13. Stock-Based Compensation

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Share-based Payment Arrangement [Abstract]

Stock-Based Compensation

NOTE 13 – STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION

Stock-based compensation expense for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 was $1,830,426 and $1,245,826, respectively based on the vesting schedule of the stock grants and options. During the year ended December 31, 2019, 1,361,966 shares vested and were issued to employees. No cash flow affects are anticipated for stock grants.

In January 2017, the Company began granting stock to attract, retain, and reward employees with Common Stock. Stock grants are offered as part of the employment offer package, to ensure continuity of employment or as a reward for performance. Each of these grants requires a specific tenure of employment before the grant vests with typical vesting periods of 1 to 3 years of employment.

In January 2018, the Company implemented an equity incentive plan to reward and attract employees and compensate vendors for services when applicable. Stock options are offered as part of an employment offer package, to ensure continuity of service or as a reward for performance. The stock option plan authorizes 3,000,000 shares of common stock. 1,995,499 options have been awarded under the Plan as of December 31, 2019 and 1,259,000 options were awarded as of December 31, 2018.

In May 2019, the Company adopted a new equity incentive plan, authorizing an aggregate of 3,500,000 shares of Common Stock for issuance thereunder. Stock grants under the equity incentive programs are valued at the price of the stock on the date of grant. The fair value of the options is calculated using the Black-Scholes pricing model based on the estimated market value of the underlying common stock at the valuation measurement date $0.90, the remaining contractual term of the options of 10 years, risk-free interest rate of 2.75% and expected volatility of the price of the underlying common stock of 100%. There is a moderate degree of subjectivity involved when using option pricing models to estimate the options and the assumptions used in the Black Scholes option-pricing model are moderately judgmental. Stock options and stock grants are sometimes offered as part of an employment offer package, to ensure continuity of service or as a reward for performance.

The following schedule shows stock grant activity for the year ended December 31, 2019:

Grants outstanding as of December 31, 2018	1,802,667
Grants awarded	41,800
Forfeiture/Cancelled	(70,000	)
Grants vested	(1,361,966	)
Grants outstanding as of December 31, 2019	412,501

The following table summarizes stock grant vesting periods.

Number of		Unrecognized stock compensation		Year Ending
Shares		expense		December 31,
	264,167	$	142,552	2020
	148,334		34,775	2021
	412,501	$	177,327

The following schedule shows stock option activity for the year ended December 31, 2019.

	Number of Shares		Weighted Average Remaining Life (Years)		Weighted Average Exercise Price
Stock options outstanding as of December 31, 2018		1,184,000		9.68	$	1.15
Issued		736,499		9.20	$	1.38
Exercised		–		–		–
Expired		218,332		9.12	$	1.33
Stock options outstanding at December 31, 2019		1,702,167		9.21	$	1.21
Stock options exercisable at December 31, 2019		703,538		8.89	$	1.17

The following table summarizes stock option vesting periods under the two stock options plans.

Number of		Unrecognized stock compensation		Year Ending
Shares		expense		December 31,
	540,998	$	359,521	2020
	408,964		120,015	2021
	48,667		10,400	2022
	998,629	$	489,936