Tiffany Kelly exits CEO role following SEC settlement over misrepresented financials; new CEO Dave Dickman to lead international expansion and AI-powered updates.
SEC Investigation Forces Leadership Shift at Curastory
Curastory, the content monetization startup serving over 400,000 video creators, is undergoing a major leadership change. Founder and CEO Tiffany Kelly has resigned as part of a settlement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which accused the company of overstating revenue and misrepresenting client metrics to investors.
- Kelly will no longer serve as an executive or board member of any fundraising entity for 10 years.
- The settlement, while not finalized at the time of reporting, includes a fine and a ban on executive leadership roles.
Despite stepping down, Kelly remains Curastory’s majority shareholder and will continue as an advisor.
“Stepping aside was truly the only decision I could make just to keep the company alive and thriving,” Kelly told TechCrunch.
Dave Dickman Appointed CEO
In a move that distinguishes this transition from many other forced founder exits, Kelly was able to choose her successor, naming Dave Dickman, former CEO of influencer platform Tagger.
- Dickman brings decades of experience in the creator economy and early-stage startup leadership.
- He and Kelly describe their dynamic as “yin and yang”—her analytical and product-focused, him more leadership-driven.
“I feel like we’re a good combo and complementary to drive this forward,” Dickman said.
Under his leadership, Curastory is reigniting fundraising efforts, expanding internationally, and building new platform capabilities.
New Vision: AI, Global Growth, and Attribution
Now several weeks into his tenure, Dickman has already set Curastory’s direction on a growth-oriented path:
- Expansion to Canada, Australia, and the U.K. is in progress.
- The product team is developing AI-powered features to enhance ad targeting and automation, making the platform more agentic.
- New creator integrations are in development for Spotify Video, in addition to current support for YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook Watch.
- A key update will also replace influencer promo codes with an enhanced attribution model, simplifying conversion tracking for advertisers.
Challenges of Leadership as a Black Woman Founder
Kelly, who founded Curastory in 2021, reflected on the unique difficulties of raising capital as a Black woman founder—a process often riddled with systemic bias and limited access.
- She shared that Dickman’s fundraising deck is already gaining traction with VC firms—an experience she hadn’t had.
- Despite the regulatory fallout, Kelly remains optimistic and intends to share her journey to inspire other underrepresented founders.
“Being a founder and CEO is one of the most humbling and rewarding experiences I think anyone can have.”
Curastory has raised about $3 million to date from Lightspeed’s Scout Fund, Feld Ventures, and Mindspring Capital, and participated in accelerator programs like Techstars and AMEX Ventures’ SPARK Program.
