exercise at the time of a Termination of Service shall terminate as of such date.

 

(ii)
In the event a Grantee is terminated for Cause, unless otherwise determined by the Committee (x) any Option held by the Grantee
shall terminate as of the date of such Termination of Service and (y) the Grantee shall automatically forfeit all Shares underlying
any exercised portion of an Option for which the Company has not yet delivered the certificates, upon refund by the Company of
the Exercise Price paid by the Grantee for such Shares.

 

(iii)
In the event a Grantee has a Termination of Service on account of Disability, any Option which is otherwise exercisable by the
Grantee shall terminate unless exercised within one year after the date of such Termination of Service, but in any event no later
than the date of expiration of the Option term. Unless provided otherwise in the applicable Grant Instrument, any of the Grantee’s
Options which are not otherwise exercisable as of the date of such Termination of Service shall terminate as of such date.

 

(iv)
If the Grantee dies while an Employee, Key Advisor or member of the Board or within 90 days after the date on which the Grantee
has a Termination of Service, any Option that is otherwise exercisable by the Grantee shall terminate unless exercised within
one year after the date of such death or Termination of Service, but in any event no later than the date of expiration of the
Option term. Unless provided otherwise in the applicable Grant Instrument, any of the Grantee’s Options that are not otherwise
exercisable as of the date shall terminate as of such date.

 

     

     

    

 

(v)
For purposes of the Plan:

 

(A)
“Cause” shall mean a finding by the Committee that (1) the Grantee has breached his or her employment, service, noncompetition,
nonsolicitation or other similar contract with the Company or its parent and subsidiary corporations, (2) has been engaged in
disloyalty to the Company or its parent and subsidiary corporations, including, without limitation, fraud, embezzlement, theft,
commission of a felony or dishonesty in the course of his or her employment or service, (3) has disclosed trade secrets or confidential
information of the Company or its parents and subsidiary corporations to persons not entitled to receive such information or (4)
has entered into competition with the Company or its parent or Subsidiary Corporations. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the
Grantee has an employment agreement with the Company defining “Cause,” then such definition shall supersede the foregoing
definition.

 

(B)
“Disability” shall mean a Grantee’s becoming disabled within the meaning of Section 22(e)(3) of the Code. Notwithstanding
the foregoing, if the Grantee has an employment agreement with the Company defining “Disability,” then such definition
shall supersede the foregoing definition.

 

(C)
“Termination of Service” shall mean a Grantee’s termination of employment or service as an Employee, Key Advisor
or member of the Board unless the Grantee continues without interruption to serve thereafter in another such capacities.

 

(f)           Exercise
of Options. A Grantee may exercise an Option that has become exercisable, in whole or in part, by delivering a notice of exercise
to the Company with payment of the Exercise Price. The Grantee shall pay the Exercise Price (x) in cash, (y) by delivering Shares
owned by the Grantee for the period necessary to avoid a charge to the Company’s earnings for financial reporting purposes
and to avoid adverse accounting consequences to the Company (including Shares acquired in connection with the exercise of an Option,
subject to such restrictions as the Committee deems appropriate) and having a Fair Market Value on the date of exercise equal
to the Exercise Price, or (z) by such other method as the Committee may approve, including payment through a broker in accord
with procedures permitted by Regulation T of the Federal Reserve Board; provided, that, for purposes of assisting a Grantee (other
than a Grantee who is a director or an executive officer of the Company) to exercise an Option, the Company may make loans to
such Grantee or guarantee loans made by third parties to such Grantee, on such terms and conditions as the Committee may authorize.
Such Grantee shall pay the Exercise Price at the time of exercise and shall satisfy the withholding tax requirements of Section
3.1.

 

(g)          Limits
on Incentive Stock Options. Each Incentive Stock Option shall provide that, if the aggregate Fair Market Value of the Shares
on the date of the grant with respect to which Incentive Stock Options are exercisable for the first time by a Grantee during
any calendar year, under the Plan and any other equity compensation plan of the Company or a parent or subsidiary, exceeds $100,000,
then the option, as to the excess, shall be treated as a Non-qualified Option. No Incentive Stock Option shall be granted to any
person who is not an Employee of the Company or a parent or subsidiary of the Company (within the meaning of Section 424(f) of
the Code).

 

     

     

    

 

ARTICLE
III 

 

GENERAL
MATTERS 

 

Section
3.1 Withholding of Taxes. 

 

(a)          Required
Withholdings. The Company shall be entitled to withhold from any payments or deemed payments any amount of tax withholding
(including all federal, state and local taxes) determined by the Committee to be required by law. Without limiting the generality
of the foregoing, the Committee may, in its discretion, require the Grantee to pay the amount that the Committee deems necessary
to satisfy the Company’s obligation to withhold federal, state or local income or other taxes incurred by reason of the
exercise of any Option, or (ii) any other applicable income recognition event. Notwithstanding anything contained in the Plan
to the contrary, the Grantee’s satisfaction of any tax- withholding requirements imposed by the Committee shall be a condition
precedent to the Company’s obligation as may otherwise be provided hereunder to provide Shares to the Grantee and to the
release of any restrictions as may otherwise be provided hereunder, as applicable; and the applicable options shall be forfeited
upon the failure of the Grantee to satisfy such requirements with respect to, as applicable, (i) the exercise of the Option or
(ii) any other applicable income recognition event.

 

(b)          Election
to Withhold Shares. If the Committee so permits, a Grantee may make a written election to satisfy the Company’s income
tax withholding obligation with respect to an Option, Restricted Shares or Performance Shares by having Shares withheld by the
Company from the Shares otherwise to be received, or to deliver previously owned Shares (not subject to restrictions hereunder).
The number of Shares so withheld or delivered shall have an aggregate Fair Market Value on the date of exercise sufficient to
satisfy the applicable withholding taxes. Where the exercise of an Incentive Stock Option does not give rise to an obligation
by the Company to withhold federal, state or local income or other taxes on the date of exercise, but may give rise to such an
obligation in the future, the Committee may, in its discretion, make such arrangements and impose such restrictions as it deems
necessary or appropriate. The election must be in a form and manner prescribed by the Committee and shall be subject to the prior
approval of the Committee.

 

Section
3.2 Transferability of Grants. 

 

(a)          In
General. Except as provided in Section 3.2(b), only the Grantee may exercise rights under a Grant during the Grantee’s
lifetime. A Grantee may not transfer those rights except by will or by the laws of descent and distribution. When a Grantee dies,
the personal representative or other person entitled to succeed to the rights of the Grantee (“Successor Grantee”)
may exercise such rights in accordance with the terms of the Plan. A Successor Grantee must furnish proof satisfactory to the
Company of his or her right to receive the Grant under the Grantee’s will or under the applicable laws of descent and distribution.

 

(b)          Transfer
of Non-qualified Options. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Committee may provide in a Grant Instrument that a Grantee may
transfer Non-qualified Options to family members or other persons or entities according to such terms as the Committee may determine
where the Committee determines that such transferability does not result in accelerated federal income taxation; provided that
the Grantee receives no consideration for the transfer of an Option and the transferred Option shall continue to be subject to
the same terms and conditions as were applicable to the Option immediately before the transfer.

 

Section
3.3 Reorganization or Change in Control of the Company. 

 

(a)          Definitions.

 

(i)
As used herein, a “Reorganization” shall be deemed to have occurred if the shareholders of the Company approve (or,
if shareholder approval is not required, the Board approves) an agreement providing for (i) the merger or consolidation of the
Company with another corporation where the shareholders of the Company, immediately prior to the merger or consolidation, will
not beneficially own, immediately after the merger or consolidation, Shares entitling such shareholders to more than 50% of all
votes to which all shareholders of the surviving corporation would be entitled in the election of directors (without consideration
of the rights of any class of stock to elect directors by a separate class vote), (ii) the sale or other disposition of all or
substantially all of the assets of the Company, or (iii) a liquidation or dissolution of the Company.

