UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549



_________________

SCHEDULE 14A

_________________

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934



(Amendment No. __)

Filed by the Registrant

x

Filed by a Party other than the Registrant

o

Check the appropriate box:

o

Preliminary Proxy Statement

o

Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)14a-6(e)(2))

x

Definitive Proxy Statement

o

Definitive Additional Materials

o

Soliciting Material Pursuant to §240.14a-12§240.14a-12

SenesTech, Inc.


(Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

_______________________________________________________________
(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement if other than the Registrant)

Payment of Filing Fee (Check in the appropriate box):

x

No fee required.

oFee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11.
(1)Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies:

(2)Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies:

(3)Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (set forth the amount on which the filing fee is calculated and state how it was determined):

(4)Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction:

(5)Total fee paid:

oFee paid previously with preliminary materials.

oCheck box if any part of the fee is offset as provided

Fee computed on table in exhibit required by Item 25(b) per Exchange Act Rule 0-11(a)(2)Rules 14a- 6(i)(1) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid previously. Identify the previous filing by registration statement number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing.0-11.

(1)Amount Previously Paid:

(2)Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.:

(3)Filing Party:

(4)Date Filed:


Table of Contents

[GRAPHIC MISSING]

SENESTECH, INC.

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
TO BE HELD ON May 19, 2016

TO THE STOCKHOLDERS:JUNE 23, 2022

Notice is hereby given that the 2017Dear Stockholder:

The Annual Meeting of Stockholders, or the Annual Meeting, of SenesTech, Inc., a Delaware corporation, (the “Company”), will be held on Friday, May 19, 2017Thursday, June 23, 2022 at 10:12:00 a.m.p.m., local time, atMountain Standard Time. Due to the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites, Phoenix Airport North at 1515 N 44th St., Phoenix, AZ 85008,ongoing public health impact of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak, this year’s Annual Meeting will be a virtual meeting conducted solely via live webcast. You will be able to attend the Annual Meeting, vote your shares electronically and submit questions during the live webcast of the meeting by visiting www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/SNES2022 and entering the 16-digit control number included on your proxy card or in the instructions that accompanied your proxy materials. You will not be able to attend the Annual Meeting in person. Additional information regarding attending the Annual Meeting, voting your shares and submitting questions can be found in the Proxy Statement.

The Annual Meeting will be held for the following purposes:

1.To elect the following individuals to the board of directors: Julia Williams and Marc Dumont as Class I directors, each to serve for a three-year term until the annual general meeting of stockholders to be held in 2020 and until her or his successor is duly elected and qualified;
2.To ratify the appointment of M&K CPAS, PLLC as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2017; and
3.To transact such other business as may properly come before the meeting or any adjournment or adjournments thereof.

1.      To elect K.C. Kavanagh, Kenneth Siegel and Matthew Szot as Class III directors, each to serve for a three-year term until the 2025 annual meeting of stockholders and until their successors are duly elected and qualified;

2.      To provide a non-binding advisory vote on the compensation of our named executive officers for fiscal 2021 (“say-on-pay”);

3.      To provide a non-binding advisory vote on the frequency of future non-binding advisory votes on the compensation of our named executive officers (“say-on-frequency”);

4.      To ratify the appointment of M&K CPAS, PLLC as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2022; and

5.      To transact such other business as may properly come before the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof.

The foregoing items of business are more fully described in the Proxy Statement accompanying this Notice.Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders.

TheOur board of directors has fixed the close of business on April 12, 201725, 2022 as the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to vote at this meeting. Only stockholders of record at the close of business on April 12, 201725, 2022 are entitled to receive notice of, and to vote at, the meeting and any adjournment thereof.

All stockholdersIt is important that your shares be represented and voted, regardless of whether you plan to virtually attend the Annual Meeting. You may vote in advance of the Annual Meeting on the Internet, by telephone or by completing and mailing a proxy or voting card. Voting in advance by Internet, telephone or mail will ensure your shares are invited torepresented at the Annual Meeting. If you virtually attend the meeting, in person. However,you may choose to ensurerevoke your representation atproxy and vote online during the meeting youby following the instructions at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/SNES2022.

We are urgedfurnishing proxy materials to mark, sign, dateour stockholders through the Internet as permitted under the rules of the Securities and returnExchange Commission. Under these rules, many of our stockholders will receive a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials instead of a paper copy of this Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders, the enclosedProxy Statement, our proxy card, as promptly as possible inand our Annual Report on Form 10-K, for the postage-prepaid envelope enclosed for that purpose. Any stockholder attendingfiscal year ended December 31, 2021. We believe this process gives us the meeting may vote in person even if such stockholder has previously returnedopportunity to serve you more efficiently by making the proxy materials available quickly online and reducing costs associated with printing and postage. If requested, stockholders will receive a proxy.

By Orderpaper copy of the Boardproxy materials by mail.

Table of DirectorsContents

Loretta P. Mayer, ChairOn behalf of the Boardmanagement and Chief Executive Officer
Flagstaff,our board of directors, we thank you for your continued support and interest in SenesTech, Inc.

Sincerely,

/s/ Kenneth Siegel

Kenneth Siegel

Chief Executive Officer

Phoenix, Arizona
April 20, 201729, 2022

Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Stockholder Meeting to Be Held on May 19, 2017:June 23, 2022: The proxy statement and annual report to stockholders are available athttp://senestech.investorroom.com/.


Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

PROCEDURAL MATTERS

1

PROPOSAL ONE — ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

6

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

10

2021 DIRECTOR COMPENSATION

15

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

17

SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT

21

CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS

23

PROPOSAL TWO — ADVISORY VOTE ON EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION (“SAY-ON-PAY”)

24

PROPOSAL THREE — ADVISORY VOTE ON FREQUENCY OF SAY-ON-PAY
(“SAY-ON-FREQUENCY”)

26

PROPOSAL FOUR — RATIFICATION OF APPOINTMENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT

27

AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT

28

OTHER MATTERS

29

i

Table of Contents

SENESTECH, INC.

PROXY STATEMENT
FOR THE 20172022 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

PROCEDURAL MATTERS

General

The enclosed proxy is being solicited by the board of directors of SenesTech, Inc., a Delaware corporation, for use at the 2017our 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, (the “Annual Meeting”)or the Annual Meeting, to be held on Friday, May 19, 2017Thursday, June 23, 2022 at 10:12:00 a.m.p.m., local time, andMountain Standard Time, or at any adjournment or postponement thereof, for the purposes set forth herein and in the accompanying Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders. The

Due to the ongoing public health impact of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak, this year’s Annual Meeting will be held ata virtual meeting conducted solely via live webcast. You will be able to attend the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites, Phoenix Airport North at 1515 N 44th St., Phoenix, AZ 85008. Annual Meeting, vote your shares electronically and submit questions during the live webcast of the meeting by visiting www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/SNES2022. You will not be able to attend the Annual Meeting in person. See “How to Attend the Meeting; Asking Questions” below for more details.

Our principal executive offices are located at 314023460 N. Caden Court,19th Avenue, Suite 1, Flagstaff,110, Phoenix, AZ 8600485027, and the telephone number at such principal executive offices is (928) 779-4143.779-4143. As used in this proxy statement, “we,” “us,” “our” and the “Company”“our company” refer to SenesTech, Inc., a Delaware corporation.

These proxy solicitation materials were mailed onOn or about April 20, 2017 to all29, 2022, we are mailing stockholders entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting.Meeting a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials, or the Notice, instead of a paper copy of this proxy statement. The Notice contains instructions on how to access those documents over the Internet, which are available at http://senestech.investorroom.com/. The Notice also contains instructions on how to request a paper copy of our proxy materials, including this proxy statement and a form of proxy card or voting instruction card.

We were incorporated under Delaware law, which specifically permits electronically transmitted proxies, provided that the transmission set forth or be submitted with information from which it can reasonably be determined that the transmission was authorized by the stockholder. The electronic voting procedures provided for the Annual Meeting are designed to authenticate each stockholder by use of a control number to allow stockholders to vote their shares and to confirm that their instructions have been properly recorded.

Record Date and Outstanding Shares

Only stockholders of record at the close of business on April 12, 2017 (the “record date”)25, 2021, or the record date, are entitled to receive notice of and to vote at the Annual Meeting. Our only outstanding voting securities are shares of common stock, $0.001 par value. As of the record date, 10,161,04212,212,283 shares of our common stock were issued and outstanding, which shares of common stock are held by approximately 867696 stockholders of record.

How Do I Attend the Annual Meeting?

The Annual Meeting will be a virtual only meeting conducted solely via live webcast.

To participate in the Annual Meeting, visit www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/SNES2022 and use the sixteen-digit control number included on your Notice or your proxy card to enter the meeting. The live webcast will begin at 12:00 p.m., Mountain Standard Time, on June 23, 2021. We encourage you to access the virtual meeting platform at least 15 minutes prior to the start time. If you do not have a sixteen-digit control number, you will still be able to access the webcast as a guest, but you will not be able to vote your shares or ask a question during the meeting.

The virtual meeting platform is fully supported across browsers (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome and Safari) and devices (desktops, laptops, tablets and mobile phones) running the most updated version of applicable software and plugins. Participants should ensure they have a strong WiFi connection wherever they intend to participate in the meeting. Further instructions on how to attend and participate in the Annual Meeting, including how to demonstrate proof of stock ownership, will be posted on the virtual meeting website.

1

Table of Contents

We will have technicians ready to assist you with any technical difficulties you may have accessing the virtual meeting. Technical support will be available on the virtual meeting platform beginning at 11:30 a.m., mountain standard time, on the day of the meeting and will remain available until the meeting has finished.

Can I Submit Questions During the Annual Meeting?

If you wish to submit a question during the Annual Meeting, visit www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/SNES2022, type your question into the “Ask a Question” field, and click “Submit.”

Questions pertinent to meeting matters will be answered during the Annual Meeting, subject to time constraints. Questions regarding personal matters, including those relating to employment, products or services or suggestions for product innovations may not be considered pertinent to meeting matters and therefore may not be answered.

How Do I Vote?

Whether you plan to attend the Annual Meeting or not, we urge you to submit your voting instructions by proxy. Voting by proxy will not affect your right to attend the Annual Meeting. All shares represented by valid proxies that we receive through this solicitation, and that are not revoked, will be voted in accordance with your instructions on the proxy card or as instructed via the Internet or telephone. If you properly submit a proxy without giving specific voting instructions, your shares will be voted in accordance with the board of directors’ recommendations as noted below. If you neither submit by proxy nor vote your shares during the Annual Meeting, your shares will not be voted if you are a registered stockholder. If your shares are held in street name, your broker, bank or other holder of record may vote your shares on certain “routine” matters. See “Quorum; Abstentions; Broker Non-Votes; Results” below for more information.

If your shares are registered directly in your name through our stock transfer agent, Transfer Online, or you have stock certificates registered in your name, you may vote:

•        By the Internet or by telephone.    Follow the instructions included in the proxy card to submit your voting instructions over the Internet or by telephone.

•        By mail.    If you received a proxy card by mail, you can have your shares voted by mail by completing, signing, dating and returning the proxy card as instructed on the card. If you sign the proxy card but do not specify how you want your shares voted, they will be voted in accordance with the board of directors’ recommendations as noted below.

•        During the Annual Meeting.    Log into www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/SNES2022 and follow the voting instructions. You will need the sixteen-digit control number that is shown on your Notice or on your proxy card. Shares may not be voted after the polls close.

Telephone and Internet voting facilities for stockholders of record will be available 24 hours a day and will close at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on June 22, 2022.

If your shares are held in “street name” (held in the name of a bank, broker or other holder of record), you will receive instructions from the holder of record. You must follow the instructions of the holder of record in order for your shares to be voted. Telephone and Internet voting also will be offered to stockholders owning shares through certain banks and brokers.

Revocability of Proxies

AnyIf you give us your proxy, given pursuant to this solicitationyou may be revoked by the person givingchange or revoke it at any time prior to its usebefore the Annual Meeting. You may change or revoke your proxy in any one of the following ways:

•        if you received a proxy card, by delivering to our Secretary, at the address referenced above,signing a written instrument revoking thenew proxy or deliveringcard with a duly executed proxy bearing a later date (in either case no later than your previously delivered proxy and submitting it as instructed above;

•        by submitting your proxy by the close of business on May 18, 2017)Internet or by attendingtelephone as instructed above;

2

Table of Contents

•        by notifying the Corporate Secretary of our company in writing before the Annual Meeting that you have revoked your proxy; or

•        by logging into www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/SNES2022and following the voting in person.instructions during the Annual Meeting.

Voting

Solicitation

We have retained Alliance Advisors, LLC, or Alliance, to act as a proxy solicitor for the Annual Meeting. We have agreed to pay Alliance $7,500, plus reasonable out-of-pocket expenses, for proxy solicitation services and, Solicitation

Each holder of common stock is entitled to one voteif needed, additional fees for each share held.

This solicitation of proxies is made by our board of directors, and alltelephone solicitation. All related costs will be borne by us. We may reimburse brokerage firms and other persons representing beneficial owners of shares for their expenses in forwarding solicitation material to such beneficial owners. Proxies may also be solicited by certain of our directors, officers or administrative employees without the payment of any additional consideration. Solicitation of proxies may be made by mail, by telephone, by email, in person or otherwise.

Stockholders of Record and “Street Name” Holders

Where shares are registered directly in the holder’s name, that holder is the stockholder of record with respect to those shares. If shares are held by an intermediary, meaning in a stock brokerage account or by a bank, trust or other nominee, then the broker, bank, trust or other nominee is considered the stockholder of record as to those shares. Those shares are said to be held in “street name” on behalf of the beneficial owner of the shares. Street-nameStreet-name holders generally cannot directly vote their shares and must instead instruct the broker or other nominee how to vote their shares using the voting instruction form provided by that broker or other nominee. Many brokers also offer the option of giving voting instructions over the internet or by telephone. Instructions for giving your vote as a street-namestreet-name holder are provided on your voting instruction form.

Quorum; Abstentions; Broker Non-Votes

Non-Votes; Results

At the Annual Meeting, an inspector of elections will determine the presence of a quorum and tabulate the results of the voting by stockholders. A quorum exists when holders of a majorityone-third (1/3) of the stock issued and outstanding shares of stockand entitled to vote are present in person by remote communication, if applicable, or represented by proxy. A quorum is necessary for the transaction of business at the Annual Meeting.


Broker non-votesnon-votes can occur as to shares held in street name. Under the current rules that govern brokers and other nominee holders of record, if a street-namestreet-name holder does not give instructions to its broker or other nominee, such broker or other nominee will be able to vote such shares only with respect to proposals for which the broker or other nominee has discretionary voting authority.authority, i.e., “routine” matters under The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC, or Nasdaq, rules. A “broker non-vote”non-vote occurs when a broker or other nominee submits a proxy for the Annual Meeting but does not vote on a particular proposal because such broker or other nominee either does not exercise its discretionary voting authority or does not have discretionary voting power with respect to that proposal and has not received instructions from the beneficial owner.

The approval of the election of directors (Proposal No. 1) is aonly “routine” proposal for which brokers do not have discretionary voting authority. If you hold your shares in street name and you do not instruct your broker howare being asked to vote on this proposal, your broker will not vote on them and those non-votes will be counted as broker non-votes. Theat the Annual Meeting is the ratification of the appointment of M&K CPAS, PLLC as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2022 (Proposal No. 2) isFour). The other proposals concerning the election of directors (Proposal One), say-on-pay (Proposal Two) and say-on-frequency (Proposal Three) are considered to“non-routine” matters, which means that your bank or broker will not be discretionary and your brokerage firm will be ablepermitted to vote on this proposal even if it does not receive instructions from you, as long as it holds your shares in its name.on any of the other proposals at the Annual Meeting unless you provide proper voting instructions. Accordingly, stockholders are urged to give their bank or broker instructions on voting their shares on all matters.

Abstentions and broker non-votesnon-votes are treated as shares present for the purpose of determining whether there is a quorum for the transaction of business at the Annual Meeting. For purposes

We intend to publish final voting results of the proposal to elect directors (Proposal No. 1) andAnnual Meeting in a Current Report on Form 8-K, which we expect will be filed within four business days of the proposal to ratify the appointment of M&K CPAS, PLLC as our independent registered public accounting firm (Proposal No. 2), abstentions and broker non-votesAnnual Meeting. If final voting results are not countedavailable to us in time to file a Current Report on Form 8-K within four business days after the Annual Meeting, we intend to file a Current Report on Form 8-K to publish results as to matters for determiningwhich we have final votes and, within four business days after the numberfinal results are known to us, file an additional Current Report on Form 8-K to publish the final results.

