Professional Diversity Network, Inc.

Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks described below before making an investment decision. The risks described below are not the only ones we face. Additional risks we are not presently aware of or that we currently believe are immaterial may also impair our business operations. Our business could be harmed by any of these risks. The trading price of our Common Stock or other securities could decline due to any of these risks, and you may lose all or part of your investment.

We have incurred net losses, our liquidity has been significantly reduced and we could continue to incur losses and negative cash flow in the future.

We recorded a net loss from continuing operations before interest and tax of approximately $6.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2025, and $2.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. Our revenues decreased from $6.7 million during 2024 to $6.5 million during 2025, and our costs and expenses increased from $9.1 million during 2024, to $13.0 million during 2025. In addition, we used approximately $2.1 million in cash flow from continuing operations during the year ended December 31, 2025. Our independent registered public accounting firm has included in its audit report for the year ended December 31, 2025, an explanatory paragraph expressing substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. We will need to continue to increase revenues, reduce our corporate operating expenses, raise capital through the issuance of shares of Common Stock or enter into a strategic merger or acquisition, to achieve profitability and positive cash flow from operations. Despite our efforts, we may not achieve profitability or positive cash flow in the future, and even if we do, we may not be able to sustain being profitable.

The market for online professional networks is highly competitive, and if we are unable to compete effectively our sales and results of operations will suffer.

We face significant competition in all aspects of our business, and we expect such competition to increase, particularly in the market for online professional networks.

Our industry is rapidly evolving and becoming increasingly competitive. Larger and more established online professional networking companies, such as LinkedIn, may focus on the online diversity professional networking market and could directly compete with us. Rival companies or smaller companies, including application developers, could also launch new products and services that could compete with us and gain market acceptance quickly. Individual employers have and may continue to create and maintain their own network of diverse candidates.

We also expect that our existing competitors will focus on professional diversity recruiting. A number of these companies may have greater resources than we do, which may enable them to compete more effectively. For example, our competitors with greater resources may partner with wireless telecommunications carriers or other Internet service providers that may provide Internet users, especially those that access the Internet through mobile devices, incentives to visit our competitors’ websites. Such tactics or similar tactics could decrease the number of our visits, unique visitors and number of users and members, which would materially and adversely affect our business, operating results and financial condition.

Additionally, users of online social networks, such as Facebook, may choose to use, or increase their use of, those networks for professional purposes, which may result in those users decreasing or eliminating their use of our specialized online professional network. Companies that currently do not focus on online professional diversity networking could also expand their focus to diversity networking. LinkedIn may develop its own proprietary online diversity network and compete directly against us. To the extent LinkedIn develops its own network or establishes alliances and relationships with others, our business, operating results, and financial condition could be materially harmed. Finally, other companies that provide content for professionals could develop more compelling offerings that compete with us and adversely impact our ability to keep our members, attract new members or sell our solutions to customers.

Our recent expansion into digital assets and intellectual property investments represents a shift from our historical business and may not be successful.

Beginning in 2025, we expanded beyond our historical professional networking, recruitment, and remote staffing operations to invest in musical works copyrights and digital assets and to explore certain Web3.0-related initiatives. These activities differ significantly from the businesses that have historically generated substantially all of our revenues.

This strategic expansion may not be successful. We have limited operating experience in these new areas, and these initiatives may not generate meaningful revenue or positive returns on investment. The markets for digital assets and intellectual property monetization are highly competitive, rapidly evolving, and subject to significant market volatility and regulatory uncertainty. If these new initiatives do not perform as expected, we may not recover our investments and could be required to recognize material impairment charges, which would adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

In addition, pursuing these initiatives requires significant management attention and financial resources that could otherwise be focused on our established operating segments. If the expansion of our business into these new areas is unsuccessful, our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

Investment in musical works copyrights may not generate expected returns and could result in impairment charges.

We have invested, and may continue to invest, significant capital in the acquisition of musical works copyrights. As of December 31, 2025, we had invested approximately $7.0 million in musical works copyrights and had committed to additional payments under certain copyright acquisition agreements.

On September 3, 2025, we entered into a copyright transfer agreement with High Wave Corp, a corporation incorporated in New York and a non-affiliated accredited investor, pursuant to which we agreed to acquire forty (40) original musical works for total consideration of $10,000,000, payable in four installments between October 15, 2025 and November 30, 2025, with ownership of each batch transferring upon payment. As of December 31, 2025, we had paid $3,700,000 under this agreement. On December 16, 2025, the Company entered into an amendment to the copyright transfer agreement (the “First Amendment to High Wave Copyright Transfer Agreement”), pursuant to which the Company retained the right, but not the obligation, to purchase the remaining twenty-five (25) musical works for total consideration of $6,300,000. If the Company elects to proceed with such purchase, the Company and High Wave will mutually agree on the delivery schedule and payment terms for the remaining works.