 

     

     

    

 

(ii)
As used herein, a “Change of Control” shall be deemed to have occurred if any “person” (as such term is
used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act) or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates becomes a “beneficial owner”
(as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing a majority
of the voting power of the then outstanding securities of the Company except where the acquisition is approved by the Board.

 

(b)          Assumption
of Grants. Upon a Reorganization where the Company is not the surviving corporation (or survives only as a subsidiary of another
corporation), all outstanding Options that are not exercised shall be assumed by, or replaced with comparable options or rights
by, the surviving corporation.

 

(c)          Notice
and Acceleration. Upon a Reorganization or a Change of Control, (i) the Company shall provide each Grantee with outstanding
Grants written notice of such event and (ii) all outstanding Options shall automatically accelerate and become fully exercisable.

 

Section
3.4 Requirements for Issuance or Transfer of Shares. 

 

(a)          Shareholder’s
Agreement. The Committee may require that a Grantee execute a shareholder’s agreement with respect to any Shares distributed
pursuant to the Plan.

 

(b)          Limitations
on Issuance or Transfer of Shares. No Shares shall be issued or transferred in connection with any Grant hereunder unless
and until all legal requirements applicable to the issuance or transfer of such Shares have been complied with to the satisfaction
of the Committee. The Committee shall have the right to condition any Grant made to any Grantee hereunder on such Grantee’s
undertaking in writing to comply with such restrictions on his or her subsequent disposition of such Shares as the Committee shall
deem necessary or advisable as a result of any applicable law, regulation or official interpretation thereof, and certificates
representing such Shares may be legended to reflect any such restrictions. Certificates representing Shares issued or transferred
under the Plan will be subject to such stop-transfer orders, registration and other restrictions as may be required by applicable
laws, regulations and interpretations, including any requirement that a legend be placed thereon.

 

Section
3.5 Amendment and Termination of the Plan. 

 

(a)          Amendment.
If shareholder approval for any amendment to the Plan is required by any applicable law or regulation, the Board may not make
such amendment to the Plan without the approval of the shareholders. Otherwise, the Board may amend or terminate the Plan at any
time.

 

(b)          Termination
of Plan. The Plan shall terminate on the day immediately preceding the tenth anniversary of the Effective Date (as defined
below), unless the Plan is terminated earlier by the Board or is extended by the Board with the approval of the shareholders.

 

(c)          Termination
and Amendment of Outstanding Grants. A termination or amendment of the Plan that occurs after a Grant is made shall not materially
impair the rights of a Grantee unless the Grantee consents or unless the amendment is required in order to comply with applicable
law. The termination of the Plan shall not impair the power and authority of the Committee with respect to an outstanding Grant.
Whether or not the Plan has terminated, an outstanding Grant may be terminated or amended in accord with the Plan or may be amended
by agreement of the Company and the Grantee consistent with the Plan.

 

     

     

    

 

(d)          Governing
Document. The Plan shall be the controlling document. No other statements, representations, explanatory materials or examples,
oral or written, may amend the Plan in any manner. The Plan shall be binding upon and enforceable against the Company and its
successors and assigns.

 

Section
3.6 Miscellaneous. 

 

(a)          Programs.
The Committee may adopt one or more programs not inconsistent with this Plan pursuant to which Grants may be made under this
Plan. Such programs shall be deemed merely programs of implementation of this Plan and shall not be deemed new plans.

 

(b)          Funding
of the Plan. The Plan shall be unfunded. The Company shall not be required to establish any special or separate fund or to
make any other segregation of assets to assure the payment of any Grants under the Plan. In no event shall interest be paid or
accrued on any Grant, including unpaid installments of Grants.

 

(c)          Rights
of Participants. Nothing in the Plan shall entitle any Employee, Non-Employee Director, Key Advisor or other person to any
claim or right to be granted a Grant under the Plan. Neither the Plan nor any action taken under it shall be construed as giving
any individual any rights to be retained by or in the employ of the Company or any other employment rights.

 

(d)          No
Fractional Shares. No fractional Shares shall be issued or delivered pursuant to the Plan or any Grant. The Committee shall
determine whether cash, other awards or other property shall be issued or paid in lieu of such fractional Shares or whether such
fractional Shares or any rights thereto shall be forfeited or otherwise eliminated.

 

(e)          Section
Headings. Section headings are for reference only. In the event of a conflict between a title and the content of a Section,
the content of the Section shall control.

 

(f)           Effective
Date of the Plan. Provided the Plan has been approved by the Company’s Board of Directors, the Plan shall be effective
on the first business day immediately following the Plan’s approval by the Shareholders of the Company (the “Effective
Date”).

 

(g)          Deferred
Compensation. No deferral of compensation (as defined under Code Section 409A or guidance thereto) is intended under this
Plan. The Committee may permit deferrals of compensation pursuant to the terms of the Grant Agreement, a separate plan or a subplan
which meets the requirements of Code Section 409A and any related guidance. Participants shall only be granted Awards under this
Plan that meet the requirements of Code Section 409A or qualify for an exemption under Code Section 409A or any related guidance.
If any participant receives an Award that does not comply with Code Section 409A or qualify for an exemption thereto, such Award
shall be null and void and shall be deemed to have never been granted. Additionally, to the extent any Award is subject to Code
Section 409A, notwithstanding any provision herein to the contrary, the Plan does not permit the acceleration of the time or schedule
of any distribution related to such Award, except as permitted by Code Section 409A, the regulations thereunder, and/or the Secretary
of the United States Treasury.

 

(h)          Grants
in Connection with Corporate Transactions and Otherwise. Nothing contained in the Plan shall be construed to (i) limit the
right of the Committee to make Grants under the Plan in connection with the acquisition, by purchase, lease, merger, consolidation
or otherwise, of the business or assets of any corporation, firm or association, including Grants to employees thereof who become
Employees or for other proper corporate purposes, or (ii) limit the right of the Company to grant stock options or make other
awards outside of the Plan. Without limiting the foregoing, the Committee may make a Grant to an employee of another corporation
who becomes an Employee by reason of a corporate merger, consolidation, acquisition of stock or property, reorganization or liquidation
involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries in substitution for a stock option grant made to such employee by such corporation.
The terms and conditions of the substitute grants may vary from the terms and conditions required by the Plan and from those of
the substituted stock incentives. The Committee shall prescribe the provisions of the substitute grants.

 

     

     

    

 

(i)          Compliance
with Law. The Plan, the exercise of Options and the obligations of the Company to issue or transfer Shares under Grants shall
be subject to all applicable laws and to approvals by any governmental or regulatory agency as may be required. With respect to
persons subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act, it is the intent of the Company that the Plan and all transactions under the
Plan comply with all applicable provisions of Rule 16b-3 or its successors under the Exchange Act. The Committee may revoke any
Grant if it is contrary to law or modify a Grant to bring it into compliance with any valid and mandatory government regulation.
The Committee may, in its sole discretion, agree to limit its authority under this Section.

 

(j)          Successors.
All obligations of the Company under the Plan with respect to awards granted under it shall be binding on any successor to
the Company, whether the existence of such successor is the result of a direct or indirect purchase, merger, consolidation or
otherwise, of all or substantially all of the business or assets of the Company.

 

(k)         Governing
Law. The validity, construction, interpretation and effect of the Plan and Grant Instruments issued under the Plan shall exclusively
be governed by and determined in accordance with the law of the State of Delaware.

 

(l)          Transition
Provisions Relating to the Prior Plans. Upon the Effective Date of the Plan, the Company’s 2010 Equity Compensation
Plan (the “2010 Plan”) shall be terminated subject to the provisions of Section 3.5 of the 2010 Plan, which will relate
to the post-termination effectiveness of grants under the 2010 Plan. The Plan shall not be deemed an amendment or restatement
of the 2010 Plan. Nothing in the Plan shall be deemed to impair the rights of or give any new or additional rights to any person
who received grants under the 2010 Plan.