3

Table of votes cast, and therefore will not affect the outcome of the vote on such proposals.Contents

Required Votes and Voting

Each holder of common stock is entitled to one vote for each share held.

Assuming that a quorum is present at the Annual Meeting, the following votes will be required:

With regard to Proposal No. 1, the two nominees for election to the board of directors who receive the greatest number of votes cast “for” the election of the directors by the shares present, in person or by proxy, will be elected to the board of directors. Stockholders are not entitled to cumulate votes in the election of directors.
With regard to Proposal No. 2, approval of this proposal requires the affirmative vote of a majority of shares of common stock present in person or by proxy.

Proposal

Voting Options

Vote Required to
Adopt the
Proposal

Effect of
Abstentions

Effect of Broker
Non-Votes

1.      Election of directors

For or withhold on each nominee.

Directors are elected by a plurality of the votes cast by the shares entitled to vote in the election. The three nominees for election to the board of directors who receive the greatest number of votes cast “FOR” the election of the directors by the shares present, in person or by proxy, will be elected to the board of directors.

No effect.

No effect.

2.      Non-binding advisory vote on the compensation of our named executive officers for fiscal 2021 (“say-on-pay”)

For, against, or abstain.

The advisory vote on the compensation of our named executive officers is non-binding, but our board of directors will consider the input of stockholders based on a majority of votes cast for the say-on-pay proposal.

No effect.

No effect.

3.      Non-binding advisory vote on the frequency of future non-binding advisory votes on the compensation of our named executive officers (“say-on-frequency”)

One year, two years, three years abstain.

The advisory vote on the frequency of future of non-binding votes on the compensation of our named executive officers is non-binding, but our board of directors will consider the input of stockholders based on the alternative that receives the most votes cast.

No effect.

No effect.

4.      Ratification of Appointment of M&K CPAS, PLLC as our independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal year 2022

For, against, or abstain.

“FOR” votes from the holders of a majority of shares present and entitled to vote on this proposal.

Against.

Brokers have discretion to vote.

All shares entitled to vote and represented by properly executed, unrevoked proxies received before the Annual Meeting will be voted at the Annual Meeting in accordance with the instructions given on those proxies. If no instructions are given on a properly executed proxy, the shares represented by that proxy will be voted as follows:

FOR“FOR” each of the director nominees, “FOR” the approval of the compensation of our named in Proposal No. 1executive officers for fiscal year 2021, to hold the advisory vote on the compensation of this proxy statement;our named executive officers on an annual basis and

FOR Proposal No. 2, to ratify the “FOR” ratification of appointment of M&K CPAS, PLLC as our independent registered public accounting firm.firm for fiscal year 2022..

If any other matters are properly presented for consideration at the Annual Meeting, which may include, for example, a motion to adjourn the Annual Meeting to another time or place (including, without limitation, for the purpose of soliciting additional proxies), the persons named in the enclosed proxy and acting thereunder will have discretion to vote on those matters as they deem advisable. We do not currently anticipate that any other matters will be raised at the Annual Meeting.

Deadlines for Receipt of Stockholder Proposals

Stockholder proposals may be included in our proxy statement and form of proxy for an annual meeting so long as they are provided to us on a timely basis and satisfy the other conditions set forth in Rule 14a-814a-8 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, (the “Exchange Act”),or the Exchange Act, regarding the inclusion of stockholder proposals in company-sponsored

4

Table of Contents

company-sponsored proxy materials. We currently anticipate holding our 2018 annual meeting of stockholders in May 2018, although the Board may decide to schedule the meeting for a different date. For a stockholder proposal to be considered timely pursuant to Rule 14a-814a-8 for inclusion in our proxy statement and form of proxy for the annual meeting to be held in 2018,2023, we must receive the proposal at our principal executive offices, addressed to our Secretary, no later than January 21, 2018.December 31, 2022. Any proposals received after


such date will be considered untimely. Submitting a stockholder proposal does not guarantee that it will be included in our proxy statement and form of proxy.

In addition, a stockholder proposal that is not intended for inclusion in our proxy statement and form of proxy under Rule 14a-814a-8 (including director nominations) shall be considered “timely” as calculated in accordance with Rule 14a-4(c)14a-4(c) under the Exchange Act, and may be brought before the 20182023 annual meeting of stockholders provided that we receive information and notice of the proposal addressed to our Secretary at our principal executive offices, no earlier than February 13, 2023 and no later than March 7, 2018.15, 2023.

Further, our Amended and Restated Bylaws, (our “Bylaws”)as amended, or Bylaws, provide that only such business shall be conducted at an annual meeting of stockholders as shall have been properly brought before the meeting. To be properly brought before an annual meeting, business must be brought in accordance with Section 2.4 of our Bylaws. A copy of our Bylaws can be found as Exhibit 3.5 to our Registration Statement on Form S-1 (Registration No. 333-213736) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on September 21, 2016 and incorporated herein by reference.

We strongly encourage any stockholder interested in submitting a proposal to contact our Secretary in advance of these deadlines to discuss any proposal he or she is considering, and stockholders may want to consult knowledgeable counsel with regard to the detailed requirements of applicable securities laws. All notices of stockholder proposals, whether or not intended to be included in our proxy materials, should be in writing and sent to our principal executive offices, located at: SenesTech, Inc., 314023460 N. Caden Court,19th Avenue, Suite 1, Flagstaff, Arizona 86004,110, Phoenix, AZ 85027, Attention: Secretary.

Paper Copy of Proxy Materials

If you want to receive a paper copy of these proxy materials, including any documents incorporated herein by reference but excluding exhibits to the Annual Report on Form 10-K, as amended, for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, or our 2021 Annual Report, you may request one at no cost to you by writing to: SenesTech, Inc., 23460 N. 19th Avenue, Suite 110, Phoenix, AZ 85027, Attention: Secretary.

Annual Report and Other Matters

Our 2022 Annual Report, which was made available to stockholders with or preceding this proxy statement, contains financial and other information about our company, but is not incorporated into this proxy statement and is not to be considered a part of these proxy materials or subject to Regulations 14A or 14C or to the liabilities of Section 18 of the Exchange Act. The information contained in the “Report of the Audit Committee” shall not be deemed “filed” with the SEC or subject to Regulations 14A or 14C or to the liabilities of Section 18 of the Exchange Act.


5

Table of Contents

PROPOSAL NO. 1

ONE
ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

General

Our Bylaws provide that the authorized number of directors of the Company shall beour company are fixed by the board of directors from time to time. The board of directors has previously set the size of the board of directors at seveneight directors. The directors shall be elected at each annual general meeting of the stockholders. If for any reason directors are not elected at the annual meeting of theour stockholders, they may be elected at any special meeting of the stockholders that is duly called and held for that purpose in the manner provided by the Bylaws.

TheCurrently, the board of directors is divided into three classes. Except for the remainderclasses, and directors in each class are elected to serve a three-year term. The term of the initial terms for the Class II andcurrent Class III directors electedexpires at this year’s Annual Meeting. The term of the 2016Class I directors expires at our 2023 annual meeting of stockholders which initial terms are currently in progress, each director will serve a three-year term.and the term of the Class II directors expires at the 2024 annual meeting of stockholders. A director serves in office until her or his respectivea successor is duly elected and qualified, unless the director is removed, resigns or, by reason of death or other cause, is unable to serve in the capacity of director. We expect that anyAny additional directorships resulting from an increase in the number of directors willwould currently be distributed among the three classes so that, as nearly as possible, each class will consist of one third of the total number of directors.

Set forth below is certain information furnished to us byregarding the director nominees and by each of the incumbent directors whose terms will continue following the Annual Meeting. Loretta Mayer, our co-founder, chair of the board, chief executive officer and chief scientific officer, and Cheryl Dyer, our co-founder, president, chief research officer and a director, are married. Other than Drs. Mayer and Dyer, there are no family relationships among our directors or director nominees.

Nominees for Director

Two directors are to be elected at the Annual Meeting to the terms set forth below. The board of directors has nominated the following individuals for election to the board of directors: Julia WilliamsK.C. Kavanagh, Kenneth Siegel and Marc DumontMatthew Szot as Class IIII directors. The current Class III directors eachwill stand for re-election at our Annual Meeting of Stockholders subject to serveelection for a three-yearthree-year term until theexpiring at our 2025 annual general meeting of stockholders to be held in 2020 and until her or his successor is duly elected and qualified.stockholders.

Unless otherwise instructed, the proxy holders will vote the proxies received by themfor the election of Julia WilliamsMs. Kavanagh, Mr. Siegel and Marc DumontMr. Szot to the board of directors. Each of these individuals has indicated that shehe or heshe will serve if elected. We do not anticipate that any of these nominees will be unable or unwilling to stand for election, but if that occurs, all proxies received may be voted by the proxy holders for another person nominated by the board of directors. As there are twothree nominees, proxies may be voted for up to twothree persons.

Nominees and Continuing Directors

The following table sets forth the names and certain information as of the record date regarding the nominees and each director of our company continuing in office after the Annual Meeting:

Name of Director

 

Age

 

Position

 

Director
Since

 

Term Expires

Marc Dumont

 

79

 

Director(1)(2)

 

2016

 

2023 (Class I)

Jake Leach

 

44

 

Director(1)

 

2020

 

2023 (Class I)

Jamie Bechtel, JD, Ph.D.

 

49

 

Chair of the Board and Director(2)(3)

 

2018

 

2024 (Class II)

Delphine François Chiavarini

 

46

 

Director(1)(2)

 

2018

 

2024 (Class II)

Phil Grandinetti III

 

50

 

Director(3)

 

2020

 

2024 (Class II)

K.C. Kavanagh

 

52

 

Director(2)

 

2020

 

2022 (Class III)

Kenneth Siegel

 

66

 

Chief Executive Officer and Director

 

2019

 

2022 (Class III)

Matthew Szot

 

47

 

Director(1)(2)(3)

 

2015

 

2022 (Class III)

____________

(1)      Member of the audit committee.

(2)      Member of the nominations and corporate governance committee.

(3)      Member of the compensation committee.

Director Nominees

K.C. Kavanagh has served as a director of our company since November 2020. Ms. Kavanaugh has served as Chief Communications Officer for AT&T Inc. since January 2022. Previously, Ms. Kavanaugh served as Chief Communications Officer for Bacardi Limited from October 2016 to May 2021. Prior to Bacardi Limited,

6

Table of Contents

Ms. Kavanagh served as Senior Vice President of Global Communications for Starwood Hotels & Resorts, a branded lifestyle hospitality company, from September 2010 to September 2016. We believe that Ms. Kavanagh is qualified to serve as a member of our board of directors because of her experience in communications, marketing, branding and public relations as well as her superior leadership skills.

Kenneth Siegel has served as a director of our company since February 2019 and as our Chief Executive Officer since May 2019. From December 2016 to November 2018, Mr. Siegel served in key leadership roles at Diamond Resorts International Inc., a global vacation ownership company, most recently as President from March 2017 to November 2018. Prior to Diamond Resorts, from November 2000 to October 2016, he served in key leadership roles at Starwood Hotels & Resorts, a branded lifestyle hospitality company, most recently as Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel from May 2006 to October 2016. Prior to joining Starwood in 2000, Mr. Siegel spent four years as the Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Cognizant Corporation and its successor companies, a multinational information technology services and consulting company. Mr. Siegel has a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and a juris doctorate degree from New York University. We believe that Mr. Siegel is qualified to serve as a member of our board of directors because of his experience and knowledge in all facets of corporate operations and governance, including business, operational, corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, marketing and branding gained as a senior executive of major public corporations.

Matthew Szot has served as a director of our company since December 2015 and serves as Vice-Chairman of the board and Chairman of our Audit Committee. From March 2010 to November 2021, he served as the Chief Financial Officer of S&W Seed Company, a Nasdaq-listed agricultural seed biotechnology company. Since September 2020, Mr. Szot has served on the board of directors and as Chairman of the Audit and Compensation committees of INVO Bioscience, Inc, a Nasdaq-listed medical device company. From June 2018 to August 2019, Mr. Szot served on the board of directors and as Chairman of the Audit Committee of Eastside Distilling, Inc. a Nasdaq-listed craft spirits company. From February 2007 until October 2011, Mr. Szot served as the Chief Financial Officer for Cardiff Partners, LLC, a strategic consulting company that provided executive financial services to various publicly traded and privately held companies. From 2003 to December 2006, Mr. Szot served as Chief Financial Officer and Secretary of Rip Curl, Inc., a market leader in wetsuit and action sports apparel products. From 1996 to 2003, Mr. Szot was a Certified Public Accountant with KPMG and served as an Audit Manager for various publicly traded companies. Mr. Szot has a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Economics/Accountancy from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana and is a Certified Public Accountant in the State of California. We believe that Mr. Szot is qualified to serve as a member of our board of directors because of his experience and knowledge of corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, as well as other operational, financial and accounting matters gained as a past and present chief financial officer and director of other public and private companies.

Vote Required for Election of Directors

If a quorum is present, the nominees for election to the board of directors receiving the greatest number of votes cast “for”“FOR” the election of the directors by the shares present, in person or by proxy, will be elected to the board of directors.

Nominees and Continuing Directors

The names and certain information as of the record date about the nominees and each director continuing in office afterrepresented at the Annual Meeting are set forth below.

    
Name of Director Nominees Age Position Director Since Term Expires
Marc Dumont 73 Director 2016 2017 (Class I)
Julia Williams, M.D. 57 Director 2011 2017 (Class I)

    
Name of Continuing Directors Age Position Director Since Term Expires
Cheryl A. Dyer, Ph.D. 65 Director; President and Chief Research Officer 2004 2018 (Class II)
Loretta P. Mayer, Ph.D. 67 Chair of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Scientific Officer 2004 2019 (Class III)
Bob Ramsey 71 Director 2016 2018 (Class II)
Matthew Szot 42 Director 2015 2019 (Class III)
Grover Wickersham 68 Vice-Chair of the Board 2015 2019 (Class III)

Marc Dumontwaswill be elected to our board of directors for a three-year term.

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS THAT STOCKHOLDERS VOTE FOR THE ELECTION OF EACH OF THE BOARD’S CLASS III DIRECTOR NOMINEES LISTED ON THE PROXY CARD.

Continuing Directors

Jamie Bechtel, JD, Ph.D. has served as a director of our company since January 2018. Dr. Bechtel is the founder of Kito Impact Foundation, a non-profit focused on integrating corporate social responsibility into small and medium sized businesses, and she has been the chief executive officer since February 2018. In addition, Dr. Bechtel was a co-founder of New Course, an organization focused on women-led conservation initiatives, and she has been a board member since August 2009. Dr. Bechtel holds a Ph.D. from Boston University, a law degree from Boston College and a bachelor’s degree from Boston University. We believe that Dr. Bechtel is qualified to serve as a member of our board of directors because she is a highly regarded leader in international conservation, and her work has led to strategic advances in the fields of conservation, sustainable finance and biology.

7

Table of Contents

Delphine François Chiavarini has served as a director of our company since June 2018. Since June 2017, Ms. Chiavarini has served as vice president and general manager of U.S. at Moen, a faucet manufacturing company, where she is responsible for developing strategies for profitable growth, increasing Moen’s market share and ensuring winning execution in the U.S. market. Before joining Moen, from August 2014 to June 2017, Ms. Chiavarini was senior vice president and general manager of Food and Beverage North America at Ecolab, a global leader in water, hygiene and energy technologies and services that protect people and vital resources. Ms. Chiavarini earned both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from Audencia Business School in Nantes, France, and attended executive programs at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. We believe that Ms. Chiavarini is qualified to serve as a member of our board of directors because of her experience developing strategies for profitable growth and her experience as an executive at multiple companies.

