After SEC Investigation, Curastory Founder Resigns and Appoints Replacement

The Securities and Exchange Commission has accused content monetization startup Curastory of overstating revenue figures and misrepresenting its client numbers to investors, according to documents reviewed by TechCrunch.

Following a settlement with the SEC, Curastory's founder and CEO, Tiffany Kelly, has stepped down and appointed Dave Dickman, former CEO of influencer marketing platform Tagger, as her successor.

Kelly and Dickman told TechCrunch that under Dickman's leadership the company has already begun fundraising again, is moving ahead with international expansion, and is working on product upgrades.

The settlement bars Kelly from serving as an executive or board director at any company that raises capital for the next 10 years. TechCrunch viewed a draft of the settlement agreement, which states that Kelly accepted these terms without admitting or denying the SEC's allegations.

Kelly will remain one of Curastory's largest shareholders and continue advising the company. She said stepping aside was the only way to "keep the company alive and thriving."

Founded in 2021, Curastory helps creators monetize their videos by enabling advertisers to purchase in-video ad placements and by offering editing tools and analytics. Kelly says the platform now has around 400,000 creators.

Curastory has raised roughly $3 million in funding, backed by Lightspeed's Scout Fund, Feld Ventures, and Mindspring Capital, according to PitchBook. It has also participated in accelerator programs, including Techstars and AMEX Ventures' SPARK Program.

Kelly described the journey as "a wild ride," noting that she will also pay a fine as part of the settlement. She says she doesn't know what initiated the SEC inquiry. She received a subpoena in June and was issued a violation notice in January.

Despite the setback, Kelly hopes for understanding. She acknowledges that stepping down has been "interesting," but also says she's relieved to no longer handle fundraising and financial management.

Kelly says she was grateful to have the chance to choose her replacement — something many ousted founders don't get to do. She instructed the executive recruiter to find someone ethical, capable, and committed to the company's long-term health.

Dickman, who has decades of experience in the creator economy and early-stage startups, said, "Early-stage companies have all kinds of challenges. In the end, it happened, and it's been resolved." He described his dynamic with Kelly as "yin and yang," saying her analytical product-focused style complements his leadership approach.

Kelly says changes are already evident. Dickman's fundraising deck quickly reached a VC fund, which then forwarded it internally—an interaction she notes she rarely experienced, referencing the challenges many women, especially Black women, face when raising venture capital.

Looking ahead, Curastory plans to expand into Canada, Australia, and the U.K. The company is also building new tools to support video creators on platforms like Spotify and incorporating AI to make its ad-tech more autonomous. Current integrations include YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook Watch.

Curastory is also developing a more advanced attribution model for advertisers that would eliminate the need for influencer promo codes.

"These are the immediate, near-term product, sales, and globalization goals," Kelly said.

Despite the abrupt end to her time as CEO, Kelly says the experience has been both humbling and rewarding. She hopes to share her journey with others, "especially women and people of color," as she moves into the next chapter.