On September 12, 2025, we entered into the Copyright Agreement with Streams Ohio, a non-affiliated accredited investor. Pursuant to the Streams Ohio Copyright Agreement, the Company agreed to acquire eight (8) original musical works from the Streams Ohio. Under the terms of the Streams Ohio Copyright Agreement, consideration could be paid in cash, shares of the Company’s Common Stock, or a combination thereof. The Board approved payment of the consideration through the issuance of 556,000 shares of Common Stock (the “Copyright Shares”), with an aggregate value of approximately $1,629,080, based on the closing price of $2.93 per share on September 12, 2025, subject to the limitations of the Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635. The Copyright Shares were issued in reliance on the exemptions from registration provided by Section 4(a)(2) under the Securities Act, and/or Regulation D promulgated thereunder. The Streams Ohio Copyright Agreement contains customary representations, warranties, and covenants.

On November 24, 2025, we entered into a copyright transfer agreement with Shohan Event Organizers Co., L.L.C. , a non-affiliated accredited investor. Pursuant to the Copyright Agreement, the Company agreed to acquire five (5) original musical works from the Copyright Seller. Under the terms of the Copyright Agreement, consideration could be paid in cash, shares of the Company’s Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share, or a combination thereof. The board of directors of the Company approved payment of the consideration through the issuance of 927,600 shares of Common Stock, with an aggregate value of approximately $1,604,748, based on the closing price of $1.73 per share on November 24, 2025, subject to the limitations of Listing Rule 5635 of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC. The Copyright Shares will be issued in reliance on the exemptions from registration provided by Section 4(a)(2) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and/or Regulation D promulgated thereunder.

The value of these assets and the returns we expect to generate from them depend on the continued commercial success, licensing demand, and audience engagement of the underlying musical compositions. Royalty income derived from musical works is inherently uncertain and may fluctuate significantly due to factors outside of our control, including changes in consumer preferences, streaming and distribution economics, pricing models adopted by digital service providers, competitive content, technological developments, changes in intellectual property laws or regulations, and general economic conditions.

Royalty collections depend on third-party publishers, administrators, performing rights organizations, digital platforms, and other intermediaries, over which we have limited control. Any failure by such parties to accurately track usage, collect royalties, or remit payments in a timely manner could adversely affect our revenues and cash flows. Musical works copyrights are intangible assets subject to periodic impairment testing under applicable accounting standards. If the actual or projected cash flows generated by these assets decline, if discount rates increase, or if market conditions deteriorate, we may be required to recognize impairment charges. Any such impairment could be material and would adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

Accordingly, our investments in musical works copyrights may not generate the anticipated returns, and we may not recover the full amount of our investment.

Our investment in DTT Tokens is speculative and may result in material losses and stockholder dilution.

On December 17, 2025, we acquired 25,937,800 native utility digital tokens issued by DeeptradeX.ai, an Australian-based digital asset trading platform, for aggregate consideration of $2,593,780. The board of directors of the Company approved payment of the consideration through the issuance of 1,358,000 shares of Common Stock, subject to the limitations of Listing Rule 5635 of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC and the shares were issued on January 2, 2026. The DTT Tokens are intended solely for use on the issuer’s Web3.0 platform and do not provide equity ownership, debt, governance, dividend, or profit-sharing rights. The value of the tokens depends on market adoption of the issuer’s platform, overall digital asset market conditions, regulatory developments, and technological factors, all of which are highly uncertain and subject to significant volatility. We do not control the issuer’s operations, and any failure of the platform to achieve adoption or comply with evolving regulations could materially reduce the value of the tokens. In addition, digital assets are subject to limited liquidity, cybersecurity risks, and evolving accounting treatment, and we may be required to record impairment charges if the value of the tokens declines. The issuance of shares as consideration for this transaction resulted in dilution to existing stockholders and may adversely affect the market price of our Common Stock.

Our business depends on strong brands, and any failure to maintain, protect and enhance our brands would hurt our ability to retain or expand our base of members, enterprises and professional organizations, or our ability to increase their level of engagement.

Maintaining, protecting, and enhancing all of our brands is critical to expanding the base of members for the TalentAlly Network and NAPW Network and increasing their engagement with the product and services offerings of the Company, and will depend largely on our ability to maintain member trust, be a technology leader and continue to provide high-quality offerings, which we may not do successfully in the future. We have devoted significant resources in developing our brands, particularly NAPW. That brand is predicated on the idea that professional women will trust it and find value in building and maintaining their professional identities and reputations on the NAPW Network platform. Despite our efforts to protect our brands and prevent their misuse, if others misuse any of our brands or pass themselves off as being endorsed or affiliated with the TalentAlly Network or the NAPW Network, it could harm our reputation and our business could suffer. If members of any of our networks or potential members determine that they can use other platforms, such as social networks, for the same purposes as or as a replacement for the TalentAlly Network or the NAPW Network, or if they choose to blend their professional and social networking activities, our brands and the business of the Company could be harmed. Members of any of our networks could find that new product or service offerings that are introduced are difficult to use or may feel that they degrade their experience with our organization, which could harm the reputation of the networks and the Company for delivering high-quality offerings. Our brands are also important in attracting and maintaining high performing employees. If we do not successfully maintain strong and trusted brands for our networks, our business can be materially and adversely affected.

If we do not continue to attract new members to the NAPW Network, or if existing NAPW Network members do not renew their subscriptions, renew at lower levels or on less favorable terms, or fail to purchase additional offerings, we may not achieve our revenue projections, and our operating results would be harmed.