Phil Grandinetti III has served as a director of our company since November 2020. In March 2013, Mr. Grandinetti co-founded WITHit, a wearable tech accessory company, and he has serves as its Chief Customer Officer. From February 2005 to March 2013, Mr. Grandinetti served as VP of Sales at LightWedge, a global e-book, e reader and tablet accessories brand. Prior to LightWedge, Mr. Grandinetti served as Sr. VP of Worldwide Sales of GSM Products, an innovative outdoor products company, from February 2002 to February 2005. Mr. Grandinetti has a J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law and is licensed in the State of California, as well as a B.A. from the University of Iowa in Economics and Political Science. We believe that Mr. Grandinetti is qualified to serve as a member of our board of directors because of his experience with retail sales and marketing and the development and commercialization of new products.

Jake Leach has served as a director of our company since November 2020. Since joining DexCom, Inc., a company that develops, manufacturers, and distributes continuous glucose monitoring systems for diabetes management in March 2004, Mr. Leach served as Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer from September 2018 to the present, Senior Vice President of R&D from January 2015 to September 2018, and Vice President, R&D from January 2011 to January 2015. Mr. Leach holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering with a minor in Biomedical Engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles. We believe that Mr. Leach is qualified to serve as a member of our board of directors because of his R&D and innovative technology experience coupled with his commitment to quality and extensive knowledge of domestic and international regulatory requirements.

Marc Dumont has served as a director of our company since January 2016. Mr. Dumont is owner, chairman and chief executive officer of Chateau de Messey Wineries Meursault,in Burgundy, France, a wine producer, a position he has held since March 1995. Mr. Dumont served as the president of PSA International SA (a PSA Peugeot Citroen Group company) from January 1981 to March 1995. He is an international financial consultant and advisor for clients in Europe and Asia,also serving as well as the United States. He has served as the chairman of Sanderling Ventures (a European affiliate of a U.S. venture capital firm) since 1996. In the past, Mr. Dumont has served as director of Finter Bank Zurich, Novalog/Winslow Corporation, NUKO Information Systems Inc. in San Jose, CA, and Banque Internationale in Luxembourg, all of which were public companies. Mr. Dumont holds a Degreedegree in Electrical Engineering and Applied Economics from the University of Louvain, Belgium and an MBA from the University of Chicago. We believe Mr. Dumont is qualified to serve as a member of our board of directors because of his experience and knowledge of corporate finance, international business development and operations, and his experience as a past director of other public and private companies.

Julia Williams, M.D. was elected to our board of directors in August 2011. She has been an emergency department physician since 1989. She has worked at Flagstaff Medical Center since 1999. Dr. Williams is the founder and President of Humanitarian Efforts Reaching Out, or HERO, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that provides humanitarian services including medical and dental care, alternative power sources, solar cookers, vitamins, eye glasses, nutritional support and animal care. HERO’s mission is to help build healthy sustainable communities in underdeveloped Nations around the world. Dr. Williams has received her Doctor of Medicine from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and her Bachelors of Science from the University of Maryland. We believe that Dr. Williams is qualified to serve as a member of our board of directors because of her medical and scientific background, commitment to and experience with animal care, and long commitment to our vision.

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS THAT STOCKHOLDERS VOTEFOR
THE ELECTION OF DR. WILLIAMS AND MR. DUMONT TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
AS CLASS I DIRECTORS, EACH TO SERVE FOR A THREE-YEAR TERM UNTIL THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS TO BE HELD IN 2020.

Cheryl A. Dyer, Ph.D.is one of our co-founders and has served as our president and a member of our board of directors since our inception in July 2004. She has served as our chief research officer since 2004, where she oversees all of our research activities for relevance to our business goals, adherence to scientific standards and assurance of regulatory, legal and contractual compliance. From June 1990 to September 1995, Dr. Dyer served as a NIH-funded Principal Investigator at The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California and from 1995 to 2010 was on faculty at Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona where she maintained an extramurally-funded research program and laboratory. She was the first Research Professor in the Department of Biology at Northern Arizona University and the first Established Investigator for the American Heart Association in the State of Arizona. Dr. Dyer earned a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of California at San Diego in 1974 and a Ph.D. in Physiology and Pharmacology in 1986 in the School of Medicine at University of California at San Diego. Dr. Dyer was appointed as an Adjunct Member of the Graduate Faculty at Texas A&M University in 2015. We believe that Dr. Dyer is qualified to serve as a member of our board of directors because of her unique scientific background, her role as our co-founder and inventor of our first product, ContraPest.


Loretta P. Mayer, Ph.D.is one of our co-founders, and has served as our chair of the board since our inception in July 2004. Since June 2009, Dr. Mayer has served as our chief scientific officer. In December 2015, she assumed the title of chief executive officer, a position she previously held from June 2011 to January 2015. She is a co-inventor on the patent licensed from the University of Arizona that formed the basis for the launch of our research and development efforts and continues to contribute as co-inventor on additional patent improvements and new technology. Prior to her career in medicine and science, from 1978 to 1991 Dr. Mayer served as CEO of Binnacle Development, Inc., a California-based Real Estate Development company, where she established the first Senior Citizen Housing project in the city of San Diego, developed $45 million in product and managed an annual budget of $10 million. Dr. Mayer also served as Vice President of Soroptimist International of the Americas from 1990 to 1991, where she was responsible for NGO representation at United Nations and international board meetings, Cambridge, UK 1990 – 1991. She also served Soroptimist International of the Americas as a federation board member from 1988 to 1990 and as regional governor from 1984 to 1986. She earned a master’s degree in 1997 and a Ph.D. in 2000 in Biology from Northern Arizona University. Dr. Mayer earned a bachelors degree in Sociology from University of California, San Diego in 1971. She accepted a post-doctoral appointment with the College of Medicine at the University of Arizona in 2000. We believe that Dr. Mayer is qualified to serve as a member of our board of directors because of her scientific experience, business background and her role as our co-founder.

Bob Ramseywas elected to our board of directors in January 2016. Since 1978, Mr. Ramsey has served as chief executive officer of Starwest Associates, which develops and implements new business models in public partnerships for ambulance and EMS services. Mr. Ramsey also currently serves as chief executive officer of the Ramsey Social Justice Foundation, a non-profit organization that is dedicated to charitable work in the fields of global sustainability and affordable housing for at-risk and vulnerable populations, including women and children. The Ramsey Social Justice Foundation is a member of the Clinton Global Initiative. Mr. Ramsey has been appointed by six different Arizona governors to various Arizona state boards and commissions, including the Arizona Department of Health Services Emergency Medical Services Council on which he has served continuously since 1988. Mr. Ramsey holds a Bachelor of Arts from Arizona State University, and Arizona State University has named a school after Mr. Ramsey. We believe Mr. Ramsey is qualified to serve as a member of our board of directors because of his experience and knowledge of business development, global sustainability, charitable organizations and state and local government.

Matthew Szotwas elected to our board of directors in December 2015 and appointed as the chairman of the audit committee of our board of directors in December 2015 and as the chairman of the compensation committee of our board of directors in July 2016. Since March 2010, he has served as the chief financial officer and treasurer of S&W Seed Company, a Nasdaq-listed agricultural seed company. From February 2007 until October 2011, Mr. Szot served as the chief financial officer for Cardiff Partners, LLC, a strategic consulting company that provided executive financial services to various publicly traded and privately held companies. From 2003 to December 2006, Mr. Szot served as chief financial officer and Secretary of Rip Curl, Inc., a market leader in wetsuit and action sports apparel products. From 1996 to 2003, Mr. Szot was a Certified Public Accountant with KPMG and served as an Audit Manager for various publicly traded companies. Mr. Szot has a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Economics/Accountancy from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana and is a Certified Public Accountant in the State of California. We believe that Mr. Szot is qualified to serve as a member of our board of directors because of his experience and knowledge of corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance as well as other operational, financial and accounting matters gained as a past and present chief financial officer of other public and private companies.

Grover Wickershamwas elected to our board of directors and appointed as its vice-Chairman in December 2015. Mr. Wickersham also serves on the board of directors of S&W Seed Company, a Nasdaq-traded agricultural company, Eastside Distilling, Inc., an OTCQB-traded producer of high quality spirits, and Verseon Corporation, a London AIM-listed pharmaceutical development company. Since November 2016, Mr. Wickersham has served as the chief executive officer of Eastside Distilling, Inc. Mr. Wickersham has been a director and portfolio advisor of Glenbrook Capital Management, the general partner of a partnership that invests primarily in the securities of public companies, from 1996 to present. For


more than five years, Mr. Wickersham has served as the chairman of the board of trustees of Purisima Fund, a mutual fund advised by Fisher Investments of Woodside, California, which fund has assets under management of approximately $375 million. Between 1976 and 1981, Mr. Wickersham served as a staff attorney, and then as a branch chief, of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. He holds an A.B. from the Univ. of California at Berkeley, an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and a J.D. from Univ. of California (Hastings). We believe that Mr. Wickersham is qualified to serve as a member of our board of directors because of his experience and knowledge of corporate finance and legal matters, his experience and knowledge of operational matters gained as a past and present director of other public and private companies, and his knowledge of our company.

Executive Officers

The following table sets forth the names and certain information aboutregarding our executive officers as of the record date are set forth below:date:

Name

 

Age

 

Position

Name

Kenneth Siegel

 Age

66

 Position
Loretta P. Mayer, Ph.D.67Chair of the Board,

Chief Executive Officer and Chief Scientific OfficerDirector

Cheryl A. Dyer, Ph.D.

Thomas C. Chesterman

 65

62

 President, Chief Research Officer and Director
Thomas C. Chesterman57

Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Assistant Secretary

Kim Wolin

Nicole Williams

 61

42

 

Chief Strategy Officer

Kim Wolin

66

Executive Vice President, Operations and HR and Secretary

Drs. Mayer and Dyer’sMr. Siegel’s biographical details are set out above under the heading “Continuing Directors.”“Director Nominees” above.

TomThomas Chesterman joined our company in September 2015 and has served as our chief financial officerExecutive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and treasurerAssistant Secretary since December 2015. He has over 2025 years of experience as the chief financial officer of a public company in the life science, technology and telecommunications industries. Most recently, he was the vice president and treasurer of General Communication Inc., a telecommunications company in Alaska, from 2013 to 2015. Previously, he was the chief financial officer of life science companies Bionovo Inc. from 2007 to 2012, Aradigm Corp. from 2002 to 2007 and Bio-RadBio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. from 1996 to 2002. Mr. Chesterman

8

Table of Contents

is adept at a variety of capital market access techniques and has significant experience in developing the operational and financial infrastructures in companies to help support successful and rapid growth. Mr. Chesterman earned a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University and an MBAM.B.A. from the University of California at Davis.

Nicole Williams has served as Chief Strategy Officer of our company since May 2021 and has assumed leadership of the commercialization activities as of the end of 2021. Prior to joining our company, she was the National Director of Sales and Business Development in the orthopedic robotics division of Smith+Nephew, driving the adoption and commercialization of new technology with healthcare facilities across the country, from July 2018 to May 2021. From July 2017 to July 2018, Mrs. Williams served as Facility Administrator at DaVita Kidney Care. Previously, from September 2011 to July 2017, she was Assistant Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations for an HCA Level 1 Trauma Center driving service line growth, expansion of beds and services, and overall facility operations. Nicole’s 20-years of experience include sales and business development, operations, marketing and crisis communications. Nicole earned a bachelor’s degree at Boston University and an M.B.A. from the University of Denver.

Kim Wolin joined our company as a marketing technologist in May 2013 and inhas served as our Executive Vice President, Operations and HR and Secretary since May 2014 was appointed executive vice president of operations.2014. From January 2009 to May 2013, she was a vice president, branch sales and service manager of Sunwest Bank, a community bank located in Flagstaff, Arizona. From November 1996 to December 2009, Ms. Wolin held the positions of assistant vice president, branch manager and Licensed Financial Advisor at Wells Fargo Bank. She has owned and operated Creative Net Solutions, a website design and hosting business, since 1994. From 1984 to 1992, Ms. Wolin owned and operated Kodas Produce Market, a health food and organic produce store in Oakland, CA.California. Ms. Wolin earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the State University of New York/York at Buffalo in 1977.

There are no family relationships among any of our directors and executive officers.


9

Table of Contents

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Board of Directors Leadership Structure

Our Corporate Governance Principles provide our board of directors with flexibility in determining the appropriate leadership structure for our company. Our board of directors has elected to separate the roles of Chief Executive Officer and Chair of the Board. These positions are currently held by Kenneth Siegel, our Chief Executive Officer, and Jamie Bechtel, our Chair of the Board. The board of directors has adoptedbelieves that a leadership structure under whichthat separates these roles is appropriate for our company due to the vice-chairdifferences between the two roles. The Chief Executive Officer is responsible for setting our strategic direction, providing day-to-day leadership and managing our business, while the Chair of the Board provides guidance to the Chief Executive Officer, sets the agendas for and chairs board meetings, presides over executive sessions of the independent directors, establishes priorities and procedures for the work of the full board of directors and provides information to the members of our board of directors is an independent director and a separate role from our board chair and chief executive officer. We believe the current separationin advance of the vice-chair from the board chair and chief executive officer role allows the chief executive officer to focus her time and energy on running our business and managing our operations, while leveraging the experience and perspectives of an independent vice-chairman. Our chief executive officer has generally also been a member of the board of directors. Dr. Mayer is a director as well as our chief executive officer. We believe it is important to enable our chief executive officer to provide information and insight about us directly to the directors in their deliberations. Our board of directors believes that separating the board chair/chief executive officer and vice-chairman of the board roles is the appropriate leadership structure for us at this time and demonstrates our commitment to effective corporate governance.such meetings.

Our board chair is responsible for the effective functioning of our board of directors, enhancing its efficacy by guiding board of directors processes and presiding at board of directors meetings. Our board chair presides at stockholder meetings and ensures that directors receive appropriate information from our management to fulfill their responsibilities. Our board chair also acts as a liaison between our board of directors and executive management, facilitating clear and open communication between management and the board of directors.

Board of Directors Role in Risk Oversight

One of the key functions of our board of directors is informed oversight of our risk management process. Our board of directors willdoes not have a standing risk management committee, but rather intends to administeradministers this oversight function directly through our board of directors as a whole, as well as through various standing committees that address risks inherent in their respective areas of oversight. In particular, our board of directors is responsible for monitoring and assessing strategic risk exposure, and our audit committee has the responsibility to consideris responsible for considering and discussdiscussing our major financial risk exposures and the steps our management has taken to monitor and control these exposures. The audit committee also has the responsibility to issue guidelines and policies to govern the process by which risk assessment and management is undertaken and to monitor compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. Our compensation committee assesses and monitors whether any of our compensation policies and programs have the potential to encourage excessive risk-taking.risk-taking.

Director Independence

Generally, under the continued listing requirements and rules of Nasdaq, independent directors must comprise a majority of a listed company’s board of directors. Our board of directors has undertaken a review of its composition, the composition of its committees and the independence of each director. Our board of directors has determined that Dr. Bechtel, Ms. Chiavarini and Ms. Kavanagh, and Messrs. Dumont, Ramsey,Leach, Grandinetti and Szot and Wickersham, and Dr. Williams are independent within the meaning of Nasdaq listing standards and that none of such directors has any relationship with usour company that would interfere with the exercise of their independent business judgment. The board also determined that Kenneth Siegel, our current Chief Executive Officer, is not independent. Accordingly, a majority of our directors isare independent, as required under applicable Nasdaq rules. In making this determination, our board of directors considered the current and prior relationships that each non-employeenon-employee director has with our company and all other facts and circumstances our board of directors deemed relevant in determining their independence, including the beneficial ownership of our capital stock by each non-employeenon-employee director.

Additionally, in determining the independence of Dr. Bechtel, the board of directors considered her position as the chief executive officer of Kito Impact Foundation, which has provided consulting services for the past four years to the Company. Kito Impact Foundation received $50,400 per year for such services. These consulting services include partnership development and positioning services, with a focus on our company’s strategic agenda.

There are no arrangements or understandings between any director or nominee and any other person or entity other than our company pursuant to which the director or nominee receives compensation in connection with that person’s candidacy or service as a director.

Standing Committees and Attendance

The board of directors held a total of 14six meetings during 2016.2021. All directors attended more than 75% of the aggregate of the meetings of theour board of directors and committees thereof, if any, upon which such director served during the period for which he or shethe director has been a director or committee member during 2016.2021. The independent directors meet in executive session from time to time.