 

Upon
the Effective Date of the 2010 Plan, the Company’s 2004 Equity Compensation Plan (as amended, the “2004 Plan”),
2005 Non-Employee Director Restricted Stock Plan (as amended, the “2005 Plan”), and the Amended and Restated 2006
Stock Appreciation Rights Plan (the “2006 Plan was terminated subject to the provisions of Section 3.5(c) of the 2004 Plan,
Section 3.2 of the 2005 Plan, and Section 3.1 of the 2006 Plan, each relating to the post-termination effectiveness of grants
under the 2004 Plan, the 2005 Plan, and the 2006 Plan, respectively. Nothing in the Plan shall be deemed to impair the rights
of or give any new or additional rights to any person who received grants under the 2004 Plan, the 2005 Plan, or the 2006 Plan.EX-10.1

 Exhibit 10.1 

AMENDED AND RESTATED EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT 

THIS AMENDED AND RESTATED EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is entered into as of November 21, 2019 (the “Effective
Date”), by and between Jason Harvison (“Employee”) and Elevate Credit Service, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Company”). Employee and Company are each referred to herein, individually, as a
“Party” and, collectively, as the “Parties.” 
 PRELIMINARY STATEMENTS 

The Parties agree that this Agreement (and each of the covenants contained herein, including the noncompetition covenant) is a condition to,
and a material inducement to, Company promoting Employee to the position of President and Chief Executive Officer and offering to continue Employee’s employment. 

Company desires to promote Employee and continue to employ Employee upon the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, and Employee
desires to accept such promotion and continued employment, upon the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement. 
 NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of
the foregoing and the mutual promises, terms, provisions and conditions contained in this Agreement, the Parties agree as follows: 
  

	1.	 Defined Terms. Capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined herein shall have
the following meanings: 

  

	 	1.1.	 “Cause” means one or more of the following: 

 

	 	1.1.1.	 Failure of Employee to be present for work and duties as set forth herein for ten (10) or more consecutive
business days (except during vacation and periods of illness as set forth herein) without consulting with the Chairman of the Board of Directors (“Board”) of Elevate Credit, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“EC”) for
such absence; 

  

	 	1.1.2.	 Employee’s conviction for a felony offense or commission by Employee of any act abhorrent to the community
that the Board considers materially damaging to or does discredit the reputation of Elevate Group; 

  

	 	1.1.3.	 Material dishonesty, fraud, willful misconduct, unlawful discrimination or theft on the part of Employee
(whether within the workplace or elsewhere); 

  

	 	1.1.4.	 Employee’s using for his own benefit or the benefit of any third party any material, non-public information, Company Information of Elevate Group, or willfully or negligently disclosing any such information to third parties without the prior written consent of the Board; 

 

	 	1.1.5.	 Employee’s use, possession, or distribution of illegal substances or being under the influence of alcohol
or illegal substances in the workplace, provided, however, Employee may consume alcohol reasonably and responsibly, if he so chooses, at legitimate business events and functions where alcohol is legally available; or 

 

	 	1.1.6.	 The determination by the Board that Employee has continually failed or refused to perform the duties of
Employee’s position in a satisfactory manner, in accordance with the policies, standards, regulations, instructions, or directions of Company as they currently exist or as they may be reasonably modified from time to time, or that Employee has
violated any of his other obligations under this Agreement, after written notice of such failure or refusal, citing this provision as a possible basis for the termination for termination of the Agreement and a fifteen (15) day period during
which the Employee will have the opportunity to cure the same. 

  
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	 	1.2.	 “Change in Control” means: 

 

	 	1.2.1.	 A merger or consolidation involving EC as a consequence of which those persons who held all of the equity
shares of EC immediately prior to such merger or consolidation do not hold either directly or indirectly a majority of the equity shares of EC (or, if applicable, the surviving company of such merger or consolidation) after the consummation of such
merger or consolidation; 

  

	 	1.2.2.	 A transfer, in a single transaction or a series of related transactions of voting or beneficial control of a
majority of EC’s then outstanding equity shares to persons who do not own prior to the transaction or series of transactions any equity interests of EC; or 

 

	 	1.2.3.	 The sale of all or substantially all of the assets of EC to any person or “group” of persons (other
than to any person who owns a majority or more of the equity shares of EC, or to a subsidiary of EC, or to an entity whose equity interests are owned directly or indirectly either by EC or by any person who owns directly or indirectly a majority or
more of the equity shares of EC); provided, however, that the following shall not be deemed a Change of Control: 

  

	 	A.	 mere incorporation of Company from its current limited liability company structure; or 

 

	 	B.	 a sale of EC or all or substantially all of the assets or outstanding equity securities of EC to, or any merger
with, TF Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“TF”), or any of its affiliates or subsidiaries. 

  

	 	1.3.	 “Change in Control Period” means the period in time that begins three (3) months prior to
and ends twenty-four (24) months after a Change in Control, provided that the Change in Control constitutes a change in control event under Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-3(i)(5)(i).

  

	 	1.4.	 “Code” means EC’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics Policy, a copy of which has been
provided to Employee. 

  

	 	1.5.	 “Company Information” means all Trade Secrets,
Know-How, and Confidential Information (recognizing that certain information and material will fall into multiple categories), including, without limitation, proposals, concepts, diagrams, models, ID’s or
email addresses, client or projections and reports, communications by or to attorneys (including attorney-client privileged communications), memos and other materials prepared by attorneys or under their direction (including attorney work product),
software systems and processes and any information that is not readily available to the public, the information gathering techniques and processes of Elevate Group, internally created client lists and associated data and pricing arrangements, and
strategic plans, financial and personnel records, but not including information that is intentionally disclosed to the general public by Elevate Group. 

  

	 	1.6.	 “Competing Business” means any person or entity that offers or provides technology,
analytical, administrative or support services or any products that would compete with or displace any technology, analytical, administrative or support services or any products offered, sold, licensed or being developed by Elevate Group during
Employee’s employment with Company, or any other activities so similar in nature or purpose to those offered by or engaged in by Elevate Group that they would displace business opportunities or customers of Elevate Group. 

 

	 	1.7.	 “Confidential Information” means all information acquired by Employee in the course and scope
of his employment that is designated by Elevate Group as confidential or that Elevate Group indicates through its policies, procedures, or other instructions should not be disclosed to anyone outside Elevate Group except through controlled means.
Confidential Information need not be a Trade Secret or Know-How to be protected under this Agreement. 

  

	 	1.8.	 “Covered Client or Customer” means any person or entity (clients and customers such as
financial institutions or intermediaries, retailers, wholesalers and self-distribution chains) that (a) Elevate Group has provided services to (including, without limitation, any corporate office, headquarter, retail, or dedicated team
services) and (b) Employee either had contact with, supervised employees who had contact with, or received proprietary information about within the last twenty-four (24) month period that Employee was employed with Company.

  

	 	1.9.	 “Disability.” For purposes of this Agreement, Employee will be deemed to have a
“Disability” if, either (a) because of a physical or mental impairment, Employee is unable to perform the essential functions of Employee’s duties under this Agreement with or without reasonable accommodations for one hundred and
twenty (120) consecutive days, or 

  
 2 

	 	
one hundred and eighty (180) total days during any twelve (12) month period or (b) Employee is determined to be disabled under any long-term disability insurance policy. The
disability of Employee under the foregoing clause (a) will be determined based upon the examination of Employee by a medical doctor selected by written agreement of Company and Employee upon the request of either party by notice to the other.
If Company and Employee cannot agree on the selection of a medical doctor, each of them will select a medical doctor and the two medical doctors will select a third medical doctor who will conduct the examination. The determination of the examining
medical doctor selected will be binding on both parties. Employee must submit to a reasonable number of examinations by the examining medical doctor, and Employee hereby authorizes the disclosure and release to the examining medical doctor of all
supporting medical records. If Employee is not legally competent, Employee’s legal guardian or duly authorized attorney-in-fact will act in Employee’s stead
for purposes of this definition and under Section 3 to submit Employee to the examinations, and providing the authorization of disclosure, required under this definition. 