Membership fees and related services from NAPW have declined in recent periods. In order to grow the NAPW Network, we must continually attract new members to the NAPW Network, sell additional product and service offerings to existing NAPW Network members and increase the level of renewals. Our ability to do so depends in large part on the success of our sales and marketing efforts. Unlike companies that provide more tangible products, the nature of our product and service offerings is such that members may decide to terminate or not renew their agreements because they do not see their cancellation as causing significant disruptions to their own businesses.

We must demonstrate to NAPW Network members that our product and service offerings provide them with access to an audience of influential, affluent, and highly educated women. However, potential members may not be familiar with our product and service offerings or may prefer other more traditional products and services for their professional advancement and networking needs. The rate at which we expand the NAPW Network’s membership base or increase its members’ renewal rates may decline or fluctuate because of several factors, including the prices of product and service offerings, the prices of products and services offered by competitors or reductions in their professional advancement and networking spending levels due to macroeconomic or other factors and the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of our offerings. If we do not attract new members to the NAPW Network or if NAPW Network members do not renew their agreements for our product and service offerings, renew at lower levels or on less favorable terms or do not purchase additional offerings, our revenue from the segment may fall short of our projections.

We may not be able to successfully identify and complete sufficient acquisitions to meet our growth strategy, and even if we are able to do so, we may not realize the anticipated benefits of these acquisitions.

Part of our growth strategy is to acquire companies that we believe will add to and/or expand our service offerings.

Identifying suitable acquisition candidates can be difficult, time-consuming, and costly, and we may not be able to identify suitable candidates or complete acquisitions in a timely manner, on a cost-effective basis or at all. Even if we complete an acquisition, we may not realize the anticipated benefits of such an acquisition. Actual cost savings and synergies which may be achieved from an acquired entity may be lower than expected and may take a longer time to achieve than we anticipate. Our acquisitions have previously required, and any similar future transactions may also require, significant efforts and expenditure, in particular with respect to integrating the acquired business with our historical business. We may encounter unexpected difficulties, or incur unexpected costs, in connection with acquisition activities and integration efforts, which include:

If we fail to successfully complete the integration of an acquired entity, or to realize the anticipated benefits of the integration of an acquired entity, our financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

We rely heavily on our information systems and if our access to this technology is impaired, or we fail to further develop our technology, our business could be significantly harmed.

Our success depends in large part upon our ability to store, retrieve, process and manage substantial amounts of information, including our database of our members. To achieve our strategic objectives and to remain competitive, we must continue to develop and enhance our information systems. Our future success will depend on our ability to adapt to rapidly changing technologies, to adapt our information systems to evolving industry standards and to improve the performance and reliability of our information systems. This may require the acquisition of equipment and software and the development, either internally or through independent consultants, of new proprietary software. Our inability to design, develop, implement and utilize, in a cost-effective manner, information systems that provide the capabilities necessary for us to compete effectively would materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and operating results.

Our direct sales strategy, which requires personal interaction with employers and third-party recruiters, may limit our ability to grow recruitment revenue and recruitment advertising revenue.

As part of our strategy to market our products and services directly to employers and third-party recruiters, we rely on our direct sales force for recruitment revenue and recruitment advertising revenue. We currently employ professionals in sales, sales support and marketing who are trained in selling our products and services. We continuously attempt to optimize the direct sales team and refine the manner in which our products and services are sold. While the Company made progress in growing its direct sales, we have not matured the sales force to the point of predictability, nor have we sold enough services to achieve profitability. There is no assurance that our direct sales strategy will yield sufficient recruitment revenue and recruitment advertising revenue in the future.

We may not timely and effectively scale and adapt our existing technology and network infrastructure to ensure that our websites are accessible within an acceptable load time.

An element that is key to our continued growth is the ability of our members and other users that we work with to access any of our websites within acceptable load times. We call this website performance. We have experienced, and may in the future experience, website disruptions, outages and other performance problems due to a variety of factors, including infrastructure changes, human or software errors, capacity constraints due to an overwhelming number of users accessing our websites simultaneously, and denial of service or fraud or security attacks. In some instances, we may not be able to identify the cause or causes of these website performance problems within an acceptable period of time.

If any of our websites are unavailable when users attempt to access them or they do not load as quickly as users expect, users may seek other websites to obtain the information or services for which they are looking and may not return to our websites as often in the future, or at all. This would negatively impact on our ability to attract members and other users and increase engagement on our websites. To the extent that we do not effectively address capacity constraints, upgrade our systems as needed and continually develop our technology and network architecture to accommodate actual and anticipated changes in technology, our business, operating results and financial condition may be materially and adversely affected.

Our business involves higher risks associated with remote work.

RemoteMore’s business heavily relies on remote working with its customers, which means many contractors will use their own personal devices and home networks to perform work tasks. This presents some of the largest risks to the worker and the business. Many personal devices lack the hardened nature of a corporate device and other security capabilities, such as encryption, auto-backups, authentication and security monitoring, which may expose our business or our customers’ business to additional risk of cyber-attack. This remote working environment makes it more difficult to monitor contractor access to data, information sent and received online, and legitimacy of access.