10

Table of Contents

Our board of directors includesutilizes an audit committee, a compensation committee, and a nominating and corporate governance and nominating committee. Our audit, compensation and governancecommittee as standing committees are comprised solely of independent board members. In 2021, the audit committee held four meetings, the compensation committee held four meetings and the nominating and corporate governance committee held six meetings. Information about these standing committees and committee meetings is set forth below.


Our board of directors forms ad hoc committees from time-to-time to assist the board in fulfilling its responsibilities with respect to matters that are the subject of the ad hoc committee’s mandate.

Audit Committee

OurThe audit committee currently consists of Matthew Szot, who is the chair, of the committee, Grover WickershamDelphine François Chiavarini, Marc Dumont and Marc Dumont.Jake Leach. The board of directors has determined that, after consideration of all relevant factors, each of these directorsthe current audit committee members qualifies as an “independent” director under applicable SEC and NASDAQNasdaq rules. Each member of the audit committee is able to read and understand fundamental financial statements, including our consolidated balance sheets, consolidated statements of operations and consolidated statements of cash flows. Further, no member of the audit committee has participated in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements, or those of any of our current subsidiaries, at any time during the past three years. The board of directors has designated Mr. Szot as an “audit committee financial expert” as defined under applicable SEC rules and has determined that Mr. Szot possesses the requisite “financial sophistication” under applicable NASDAQNasdaq rules. The audit committee operates under a written charter setting forth the functions and responsibilities of the audit committee, which is periodically reviewed by the audit committee on an annual basis.and by the board of directors as appropriate. A current copy of the audit committee charter is available on our website athttp://senestech.investorroom.com/senestech.investorroom.com on the “Board Committees”“Documents and Policies” page under the heading “Corporate Governance.” The functions of the audit committee include:

Overseeing

•        overseeing the engagement of our independent public accountants, including pre-approval of services and review of independence and quality control procedures of the independent public accountants;

Reviewing

•        reviewing our accounting policies, judgments and assumptions used in the preparation of our financial statements;

Reviewing

•        reviewing our audited financial statements and discussing them with the independent public accountants and our management;

Meeting

•        meeting separately with the independent public accountants and our management to consider the adequacy of our internal controls;

Establishing

•        establishing procedures regarding complaints concerning accounting or auditing matters, reviewing and, if appropriate, approving related-partyearnings press releases, related-party transactions, reviewing compliance with our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, and reviewing our investment policy and compliance therewith; and

Reviewing

•        reviewing our investment policy and financial plans, reporting recommendations to our full board of directors for approval and authorizing actions.

actions; and

•        discussing with our general counsel (if any) or outside counsel any legal matters brought to the Committee’s attention that could reasonably be expected to have a material impact on our financial statements.

Both our independent registered accounting firm and internal financial personnel regularly meet with our audit committee and have unrestricted access to the audit committee.

Compensation Committee

Our compensation committee currently consists of Matthew Szot,Jamie Bechtel, who is the chair, Phil Grandinetti III and Matthew Szot. Each of the current compensation committee Bob Ramsey and Julie Williams, each of whommembers has been determined by our board of directors to be independent in accordance with Nasdaq standards. Each member of our compensation committee is also a non-employeenon-employee director, as defined pursuant to Rule 16b-316b-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act, and an outside director, as defined pursuant to Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the Code.Act. The compensation committee operates under a written charter, which is periodically reviewed by the compensation committee on an annual basis.and by the

11

Table of Contents

board of directors as appropriate. A current copy of the compensation committee charter is available on our website athttp://senestech.investorroom.com/senestech.investorroom.com on the “Board Committees”“Documents and Policies” page under the heading “Corporate Governance.” The functions of the compensation committee include:

Reviewing

•        reviewing and, if deemed appropriate, recommending to our board of directors policies, practices, and procedures relating to the compensation of our directors, officers and other managerial employees and the establishment and administration of our employee benefit plans;

Determining

•        reviewing, at least annually, our compensation philosophy;

•        reviewing and recommending to the board of directors for approval the corporate goals and objectives relevant to the CEO and other executive officers;

•        reviewing and approving any employment agreements, severance agreements or special compensation or change-in-control arrangements with executive officers;

•        determining or recommending to the board of directors the compensation of our executive officers; and

Advising

•        advising and consulting with our officers regarding managerial personnel and development.


development;

•        overseeing our compliance with the Nasdaq requirement that, with limited exceptions, stockholders approve equity compensation plans; and

•        monitoring our compliance with applicable legal requirements of the Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002 and the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act relating to employee compensation and benefits.

As part of its process to determine the compensation level of each executive officer, the compensation committee evaluates, among other things, the Chief Executive Officer’s assessment of the other executive officers and recommendations regarding their compensation in light of the goals and objectives of our executive compensation program. The compensation committee may delegate certain of its responsibilities, as it deems appropriate, to compensation subcommittees or to our officers, but it has not elected to do so to date.

Pursuant to its charter, the compensation committee has sole authority to retain and/or replace, as needed, any independent legal counsel, compensation and benefits consultants and other experts or advisors as the compensation committee believes to be necessary or appropriate.

Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee

Our nominating and corporate governance committee currently consists of Grover Wickersham,Delphine François Chiavarini, who is the chair, Jamie Bechtel, Marc Dumont, K.C. Kavanagh and Matthew Szot. Each of the current nominating and corporate governance committee Marc Dumont and Bob Ramsey, each of whommembers has been determined by ourthe board of directors to be independent in accordance with Nasdaq standards. The nominating and corporate governance and nominating committee operates under a written charter, which is periodically reviewed by the nominating and corporate governance committee on an annual basis and by the Boardour board of Directorsdirectors as appropriate. A current copy of the nominating and corporate governance committee charter is available on our website athttp://senestech.investorroom.com/ on the “Board Committees”“Documents and Policies” page under the heading “Corporate Governance.” The functions of the nominating and corporate governance and nominating committee include:

Evaluating

•        evaluating the composition, compensation, size and governance of our board of directors and its committees and make recommendations regarding future planning and the appointment of directors to our committees;

Evaluating

•        evaluating and recommending candidates for election to our board of directors;

Establishing

•        establishing a policy for considering stockholder nominees for election to our board of directors; and

Reviewing

•        reviewing our corporate governance principles and providing recommendations to the board regarding possible changes.changes; and

•        evaluating the performance of the Chief Executive Officer.

12

Table of Contents

Director Nomination Process

The board of directors has determined that director nomination responsibilities should be overseen by the Nominatingnominating and Corporate Governance Committee (the “Committee”).corporate governance committee. One of the Committee’snominating and corporate governance committee’s goals is to assemble a Boardboard that brings to us a variety of perspectives and skills derived from high quality business and professional experience. Factors considered by the Committeenominating and corporate governance committee include character, judgment, knowledge, skill, integrity, diversity, (including factors such asincluding with respect to race, gender, ethnicity and experience), integrity,similar characteristics, age, expertise, length of service, independence, experience with businesses and other organizations of comparable size, including experience in animal and health sciences, business, finance, administration or public service, the relevance of a candidate’s experience to our needs and experience of other Boardboard members, familiarity with national and international business matters, experience with accounting rules and practices, the desire to balance the considerable benefit of continuity with the periodic injection of the fresh perspective provided by new members, and the extent to which a candidate would be a desirable addition to the board of directors and any committees of the board of directors. In addition, directors are expected to be able to exercise their best business judgment when acting on behalf of usour company and our stockholders, act ethically at all times and adhere to the applicable provisions of our codeCode of ethicsBusiness Conduct and business conduct.Ethics. Other than consideration of the foregoing and applicable SEC and Nasdaq requirements, unless determined otherwise by the Committee,nominating and corporate governance committee, there are no stated minimum criteria, qualities or skills for director nominees. However, the Committeenominating and corporate governance committee may also consider such other factors as it may deem are in the best interests of usour company and our stockholders. In addition, at least one member of the board of directors serving on the audit committee should meet the criteria for an “audit committee financial expert” having the requisite “financial sophistication” under applicable Nasdaq and SEC rules, and a majority of the members of theour board of directors should meet the definition of “independent director” under applicable Nasdaq rules. The board of directors is committed to actively seeking highly qualified women and individuals from underrepresented groups. The nominating and corporate governance committee and any search firm that it engages are directed to include women and candidates from underrepresented groups in each search pool form which the nominating and corporate governance committee selects director candidates.

The Committeenominating and corporate governance committee identifies director nominees by first evaluating the current members of the board of directors willing to continue in service. Current members of the board of directors with skills and experience that are relevant to our business and who are willing to continue in service are considered for re-nomination,re-nomination, balancing the value of continuity of service by existing members of the board of directors with that of obtaining a new perspective. The Committeenominating and corporate governance committee also takes into account an incumbent director’s performance as a Boardboard member. If any member of the board of directors does not wish to continue in service, if the Committeenominating and corporate governance committee decides not to re-nominatere-nominate a member for reelection, if the Boardboard decided to fill a director position that is currently vacant or if the board of directors decides to recommend that the size of the board of directors be increased, the Committeenominating and corporate governance committee identifies the desired skills and experience of a new nominee in light of the criteria described above. Current members of the board of directors and management are polled for suggestions as to individuals meeting the Committee’snominating and corporate governance committee’s criteria. Research may also be performed to identify


qualified individuals. Nominees for director are selected by a majority of the members of the Committee, with any current directors who may be nominees themselves abstaining from any vote relating to their own nomination.

It is the policy of the Committeenominating and corporate governance committee to consider suggestions for persons to be nominated for director that are submitted by stockholders. The Committeenominating and corporate governance committee will evaluate stockholder suggestions for director nominees in the same manner as it evaluates suggestions for director nominees made by management, then-currentthen-current directors or other appropriate sources. Stockholders suggesting persons as director nominees should send information about a proposed nominee to our Secretary at our principal executive offices as referenced above at leastby no later than 120 days before the anniversary of the mailingrelease date of the prior year’s proxy statement.statement, which date is identified in the section titled “Deadlines for Receipt of Stockholder Proposals.” This information should be in writing and should include a signed statement by the proposed nominee that he or shethe nominee is willing to serve as a director of SenesTech,our company, a description of the proposed nominee’s relationship to the stockholder and any information that the stockholder feels will fully inform the Committeenominating and corporate governance committee about the proposed nominee and his or herthe nominee’s qualifications. The Committeenominating and corporate governance committee may request further information from the proposed nominee and the stockholder making the recommendation. In addition, a stockholder may nominate one or more persons for election as a director at our annual meeting of stockholders if the stockholder complies with the notice, information, consent and other provisions relating to stockholder nominees contained in our Bylaws.bylaws. Please see the section above titled “Deadlines for Receipt of Stockholder Proposals” for important information regarding stockholder proposals, including director nominations.

13

Table of Contents

Code of Business Conduct and Ethics

We have adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics in compliance with applicable rules of the SEC that applies to our principal executive officer, our principal financial officer and our principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions, as well as to all members of our Board of Directorsdirectors, officers and all other employees.employees and consultants. A copy of this policy is available on our website athttp://senestech.investorroom.com/ on the “Documents and Policies” page under the heading “Corporate��Corporate Governance,” or free of charge upon written request to the attention of our Secretary, by regular mail at our principal executive offices, email to inquiries@senestech.com or fax at 928-526-0243.928-526-0243. We will disclose, on our website, any amendment to, or a waiver from, a provision of our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics that applies to our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions and that relates to any element of the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics enumerated in applicable rules of the SEC. In addition, we have adopted a policy for research misconduct, which also applies to all officers, directors and employees.

2016 Director Compensation

14

Table of Contents

2021 DIRECTOR COMPENSATION

The following table sets forth information regarding compensation earned by or paid to our non-employeenon-employee directors during the year ended December 31, 2016.2021.

Name

 

Fees Earned or
Paid in Cash
($)
(1)

 

Option
Awards
($)
(2)

 

Total
($)

Jamie Bechtel, JD, Ph.D(4)

 

$

114,900

 

$

70,194

 

$

185,094

Delphine François Chiavarini

 

$

42,000

 

$

43,737

 

$

85,737

Marc Dumont

 

$

27,500

 

$

33,571

 

$

60,571

Matthew K. Szot

 

$

49,500

 

$

64,090

 

$

113,590

Phil Grandinetti III(3)

 

$

 

$

83,847

 

$

83,847

K.C. Kavanagh(3)

 

$

21,000

 

$

44,789

 

$

65,789

Jake Leach(3)

 

$

 

$

70,194

 

$

70,194

____________

(1)      These cash awards represent the amounts paid in calendar year 2021, representing the second half of 2020-2021 compensation and the first half of 2021-2022 cash compensation for board service from Annual Meeting to Annual Meeting. An annual award is paid in four equal payments on July 1, 2021, October 1, 2021, January 2, 2022 and April 1, 2022. Only two of these quarterly payments were made in calendar year 2021. This includes any additional cash compensation for service on ad hoc committees.

    
Name Cash Awards
($)
 Option Awards
($)(3)
 RSU Award
($)(4)
 Total
($)
Marc Dumont $32,500(1)  $169,040  $24,997  $226,537 
Bob Ramsey $30,000(1)  $169,040  $24,997  $224,037 
Matthew K. Szot $105,000(2)  $88,240  $24,997  $218,237 
Julia Williams, M.D. $27,500(1)  $88,240  $24,997  $140,737 
Grover Wickersham $70,000(1)  $88,240  $24,997  $183,237 

(2)      The amounts in this column reflect the aggregate grant date fair value of option awards granted in 2021, determined in accordance with ASC 718. As of December 31, 2021, the total number of shares subject to outstanding stock options held by each non-employee director was as follows: Dr. Bechtel, 120,030; Ms. Chiavarini, 76,444; Mr. Dumont, 62,029; Mr. Szot, 101,790; Dr. Williams, 23,981; Mr. Leach, 99,846; Mr. Grandinetti, 113,918; and Ms. Kavanagh, 62,537. This includes any additional equity compensation for service on ad hoc committees.

(1)These cash awards represent pre-payment of 2017 Board Cash Compensation (as detailed below). These pre-payment amounts were paid in December 2016 for service to be provided through the Annual Meeting.
(2)The $105,000 cash award represents pre-payment of 2017 Board Cash Compensation (as detailed below) of $55,000. These pre-payment amounts were paid in December 2016 for service to be provided through the Annual Meeting. In addition, Mr. Szot received a one-time $50,000 payment in recognition of past service to the Board.

(3)      Mr. Grandinetti and Mr. Leach did not receive any cash compensation in 2020 or 2021. Mr. Grandinetti and Mr. Leach both elected to receive their full compensation in option awards.

(3)Represents grants of non-statutory options that scheduled to vest at various times through January, 2019.
(4)Represents grants of restricted stock units that vest on the 12 month anniversary of grant. All awards listed will be vested by December 31, 2017.

(4)      Included in the $114,900 cash compensation paid to Dr. Bechtel is $50,400 paid to Kito Impact Foundation, of which Dr. Bechtel serves as chief executive officer, in fiscal year 2021 for consulting services.

2021 Non-Employee Director Compensation Program

On December 19, 2016,July 10, 2021, the Boardboard adopted a non-employeerevised non-employee director compensation program, (the “Program”)or the Director Compensation Program, for providing cash and equity compensation to its non-employeeour non-employee directors for their service on the Boardboard and committees of the Board. The Program became effective for the service of non-employee directors beginning January 1, 2017.board. The components of the Director Compensation Program are as follows:

Cash Compensation:

 

Amount

Annual general retainer for service on the board

 

$

17,000

Additional Annual general retainer for service on the board – Chair

 

$

20,000

Additional Annual general retainer for service on the board – Vice Chair

 

$

15,000

  

 

 

Incremental annual retainers for chair of committees:

 

 

 

Audit

 

$

15,000

Compensation

 

$

15,000

Nominating and Corporate Governance

 

$

15,000

  

 

 

Incremental annual retainers for members of committees:

 

 

 

Audit

 

$

5,000

Compensation

 

$

5,000

Nominating and Corporate Governance

 

$

5,000

15

Table of Contents

 
Cash Compensation: Amount
Annual general retainer for serving on the Board $25,000 
Incremental annual retainer for the Vice-Chair of the Board $30,000 
Incremental annual retainer for Chair of the Audit Committee $20,000 
Incremental annual retainer for directors also serving on the Audit Committee $5,000 
Incremental annual retainer for each Chair of the Compensation and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees $10,000 
Incremental annual retainer for directors also serving on the Compensation and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees $2,500 
Incremental fee for attendance at each meeting of the Audit, Compensation and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees exceeding one hour $250 

Equity Compensation:

 

Grant details (value of
grant in $)

Annual stock option grant for serving on the board

 

$

25,000

Additional Annual stock option grant for serving on the board – Chair

 

$

20,000

Additional Annual stock option grant for serving on the board – Vice Chair

 

$

20,000

  

 

 

Annual stock option grant for serving as chair of committees:

 

 

 

Audit

 

$

10,000

Compensation

 

$

10,000

Nominating and Corporate Governance

 

$

10,000

  

 

 

Annual stock option grant for serving as member of committees:

 

 

 

Audit

 

$

4,000

Compensation

 

$

4,000

Nominating and Corporate Governance

 

$

4,000

The options granted to non-employee directors pursuant to the Director Compensation Program will have an exercise price equal to the closing market price of our common stock on the date of grant. The options will vest in equal quarterly installments over a one-year period, and the options will expire on the fifth anniversary of the date of the grant.