 

	 	1.10.	 “Elevate Group” means collectively, Company, EC, any affiliate or subsidiary of EC, and any of
their respective successors and assigns, and reference to Elevate Group herein, may include all entities within Elevate Group or any one or more entities within Elevate Group. 

 

	 	1.11.	 “Employee Invention” means any idea, invention, technique, modification, process or
improvement (whether patentable or not), any industrial design (whether registerable or not), any software, any mask work, however fixed or encoded, that is suitable to be fixed, embedded or programmed in a semiconductor product (whether recordable
or not), and any work of authorship, publication (whether or not copyright protection may be obtained for it) created, conceived or developed by Employee, either solely or in conjunction with others (including Company, Elevate Group, and
Employee’s other previous employers), during or before the Employment Period, or during a period that includes a portion of the Employment Period, that relates to the business then being conducted by Company or Company’s anticipated
research or development and any such item created by Employee, either solely or in conjunction with others, following termination of Employee’s employment with Company that is based upon, contains, consists of or uses Company Information or
otherwise results from any work performed by Employee for Company. Company will exclude any item from Employee Inventions that cannot be assigned under applicable law, provided however that Employee notifies Company of the existence of any such item
within ninety (90) days of its creation by Employee. 

  

	 	1.12.	 “Employment Period” means the period of Employee’s employment under this Agreement, which
begins on the Effective Date and ends on the effective date of Employee’s termination of employment for whatever reason under this Agreement. 

  

	 	1.13.	 “Good Reason” means: 

 

	 	1.13.1.	 A material reduction in Employee’s base salary or cash incentive bonus opportunity; 

 

	 	1.13.2.	 A material reduction in Employee’s duties, responsibilities, or authority; 

 

	 	1.13.3.	 A requirement to relocate, except for office relocations that would not increase Employee’s one-way commuting distance by more than thirty-five (35) miles; or 

  

	 	1.13.4.	 A material violation by the Company of a material term of any agreement between Employee and the Company.

  

	 	1.14.	 “Intellectual Property” means all compositions, articles of manufacture, processes, apparatus,
and inventions; data, writings and other works of authorship (including, without limitation, software, protocols, rules, program codes, audiovisual effects created by program code, and documentation related thereto, drawings); mask works; and
certain tangible items (including, without limitation, materials, samples, components, tools, and operating devices) related to Elevate Group’s business. 

 

	 	1.15.	 “Intellectual Property Rights” means patents, trademarks, copyrights, mask rights, Trade
Secrets, and Know-How covering the Intellectual Property. 

  
 3 

	 	1.16.	 “Know-How” means all factual knowledge and information
related to Elevate Group’s business which is not capable of precise, separate description but which, in accumulated form, after being acquired, gives to the one acquiring it the ability to produce and market something which one would otherwise
not have known how to produce and market with the same accuracy or precision necessary for commercial success, provided, however, that such knowledge and information is not in the public domain or readily available to any third party other than a
limited number of persons who have agreed to keep that information secret. 

  

	 	1.17.	 “Severance Period” means a period of time beginning on the first day after the end of the
Employment Period and ending on the twenty-four (24) month anniversary of the last day of the Employment Period. 

  

	 	1.18.	 “Trade Secrets” means all types of information, including business information scientific,
technical, economic, or engineering information, and any formula, design, prototype, pattern, plan, compilation, program device, program, code, device, method, technique, process, procedure, financial data, or list of actual or potential customers
or suppliers, whether tangible or intangible and whether or how stored, compiled, or memorialized physically, electronically, graphically, photographically, that provides Company and/or Elevate Group economic value and which is not generally known
to competitors or other third parties. 

  

	2.	 Employee’s Duties. 

 

	 	2.1.	 Employment. Company hereby employs Employee, and Employee hereby accepts employment by Company, upon the
terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement. 

  

	 	2.2.	 Duties. Employee will have such duties as are directed by the Board and Employee will initially serve in
the capacity and have the duties set forth in Schedule I attached hereto. Employee shall dedicate all of his time, skill, and attention to Elevate Group’s business during business hours, and during such other hours as may be reasonably
necessary to fulfill his duties and responsibilities, with the exception of absences on account of illness or vacation in accordance with Company’s policies in effect from time to time. Employee agrees to remain loyal to Elevate Group, and not
to engage in any conduct that creates a conflict of interest to, or damages the reputation of Elevate Group. Employee understands that he will be placed in a position of special trust and confidence concerning the interests of Elevate Group. Unless
prior written approval is obtained by Company’s Chief Human Resources Officer or the Chief Legal Officer, Employee will not during the term of this Agreement be engaged in any other business activity or serve as an employee, independent
contractor, advisor or consultant to any other person, whether with respect to any Competing Business or any other business. Employee may, however, participate in any charity organization of his choosing and may be on the board of not more than one
(1) other commercial enterprise if Employee chooses, for so long as such activities do not materially impair employee’s ability to perform Employee’s duties for the Company. Employee will work diligently to perform the duties of any
position to which he is assigned in a reasonable, timely and professional manner, and shall comply with all applicable policies and rules of Company. 

  

	3.	 Employment Term; Termination; Compensation. 

 

	 	3.1.	 Term. The term of Employee’s employment with Company pursuant to this Agreement shall commence on
the Effective Date and will continue until terminated in accordance with this Agreement. The termination of Employee’s employment shall not affect any obligation that expressly extends beyond, or is not contingent upon, continued employment,
including the covenants in Section 5. 

  

	 	3.2.	 Termination and Severance. Except as otherwise provided in this Section 3.2,
the Employment Period, Employee’s Base Salary, Discretionary Bonus, and any and all other rights of Employee under this Agreement or otherwise as an employee of Company or its affiliates will terminate automatically upon termination of the
Agreement as provided in this Section 3.2. This Agreement does not supersede or otherwise effect any vested or otherwise guaranteed rights Employee has within and according to agreements related to Company’s 2014
Incentive Plan and/or 2016 Omnibus Incentive Plan. Accordingly, Employee’s employment may be terminated as follows: 

  

	 	3.2.1.	 Termination without Cause by Company Related to a Change in Control. If Company terminates
Employee’s employment without Cause (excluding death or Disability), and such termination occurs inside the Change in Control Period, then Company shall pay Employee’s Base Salary through the date of termination, any accrued but unpaid
Target Performance Bonus for the prior year, a lump sum payment of 100% of the Target 

  
 4 

	 	
Performance Bonus for year in which the termination occurs, in a lump sum on the first payment date described in clause (a) below, and severance pay in an amount equal to: (a) the base
salary that would be payable to Employee over the Severance Period in equal installments as set forth in Section 3.3.1, beginning with the Company’s first payroll period following the sixtieth (60th) day after Employee’s termination with the first payment to include any payments attributable to the period between the date of termination and the date of such first payment; and
(b) twenty-four (24) times the monthly premiums that Employee would be required to pay if Employee and Employee’s eligible dependents then participating in the Company’s group health insurance plan elected to continue their
current level of coverage pursuant to the provisions of the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, as amended (“COBRA”), regardless of whether such election is made, in a lump sum on the first payment date described
in clause (a) above. Furthermore, in the event of termination without cause by the Company related to a Change in Control, Employee shall be entitled to automatic full vesting in all outstanding equity grants made to Employee at any time prior
to the date of termination. 

  

	 	3.2.2.	 Termination without Cause by Company Unrelated to a Change in Control. If Company terminates
Employee’s employment without Cause (excluding death or Disability or termination within a Change in Control period), then Company shall pay Employee’s Base Salary through the date of termination, any accrued but unpaid Target Performance
Bonus for the prior year, a pro-rated Target Performance Bonus (which may be none) based on the Company’s performance to that point in the year in which the termination occurs against the established
performance metric(s), in a lump sum on the first payment date described in clause (a) below, and severance pay in an amount equal to: (a) the base salary that would be payable to Employee over the Severance Period in equal installments as
set forth in Section 3.3.1, beginning with the Company’s first payroll period following the sixtieth (60th) day after Employee’s termination with the first
payment to include any payments attributable to the period between the date of termination and the date of such first payment; and (b) twenty-four (24) times the monthly premiums that Employee would be required to pay if Employee and
Employee’s eligible dependents then participating in the Company’s group health insurance plan elected to continue their current level of coverage pursuant to the provisions of COBRA, regardless of whether such election is made, in a lump
sum on the first payment date described in clause (a) above. 