Our systems are vulnerable to natural disasters, acts of terrorism and cyber-attacks.

Our systems are vulnerable to damage or interruption from catastrophic occurrences such as earthquakes, floods, fires, power loss, telecommunication failures, terrorist attacks, cyber-attacks and similar events. For systems which are not based in cloud storage, we have implemented a disaster recovery program, maintained by a third-party vendor, which allows us to move production to a back-up data center in the event of a catastrophe. Although this program is functional, it does not yet provide a real-time back-up data center, so if our primary data center shuts down, there will be a period of time that such website will remain shut down while the transition to the back-up data center takes place. Despite any precautions we may take, the occurrence of a natural disaster or other unanticipated problems at our hosting facilities could result in lengthy interruptions in our services. Although we carry cyber security insurance, our claims may exceed the insurance coverage, and we may not be fully compensated by third party insurers in the event of service interruption or cyber-attack. Furthermore, our business may never recover from such an event.

If our security measures are compromised, or if any of our websites are subject to attacks that degrade or deny the ability of members or customers to access our solutions, members and customers may curtail or stop use of our solutions.

Our members provide us with information relevant to their professional networking and/or career-seeking experience with the option of having their information become public or remain private. If we experience compromises to our security that result in website performance or availability problems, the complete shutdown of our websites or the loss or unauthorized disclosure of confidential information, our members may lose trust and confidence in us, and will use our websites less often or stop using our websites entirely. Further, outside parties may attempt to fraudulently induce employees, members or customers to disclose sensitive information in order to gain access to our information or our members’ or customers’ information. Because the methods used to obtain unauthorized access, disable or degrade service, or sabotage systems change frequently, often are not recognized until launched against a target and may originate from less regulated and remote areas around the world, we may be unable to proactively address these methods or to implement adequate preventative measures. Any or all of these issues could negatively impact our ability to attract new members and increase engagement by existing members, cause existing members to close their accounts or existing customers to cancel their contracts, subject us to lawsuits, regulatory fines or other action or liability, thereby materially and adversely affecting our reputation, our business, operating results and financial condition.

The widespread adoption of different smart phones, smart phone operating systems and mobile applications, or apps, could require us to make substantial expenditures to modify or adapt our websites, applications and services.

The number of people who access the Internet through devices other than personal computers, including personal digital assistants, smart phones and handheld tablets or computers, has increased dramatically in the past few years and we believe this number will continue to increase. Each manufacturer or distributor of these devices may establish unique technical standards, and our services may not work or be viewable on these devices as a result. Furthermore, as new devices and new platforms are continually released, it is difficult to predict the problems we may encounter in developing versions of our services for use on these alternative devices and we may need to devote significant resources to the creation, support and maintenance of such devices. Our websites are designed using responsive technology and are built to provide a positive user experience on a user’s Internet device, whether a mobile phone, and tablet, laptop or personal computer. If we are slow to develop products and technologies that are compatible with such devices, we might fail to capture a significant share of an increasingly important portion of the market for our services.

If Internet search engines’*** methodologies are modified or our search result page rankings decline for other reasons, our member engagement and number of members and users could decline.***

We depend in part on various Internet search engines, such as Google, Bing and Yahoo!, to direct a significant amount of traffic to our websites. Our ability to maintain the number of visitors directed to our websites is not entirely within our control. Our competitors’ search engine optimization (“SEO”) efforts may result in their websites receiving a higher search result page ranking than ours, or Internet search engines could revise their methodologies in an attempt to improve their search results, which could adversely affect the placement of our search result page ranking. If search engine companies modify their search algorithms in ways that are detrimental to our new user growth or in ways that make it harder for our members to use our websites, or if our competitors’ SEO efforts are more successful than ours, overall growth in our member base could slow, member engagement could decrease, and we could lose existing members. These modifications may be prompted by search engine companies entering the online professional networking market or aligning with competitors. Our websites have experienced fluctuations in search result rankings in the past, and we anticipate similar fluctuations in the future. Any reduction in the number of users directed to our websites would materially harm our business and operating results. Our platform includes connectivity across the social graph, including websites such as Facebook, LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter). If for any reason these websites discontinue or alter their current open platform policy, it could have a negative impact on our user experience and our ability to compete in the same manner we do today.

Wireless communications providers may give their customers greater access to our competitors’*** websites.***

Wireless communications providers may provide users of mobile devices greater access to websites that compete with our websites at more favorable rates or at faster download speeds. This could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, operating results and financial condition. Creation of an unequal playing field in terms of Internet access could significantly benefit larger and better capitalized companies competing with us.

The effect of significant declines in our ability to generate revenue may not be reflected in our short-term results of operations.

We recognize revenue from sales of our hiring solutions over the life of a contract (typically 12 months) beginning the first month after the contract is signed. As a result, a significant portion of the revenue we report in each quarter is generated from agreements entered into during previous quarters. In addition, we may be unable to adjust our fixed costs in response to reduced revenue. Accordingly, the effect of significant declines in our ability to generate revenue may not be reflected in our short-term results of operations.

The existing global economic and financial market environment has had, and may continue to have, a negative effect on our business and operations.