Equity Compensation:Grant details
Annual RSU grant for serving on the BoardA number of RSUs equal to $25,000 divided by the closing market price of the common stock on the date of grant; 100% of which RSUs will vest after one year of continuous service on the Board. Grants may be made at the next regularly scheduled meeting of the board of directors following the Annual Meeting.
Annual stock option grant for serving on the BoardNonstatutory stock options to purchase 20,000 shares of common stock; exercise price equal to the closing market price of the common stock on the date of grant; 25% of which options will vest on the first day of each calendar quarter following the date of grant, so that 100% of the options will be fully vested on the one-year anniversary of the date of grant. The options will expire on the fifth anniversary of the date of grant. Grants may be made at the next regularly scheduled meeting of the board of directors following the Annual Meeting.

Our board of directors forms ad hoc committees from time-to-time to assist the board in fulfilling its responsibilities with respect to matters that are the subject of the ad hoc committee’s mandate. The directors serving on such ad hoc committees are compensated as appropriate, though not to exceed the compensation for participation in standing committees.

In addition, we reimburse non-employeenon-employee directors for reasonable travel expenses for participation in board meetings and for travel conducted on behalf of our business.

Each16

Table of Dr. Mayer, who serves as our chair of the board, chief executive officer and chief scientific officer, and Dr. Dyer, who serves as our president and chief research officer, receives no compensation for her service as a director, and the compensation received by Drs. Mayer and Dyer as employees during 2016 is presented in “Executive Officer Compensation —Contents

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

2021 Summary Compensation Table.”Table


EXECUTIVE OFFICER COMPENSATION

As a smaller reporting company, we are not required to provide a separately-captioned “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” (“CD&A”) section. However, in order to provide a greater understanding to our stockholders regarding our compensation policies and decisions with respect to our named executive officers, we are including the following narrative disclosure to highlight salient portions of a typical CD&A. This narrative disclosure should be read in conjunction with the Summary Compensation Table and related tables that are presented elsewhere in this Proxy Statement.

Compensation Philosophy and Processes

Compensation for our executives and key employees is designed to attract and retain people who share our vision and values and who can consistently perform in such a manner that enables us to achieve its strategic goals. The compensation committee believes that the total compensation package for each of our executive officers is competitive with the market, thereby allowing us to retain executive talent capable of leveraging the skills of our employees and our unique assets in order to increase stockholder value. Our “named executive officers” refers to those executive officers identified in the Summary Compensation Table below. Our named executive officers for fiscal year 2016 included the following individuals: Loretta P. Mayer, Ph.D., Chair of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Scientific Officer; Cheryl A. Dyer, Ph.D., President and Chief Research Officer; and Thomas Chesterman, Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Assistant Secretary.

Our executive compensation programs are designed to (1) motivate and reward our executive officers, (2) retain our executive officers and encourage their quality service, (3) incentivize our executive officers to appropriately manage risks while improving our financial results, and (4) align executive officers’ interests with those of our stockholders. Under these programs, our executive officers are rewarded for the achievement of company objectives and the realization of increased stockholder value.

The program seeks to remain competitive with the market while also aligning the executive compensation program with stockholder interests through the following types of compensation: (i) base salary; (ii) annual cash-based incentive bonuses; and (iii) equity-based incentive awards.

Key Executive Compensation Objectives

The compensation policies developed by the compensation committee are based on the philosophy that compensation should reflect both Company-wide performance, financially and operationally, and the individual performance of the executive, including management of personnel under his supervision. The compensation committee’s objectives when setting compensation for our executive officers include:

Setting compensation levels that are sufficiently competitive such that they will motivate and reward the highest quality individuals to contribute to our goals, objectives and overall financial success. This is done in part through reviewing and comparing the compensation of other companies in our peer group.
Retaining executives and encouraging their continued quality service, thereby encouraging and maintaining continuity of the management team. Our competitive base salaries combined with cash and equity incentive bonuses, retirement plan benefits and the vesting requirements of our equity-based incentive awards, encourage high-performing executives to remain with the Company.
Incentivizing executives to appropriately manage risks while attempting to improve our financial results, performance and condition.
Aligning executive and stockholder interests. The compensation committee believes the use of equity compensation as a key component of executive compensation is a valuable tool for aligning the interests of our executive officers with those of our stockholders.

Our compensation program is designed to reward superior performance of both the Company and of each individual executives and seeks to encourage actions that drive our business strategy. In fiscal 2016, we instituted a process by which the compensation committee or a member thereof, will meet with each of our executives quarterly to review performance, goals and expectations so that our annual compensation decisions, when made, will be more transparent. Our compensation strategy is to provide a competitive opportunity for


senior executives, taking into account their total compensation packages, which include a combination of base salary, cash-based incentive bonuses and equity-based incentive bonuses.

Oversight of Executive Compensation

The Role of the Compensation Committee in Setting Compensation.  Our compensation committee determines and recommends to our board of directors the compensation of our executive officers. The compensation committee also makes recommendations to our board of directors regarding equity compensation under our 2015 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2015 Plan”). The compensation committee reviews base salary levels for executive officers of our company and recommends raises and bonuses based upon the company’s achievements, individual performance and competitive and market conditions. The compensation committee may delegate certain of its responsibilities, as it deems appropriate, to compensation subcommittees or to our officers, but it has not elected to do so to date.

The Role of Executives in Setting Compensation.  While the compensation committee does not delegate any of its functions to others in setting the compensation of senior management, it includes members of senior management in the compensation committee’s executive compensation process. We have asked each of our senior executives to annually provide us with input with regard to their goals for the coming year. These proposals include suggested company-wide and individual performance goals. The compensation committee reviews these proposals with the executives and provides the Committee’s perspective on those aspects that the Committee may feel should be modified. Quarterly meetings with the executives will permit an ongoing dialog to further our goal of enhancing communication and managing expectations regarding compensation matters.

The Role of Consultants in Setting Compensation.  In fiscal 2016, the compensation committee did not retain compensation consultants to assist it in its review of executive compensation although it is empowered by its charter to do so. As the compensation committee deems necessary or helpful, it may retain the services of compensation consultants in connection with the establishment and development of our compensation philosophy and programs in the future.

Compensation Risk Assessment

As part of its risk assessment process, the compensation committee reviewed material elements of executive and non-executive employee compensation. The compensation committee concluded that these policies and practices do not create risk that is reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on us.

The structure of our compensation program for our executive officers does not incentivize unnecessary or excessive risk taking. The base salary component of compensation does not encourage risk taking because it is a fixed amount. The incentive plan awards have risk-limiting characteristics:

Annual incentive awards to each of our executive officers are limited to the fixed maximum specified in the incentive plan;
Annual incentive awards are based on a review of a variety of performance factors, thus diversifying the risk associated with any single aspect of performance;
The compensation committee, which is composed of independent members of our board of directors, approves final incentive plan cash and stock awards in its discretion after reviewing executive and corporate performance; and
The significant portion of long-term value is delivered in shares of our Company with a multi-year vesting schedule, which aligns the interests of our executive officers to the long-term interests of our stockholders.

Elements of Compensation

The material elements of the compensation program for our named executive officers include: (i) base salary; (ii) cash-based incentive bonuses; and (iii) equity-based incentive awards.

Base Salaries.  We provide our named executive officers with a base salary to compensate them for services rendered during the fiscal year and sustained performance. The purpose of the base salary is to reflect job responsibilities, value to us and competitiveness of the market. Salaries for our named executive officers are determined by the compensation committee based on the following factors: nature and responsibility of the position and, to the extent available, salary norms for comparable positions; the expertise of the individual executive; and the competitiveness of the market for the executive’s services.

Performance Cash-Based Incentive Bonuses.  Our practice is to award cash-based incentive bonuses, based in part on the achievement of performance objectives or significant accomplishments as established by the compensation committee from time-to-time in its discretion. These performance objectives and significant accomplishments are, in part, developed in partnership with the executive and are discussed on an ongoing basis throughout the year.

Equity-Based Incentive Awards.  Our equity-based incentive awards are designed to align our interests with those of our employees and consultants, including our named executive officers. Our compensation committee is responsible for approving equity grants. As of the end of fiscal 2016, our named executive officers have been granted both stock option awards and restricted stock units. Vesting of the stock option and restricted stock unit awards is tied to continuous service with us and serves as an additional retention measure and long-term incentive.

Key Compensation Decisions and Developments for Fiscal Year 2016

For fiscal 2016, each executive was entitled to receive an annual incentive bonus, pursuant to their employment agreements. Following the completion of the 2016 fiscal year, each of our executive officers self-evaluated themselves against their specific goals and presented their assessment to the compensation committee. The compensation committee followed with its own assessment and discussed the results with each of our executive officers. Based on the year-end assessments, and pursuant to each executive’s current employment agreement, the compensation committee determined that our executive officers were entitled to incentive bonuses as follows:

Loretta P. Mayer, PH.D., Chair of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Scientific Officer50% of base salary
Cheryl A. Dyer, PH.D., President and Chief Research Officer35% of base salary
Thomas C. Chesterman, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer80% of base salary
Base Pay.  Pursuant to their respective employment agreements entered into in November 30, 2015 and June 30, 2016, the current base salaries for our executive officers are as follows:

 
Loretta P. Mayer, PH.D., Chair of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Scientific Officer $300,000 
Cheryl A. Dyer, PH.D., President and Chief Research Officer $250,000 
Thomas C. Chesterman, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer $250,000 
Cash-Based Incentive Compensation.  The following cash incentive bonuses were paid in 2016 to our executive officers for their performance during fiscal 2016:

 
Loretta P. Mayer, PH.D., Chair of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Scientific Officer $250,308(1) 
Cheryl A. Dyer, PH.D., President and Chief Research Officer $237,599(2) 
Thomas C. Chesterman, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer $115,944 

(1)Cash-based incentive compensation for Loretta P. Mayer includes $150,000 paid in July, 2016 pursuant to the execution of her 2016 employment agreement, $30,000 in December, 2016 in

connection with 2016 performance objectives and $70,308 under the terms of her 2013 employment agreement that was cancelled in June, 2016 with the execution of her current agreement.
(2)Cash-based incentive compensation for Cheryl A. Dyer includes $150,000 paid in July, 2016 pursuant to the execution of her 2016 employment agreement, $17,500 in December, 2016 in connection with 2016 performance objectives and $70,099 under the terms of her 2013 employment agreement that was cancelled in June, 2016 with the execution of her current agreement.
Equity-Based Incentive Compensation.  The remainder of the incentive bonuses due to our executive officers to compensate them for their 2016 performance was paid in equity. Based on the final assessments of the compensation committee, in June and December, 2016, our executive officers were granted the following equity incentive awards out of our 2015 Equity Incentive Plan:

  
Named Executive Officer Restricted
Stock Units
 Dollar Value
of Options and
RSUs
Loretta P. Mayer  225,556(1)  $595,000 
Cheryl A. Dyer  223,241(1)  $576,250 
Thomas C. Chesterman  10,494  $85,000 

(1)220,000 of the restricted stock units awarded to each of Loretta P. Mayer and Cheryl A. Dyer as incentive bonus compensation vest  1/3 at the twelve month anniversary of issuance, and the remaining units vesting in equal quarterly tranches over the following twenty-four months of continuous service. All other restricted stock units awarded in 2016 vested and were issued immediately upon grant.

Summary Compensation Table

The following table sets forth the compensation earned during the past two fiscal years by (i) the person who served as our principal executive officer during 2016at the end of 2021; and (ii) the two most highly compensated executive officers other than the chiefprincipal executive officer who were serving as executive officers at the end of 20162021, or the named executive officers.

Name and Position

 

Fiscal Year

 

Salary
($)
(4)

 

Cash Bonus
($)

 

Stock
Awards ($)
(1)

 

Option
Awards
($)
(2)

 

All Other
Compensation ($)
(3)

 

Total
($)

Kenneth Siegel

 

2021

 

$

275,000

 

$

50,000

 

$

 

$

123,204

 

$

4,944

 

$

453,148

Chief Executive
Officer

 

2020

 

$

257,813

 

$

 

$

 

$

111,720

 

$

4,896

 

$

374,429

Thomas Chesterman

 

2021

 

$

250,000

 

$

25,000

 

$

 

$

 

$

4,284

 

$

279,284

Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Assistant Secretary

 

2020

 

$

234,375

 

$

 

$

 

$

27,392

 

$

4,236

 

$

266,003

Steven Krause, Ph.D.(5)

 

2021

 

$

200,000

 

$

12,500

 

$

 

$

 

$

 

$

212,500

Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing

 

2020

 

$

162,500

 

$

85,000

 

$

41,325

 

$

 

$

 

$

288,825

____________

(1)      The amounts in this column reflect the aggregate grant date fair value of stock awards granted in 2021 and whose total compensation2020, determined in accordance with ASC 718 for 2016 exceeded $100,000. The persons described in clauses (i) and (ii) above are collectively referred to herein as our “named executive officers.”

       
Name and Position Year Salary
($)
 Bonus
($)(5)
 Option
Awards
($)(1)
 RSU
Awards
($)(2)
 All Other
Comp
($)(4)
 Total
($)
Loretta P. Mayer, PH.D.,
Chair of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Scientific Officer
  2016  $207,958  $250,308  $  $595,000  $14,427  $1,067,693 
  2015  $107,000  $81,836  $2,410,400  $  $14,426  $2,613,662 
Cheryl A. Dyer, PH.D.,
President and Chief Research Officer
  2016  $182,958  $237,599  $  $576,250  $12,699  $1,009,506 
  2015  $107,000  $60,000  $2,410,400  $  $6,749  $2,584,149 
Thomas Chesterman(3)
Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
  2016  $250,000  $115,944  $  $85,000  $  $450,944 
  2015  $  $  $861,600  $  $  $861,600 

(1)The amounts in this column reflect the aggregate grant-date fair value of stock option awards, determined in accordance with the Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic 718 (“ASC 718”) for stock-basedstock-based compensation. The amounts included for a particular year reflect only the awards treated as granted in that year. Pursuant to SEC rules, the amounts shown disregard the impact of estimated forfeitures related to service-based vesting conditions. Assumptions used in the calculation of these award amounts are set forth in Note 14 (Stock-based Compensation) to the financial statements included in Part II, Item 8 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 filed with the SEC on March 31, 2017 (the “2016 10-K”).

(2)The amounts in this column reflect the aggregate grant-date fair value of restricted stock units awards, determined in accordance with the Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic 718 (“ASC 718”) for stock-based compensation. The amounts included for a particular year reflect only the awards treated as granted in that year. Assumptions used in the calculation of these award amounts are set forth in Note 14 (Stock-based Compensation) to the financial statements included in Part II, Item 8 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 filed with the SEC on March 31, 2017 (the “2016 10-K”).
(3)Mr. Chesterman was appointed as our executive vice president, chief financial officer, treasurer and assistant secretary effective in December 2015.
(4)The amounts in this column reflect the payment by us of life insurance premiums for Dr. Mayer and Dr. Dyer pursuant to their respective employment agreements.
(5)Bonus amounts were paid pursuant to their respective employment agreements as described above.