  

	 	3.2.3.	 Termination with Cause by Company. If Company terminates Employee’s employment with Company with
Cause, then Company shall pay any Base Salary earned by Employee through the date of termination, any accrued but unpaid Target Performance Bonus for the prior year, plus any other amounts required to be paid pursuant to applicable law. No severance
pay shall be applicable. 

  

	 	3.2.4.	 Termination without Good Reason by Employee. If Employee resigns without Good Reason, then Employee will
be entitled to receive Employee’s Base Salary through the date such termination is effective, any accrued but unpaid Target Performance Bonus for the prior year, plus any other amounts required to be paid pursuant to applicable law. No
severance pay shall be applicable. 

  

	 	3.2.5.	 Termination with Good Reason by Employee Unrelated to a Change of Control. If Employee resigns with Good
Reason, then Company shall pay Employee’s Base Salary through the date of termination, any accrued but unpaid Target Performance Bonus for the prior year, a pro-rated Target Performance Bonus (which may
be none) based on the Company’s performance to that point in the years in which the termination occurs against the established performance metric(s), in a lump sum on the first payment date described in clause (a) below, and severance pay
in an amount equal to: (a) the base salary that would be payable to Employee over the Severance Period in equal installments as set forth in Section 3.3.1, beginning with the Company’s first payroll period
following the sixtieth (60th) day after Employee’s termination with the first payment to include any payments attributable to the period between the date of termination and the date of such
first payment; and (b) twenty-four (24) times the monthly premiums that Employee would be required to pay if Employee and Employee’s eligible dependents then participating in the Company’s group health insurance plan elected to
continue their current level of coverage pursuant to the provisions of COBRA, regardless of whether such election is made, in a lump sum on the first payment date described in clause (a) above. 

  
 5 

	 	3.2.6.	 Termination with Good Reason by Employee Related to a Change in Control. If Employee
resigns with Good Reason and such resignation occurs inside the Change in Control Period, then Company shall pay Employee’s Base Salary through the date of termination, any accrued but unpaid Target Performance Bonus for the prior year, a lump
sum payment of 100% of the Target Performance Bonus for the year in which the resignation takes place on the first payment date described in clause (a) below, and severance pay in an amount equal to: (a) the base salary that would be
payable to Employee over the Severance Period in equal installments as set forth in Section 3.3.1, beginning with the Company’s first payroll period following the sixtieth (60th)
day after Employee’s termination with the first payment to include any payments attributable to the period between the date of termination and the date of such first payment; and (b) twenty-four (24) times the monthly premiums that
Employee would be required to pay if Employee and Employee’s eligible dependents then participating in the Company’s group health insurance plan elected to continue their current level of coverage pursuant to the provisions of COBRA,
regardless of whether such election is made, in a lump sum on the first payment date described in clause (a) above. Furthermore, in the event of termination without Good Reason related to a Change in Control, Employee shall be entitled to
automatic full vesting in all outstanding equity grants made to Employee at any time prior to the date of termination. 

  

	 	3.2.7.	 Termination Upon Disability. If Employee is terminated by either Party as a result of Employee’s
disability, then Employee will be entitled to receive (i) the Base Salary through the date on which such termination is effective and (ii) for one (1) year after such termination is effective, an amount (payable in monthly
installments) equal to the difference between the Salary otherwise due to Employee if he had not been terminated and any cash payments made to Employee during such month under the applicable disability insurance plan of the Company.

  

	 	3.2.8.	 Termination Upon Death. If Employee’s employment is terminated because of Employee’s death,
Employee will be entitled to receive (i) the Base Salary through the date on which such termination is effective plus (ii) any accrued but unpaid Target Performance Bonus for the prior year. 

 

	 	3.2.9.	 Benefits. Employee’s accrual of, or participation in plans providing for, the Benefits will cease
at the effective date of the termination of Employee’s employment under this Agreement for any reason, and Employee will be entitled to accrued Benefits pursuant to such plans only if and as provided in such plans. Employee will not receive, as
part of Employee’s termination pay pursuant to this Section 3.2, any payment or other compensation for any sick leave, vacation, or other leave unused on the date the notice of termination is given under this Agreement
or any portion of Employee’s annual bonus, if any. 

  

	 	3.2.10.	 Release. As a condition to Employee’s right to receive any payments or acceleration benefits from
the Company pursuant to this Section 3.2, Employee agrees to execute a release of any and all claims, demands, losses, liabilities or obligations, known or unknown, relating in any way to Elevate Group or this Agreement,
that Employee may now have or may claim to have against Elevate Group and such release will be in form and substance as are reasonably acceptable to Elevate Group subject to Employee’s execution, delivery and
non-revocation of such release within forty-five (45) days following the termination date (and non-revocation thereof within seven (7) days thereafter).

  

	 	3.2.11.	 Calculation of Pro-rations. For purposes of this
Section 3.2, pro-rations shall be calculated based upon the total number of months of completed service divided by twelve (12), with a full month being credited so long as Employee
has worked at least fifteen (15) days during such month. 

  

	 	3.3.	 Compensation. Company shall provide Employee with compensation in the form of wages and benefits,
subject to adjustment in the sole discretion of Company. 

  

	 	3.3.1.	 Base Salary. As compensation for services rendered under this Agreement, Employee shall be entitled to
receive from Company an annual gross base salary of six hundred thousand dollars ($600,000), or such other amount as agreed to by the Parties from time to time. The Base Salary shall be earned and payable in equal periodic installments paid in
accordance with Company’s payroll policies in effect from time to time, less all applicable withholding or taxes, and payable no less frequently than monthly. Employee authorizes Company to make any deductions from his compensation, including
from the final paycheck, that are deemed necessary by Company to comply with state or federal laws on withholdings, to compensate for property not returned, or to recover any advances paid to Employee. 

  
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	 	3.3.2.	 Target Performance Bonus. Employee shall be eligible for a bonus with a target value of one hundred
percent (100%) of Base Salary, or such other target value as agreed by the Parties, on an annual basis based upon achievement of performance metrics set by the Board at the beginning of the calendar year. The Board shall have the sole discretion to
determine whether the performance metrics have been achieved or, if applicable, the percentage of the performance metrics that have been achieved. If and to the extent achieved, as determined by the Board, the Target Performance Bonus shall accrue
at the end of the calendar year. Any bonus shall be paid less any applicable withholdings and taxes. 

  

	 	3.3.3.	 Paid Time Off. Employee shall be entitled to four (4) weeks paid time off per year, which shall be pro-rated for partial years. Employee shall also be entitled to the holidays and other paid leave as set forth in Company’s policies in effect from time to time. 

 

	 	3.3.4.	 Employee Benefits. Employee and Employee’s eligible dependents shall be entitled during the
Employment Period to participate in Company’s employee benefit plans that may be in effect from time to time, to the extent Employee and dependents are eligible under the terms of those plans (“Benefits”). Company will pay the
full premium, or cost of coverage, for all Benefits Employee and Employee’s dependents are enrolled within during the Employment Period. 

  

	 	3.3.5.	 Restricted Stock Units. The Company shall grant an award of restricted stock units (RSUs), within five
(5) business days of the execution of this Agreement, with a grant value of one million dollars ($1,000,000) based on the fair value of Elevate common stock on the award date. The RSU award will follow a four (4)-year graded vesting schedule,
with 25% of the units covered thereby vesting on each anniversary of the grant date, subject to Employee’s continued employment through the applicable vesting date (except as otherwise provided herein). In addition, Employee shall be entitled
to RSUs for 2020 of two million two hundred thousand dollars ($2,200,000), issued on or before March 15, 2020, based on the fair value of Elevate common stock on the award date. Such 2020 RSUs shall follow a four (4)-year graded vesting
schedule, with 25% of the units covered thereby vesting on each anniversary of the grant date, subject to Employee’s continued employment through the applicable vesting date (except as otherwise provided herein). 