Demand for our services is sensitive to changes in the level of economic activity. Many companies hire fewer employees when economic activity is slow. Following the financial crisis in 2008, and again following the development of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, unemployment in the United States increased and hiring activity was limited. Although the economy has begun to recover and unemployment in the United States has improved, if the economy does not continue to recover or worsens, or unemployment returns to high levels, demand for our services and our revenue may be reduced. In addition, lower demand for our services may lead to lower prices for our services. The volatility in global financial markets may also limit our ability to access the capital markets at a time when we would like, or need, to raise capital, which could have an impact on our ability to react to changing economic and business conditions. Accordingly, if the economy does not fully recover or worsens, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected.

Our growth strategy may fail as a result of changing social trends.

Our business is dependent on the continuity of certain social trends, such as the increasing socialization of the Internet, the demographic trend towards women’s career advancement, the growing ethnic diversity of the United States population and labor force, a regulatory environment that promotes diversity in the workplace, the growing ethnic population’s spending power and the acceptance and growth of online recruitment and advertising. Some or all of these trends may change over time. For example, increased privacy concerns may jeopardize the growth of online social and professional network websites. Furthermore, it is possible that people may not want to identify in online social or professional networks with a focus on diversity at all. Or alternatively, people who belong to more than one diversity group (such as Hispanic-American females, among others) may not be drawn to our websites, which singularly focus on one specific diversity group. In addition, a recent Supreme Court case ruled that race-conscious admissions decisions by universities are constitutionally impermissible. While the decision does not apply by its terms outside of higher education, it remains to be seen what impact it may have on private sector hiring practices in businesses and corporations or on DEI programs and initiatives generally. To the extent that the Court’s decision leads corporations or other hiring entities to re-examine or scale back their diversity-related programs and initiatives, the market for some of our services may be adversely affected.

Our strategy may fail as a result of these changing social trends, and if we do not timely adjust our strategy to adapt to changing social trends, we will lose members, and our business, operating results and financial condition would be materially and adversely affected.

The regulatory environment favorable to promoting diversity in the workplace has changed.

Federal and state laws and regulations require certain companies engaged in business with governmental entities to report and promote diverse hiring practices. The repeal or modification of such laws and regulations could decrease the incentives for employers to actively seek diverse employee candidates through networks such as ours and materially affect our revenues. In January 2025, President Trump introduced Executive Orders that impact diversity initiatives in Federal programs which may trickle down to Corporations.

If our member profiles are out-of-date, inaccurate or lack the information that users and customers want to see, we may not be able to realize the full potential of our networks, which could adversely impact our future growth.

We do not impose any selective or qualification criteria on membership and do not verify that any member of a particular Company website qualifies as a member of the ethnic, cultural or other group identified by that website. If our members do not update their information or provide accurate and complete information when they join our networks or do not establish sufficient connections, the value of our networks may be negatively impacted because our value proposition as diversity professional networks and as a source of accurate and comprehensive data will be weakened. For example, our hiring solutions customers may find that certain members misidentify their ethnic, national, cultural, racial, religious or gender classification, which could result in mismatches that erode customer confidence in our solutions. Similarly, incomplete or outdated member information would diminish the ability of our marketing solutions customers to reach their target audiences and our ability to provide research data to our customers. Therefore, we must provide features and products that demonstrate the value of our networks to our members and motivate them to add additional, timely and accurate information to their profile and our networks. If we fail to successfully motivate our members to do so, our business, operating results and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected.

Failure to protect or enforce our intellectual property rights could materially harm our business and operating results.

We regard the protection of our intellectual property as critical to our success. In particular, we must maintain, protect and enhance our brands. We strive to protect our intellectual property rights by relying on federal, state and common law rights, as well as contractual restrictions. In the ordinary course, we enter into confidentiality and invention assignment agreements with our employees and contractors, and confidentiality agreements with parties with whom we conduct business in order to limit access to, and disclosure and use of, our proprietary information and customized technology platform. However, these contractual arrangements and the other steps we have taken to protect our intellectual property may not prevent the misappropriation of our proprietary information or deter independent development of similar technologies by others.

We pursue the registration of our domain names, trademarks, and service marks in the United States and in certain locations outside the United States. Effective trademarks, trade dress and domain names are expensive to develop and maintain, both in terms of initial and ongoing registration requirements and the costs of defending our rights. We are seeking to protect our trademarks and domain names, a process that is expensive and may not be successful.

Litigation may be necessary to enforce our intellectual property rights or determine the validity and scope of proprietary rights claimed by others. Any litigation of this nature, regardless of outcome or merit, could result in substantial costs and diversion of management and technical resources, any of which could adversely affect our business and operating results. We may incur significant costs in enforcing our trademarks against those who attempt to imitate our brands. If we fail to maintain, protect and enhance our intellectual property rights, our business and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected.

We process, store and use personal information and other data, which subjects us to governmental regulation, enforcement actions and other legal obligations or liability related to data privacy and security, and our actual or perceived failure to comply with such obligations could materially and adversely affect our business.