Grants of Plan-Based Awards

In June 2016, per the terms of employment letter agreements with each Dr. Dyer and Dr. Mayer, as further described below, our board of directors granted to each of Dr. Dyer and Dr. Mayer, an award of restricted stock units (RSUs) representing the right to receive 220,000 shares of the Company’s common stock. The RSU awards will vest and be settled over a three-year period, with one-third of the units vesting on the twelve-month anniversary of the date of grant, and the remaining units vesting in equal quarterly tranches over the following twenty-four months of continuous service. In December 2016, our board of directors granted RSUs to each of Loretta Mayer, Cheryl Dyer and Tom Chesterman in the calculation of these award amounts are set forth in Note 11 (Stock-based Compensation) to the financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021.

(2)      The amounts in this column reflect the aggregate grant date fair value of 5,556, 3,241stock options granted in 2021 and 10,494 shares respectively. These were issued2020, determined in accordance with ASC 718 for stock-based compensation. Assumptions used in the calculation of these award amounts are set forth in Note 11 (Stock-based Compensation) to the financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021.

(3)      The amounts in this column reflect the payment by our company of life insurance and disability insurance premiums pursuant to respective employment agreements.

(4)      The amounts in this column for 2020 salary reflects a 25% voluntary reduction in the quarterly cash compensation paid between April 1, 2020 and June 30, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

(5)      Mr Krause was hired on February 17, 2020 and his pro-rated salary for calendar year 2020 was $175,000. The $162,500 salary listed, as partnoted in (4) above, reflects a 25% voluntary reduction in the quarterly cash compensation paid between April 1, 2020 and June 30, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

17

Table of their 2016 incentive compensation.Contents

Outstanding Equity Awards at December 31, 2016

2021

The following table sets forth all outstanding equity awards held by each of our named executive officers as of December 31, 2016.2021.

 

Option Awards

 

Stock Awards

Name

 

Number of
securities
underlying
unexercised
options (#)
exercisable

 

Number of
securities
underlying
unexercised
options (#)
unexercisable

 

Option
exercise
price
($)
(1)

 

Option
expiration
date

 

Number of
shares or
units of
stock that
have not
vested (#)

 

Market
value of
shares or
units of
stock that have not vested ($)

Kenneth Siegel

 

415

 

 

 

17.08

 

2/14/2024

    
  

17,500

 

17,500

(2)

 

28.40

 

6/18/2024

    
  

16,994

 

84,971

(6)

 

1.80

 

7/31/2025

    
  

30,000

 

90,000

(4)

 

1.59

 

5/3/2026

    

Thomas C. Chesterman

 

6,000

 

 

 

10.00

 

12/01/2025

    
  

1,875

 

625

(3)

 

19.96

 

9/20/2024

    
  

10,418

 

14,583

(6)

 

1.80

 

7/31/2025

    

Steven Krause, Ph.D.

 

13,889

 

11,111

(7)

 

2.44

 

4/28/2025

    

____________

(1)      The option exercise price is the closing price of our common stock on the grant date, as adjusted for reverse stock splits where applicable.

       
 Equity Awards
Name Grant Date Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options (#)
Exercisable
 Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options (#)
Unexercisable
 Option
Exercise
Price
($)(1)
 Option
Expiration
Date
 Number of
Units of
Stock That
Have Not
Vested
(#)
 Market Value
of Units of
Stock That
Have Not
Vested
($)
Loretta P. Mayer  7/3/2015   300,000     $0.50   7/3/2025         
    10/15/2015   40,000     $0.50   10/15/2025         
    6/30/2016        $        220,000  $1,793,000 
Cheryl A. Dyer  7/3/2015   300,000     $0.50   7/3/2025         
    10/15/2015   40,000     $0.50   10/15/2025         
    6/30/2016        $        220,000  $1,793,000 
Thomas C. Chesterman  12/1/2015   45,000   75,000  $0.50   12/15/2025         
    9/9/2015(2)   15,000     $0.50   9/9/2018         

(2)      1/12th of the option vested on August 16, 2019, and the remainder vests in equal 1/12th quarterly installments thereafter.

(1)The option exercise price is the closing price of our common stock on the grant date.
(2)Represents option grant to Mr. Chesterman on September 9, 2015 while he was serving as a consultant to the Company. The option grant fully vested upon employment with the Company in December 2015.

(3)      1/12th of the option vested on December 20, 2019, and the remainder vests in equal 1/12th quarterly installments thereafter.

(4)      1/12th of the option vested on May 3, 2021, and the remainder vests in equal 1/12th quarterly installments thereafter.

(5)      1/36th of the option vested on June 2, 2021, and the remainder vests in equal 1/36th monthly installments thereafter.

(6)      1/12th of the option vested on September 30, 2020, and the remainder vests in equal 1/12th quarterly installments thereafter.

(7)      1/36th of the option vested on May 28, 2020, and the remainder vests in equal 1/36th monthly installments thereafter.

Employment Agreements

We have entered into agreements with our named executive officers, which include provisions regarding post-terminationpost-termination compensation. We do not have a formal severance policy or plan applicable to our executive officers as a group.


Agreement with Dr. Mayer.  Kenneth Siegel.    We entered into an employment letter agreement with Dr. Mayer dated June 30, 2016. PursuantMr. Siegel on May 15, 2019, to thisserve as our company’s Chief Executive Officer, effective May 16, 2019. Under the terms of the employment letter agreement, Dr. Mayer is entitled to receiveMr. Siegel received an annual base salary of $300,000,$275,000 and a one-time signing bonus of a stock option representing 35,000 shares of our common stock, which willvests quarterly over a three-year period and is subject to the terms and conditions of the 2018 Plan and standard form of option agreement. Mr. Siegel is also eligible to receive an annual incentive bonus with a target value equal to 50% of his annual base salary, payable in cash, subject to his achievement of performance objectives to be reviewed and may be adjusted periodicallydetermined by the our compensation committee or board of directors. Dr. Mayer was paid a signing bonusIn addition, after each full year of $150,000 immediately following the signing of her employment letter agreement. By entering into the employment letter agreement and accepting the signing bonus, Dr. Mayer agreed to waive all rights to receive any compensation amounts provided for in her previous employment agreement dated October 16, 2013.

During the term of Dr. Mayer’s employment with us, Dr. Mayer is eligibleour company, subject to board approval, Mr. Siegel will receive an annual bonus in an amountoption grant, or Additional Option, valued at 35% of up to 50% of her annualhis then base salary, provided that whether Dr. Mayer is entitledsubject to receive any bonus in any given year, and the specific amount of such bonus, shall be determined annually by our board of directors, and shall be based upon mutually agreeable performance objectives and other criteria to bevesting terms as determined by the board of directors. Annual bonuses will be payable within thirty days after the board of director’s determinationin its discretion. The initial option and Additional Options that an annual bonus shall be awarded.

Pursuant to the terms of her employment letter agreement, on June 30, 2016 weare granted to Dr. Mayer an award of restricted stock units (RSU) under our 2015 Plan, representing the right to receive 220,000 shares of our common stock. The RSU award vests andMr. Siegel will be settled over a three-year period, with one-third of the units vesting on the 12-month anniversary of the date of grant, and the remaining units vesting in equal quarterly tranches over the following twenty-four months of continuous service.

Upon a change of control of our company, we have agreed to pay Dr. Mayer a bonus equal to (i) 1% of the amount of the net sale price (as such term is defined in her employment letter agreement) of our company that is $100,000,000 or less, plus (ii) an additional 0.5% of the amount of the net sale price of our company that is more than $100,000,000, payable in cash or other proceeds payable to our other stockholders. Under the terms of her agreement, Dr. Mayer shall be entitled to this change of control bonus if the change of control transaction occurs within 12 monthsremain exercisable for five years following the terminationend of her employment by us without cause (as such term is definedhis continuous service with our company. Mr. Siegel will also be eligible to participate in her employment letter agreement and excluding death or disability) or within 12 months following Dr. Mayer’s resignation for good reason (as such term is defined in her employment letter agreement), provided that Dr. Mayer remains in compliance with her confidentiality and other ongoing post-termination obligations under the employment letter agreement.

Dr. Mayer shall be entitled to accrue four weeks paidstandard benefits, vacation and sick leave per calendar year,expense reimbursement plans offered to similarly situated employees. Mr. Siegel entered into our company’s standard form of indemnification agreement applicable to its directors and may participate in our standard benefits plans. Dr. Mayer is also entitled to be reimbursed for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in the performance of her duties to our company in accordance with our rules and policies. We have agreed to pay the annual premiums for a key person term life insurance policy of $1,000,000, subject to underwriter’s acceptance.officers.

In the event that Dr. Mayer is terminatedof Mr. Siegel’s termination by the Company without causeCause (as such term is defined in herthe employment letter agreement) or if sheMr. Siegel resigns for good reasonGood Reason (as such term is defined in herthe employment letter agreement), then Dr. Mayer shall receive her base salary and health insurance benefits for a period of 12 months following the effective date of such termination. Dr. MayerMr. Siegel will also be entitled to any earned but unpaid annual bonus, and allseverance benefits equal to 12 months’ continuation of her outstanding equity awardshis then base salary. In addition, the Company will accelerate immediately uponreimburse Mr. Siegel for COBRA premiums in effect on the date of her termination without cause (excluding death or disability) or resignation for good reason.

Agreement with Dr. Dyercoverage in effect for him and, if applicable, his spouse and dependent children on such date under the Company’s group health plan(s). We entered into an employment letter agreement with Dr. Dyer dated June 30, 2016. Pursuant to this agreement, Dr. Dyer is entitled to receive an annual base salaryFinally, the vesting of $250,000, whichMr. Siegel’s initial option and Additional Options will be reviewed and may be adjusted periodically by the our compensation committee or board of directors. Dr. Dyer was paid a signing bonus of $150,000 immediately following the signing of her employment letter agreement. By entering into the employment letter agreement and accepting the signing bonus, Dr. Dyer agreed to waive all rights to receive any compensation amounts provided for in her previous employment agreement dated October 16, 2013.

During the term of Dr. Dyer’s employment with us, Dr. Dyer is eligible to receive an annual bonus in an amount of up to 35% of her annual base salary, providedaccelerated such that whether Dr. Dyer is entitled to receive any bonus in any given year, and the specific amount of such bonus, shall be determined annually by our board of directors, and shall be based upon mutually agreeable performance objectives and other criteria to be


determined by the board of directors. Annual bonuseshe will be payable within thirty days after the board of director’s determination that an annual bonus shall be awarded.

Pursuantdeemed vested in those shares subject to the terms of her employment letter agreement, on June 30, 2016, we granted to Dr. Dyer an RSU award under our 2015 Plan, representing the right to receive 220,000 shares of our common stock. The RSU award vests and will be settled over a three-year period, with one-third of the units vesting on the 12-month anniversary of the date of grant, and the remaining units vesting in equal quarterly tranches over the following twenty-four months of continuous service.

Upon change of control of our company, weoptions that would have agreed to pay Dr. Dyer a bonus equal to (i) 1% of the amount of the net sale price (as such term is defined in her employment letter agreement) of our company that is $100,000,000 or less, plus (ii) an additional 0.5% of the amount of the net sale price of our company that is more than $100,000,000, payable in cash or other proceeds payable to our other stockholders in such company. Under the terms of her agreement, Dr. Dyer shall be entitled to this change of control bonus if the change of control transaction occurs within 12 months following the termination of her employment by us without cause (as such term is defined in her employment letter agreement and excluding death or disability) or within 12 months following Dr. Dyer’s resignation for good reason (as such term is defined in her employment letter agreement), provided that Dr. Dyer remains in compliance with her confidentiality and other ongoing post-termination obligations under the employment letter agreement.

Dr. Dyer shall be entitled to accrue four weeks paid vacation and sick leave per calendar year, and may participate in our standard benefits plans. Dr. Dyer is also entitled to be reimbursed for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurredvested in the performance12-month period following his separation date had his employment not ended.

18

Table of her duties to our company in accordance with our rules and policies. We have agreed to pay the annual premiums for a key person term life insurance policy of $1,000,000, subject to underwriter’s acceptance.Contents

In the event that Dr. Dyer is terminated without cause (as such term is defined in her employment letter agreement) or if she resigns for good reason (as such term is defined in her employment letter agreement), then Dr. Dyer shall receive her base salary and health insurance benefits for a period of 12 months following the effective date of such termination. Dr. Dyer will also be entitled to any earned but unpaid annual bonus, and all of her outstanding equity awards will accelerate immediately upon the date of her termination without cause (excluding death or disability) or resignation for good reason.

Agreement with Mr.Chesterman.    We entered into an employment offer letter with Mr. Chesterman dated November 20, 2015 to serve as our chief financial officer.Chief Financial Officer. Pursuant to this agreement, we pay Mr. Chesterman a salary of $250,000 per year, and in accordance with the letter agreement, Mr. Chesterman’s salary may be paid up to fifty percent (50%) in stock options until we are in the financial position to pay the salary entirely in cash, to be determined by the chief executive officer.year. In addition, Mr. Chesterman is eligible for a performance bonus, which amounts shallwill be determined at least annually by mutual agreement based on achievement of personal and company goals, and which bonus will be targeted to be no less than $200,000 per year.

Mr. Chesterman is entitled to accrue four weeks paid vacation and ten days of sick leave per calendar year and may participate in our standard benefits plans.

Per the employment offer letter, on November 20, 2015, we granted Mr. Chesterman a stock option to purchase 120,000 share6,000 shares of our common stock at an exercise price equal to $0.50$10.00 per share, which option vests over a four-yearfour-year vesting schedule, with 1/1⁄48th of the option vesting monthly beginning on January 1, 2016, until such option is vested in full or Mr. Chesterman’s employment is terminated. The vesting

Agreement with Ms. Wolin.    We entered into an employment letter agreement with Ms. Wolin on January 28, 2020 to serve as our Executive Vice President, Operations and HR and Secretary, effective January 31, 2020. Pursuant to this agreement, Ms. Wolin was eligible to receive an annual salary of the option shall accelerate in full upon a change in control of us. Mr. Chesterman’s option may$75,000 per year. Ms. Wolin was also be early exercised by entering intoeligible to receive a restricted stock purchase agreement containingunit award having a rightvalue of repurchase in favor$75,000, subject to approval by the compensation committee. The award will vest over one year, subject to accelerated vesting upon a termination of us on any unvested portion of the sharesemployment. On January 31, 2021, Ms. Wolin’s salary was increased to $125,000 per annum, with no RSU component. Ms. Wolin remains subject to the option.


Employee Benefit Plans

Equity Compensation Plan Information

The following table presents certain information regarding our common stock that may be issued upon the exercise of options and vesting of restricted stock units granted to employees, consultants or directors as of December 31, 2016:

   
 Number of
securities to be
issued upon exercise
of outstanding
options, warrants
and rights
(a)
 Weighted-average
exercise price of
outstanding options,
warrants and rights
(b)
 Number of securities
remaining available
for future issuance
under equity
compensation
plans (excluding
securities reflected
in column (a))
(c)
Equity compensation plans approved by security holders  2,762,014(1)  $2.65   979,480 
Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders    $    

(1)Amount includes 455,430 restricted stock units granted and unvested as of December 31, 2016.

We have granted options to purchase common stock to our officers, directors, employees and consultants under our 2015 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”). The Plan also enables us to grant restricted stock, restricted stock units and certain other equity-based compensation to our officers, directors, employees and consultants. Under the Plan, we awarded restricted stock units to eachterms of our non-employee directors in 2015company’s confidential information and 2016. We also awarded restricted stock units to certain of our officers in 2016 under the Plan.inventions assignment agreement.

Insurance Premiums

We pay 75% of premiums for medical insurance and dental insurance for all full-timefull-time employees, including our named executive officers. We also offer high deductible plan options that include a healthcare flexible spending account component for all full-timefull-time employees, including our named executive officers. These benefits are available to all full-timefull-time employees, subject to applicable laws. We also pay premiums

Equity Compensation Plan Information

The following table presents certain information regarding our common stock that may be issued under our equity plans, including upon the exercise of options and vesting of RSUs granted to employees, consultants or directors as of December 31, 2021:

Plan category

 

Number of
securities to
be issued
upon exercise of
outstanding
options,
warrants and
rights
(a)

 

Weighted-
average
exercise price of
outstanding
options,
warrants and
rights
(b)

 

Number of
securities
remaining
available for future
issuance
under equity compensation plans
(excluding
securities
reflected in
column (a))
(c)

Equity compensation plans approved by security holders

 

1,088,487

(1)

 

$

4.08

 

2,838,100

Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders

 

 

 

$

 

Total

 

1,088,487

(1)

 

$

4.08

 

2,838,100

____________

(1)      Amount includes 667 RSUs granted and unvested as of December 31, 2021.