 

	4.	 Representations of Employee. Employee represents and warrants to Company that the
execution and delivery by Employee of this Agreement does not, and the performance by Employee of Employee’s obligations hereunder will not, with or without the giving of notice or the passage of time, or both: (a) violate any judgment,
writ, injunction or order of any court, arbitrator or governmental agency applicable to Employee; or (b) conflict with, result in the breach of any provisions of or the termination of, or constitute a default under, any agreement to which
Employee is a party or by which Employee is or may be bound. Employee further represents and warrants to Company that Employee will not use, disclose, or otherwise rely upon any confidential information or trade secrets derived from any previous
employment in the performance of his duties on behalf of Company. Further, Employee acknowledges that he has read and fully understands this Agreement, has had a reasonable opportunity to consider this Agreement and to seek legal counsel, and after
such review, Employee stipulates that the promises made by him in this Agreement are not greater than necessary for the protection of Company’s goodwill, Company Information, and other legitimate business interests and do not create undue
hardship for Employee or the public. 

  

	5.	 Employee Covenants. Employee acknowledges that: (a) during the Employment Period and
as a part of Employee’s employment, Employee will be afforded access to Company Information; (b) public disclosure of such Company Information could have an adverse effect on Company, Elevate Group, and their businesses; (c) because
Employee possesses substantial expertise and skill with respect to Company and Elevate Group’s business, Company desires to obtain exclusive ownership of each Employee Invention, and Company will be at a substantial competitive disadvantage if
it fails to acquire exclusive ownership of each Employee Invention; and (d) the provisions of this Section 5 are reasonable and necessary to prevent the improper use or disclosure of Company Information and to provide
Company with exclusive ownership of all Employee Inventions. Accordingly, in consideration of the compensation and benefits to be paid or provided to Employee by Company under this Agreement, including specialized training, Employee agrees that the
following covenants are reasonable and necessary agreements for the protection of the business of the Elevate Group: 

  
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	 	5.1.	 Confidentiality. In addition to the confidentiality obligations set forth in Company’s Employee
Manual and the Code, all of which Employee agrees to be bound by, during and following the Employment Period, Employee will hold in strict confidence the Company Information and will not disclose it to any person except as necessary to perform
Employee’s duties on behalf of the Company. Specifically, Employee shall not, directly or indirectly, participate in the unauthorized use, disclosure or conversion of any Company Information. Employee shall not use any Company Information for
his sole benefit, or for the benefit of any competitor or in any other way that harms Elevate Group or diminishes the value of any Company Information. Employee shall also use the specialized training, goodwill and contacts developed with any
customers and contractors of Elevate Group for the exclusive benefit of Elevate Group and shall not use these items in a way that would harm the business interests of Elevate Group. 

 

	 	5.1.1.	 The contractual provisions of this Agreement regarding Company Information are in addition to, and are not
affected by, the Texas Uniform Trade Secrets Act (“TUTSA”) or any other applicable law. In addition to the contractual remedies provided in this Agreement, Company will be entitled to all of the protections and benefits under TUTSA,
any applicable state trade secret law, and any other applicable law. Employee hereby waives any requirement that Company submit proof of any independent economic value of any Trade Secret. 

 

	 	5.1.2.	 None of the foregoing obligations and restrictions applies to any part of the Company Information that Employee
demonstrates in full was or became generally available to the public other than as a result of a disclosure, omission or other act by Employee, whether direct or indirect. 

 

	 	5.1.3.	 Employee will not remove from Company’s premises (except to the extent such removal is for purposes of the
performance of Employee’s duties at home or while traveling for the business of Company), any document, record, notebook, plan, model, component, device or computer software or code, whether embodied in a disk or in any other form owned by
Company or any client of Company or Elevate Group (collectively, “Proprietary Items”). Employee recognizes that, as between Company and Employee, all of the Proprietary Items, whether or not developed by Employee, are the exclusive
property of Company. Upon termination of Employee’s employment by either party, or upon the request of Company during the Employment Period, Employee will return to Company all Proprietary Items in Employee’s possession or subject to
Employee’s control, and Employee will not retain any copies, abstracts, sketches or other physical embodiment of any Proprietary Item, except, only that Employee may retain copies of items reasonably necessary and appropriate to demonstrate
Employee’s professional and managerial recommendations and opinion; provided, however, that such Proprietary Items will be used solely for the purpose of protecting Employee from liabilities and claims. 

 

	 	5.2.	 Employee Inventions; Intellectual Property Rights. Employee shall promptly inform and disclose to
Company all Employee Inventions created or developed during his employment with Company. Employee hereby agrees and acknowledges that all such Employee Inventions shall be the exclusive property of Company without any further action being
required by any party to vest such rights in Company. During the Employment Period and as necessary thereafter, Employee shall assist Company to obtain, perfect and maintain all Intellectual Property Rights covering such Employee Inventions, and
shall execute all documents and do all things necessary to obtain for Elevate Group all such Intellectual Property Rights for Elevate Group. If it is determined that any such works are not works made for hire, Employee hereby assigns, and agrees to
assign, to Company or its designee all right, title, and interest in and to all Employee Inventions and Intellectual Property Rights for the United States and all foreign jurisdictions covered by the foregoing that Employee may now own or may own at
any time during his employment with Company, and without additional compensation. 

  

	 	5.3.	 Prior Works/Rights. Employee represents and acknowledges that no works relating to or incorporating any
Employee Invention or covered by intellectual property rights existed prior to the Effective Date that are owned by Employee or licensable to Elevate Group by Employee, or in which Employee has any other interest (collectively, “Prior
Works”) that have not been assigned or licensed to Company. If any such Prior Works are incorporated into any Elevate Groups’ product, service or process contrary to this representation so that Company is unable to use the Prior Works
as contemplated by Elevate Group without infringing such intellectual property rights, then Employee hereby grants a non-exclusive, royalty-free, irrevocable, perpetual, worldwide license to Company to make,
have made, use, sell, offer to sell, license, import or otherwise commercially exploit such Prior Works as part of or in connection with Elevate Group’s products and/or services. 

  
 8 

	 	5.4.	 Disputes or Controversies. Employee recognizes that should a dispute or controversy arising from or
relating to this Agreement be submitted for adjudication to any court, arbitration panel, or other third party, the preservation of the secrecy of Company Information may be jeopardized. All pleadings, documents, testimony and records relating to
any such adjudication will be maintained in secrecy and will be available, to the extent that such information may be subject to discovery under the applicable rules of civil procedure, for inspection, only if Employee and his respective attorneys
and experts, agree, in advance and in writing, to receive and maintain all such information in secrecy and, to the extent filed in state or federal court, under seal, except as may be otherwise agreed by Company in writing or otherwise ordered by a
court of competent jurisdiction. 

  

	 	5.5.	 Recordkeeping and Handling of Covered Items. Employee shall keep and maintain current written records of
all customer contacts, inventions, enhancement, and plans he develops regarding matters that are within the scope of the business operations or that relate to any research and development on behalf of Elevate Group and agrees to maintain any records
necessary to inform Company of such business opportunities. All Company Information and other documents and materials maintained or entrusted to Employee by Elevate Group shall remain the exclusive property of Elevate Group at all times; such
materials shall, together with all copies thereof, be returned and delivered to Company by Employee immediately without demand, upon the termination of Employee’s employment with Company, and shall be returned at a prior time if Company so
demands. 

  

	 	5.6.	 Restriction on Interfering with Personnel Relationships. For a period of twenty-four (24) months
following the termination of Employee’s employment with Company, Employee will not, either directly or indirectly, whether for Employee’s own account or the account of any other person, solicit, recruit, or hire any employees, agents, or
independent contractors of Elevate Group, or in any manner encourage, assist or attempt to induce, solicit, recruit, or hire any employees, agents or independent contractors of Elevate Group to terminate their relationship with Elevate Group.