We receive, store and process personal information and other member data, and we enable our members to share their personal information with each other and with third parties. There are numerous federal, state, local and foreign laws regarding privacy and the storing, sharing, use, processing, disclosure and protection of personal information and other member data, the scope of which are changing, subject to differing interpretations and may be inconsistent between countries or conflict with other rules. We generally comply with industry standards and adhere to the terms of our privacy policies and privacy-related obligations to third parties (including voluntary third-party certification bodies such as TRUSTe). We strive to comply with all applicable laws, policies, legal obligations and industry codes of conduct relating to privacy and data protection. However, it is possible that these obligations may be interpreted and applied in a manner that is inconsistent from one jurisdiction to another and may conflict with other rules or our practices. Any failure or perceived failure by us to comply with our privacy policies, our privacy-related obligations to users or other third parties, or our privacy-related legal obligations, or any compromise of security that results in the unauthorized release or transfer of personally identifiable information or other member data, may result in governmental enforcement actions, litigation or public statements against us by consumer advocacy groups or others and could cause our members and customers to lose trust in us, which could have an adverse effect on our business. Additionally, if third parties we work with, such as customers, vendors or developers, violate applicable laws or our policies, such violations may also put our members’ information at risk and could in turn have an adverse effect on our business.

Public scrutiny of Internet privacy issues may result in increased regulation and different industry standards, which could deter or prevent us from providing our current products and solutions to our members and customers, thereby materially harming our business.

The regulatory framework for privacy issues worldwide is currently in flux and is likely to remain so for the foreseeable future. Practices regarding the collection, use, storage, transmission and security of personal information by companies operating over the Internet have recently come under increased public scrutiny. The U.S. government, including the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Commerce, has announced that it is reviewing the need for greater regulation for the collection of information concerning consumer behavior on the Internet, including regulation aimed at restricting certain on-line tracking and targeted advertising practices. In addition, various government and consumer agencies have also called for new regulations and changes in industry practices.

Our business could be adversely affected if legislation or regulations are adopted, interpreted or implemented in a manner that is inconsistent with our current business practices or that require changes to these practices, the design of our websites, products, features or our privacy policy. In particular, the success of our business has been, and we expect will continue to be, driven by our ability to use the data that our members share with us in accordance with each of our website privacy policies and terms of use. Therefore, our business, operating results and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected by any significant change to applicable laws, regulations or industry practices regarding the use or disclosure of data our members choose to share with us, or regarding the manner in which the express or implied consent of consumers for such use and disclosure is obtained. Such changes may require us to modify our products and features, possibly in a material manner, and may limit our ability to develop new products and features that make use of the data that our members voluntarily share with us.

Our business is subject to a variety of U.S. laws and regulations, many of which are unsettled and still developing and which could subject us to claims or otherwise materially harm our business.

We are subject to a variety of laws and regulations in the United States, including laws regarding data retention, privacy and consumer protection, which are continually evolving and developing. The scope and interpretation of the laws that are or may be applicable to us are often uncertain and may be conflicting. For example, laws relating to the liability of providers of online services for activities of their users and other third parties are currently being tested by a number of claims, including actions based on invasion of privacy and other torts, unfair competition, copyright and trademark infringement, and other theories based on the nature and content of the materials searched, the ads posted or the content provided by users. In addition, regulatory authorities are considering a number of legislative and regulatory proposals concerning data protection and other matters that may be applicable to our business. It is difficult to predict how existing laws will be applied to our business and the new laws to which we may become subject. See the discussion included in Part 1, Item 1. “Business—Government Regulation” in this Annual Report.

If we are not able to comply with these laws or regulations or if we become liable under these laws or regulations, we could be harmed, and we may be forced to implement new measures to reduce our exposure to this liability. This may require us to expend substantial resources or to discontinue certain solutions, which would materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, the increased attention focused upon liability issues as a result of lawsuits and legislative proposals could materially harm our reputation or otherwise impact the growth of our business. Any costs incurred as a result of this potential liability could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We are currently party to litigation and may in the future be subject to additional legal proceedings and litigation, which may be costly to defend and could materially and adversely affect our business results or operating and financial condition.

We are currently party to litigation and may be party to additional lawsuits in the normal course of business. Results of the litigation to which we are a party cannot be predicted with certainty and there can be no assurance that this litigation will be resolved in our favor. We are a party to one proceeding in which the court recently granted summary judgment against NAPW on claims of failure to pay overtime wages. These matters are described in more detail under the heading “Legal Proceedings” in this Annual Report and our other periodic filings with the SEC. Litigation in general is often expensive and disruptive to normal business operations. We may face in the future allegations and lawsuits that we have infringed the intellectual property and other rights of third parties, including patents, privacy, trademarks, copyrights and other rights. Litigation, particularly intellectual property and class action matters may be protracted and expensive, and the results are difficult to predict. Adverse outcomes may result in significant settlement costs or judgments, including monetary damages, require us to modify our products and features while we develop non-infringing substitutes or require us to stop offering certain features.

From time-to-time, we may face claims against companies that incorporate open source software into their products, claiming ownership of, or demanding release of, the source code, the open source software and/or derivative works that were developed using such software, or otherwise seeking to enforce the terms of the applicable open source license. These claims could also result in litigation, require us to purchase a costly license or require us to devote additional research and development resources to change our solutions, any of which could have a negative effect on our business and operating results.