19

Table of Contents

Options to purchase our common stock and RSUs are outstanding under our 2018 Plan and options are outstanding under our 2015 Equity Incentive Plan, or the 2015 Plan. The 2018 Plan was approved by our stockholders at our 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and replaces the 2015 Plan for life insurancepurposes of new equity grants. The 2018 Plan enables us to grant options, restricted stock, RSUs and long-term disability insurance benefits for twocertain other equity-based compensation to our officers, directors, employees and consultants. On July 8, 2020, our stockholders approved an amendment to the 2018 Plan to increase the number of shares of our named executive officers percommon stock available for issuance under the terms2018 Plan by 800,000 shares. On June 26, 2021. our stockholders approved an additional amendment to the 2018 Plan to increase the number of their respective employment letter agreements, Loretta P. Mayer, Ph.D. and Cheryl A. Dyer, Ph.D., and we also pay premiumsshares of common stock available for long-term disability insurance benefits for Kim Wolin, our executive vice president — operations and secretary, perissuance under the terms2018 Plan by 3,000,000 shares.

20

Table of her employment agreement.Contents


SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT

STOCK OWNERSHIP

Security Ownership of Principal Stockholders, Directors and Management

The following table sets forth, as of April 12, 2017,25, 2022, information regarding beneficial ownership of our common stock by:

•        each person, or group of affiliated persons, known by us to beneficially own more than 5% of the outstanding shares of common stock;

•        each of our named executive officers;

•        each of our directors; and

•        all of our current executive officers and directors as a group.

Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with the rules of the SEC and generally includes any shares over which a person exercises sole or shared voting or investment power.

The number of shares listed below under the heading “Total Common Stock Equivalents”Shares Beneficially Owned” is the aggregate beneficial ownership for each stockholder and includes:

•        common stock beneficially owned;

•        common stock warrants exercisable;

•        currently vested and exercisable options and RSUs; and

•        stock options and RSUs that are not currently vested and exercisable but will become vestedso within 60 days afterof April 12, 2017.

25, 2021.

Of this total amount, the number of shares of common stock underlying options and RSUs that are currently vested and stock options and restricted stock unitsRSUs that are not currently vested but will become vested within 60 days after April 12, 201725, 2022 are deemed outstanding for the purpose of computing the percentage ownership of common stock outstanding beneficially owned by a stockholder, director or executive officer, (the “Deemedor the Deemed Outstanding Shares”)Shares, and are also separately listed below under the heading “Number of Shares UnderlyingIssuable Upon Exercise of Warrants, Options and Vesting of RSUs Exercisable or Vested” but the Deemed Outstanding Shares are not treated as outstanding for the purpose of computing the percentage ownership of our common stock outstanding beneficially owned by any other person. This table is based on information supplied by officers, directors, principal stockholders and filings made with the SEC. Percentage ownership is based on 10,161,04212,212,283 shares of common stock outstanding as of April 12, 2017.25, 2022.

Unless otherwise indicated below, to our knowledge, all persons named in the table have sole voting and dispositive power with respect to their shares of common stock, except to the extent authority is shared by spouses under community property laws.

21

Table of Contents

Unless otherwise indicated, the address of each beneficial owner listed in the table below is c/o SenesTech, Inc., 314023460 N. Caden Court,19th Avenue, Suite 1, Flagstaff, Arizona 86004.110, Phoenix, AZ 85027.

Name of Beneficial Owner

 

Number of
Shares
Beneficially
Held

 

Number of Shares
Issuable
Upon
Exercise of
Warrants,
Options
and Vesting
of RSUs
Exercisable
or Vested as
of April 25,
2022

 










Total Shares
Beneficially Owned

Shares

 

Percent

5% Owners:

        

 

Sandpiper Capital, LLC(2)

 

 

 

740,504

 

6.1

%

         

 

Directors and Named Executive Officers:

        

 

Kenneth Siegel

 

35,129

 

155,724

 

190,853

 

1.6

%

Thomas C. Chesterman

 

494

 

31,208

 

31,702

 

*

 

Steven Krause, Ph.D.

 

 

18,750

 

18,750

 

*

 

Jamie Bechtel, JD, Ph.D.

 

2,812

 

120,030

 

122,842

 

1.0

%

Delphine François Chiavarini

 

1,314

 

76,444

 

77,758

 

*

 

Marc Dumont(1)

 

7,420

 

62,029

 

69,449

 

*

 

Phil Grandinetti III

 

 

113,918

 

113,918

 

*

 

K.C. Kavanagh

 

 

62,537

 

62,537

 

*

 

Jake Leach

 

150,000

 

99,846

 

249,846

 

2.1

%

Matthew K. Szot

 

4,657

 

101,790

 

106,447

 

*

 

         

 

All current executive officers and directors as a group (12 persons)

 

227,973

 

868,414

 

1,096,387

 

9.0

%

____________

*        Represents beneficial ownership of less than one percent (1%).

    
Name and Address of Beneficial Owner Number of
Shares
Beneficially
Held
 Number of Shares
Issuable Upon
Conversion or
Exercise of Options
and RSUs by
June 12, 2017
 Total Shares
Beneficially Owned
 Shares Percent
5% Owners:
                    
Gilder, Gagnon, Howe and Co., LLC
475 10th Avenue, New York, NY 10018
  1,070,775      1,070,775   10.5
NAU Ventures, LLC
PO Box 4094, Flagstaff, AZ 86011
  400,000   210,526   610,526   6.0
Directors and Named Executive Officers:
                    
Loretta P. Mayer, Ph.D.(1)  473,376   340,000   813,376   8.0
Cheryl A. Dyer Ph.D.(1)  487,962   340,000   827,962   8.1
Thomas C. Chesterman  7,273   60,000   67,273   * 

(1)      Includes shares of common stock held by Marc Dumont and Patrick Dumont, JTWROS, an affiliate of Mr. Dumont.

    
Name and Address of Beneficial Owner Number of
Shares
Beneficially
Held
 Number of Shares
Issuable Upon
Conversion or
Exercise of Options
and RSUs by
June 12, 2017
 Total Shares
Beneficially Owned
 Shares Percent
Marc Dumont(2)  121,637   18,889   140,526   1.4
Bob Ramsey(3)  261,748   10,000   271,748   2.7
Matthew K. Szot  34,000   10,000   44,000   
Julia Williams, M.D.(4)  108,212   10,000   118,212   1.2
Grover Wickersham(5)  322,100   10,000   332,100   3.3
All executive officers and directors as a group (9 persons)(6)  1,891,873   893,889   2,785,762   27.4% 

(2)      Based on the statement on Amendment to Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on January 31, 2022, Sandpiper Capital, LLC has sole voting power over 138,000 shares and sole dispositive power over 740,504 shares. The address of Sandpiper Capital, LLC is 500 E. Plume St., Suite 109, Norfolk, VA 23510.

*Represents beneficial ownership of less than one percent (1%).
(1)Drs. Mayer and Dyer are married, but for purposes of the share amounts and percentages in this table, their beneficial ownership is displayed separately.
(2)Includes shares held by Marc Dumont and Patrick Dumont, JTWROS, an affiliate of Mr. Dumont.
(3)Includes shares of common stock held by Arrowsky LLC and NR Malibu Road LLC, affiliates of Mr. Ramsey.
(4)Includes shares of common stock held by Julia A. Williams MD Trust, an affiliate of Dr. Williams.
(5)Includes shares of common stock held by GTW PC Employee Profit Sharing Plan (over which Mr. Wickersham exercises voting control but disclaims beneficial ownership), Wickersham Childrens Trust (over which Mr. Wickersham exercises voting control but disclaims beneficial ownership), Lindsay Anne Wickersham 1999 Irrevocable Trust (the beneficiary of which is an immediate family member living with Mr. Wickersham who exercises voting control but disclaims beneficial ownership), and Paxton Lee Shoen 1998 Education Trust (over which Mr. Wickersham exercises voting control but disclaims beneficial ownership).
(6)Includes shares of common stock and options to purchase common stock held by Kim Wolin, our executive vice president, operations and secretary.

Delinquent Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance

Reports

Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act requires our officers and directors and persons who own more than 10% of a registered class of our equity securities to file with the SEC reports of ownership on Form 3 and changes in ownership on Form 4 and Form 5. Officers, directors and greater-than-10%greater-than-10% stockholders are required by Commission regulations to furnish to us copies of all Section 16(a) forms they file. Based solely on our review of the copies of such forms received by us, forms filed electronically by the reporting person or written representations from certain reporting persons, we believe that all Section 16(a) filing requirements applicable to our officers, directors and greater-than-10% beneficial owners were met during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016.2021 were met in a timely manner by our officers, directors and greater-than-10% beneficial owners, except for the following: one late Form 4 report was filed disclosing one transaction in March 2021 by each of Ms. Kavanaugh and Mr. Grandinetti.


22

Table of Contents

CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS

We have beenFor the fiscal years ended December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, we were not a party to the followingany transactions since January 1, 2016, in which the amount involved exceeded or will exceed $120,000, and in which anythat require disclosure under Item 404 of our executive officers, directors, promoters or holders of more than 5% of any class of our voting securities, or an affiliate or immediate family member thereof, had or will have a direct or indirect material interest, other than compensation, termination and change in control arrangements, which are described in this Proxy Statement in the section entitled “2016 Director Compensation” and “Executive Officer Compensation.”

Private Placements of Securities

Common Stock

The following table summarizes the common stock issued since January 1, 2016 to any of our directors, executive officers, holders of more than 5% of any class of our voting securities, or an affiliate or immediate family member thereof, the value of which exceeded $120,000:Regulation S-K.

   
Name of director, officer or 5% stockholder Date issued Number of
shares of
common
stock
 Aggregate
purchase
price paid
Grover Wickersham  March 30, 2016   320,000  $160,000 
Marc Dumont(1)  May 6, 2016   59,930  $149,824 
Bob Ramsey  April 7, 2016   20,000  $150,000 
NR Malibu Road LLC(2)  May 6, 2016   140,202  $350,505 
Julia A. Williams(3)  May 6, 2016   52,800  $132,000 

(1)Shares are held by Marc Dumont and Patrick Dumont, JTWROS, an affiliate of Mr. Dumont.
(2)Bob Ramsey, a member of our board of directors, is affiliated with NR Malibu Road LLC.
(3)Shares are held by Julia A. Williams MD Trust, an affiliate of Dr. Williams.

Executive Employment Arrangements

We have entered into employment agreements with certain of our executive officers. For more information regarding these agreements, see the section of the prospectus captioned “Executive Officer Compensation — Employment Agreements.”

Indemnification Agreements

We have entered into indemnification agreements with each of our directors and executive officers. These agreements provide for the indemnification of such persons for all reasonable expenses and liabilities incurred in connection with any action or proceeding brought against them by reason of the fact that they are or were serving in such capacity. We believe that these charter provisions and indemnification agreements are necessary to attract and retain qualified persons as directors, officers and employees. Furthermore, we have obtained director and officer liability insurance to cover liabilities our directors and officers may incur in connection with their services to us.

Policies and Procedures for Transactions with Related Persons

We have adopted a policy that our executive officers, directors, nominees for election as a director, beneficial owners of more than 5% of any class of our common stock and any members of the immediate family of any of the foregoing persons are not permitted to enter into a related person transaction with us without the prior consent of our audit committee. Any request for us to enter into a transaction with an executive officer, director, nominee for election as a director, beneficial owner of more than 5% of any class of our voting securities or any member of the immediate family of any of the foregoing persons, in which the amount involved exceeds $120,000requires disclosure under Item 404 of Regulation S-K and such person would have a direct or indirect interest, must first be presented to our audit committee for review, consideration and approval. In approving or rejecting any such proposal, our audit committee is to consider the material facts of the transaction, including, but not limited to, whether the transaction is on terms no less favorable than terms generally available to an unaffiliated third party under


the same or similar circumstances and the extent of the related person’s interest in the transaction. All of the transactions described above were entered into prior to the adoption of such policy, but after presentation, consideration and approval by our board of directors.

In addition, if a related person transaction will compromise the independence of one of our directors, our audit committee may recommend that our board of directors reject the transaction if it could affect our ability to comply with securities laws and regulations or the Nasdaq Stock Market listing requirements.


23

Table of Contents

PROPOSAL NO. 2

RATIFYTWO
ADVISORY VOTE ON EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION (“
SAY-ON-PAY”)

Background

The Dodd-Frank Act enables our stockholders to vote to approve, on an advisory (non-binding) basis, the compensation of our named executive officers as disclosed in this proxy statement in accordance with the SEC’s rules.

Summary

We are asking our stockholders to provide advisory approval of the compensation of our named executive officers (which consist of our Chief Executive Officer, our Chief Financial Officer and one additional executive officer as such compensation is described in the “Executive Officer Compensation” section, the tabular disclosure regarding such compensation, and the accompanying narrative disclosure set forth in this proxy statement. Our philosophy with respect to compensation for our executives and key employees is designed to attract and retain people who share our vision and values and who can consistently perform in such a manner that enables us to achieve our strategic goals. Our executive compensation programs are designed to (1) motivate and reward our executive officers, (2) retain our executive officers and encourage quality service, (3) incentivize our executive officers to appropriately manage risks while improving our financial results and (4) align executive officers’ interests with those of our stockholders. Under these programs, our executive officers are rewarded for the achievement of company objectives and the realization of increased stockholder value. The compensation policies developed by the compensation committee are based on the philosophy that compensation should reflect both company-wide performance, financial and operational performance, and the individual performance of the executive, including management of personnel under his or her supervision. The compensation committee’s objectives when setting compensation for our executive officers include:

•        setting compensation levels that are sufficiently competitive such that they will motivate and reward the highest quality individuals to contribute to our goals, objectives and overall financial success. This is done in part through reviewing and comparing the compensation of other companies in our peer group;

•        retaining executives and encouraging their continued quality service, thereby encouraging and maintaining continuity of the management team. Our competitive base salaries combined with cash and equity incentive bonuses, retirement plan benefits and the vesting requirements of our equity-based incentive awards, encourage high-performing executives to remain with our company;

•        incentivizing executives to appropriately manage risks while attempting to improve our financial results, performance and condition; and

•        aligning executive and stockholder interests. The compensation committee believes the use of equity compensation as a key component of executive compensation is a valuable tool for aligning the interests of our executive officers with those of our stockholders.

Our compensation program is designed to reward superior performance of both our company and of each individual executive and seeks to encourage actions that drive our business strategy. Our compensation strategy is to provide a competitive opportunity for senior executives, taking into account their total compensation packages. The following is a summary of some of the material elements of our compensation for our executive officers. We urge our stockholders to review the executive compensation tables for more information.

Base Salaries.    We provide each of our named executive officers with a base salary to compensate them for services rendered during the fiscal year and sustained performance. The purpose of the base salary is to reflect job responsibilities, value to our company and competitiveness of the market. Salaries for our named executive officers are determined by the compensation committee, and for the CEO, recommended by the nominating and corporate governance committee to our board of directors, based on the following factors: nature and responsibility of the position and, to the extent available, salary norms for comparable positions; the expertise of the individual executive; and the competitiveness of the market for the executive’s services.

Performance Cash-Based Incentive Bonuses.    Our practice is to award cash-based incentive bonuses, based in part on the achievement of performance objectives or significant accomplishments as established by the compensation committee from time-to-time in its discretion. These performance objectives and significant accomplishments are, in part, developed in partnership with the executive and are discussed on an ongoing basis throughout the year.

24

Table of Contents

Equity-Based Incentive Awards.    Our equity-based incentive awards are designed to align the interests of our employees and consultants, including our named executive officers, with those of our stockholders. Our compensation committee is responsible for approving equity grants. Vesting of the stock option and restricted stock unit awards is tied to continuous service with our company and serves as an additional retention measure and long-term incentive.

Board Recommendation

The board of directors believes that the information provided above and within the “Executive Compensation” section of this proxy statement demonstrates that our executive compensation program is designed appropriately and is working to ensure that management’s interests are aligned with our stockholders’ interests to support long-term value creation.

The following resolution is submitted for a stockholder vote at the meeting:

RESOLVED, that the stockholders of our company approve, on an advisory basis, the compensation of the Company’s named executive officers, as disclosed in the executive compensation tables and narrative discussion set forth in this Proxy Statement.