  

	 	5.7.	 Restriction on Interfering with Other Relationships. Employee agrees that during employment with
Company, Employee will not induce or attempt to induce any Covered Client or Customer to diminish, curtail, divert or cancel its business relationship with Elevate Group. Employee further covenants and agrees that, for a period of twelve
(12) months following the termination of Employee’s employment with Company, Employee will not, directly or indirectly, whether for Employee’s own account or the account of any other person, service, call on, solicit, divert or take
away, any Covered Clients or Customers of Elevate Group. 

  

	 	5.8.	 Restriction on Unfair Competition. For twelve (12) months following termination of Employee’s
employment with Company, Employee will not, directly or indirectly (e.g. through an entity in which Employee holds financial interests), either as a proprietor, shareholder, director, officer, employer, manager, consultant, agent, employee,
independent contractor, principal, partner, member, lender, trustee, stockholder (other than as an owner of less than ten percent (10%) of the securities of a publicly held corporation traded on a nationally or internationally recognized stock
exchange or the NASDAQ system) or in any other capacity, engage or participate in, work for, supervise, assist, have an interest in, or consult with any Competing Business. This restriction is limited to the United States, the United Kingdom, and
any other country in which Elevate Group has operations at the time of termination, which the Parties stipulate is a reasonable geographic area because of the scope of the operations of Elevate Group and Employee’s activities throughout these
areas. This Section 5.8 and Section 5.11 create a narrowly tailored advance approval mechanism in order to avoid unfair competition and irreparable harm to Elevate Group and Employee acknowledges
and agrees that this provision is not an unreasonable restraint on engaging in a lawful profession. Nothing herein will prohibit ownership of less than ten percent (10%) of the publicly traded capital stock of a corporation so long as this is not a
controlling interest, or ownership of mutual fund investments. Employee may not avoid the purpose or intent of this Section 5.8 by engaging in conduct within the geographically limited area from a remote location through
means such as telecommunications, written correspondence; computer generated or assisted communications, or other similar methods. 

  

	 	5.9.	 Obligations Contingent on Performance. It is specifically understood that if Employee breaches the
covenants in Section 5, then Employee will return any payments, if any, made to Employee during the Severance Period and Company will be under no further obligation to make further payments, if any, to Employee during such
Severance Period. 

  
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	 	5.10.	 Remedies. Employee acknowledges that the injury that would be suffered by Company or Elevate Group as a
result of a breach of Section 5 would be irreparable and that an award of monetary damages to Company or Elevate Group for such a breach would be an inadequate remedy. In the event of breach or threatened breach by Employee
of any his restrictive covenants, Company and/or Elevate Group shall be entitled to (i) injunctive relief by temporary restraining order, temporary injunction and/or permanent injunction, (ii) recovery of all attorneys’ fees and costs
incurred by Company and/or Elevate Group in obtaining such relief and (iii) any other legal and equitable relief to which may be entitled including, without limitation, any and all monetary damages which Company and/or Elevate Group may incur
as a result of said breach or threatened breach. An agreed amount for the bond to be posted if an injunction is sought by Company and/or Elevate Group is One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00). Company and/or Elevate Group may pursue any remedy available,
including declaratory relief, concurrently or consecutively in any order as to any breach, violation, or threatened breach or violation, and the pursuit of one such remedy at any time will not be deemed an election of remedies or waiver of the right
to pursue any other remedy. Elevate Group is an express third-party beneficiary of this Agreement with the right to enforce its terms against Employee as if Elevate Group were a direct party to this Agreement. The existence of any claim or cause of
action of Employee against Company whether predicated on this Agreement or otherwise shall not constitute a defense to Company’s enforcement of any covenant under this Agreement. 

 

	 	5.11.	 Early Resolution Conference. This Agreement is understood to be clear and enforceable as written and is
executed by both Parties. However, if Employee later challenges any provision as unclear, unenforceable, or inapplicable to any competitive activity that Employee intends to engage in with respect to a Competing Business, then Employee will first
notify Company in writing and meet with a Company representative and a neutral mediator (if Company elects to retain one at its expense) to discuss resolution of any disputes between the Parties. Employee will provide this notification at least
fourteen (14) days before Employee engages in any activity on behalf of a Competing Business or engages in other activity that could foreseeably fall within a questioned restriction. The failure to comply with this requirement shall waive
Employee’s right to challenge the reasonable scope, clarity, applicability or enforceability of this Agreement and its restrictions at a later time. All rights of the Parties will be preserved if the requirements of this
Section 5.11 are complied with even if no agreement is reached in the conference. 

  

	 	5.12.	 Tolling. The time periods provided for in each of Employee’s covenants shall be extended by one
(1) day for each day Employee failed to comply with the corresponding restriction at issue. 

  

	 	5.13.	 Non-Disparagement. Employee shall not make any disparaging or
derogatory remarks about Elevate Group, its business, products and services, or any of its officers, directors or employees, whether in writing, verbally, or on any online forum. During the term of this Agreement and at all times thereafter, all
chief officers, the Board, and director level employees of Company shall not make any disparaging or derogatory remarks concerning Employee, whether in writing, verbally, or on any online forum. 

 

	6.	 Carve Out Clause. Notwithstanding any other provision in this Agreement:

  

	 	6.1.	 Nothing in this Agreement shall be interpreted or deemed to prohibit, restrict or limit Employee’s
whistleblower rights or other protections as set forth in the Code, or from making other disclosures that are protected under the whistleblower provisions of state or federal law or regulation or that otherwise protect communications from
retaliation; 

  

	 	6.2.	 Nothing in this Agreement restricts Employee from initiating communications with, responding to any inquiry
from, or providing testimony before the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration, the Department of Labor, the Congress, any agency Inspector General, any other self-regulatory organization, or any other state or federal regulatory authority without the prior consent of Company; 

 

	 	6.3.	 Parties do not need prior authorization of other Parties to make any such reports or disclosures, and Parties
are not required to notify other Parties that have made such reports or disclosures. Additionally, nothing in this Agreement prohibits any Party from recovering monetary relief under any whistleblower provisions of federal law or regulation; and

  
 10 

	 	6.4.	 The Parties are hereby notified that 18 U.S.C. § 1833(b) states as follows: 

 

	 	A.	 An individual shall not be held criminally or civilly liable under any Federal or State trade secret law for
the disclosure of a Trade Secret that: (A) is made (i) in confidence to a Federal, State, or local government official, either directly or indirectly, or to an attorney and (ii) solely for the purpose of reporting or investigating a
suspected violation of law; or (B) is made in a complaint or other document filed in a lawsuit or other proceeding, if such filing is made under seal. 

  

	 	B.	 Accordingly, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the Parties understand that they have
the right to disclose in confidence Trade Secrets to Federal, State, and local government officials, or to an attorney, for the sole purpose of reporting or investigating a suspected violation of law. The Parties understand that they also have the
right to disclose Trade Secrets in a document filed in a lawsuit or other proceeding, but only if the filing is made under seal and protected from public disclosure. The Parties understand and acknowledge that nothing in this Agreement is intended
to conflict with 18 U.S.C. § 1833(b) or create liability for disclosures of Trade Secrets that are expressly allowed by 18 U.S.C. § 1833(b). 

 

	7.	 Miscellaneous. 

 

	 	7.1.	 Survival. Sections 3, 5, 6 and 7 shall survive the termination of
Employee’s employment with Company. All warranties likewise survive the termination or expiration of this Agreement. In addition, every other provision that by its terms is intended to survive termination or expiration of this Agreement shall
do so. 