Our success depends in large part upon our management and key personnel. Our inability to attract and retain these individuals could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

We are highly dependent on our management and other key employees. The skills, knowledge and experience of our management team, are critical to the growth of our business. In particular, Mr. Xun Wu our Chief Executive Officer, provides significant leadership in every aspect of our business operations and strategic direction. Mr. Wu is supported by a talented group of knowledgeable executives in business operations, sales and marketing, and information technology including Bella Gu, our Chief Financial Officer, Russell Esquivel, Jr., our Chief Revenue Officer, and Chad Hoersten, our Chief Technology Officer. Our future performance will be dependent upon the continued successful service of members of our management and key employees. We do not maintain life insurance for any of the members of our management team or other key personnel. Competition for management in our industry is intense, and although we have entered into employment agreements with certain members of our management team, we may not be able to retain our management and key personnel or attract and retain new management and key personnel in the future, which could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial conditions.

We use artificial intelligence (“AI”) technologies in our platform and the use of AI technologies presents unique risks and uncertainties to our business, results of operations and financial condition.

We have incorporated AI technologies into our platform since 2024 to enhance functionality and increase engagement among employers and job seekers. The use of AI presents significant risks and uncertainties.

AI technologies are inherently complex and may produce inaccurate, unreliable, biased, or otherwise inappropriate outputs. If the AI-enabled features of our platform generate incorrect feedback, discriminatory responses, or other flawed results, user trust and confidence in our services could be diminished, which could harm our reputation and adversely affect our business. Because our platform relates to employment and career development, the use of AI in this context may subject us to heightened scrutiny from users, regulators, and other third parties, including with respect to fairness, transparency, and compliance with applicable employment laws.

The legal and regulatory framework governing AI technologies is rapidly evolving and remains uncertain. Existing and emerging federal, state, and international laws and regulations—including those relating to automated decision-making, employment practices, data protection, algorithmic accountability, and consumer protection—may impose new or additional obligations on the use of AI. Such requirements may increase our compliance costs and administrative burdens and may require us or our third-party partners to modify, limit, delay, or discontinue certain AI-enabled features or services.

Any failure, or perceived failure, to comply with applicable laws, regulations, or industry standards, or any negative public perception regarding our use of AI, could result in legal liability, regulatory enforcement actions, reputational harm, and loss of customers.

Any of the foregoing risks could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and reputation.

Risks Related to Our Common Stock

Our significant stockholders have substantial control over the Company and could limit your ability to influence the outcome of key transactions, including changes of control.

Pursuant to a shareholders’ agreement, dated as of ‎November 6, 2016, as amended, between the Company, Cosmic Forward Limited (“CFL”), a Republic of Seychelles company, and certain other parties ‎named therein (collectively, the “Shareholders’ Agreement”), CFL, its shareholders and their respective controlled affiliates (collectively, the “CFL Group”), have a participation right with respect to any future issuances of Common Stock by the Company, such that the CFL Group may purchase an amount of shares necessary to maintain CFL’s then-current beneficial ownership interest, up to a maximum of 54.64% of our then-outstanding Common Stock, on a fully-diluted basis, subject to certain exceptions. Although CFL beneficially owned approximately 3.7% of our Common Stock as of December 31, 2025, its ability to increase ownership may significantly influence all matters requiring approval by our stockholders, including the election of directors. Stockholders other than these principal stockholders may, therefore, have relatively little influence on decisions regarding such matters. These stockholders may have interests that differ from yours, and they may vote in a way with which you disagree and that may be averse to your interests. The concentration of ownership of our Common Stock may have the effect of delaying, preventing or deterring a change of control of our Company, could deprive our stockholders of an opportunity to receive a premium for their Common Stock as part of a sale of our Company and may affect the market price of our Common Stock. This concentration of ownership also limits the number of shares of stock likely to be traded in public markets and, therefore, will adversely affect liquidity in the trading of our Common Stock. This concentration of ownership of our Common Stock may also have the effect of influencing the completion of a change in control that may not necessarily be in the best interests of all of our stockholders.

The market price for our securities may be subject to wide fluctuations and the value of an investment in our Common Stock may decline.

The trading price of our Common Stock has been, and is likely to continue to be, volatile. Our closing stock price has ranged from $1.02 to$9.01 during the fiscal year of 2025. In addition to the factors discussed in this Annual Report, the trading price of our Common Stock may fluctuate significantly in response to numerous factors, many of which are beyond our control, including:

The securities of technology companies, especially Internet companies, have experienced wide fluctuations subsequent to their initial public offerings, including trading at prices below the initial public offering prices. Factors that could affect the price of our Common Stock include risk factors described in this section. In addition, the securities markets have from time-to-time experienced significant price and volume fluctuations that are not related to the operating performance of particular industries or companies. These market fluctuations may also have a material adverse effect on the market price of our Common Stock.