The say-on-pay vote is advisory, and therefore not binding on our company, the board of directors, or the compensation committee. Although non-binding, the vote will provide information to the compensation committee and our board of directors regarding investor sentiment about our executive compensation philosophy, policies and practices, which the compensation committee and our board of directors will be able to consider when determining executive compensation for the years to come.

OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT STOCKHOLDERS VOTE “FOR” ADOPTION OF THE RESOLUTION APPROVING THE COMPENSATION OF OUR NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS, AS DESCRIBED IN THE EXECUTIVE OFFICER COMPENSATION SECTION AND THE RELATED TABULAR AND NARRATIVE DISCLOSURE SET FORTH IN THIS PROXY STATEMENT.

25

Table of Contents

PROPOSAL THREE
ADVISORY VOTE ON DETERMINING THE FREQUENCY OF
SAY-ON-PAY (“SAY-ON-FREQUENCY”)

Background

The Dodd-Frank Act enables our stockholders to indicate how frequently they believe we should seek an advisory vote on the compensation of our named executive officers. Stockholders have the option of recommending a frequency vote every year, every two years, every three years or abstaining from making a recommendation.

Summary

The board of directors has considered the advantages and disadvantages of the frequency of the say-on-pay vote. Based on its analysis, the board of directors believes that an annual advisory vote on executive compensation would be the most meaningful for the board of directors and the compensation committee and best serve the interests of our company and its stockholders. The board of directors believes an annual advisory vote will provide the most timely feedback on executive compensation arrangements, plans, programs and policies as executive compensation disclosures are made annually.

Stockholders should recognize, however, it may not be appropriate or feasible to change compensation programs already in place for the year in which the vote occurs since the advisory vote on executive compensation will take place after the beginning of the compensation year. Stockholders also should recognize that their recommendation may be modified in the future if an annual frequency vote becomes burdensome or otherwise proves to be less helpful than originally expected.

We will consider stockholders to have expressed a preference for the frequency that receives the largest number of favorable votes. The board of directors also may from time to time decide that it is in the best interests of our company and its stockholders to hold the frequency vote more or less frequently than the non-binding option preferred by our stockholders.

OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT STOCKHOLDERS VOTE “ONE YEAR” ON THE PROPOSAL TO DETERMINE THE FREQUENCY OF SAY-ON-PAY.

26

Table of Contents

PROPOSAL FOUR
RATIFICATION OF APPOINTMENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

The independent registered public accounting firm of M&K CPAS, PLLC (“M&K”) has acted as our auditor since December 22, 2014 and has audited our financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014.each of our 2014 to 2021 fiscal years. M&K CPAS, PLLC is responsible for performing an independent audit of our consolidated financial statements in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States and issuing a report on its audit.

The Audit Committee has appointed, and the board of directors has ratified the Audit Committee’s appointment of, M&K CPAS, PLLC as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2022. Stockholder ratification of the appointment of M&K CPAS, PLLC as our independent registered public accounting firm is not required by the Bylaws or otherwise. In the event that our stockholders fail to ratify the appointment, the Audit Committee may reconsider its appointment of M&K CPAS, PLLC. Even if the appointment is ratified, the Audit Committee, in its sole discretion, may direct the appointment of a different independent registered public accounting firm at any time during the year if the Audit Committee determines that such a change would be in the best interests of our company and our stockholders. A representative of M&K CPAS, PLLC is expected to be present at theour Annual Meeting, where he or shethe representative will have the opportunity to make a statement and to respond to appropriate questions.

The audit committee has appointed, and the board of directors has ratified the audit committee’s appointment of, M&K as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2017.

Principal Accountant Fees and Services

The aggregate fees billed by M&K CPAS, PLLC for the years ended December 31, 20162021 and 20152020 for professional services described below are as follows:

 

Year Ended
December 31,

  

2021

 

2020

Audit fees(1)

 

$

57,500

 

$

50,330

Audit-related fees(2)

 

$

7,500

 

$

26,500

Tax fees

 

$

 

$

All other fees

 

$

 

$

Total fees

 

$

65,000

 

$

76,830

____________

  
 Year Ended December 31,
   2016 2015
Audit fees(1) $49,491  $55,370 
Audit-related fees(2) $28,400  $ 
Tax fees $  $ 
All other fees $  $ 
Total fees $77,891  $55,370 

(1)      Includes audit fees related to professional services rendered in connection with the audit of our annual consolidated financial statements, the reviews of the consolidated financial statements included in each of our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and accounting services that relate to the audited consolidated financial statements and are necessary to comply with generally accepted auditing standards.

(1)Audit fees related to professional services rendered in connection with the audit of our annual consolidated financial statements and, with respect to fiscal year 2016, the reviews of the consolidated financial statements included in each of our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and accounting services that relate to the audited consolidated financial statements and are necessary to comply with generally accepted auditing standards.
(2)Audit related fees related to attestation services related to our initial public offering completed December 8, 2016 that were reasonably related to the performance of its audit of our financial statements and not reported under the caption “Audit fees.”

(2)      Includes audit-related fees related to attestation services rendered in connection with our registered direct offering of our common shares on March 23, 2021. Such services were reasonably related to the performance of M&K CPAS, PLLC’s audit of our financial statements and not reported under the caption “Audit fees.”

Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures

We have implemented pre-approvalpre-approval policies and procedures related to the provision of audit and non-auditnon-audit services. Under these procedures, our audit committee pre-approvespre-approves all services to be provided by M&K CPAS, PLLC and the estimated fees related to these services.

All audit, audit related,-related, and tax services were pre-approvedpre-approved by the audit committee, which concluded that the provision of such services by M&K CPAS, PLLC was compatible with the maintenance of that firm’s independence in the conduct of its auditing functions. Our pre-approvalpre-approval policies and procedures provide for the audit committee’s pre-approvalpre-approval of specifically described audit, audit-related,audit-related, and tax services on an annual basis, but individual engagements anticipated to exceed pre-establishedpre-established thresholds must be separately approved. The policies and procedures also require specific approval by the audit committee if total fees for audit-relatedaudit-related and tax services would exceed total fees for audit services in any fiscal year. The policies and procedures authorize the audit committee to delegate to one or more of its members pre-approvalpre-approval authority with respect to permitted services.

27

Table of Contents

Audit Committee Report

In connection with our financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016,2021, the Audit Committeeaudit committee has:

Reviewed

•        reviewed and discussed the audited financial statements with management;


Discussed•        discussed with our independent registered public accounting firm, M&K CPAsCPAS PLLC, the matters required to be discussed by applicable auditing standards;standards, including Auditing Standard No. 1301, Communications with Audit Committees; and
Received

•        received the written disclosures and the letter from the independent registered public accounting firm required by applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding the independent registered public accounting firm’s communications with the audit committee concerning independence and discussed with the independent registered public accounting firm the independent registered public accounting firm’s independence.

Based upon these reviews and discussions, the Audit Committeeaudit committee approved and recommended to the board of directors that our audited financial statements be included in our 2021 Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 filed with the SEC.

Submitted by the Audit Committee:
Matthew K. Szot (Chair)
Grover T. Wickersham    Delphine François Chiavarini
Marc Dumont
    Jake Leach

Vote Required

The ratification28

Table of the appointment of M&K CPAS, PLLC as our independent registered public accounting firm requires that the votes cast in favor of the proposal exceed the votes cast against the proposal.Contents

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS THAT STOCKHOLDERS VOTE
FOR RATIFICATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF M&K CPAS, PLLC
AS OUR INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM FOR
THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 2017.

[Remainder of page intentionally left blank]


OTHER MATTERS

Stockholder Communications with the Board of Directors and Board Attendance at Annual Stockholder Meetings

Our stockholders may, at any time, communicate in writing with any member or group of members of theour board of directors by sending such written communication to the attention of our Secretary by regular mail to our principal executive offices.

Copies of written communications received by our Secretary will be provided to the relevant director(s) unless such communications are considered, in the reasonable judgment of our Secretary, to be improper for submission to the intended recipient(s). Examples of stockholder communications that would be considered improper for submission include, without limitation, customer complaints, solicitations, communications that do not relate directly or indirectly to us or our business, or communications that relate to improper or irrelevant topics.

The Chairmanchair of the board of directors is expected to make all reasonable efforts to attend our annual stockholder meeting in person.of stockholders. If the Chairmanour board chair is unable to attend an annual stockholder meeting of stockholders for any reason, at least one other member of the board of directors is expected to attend in person.attend. Other members of the board of directors are expected to attend our annual stockholder meeting in personof stockholders if reasonably possible. The Company held its 2016All of our directors attended our 2021 annual meeting on September 26, 2016.of stockholders.

Proxy Materials Delivered to a Shared Address

Stockholders who have the same mailing address and last name may have received a notice that your household will receive only one proxy statement.Notice. This practice, commonly referred to as “householding,” is designed to reduce the volume of duplicate information and reduce printing and postage costs. A single proxy statementNotice will be delivered to multiple stockholders sharing an address unless contrary instructions have been received from the affected stockholders. Once you have received notice, from usthe Company or from your bank, broker or other registered holder, that it will be householding communications to your address, householding will continue until you are notified otherwise or until you revoke your consent. A number of banks, brokers and other registered holders with account holders who are our stockholders household our proxy materials. If you hold your shares in street name, and no longer wish to participate in householding and would prefer to receive a separate proxy statementmaterials in the future, or currently receive multiple copies of the proxy materials and would like to request householding, please notify your bank, broker or other registered holder. If you are a holder of record, and no longer wish to participate in householding and would prefer to receive a separate proxy statementmaterials in the future, or currently receive multiple copies of the proxy materials and would like to request householding, please notify us in writing at 3140SenesTech, Inc., 23460 N. Caden Court,19th Avenue, Suite 1, Flagstaff,110, Phoenix, AZ 86004,85027, Attention: Secretary, or by telephone at (928) 779-4143.779-4143. Any stockholder residing at a shared address to which a single copy of the proxy materials was delivered who wishes to receive a separate copy of our proxy statement may obtain a copy by written request addressed to 3140SenesTech, Inc., 23460 N. Caden Court,19th Avenue, Suite 1, Flagstaff,110, Phoenix, AZ 86004, attention:85027, Attention: Secretary. We will deliver a separate copy of our proxy statement to any stockholder who so requests in writing promptly following our receipt of such request.

Transaction of Other Business

Our board of directors knows of no other matters to be submitted at the Annual Meeting. If any other business is properly brought before the Annual Meeting, proxies will be voted in respect thereof as the proxy holders deem advisable.


Form 10-K

We will provide, without charge upon the written request of any beneficial owner of shares of our common stock entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting, a copy of our 2021 Annual Report, to Stockholders and Form 10-K

Our Annual Letter to Stockholders foras filed with the year ended December 31, 2016 (which is not a part of our proxy solicitation materials) is beingSEC, but excluding exhibits. Written requests should be mailed to our stockholders with thisprincipal executive offices, located at: SenesTech, Inc., 23460 N. 19th Avenue, Suite 110, Phoenix, AZ 85027, Attention: Secretary.

29

Table of Contents

SENESTECH, INC. C/O TRANSFER ONLINE, INC. 512 SE SALMON STREET PORTLAND, OR 97214 Investor Address Line 1 Investor Address Line 2 Investor Address Line 3 Investor Address Line 4 Investor Address Line 5 John Sample 1234 ANYWHERE STREET ANY CITY, ON A1A 1A1 1 OF 2 1 1 SCAN TO VIEW MATERIALS & VOTE VOTE BY INTERNET - www.proxyvote.com or scan the QR Barcode above Before The Meeting – Go to www.proxyvote.com Use the Internet to transmit your voting instructions and for electronic delivery of information. Vote by 11:59 P.M. ET on 06/22/2022. Have your proxy statement.card in hand when you access the web site and follow the instructions to obtain your records and to create an electronic voting instruction form. During The Meeting – Go to www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/SNES2022 You may attend the meeting via the internet and vote during the meeting. Have the information that is printed in the box marked by the arrow available and follow the instructions. VOTE BY PHONE - 1-800-690-6903 Use any touch-tone telephone to transmit your voting instructions. Vote by 11:59 P.M. ET on 06/22/2022. Have your proxy card in hand when you call and then follow the instructions. VOTE BY MAIL Mark, sign and date your proxy card and return it in the postage-paid envelope we have provided or return it to Vote Processing, c/o Broadridge, 51 Mercedes Way, Edgewood, NY 11717. CONTROL # NAME THE COMPANY NAME INC. - COMMON SHARES 123,456,789,012.12345 THE COMPANY NAME INC. - CLASS A copy123,456,789,012.12345 THE COMPANY NAME INC. - CLASS B 123,456,789,012.12345 THE COMPANY NAME INC. - CLASS C 123,456,789,012.12345 THE COMPANY NAME INC. - CLASS D 123,456,789,012.12345 THE COMPANY NAME INC. - CLASS E 123,456,789,012.12345 THE COMPANY NAME INC. - CLASS F 123,456,789,012.12345 THE COMPANY NAME INC. - 401 K 123,456,789,012.12345 PAGE 1 OF 2 TO VOTE, MARK BLOCKS BELOW IN BLUE OR BLACK INK AS FOLLOWS: KEEP THIS PORTION FOR YOUR RECORDS ETACH AND RETURN THIS PORTION ONLY THIS PROXY CARD IS VALID ONLY WHEN SIGNED AND DATED. KEEP THIS PORTION FOR YOUR RECORDS The Board of Directors recommends you vote FOR the following: For Withhold For All All All Except To withhold authority to vote for any individual nominee(s), mark “For All Except” and write the number(s) of the nominee(s) on the line below. 1. To elect the nominees listed below as Class III directors, each to serve for a three-year term until 2025; Nominees 01 K.C. Kavanagh 02 Kenneth Siegel 03 Matthew Szot The Board of Directors recommends you vote FOR the following proposal: For Against Abstain 2 To provide a non-binding advisory vote on the compensation of our named executive officers for fiscal 2021 (“say-on-pay”). The Board of Directors recommends you vote 1 YEAR on the following proposal: 1 year 2 years 3 years Abstain 3 To provide a non-binding advisory vote on the frequency of future non-binding advisory votes on the compensation of our named executive officers (“say-on-frequency”). The Board of Directors recommends you vote FOR the following proposal: For Against Abstain 4 To ratify the appointment of M&K CPAS, PLLC as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2022. NOTE: To transact such other business as may properly come before the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof. Please sign exactly as your name(s) appear(s) hereon. When signing as attorney, executor, administrator, or other fiduciary, please give full title as such. Joint owners should each sign personally. All holders must sign. If a corporation or partnership, please sign in full corporate or partnership name, by authorized officer. Signature [PLEASE SIGN WITHIN BOX] Date JOB # Signature (Joint Owners) Date SHARES CUSIP # SEQUENCE # 0000569226_1 R1.0.0.24 02 0000000000

Table of Contents

This communication presents only an overview of the more complete proxy materials that are available on the internet. We encourage you to access and review all of the important information contained in the proxy materials before voting. Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Annual Report onMeeting: The Notice & Proxy Statement, Form 10-K forare available at www.proxyvote.com SENESTECH, INC. Annual Meeting of Stockholders Thursday, June 23, 2022 12:00 P.M. MST This proxy is solicited by the year ended December 31, 2016, without exhibits,board of directors This proxy will be voted at the annual meeting of stockholders of SenesTech, Inc. (the “Company”) by Kenneth Siegel and Thomas C. Chesterman (the “Proxy Holders”), as directed. By signing on the reverse side of this ballot, you hereby grant to the Proxy Holders your revocable proxy to vote all of your shares of Company common stock as directed. If no direction is included with indicated, it will be voted “FOR”the Annual Letter to Stockholders.

By Orderelection of the Board of Directors


Loretta P. Mayer
Chairnominee directors; “FOR” the say-on-pay proposal; “1 YEAR” on the say-on-frequency proposal; “FOR” the ratification of the Boardappointment of M&K CPAS, PLLC as the independent registered public accountant of the Company, and Chief Executive Officer
Flagstaff, Arizona
April 20, 2017


[GRAPHIC MISSING]as to such other matters as may properly come before the meeting as the Proxy Holders deem advisable. Continued and to be signed on reverse side 0000569226_2 R1.0.0.24


[GRAPHIC MISSING]