  

	 	7.2.	 Binding Effect; Merger or Acquisition Disposition; Assignment. This Agreement will inure to the benefit
of, and will be binding upon, the Parties and their respective successors, assigns, heirs and legal representatives. Further, this Agreement is expressly assignable by Company without the consent of Employee, including if Company or Elevate Group
consolidates, merges into another entity, or transfers all or substantially all of its assets or operations to another entity, or otherwise divides its assets or operations among a number of entities, then this Agreement shall continue in full force
and effect with regard to the surviving entity and may be assigned by Company. Employee’s obligations under this Agreement are personal in nature and may not be assigned by Employee to another person or entity. 

 

	 	7.3.	 Notices. All notices, requests, consents, and other communications under this Agreement shall be in
writing and shall be deemed to have been delivered on the date personally delivered or on the date deposited in a receptacle maintained by the United States Postal Service for such purpose, postage prepaid, by certified mail, return receipt
requested, or by express mail addressed to the address indicated under the signature block for that Party provided below. Either Party may designate a different address by providing written notice of a new address to the other Party.

  

	 	7.4.	 Severability. If any provision of this Agreement is determined to be void, illegal or enforceable, in
whole or in part, then the other provisions shall remain in full force and effect as if the provision that was determined to be void, illegal, of unenforceable had not been contained herein. If any of Employee’s restrictive covenants contained
herein is deemed unenforceable as written, then the Parties expressly authorize the court or arbitrator to revise, delete, or add to such restrictive covenant to the extent necessary to enforce the intent of the Parties and to effectively protect
Elevate Groups’ goodwill, Company Information and other business interests. 

  

	 	7.5.	 Waiver, Construction, Modification and Integration. The waiver by a Party of any breach of this
Agreement shall not operate or be construed as a waiver of any subsequent breach by such Party. This instrument contains the entire agreement of the Parties concerning the matters covered in it and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings,
oral or written, between the Parties regarding the subject matter hereof. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, (a) that certain Employment, Confidentiality and Non-Compete Agreement, dated as
of May 1, 2014, between the Parties as amended (collectively, the “Original Agreement”) is terminated as of the Effective Date, (b) such termination shall not be deemed to be a termination without Cause, (c) any
provision of the Original Agreement which was intended to survive the termination thereof shall survive in accordance therewith and (d) in the event of any conflict between any provision of this Agreement and any provision of the Original
Agreement which was intended to survive the termination thereof, the provision of this Agreement shall prevail. Except as otherwise provided for herein with respect to revisions by court order or arbitrator, this Agreement may not be modified,
altered or amended except by a written agreement signed by both Parties. 

  
 11 

	 	7.6.	 Governing Law and Venue. This Agreement shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of
the State of Texas, excluding that State’s choice-of-law principles, and all claims relating to or arising out of the Agreement, whether sounding in contract, tort
or otherwise, shall likewise be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Texas, excluding that State’s choice-of-law principles. It is
stipulated that Texas has a compelling state interest in the subject matter of this Agreement and that Employee has or will have regular contact with Texas in the performance of this Agreement. If either Party brings against the other Party any
proceeding arising under, in connection with, or related to any matter which is the subject of this Agreement, to the extent permitted under the terms of Section 7.8, that Party may bring that proceeding exclusively in the
state or federal district court of Texas sitting in Tarrant County, and each Party hereby submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of that court for purposes of any such proceeding. 

 

	 	7.7.	 Attorneys’ Fees. In the event of any dispute relating to this Agreement, the successful Party in
any litigation or arbitration shall be entitled to recover its reasonable attorney’s fees or other costs incurred from the other Party. 

  

	 	7.8.	 Mandatory Arbitration. If any claim, complaint, or dispute arises out of or relates in any way to the
Parties’ employment relationship or this Agreement, whether based in contract, tort, federal, state, or municipal statute, fraud, misrepresentation, or any other legal theory, then the Parties shall submit their dispute to mandatory binding
arbitration under the authority of the Federal Arbitration Act; provided, however, that Company and/or Elevate Group may pursue a temporary restraining order and/or preliminary injunctive relief in accordance with
Section 5.10, with related expedited discovery for the Parties, in a court of law, and, thereafter, may require arbitration of all issues of final relief. This Section 7.8 does not prohibit
Employee from filing or cooperating in a charge before a federal administrative agency without pursuing private litigation. Insured workers compensation claims (other than wrongful discharge claims), and claims for unemployment insurance are
excluded from arbitration under this Section 7.8. The arbitration will be conducted by the American Arbitration Association, or another, mutually agreeable, arbitration service in accordance with the American Arbitration
Association’s or such other arbitration service’s employment dispute resolution rules or other mutually agreeable, arbitration service rules. The arbitrator(s) shall be duly licensed to practice law in the State of Texas and will apply the
substantive law of the state of Texas or federal law. Each Party will be allowed at least one deposition. Company will pay the arbitration costs and arbitrator’s fees beyond Five Hundred Dollars ($500), subject to a final arbitration award on
who should bear costs and fees. All proceedings shall be conducted in Fort Worth, Texas, or other mutually agreeable site. Company will reimburse Employee for reasonable travel expenses for Employee and his legal counsel to attend the arbitration in
Fort Worth if necessary. The arbitrator(s) shall be required to state in a written opinion all facts and conclusions of law relied upon to support any decision rendered. Within ten (10) days of the arbitration, the arbitrator will issue a
written decision and award (if any) stating the reasons for the decisions and award. The decision will be exclusive, final, and binding on the parties, their heirs, executors, administrators, successors, and assigns. The arbitration decision may be
entered and enforced in any court of competent jurisdiction. The duty to arbitrate described above shall survive the termination of this Agreement. Nothing in this provision shall preclude Parties from seeking provisional remedies in aid of
arbitration from a court of competent jurisdiction. The Parties understand and fully agree that, except as otherwise provided above they are giving up their constitutional right to have a trial by jury, and are giving up their normal rights of
appeal following the rendering of the arbitrator’s award except as applicable law provides for judicial review of arbitration proceedings. 

  

	 	7.9.	 Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts (including by facsimile or pdf)
for the convenience of the Parties, each of which will be deemed an original, but all of which together will constitute one and the same instrument. 

  

	 	7.10.	 Code Section 409A. Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, to the
extent required in order to avoid accelerated taxation and/or tax penalties under Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (“Section 409A”),
Employee will not be considered to have terminated employment with the Company for purposes of this Agreement and no payments will be due to Employee under this Agreement which are payable upon Employee’s termination of employment until
Employee would be considered to have incurred a “separation from service” from the Company within the meaning of Section 409A. To the extent required in order to avoid accelerated taxation and/or tax penalties under
Section 409A, amounts that would otherwise be payable and benefits that would  

  
 12 

	 	
otherwise be provided pursuant to this Agreement during the six-month period immediately following Employee’s termination of employment will
instead be paid on the first business day after the date that is six months following Employee’s termination of employment (or upon Employee’s death, if earlier). 

(Signatures begin on next page) 

  
 13 

 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties agree to the terms and conditions of this Agreement and execute this
Agreement to be effective as of the Effective Date, regardless of the actual date of execution. 
  

					
	EMPLOYER:	 		  	EMPLOYEE:
			
	ELEVATE CREDIT SERVICE, LLC	 	                                    	  	
		 		  	 /s/ Jason Harvison

		 		  	Signature
			
	 /s/ Chris Lutes
	 		  	 Jason Harvison

	Chris Lutes, Chief Financial Officer	 		  	Printed Name

  
 14 

 SCHEDULE I 
  

			
	Title:	  	President and Chief Executive Officer
		
	 Duties:
	  	Employee’s position is an executive position. Employee may be required to travel extensively for Company and Elevate Group. Employee will provide management services on behalf of Company and such other duties as directed by
Company’s board, managers or designee, from time to time, and are generally expected to include those appropriate for Employee’s position. Employee’s duties are further understood to include one or more of the following:
(a) developing goodwill for the benefit of Elevate Group; (b) assisting in development of strategies and other intellectual property; and (c) helping to identify business opportunities for Elevate Group. The specific position(s) and
duties assigned to Employee may be altered by Company in its sole discretion.

  
 15

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