The market price of our Common Stock could decline as a result of (i) substantial sales of our Common Stock, particularly sales by CFL and/or our directors, executive officers, employees, or other significant stockholders, (ii) a large number of shares of our Common Stock becoming available for sale, or (iii) the perception in the market that holders of a large number of shares intend to sell their shares. CFL has the right to require the Company to register public resale under a registration statement filed with the SEC. The eventual resale of some or all of such shares, or the perception that such sale or sales could be imminent, could result in a material decline in the market value of our Common Stock. In addition, sales of securities under our “shelf” registration statement, which allows for the issuance of shares of our Common Stock, preferred stock, rights, warrants, and units from time to time up to an aggregate amount of $45,000,000, may cause the market price of our stock to decline.

In September 2025, we entered into a securities purchase agreement (the “Securities Purchase Agreement”) with Streeterville Capital, LLC, a Utah limited liability company, pursuant to which the Company agreed to issue and sell to Streeterville shares of its Common Stock, inone or more pre-paid advance purchases (each, a “Pre-Paid Purchase” and collectively, the “Pre-Paid Purchases”) for an aggregate purchase price of up to $20,000,000. See the discussion in Part I, Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation—Liquidity and Capital Resources”, for more information about our shares sold to Streeterville Capital, LLC to date. To the extent we utilize this Securities Purchase Agreement in the future by selling additional shares of Common Stock, the market price of our Common Stock may be adversely affected.

In April 2023, the Board of Directors adopted the Professional Diversity Network, Inc. 2023 Equity Compensation Plan (the “2023 Equity Compensation Plan”), initially reserving 750,000 shares of Common Stock for issuance to directors, officers, employees, and eligible consultants of the Company and its affiliates. Following the Company’s 10-for-1 reverse stock split in March 2025, the reserved shares were adjusted to 75,000. In December 2025, the Board approved and adopted an amendment to the 2023 Equity Compensation Plan, increasing the number of shares reserved for issuance from 75,000 to 750,000.

For more information about our equity compensation plans, please see Note 13 of our Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report.

These provisions may frustrate or prevent attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management by making it more difficult for stockholders to replace members of our board of directors, which is responsible for appointing the members of our management. In addition, because we are incorporated in Delaware, we are governed by the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, which generally prohibits a Delaware corporation from engaging in any of a broad range of business combinations with any “interested” stockholder for a period of three years following the date on which the stockholder became an “interested” stockholder. Finally, the potential substantial ownership of CFL may make it more difficult for any third party to effect a change in control without CFL’s approval.

We do not intend to declare or pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. We anticipate that we will retain all of our future earnings for use in the development of our business and for general corporate purposes. Any determination to pay dividends in the future will be at the discretion of our board of directors. Accordingly, investors must rely on sales of their Common Stock after price appreciation, which may never occur, as the only way to realize any future gains on their investments.

CFL holds participation rights and other rights that could affect our ability to raise funds.

Under the Shareholders’ Agreement, we granted to the CFL Group a participation right with respect to any future issuances of Common Stock by the Company, such that the CFL Group may purchase an amount of shares necessary to maintain CFL’s then-current beneficial ownership interest, up to a maximum of 54.64% of our then-outstanding Common Stock, on a fully-diluted basis, subject to certain exceptions. This participation right could limit our ability to enter into equity financing and to raise funds from third parties.

In connection with the stockholder's agreement with CFL and the CFL Shareholders, we also granted to CFL and the CFL Shareholders unlimited demand, shelf and piggyback registration rights, effective upon the expiration of CFL’s initial lock-up period, to require us to effect a registration under the Securities Act of a resale of the shares of Common Stock held by CFL. This may create the perception of a large number of shares of our Common Stock becoming available for sale or the perception in the market that holders of a large number of shares intent to sell their shares, especially if CFL were to exercise its registration rights, thereby potentially further limiting our ability to enter into equity financings and to raise funds from third parties.

Techniques employed by short sellers may drive down the market price of the Company’s Common Stock.

Short selling is the practice of selling securities that the seller does not own, but rather has borrowed from a third party with the intention of buying identical securities back at a later date to return to the lender. The short seller hopes to profit from a decline in the value of the securities between the sale of the borrowed securities and the purchase of the replacement shares, as the short seller expects to pay less in that purchase than it received in the sale. As it is, therefore, in the short seller’s best interests for the price of the stock to decline, many short sellers (sometime known as “disclosed shorts”) publish, or arrange for the publication of, negative opinions regarding the relevant issuer and its business prospects in order to create negative market momentum and generate profits for themselves after selling a stock short. While traditionally these disclosed shorts were limited in their ability to access mainstream business media or to otherwise create negative market rumors, the rise of the Internet and technological advancements regarding document creation, videotaping and publication by weblog (“blogging”) have allowed many disclosed shorts to publicly attack a company’s credibility, strategy and veracity by means of so-called research reports that mimic the type of investment analysis performed by large Wall Street firm and independent research analysts.

These short attacks have led to the selling of shares in the market, on occasion in large scale and broad base. Issuers who have limited trading volumes and are susceptible to higher volatility levels than U.S. domestic large-cap stocks can be particularly vulnerable to such short attacks.

Reports and information have been published about us which have occasionally been followed by a decline in our stock price. It is not clear what additional effects the negative publicity will have on the Company, if any, other than potentially affecting the market price of our Common Stock. Additionally, such allegations against the Company could negatively impact its business operations and stockholders’ equity, and the value of any investment in the Company’s stock could be reduced.