Jon Pepper
About Jon Pepper
Jon Pepper is an independent director of Know Labs (KNW) since April 2006 and currently chairs the Audit Committee; he is also a member of the Compensation and Nominating & Corporate Governance Committees. He was a founder and long-time executive of Pepcom (technology press events), a former technology journalist, and studied at Union College and the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen; age 73 per the 2024 proxy .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pepcom | Founder; partner (retired) | Founded 1980; retired end of 2018 | Built industry-leading press-only tech showcase events |
| DigitalFocus newsletter | Founder | Not disclosed (pre-2018) | Ground-breaking digital imaging newsletter distributed to influencers |
| Technology journalism | Journalist/columnist | Various years | Published in NYT, Fortune, PC Magazine, etc. |
| Mulberry Tree Films (non-profit) | Founder | 2017–present | Produced “The Gates of Shinto”; supports creativity-oriented projects |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mulberry Tree Films | Founder | 2017–present | Non-profit backing documentary films and creative projects |
| Private company boards (unspecified) | Director/Advisor | Ongoing (unspecified) | No specific public-company directorships disclosed for Pepper |
Board Governance
- Committee memberships: Audit (Chair), Compensation (member), Nominating & Corporate Governance (member); Audit and Compensation met 4 times in the last fiscal year .
- Independence: Independent director (NYSE American rules); board had 6 directors, 4 independent (including Pepper) as of FY 2024; 7 directors, 6 independent as of the Aug 2024 proxy .
- Attendance: Each director attended at least 75% of board and committee meetings; Pepper attended the annual meeting (2023 and 2024) .
- Risk oversight: Committee charters include oversight of financial reporting (Audit), compensation risk (Compensation), and governance/related-party compliance (Nominating) .
- Related-party oversight: Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee approves related-party transactions .
Fixed Compensation
| Metric | FY 2023 | FY 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer ($) | $12,500 | $10,000 (“Fees Paid”) |
| Meeting fees ($) | Not disclosed | Included in fees paid; no separate meeting fees disclosed |
| Committee chair fee ($) | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
Notes: The company compensates independent directors primarily with stock option grants and stock grants, plus a cash retainer .
Performance Compensation
| Equity Component | FY 2024 Detail | FY 2023 Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Stock awards (shares; fair value) | 135,000 shares; $57,750 | Not disclosed for Pepper in 2023 |
| Option awards (shares; fair value) | 579,528 options; $130,321 (Black-Scholes) | 20,000 options; valued at $0.799 per share |
| Option grant terms | Exercise price $0.46; 5-year term; vested at issuance (director grants issued H1 FY2024) | Not disclosed beyond valuation |
Award mechanics and plan administration:
- 2021 Equity Incentive Plan permits options, RSAs/RSUs, performance shares, and performance compensation awards; administered by the Compensation Committee .
- Share reserve increased to 40,000,000 (Oct 25, 2024) .
- No specific performance metrics tied to director equity awards disclosed for Pepper; director equity appears time/service-based .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Disclosure |
|---|---|
| Current public company boards | None disclosed for Pepper |
| Private/non-profit boards | Active in private company boards and non-profit Mulberry Tree Films |
| Interlocks/conflicts | No family relationships; no legal proceedings; related-party transactions exist with significant holder Clayton Struve and CEO Ronald Erickson, but none disclosed involving Pepper; Nominating Committee oversees related-party transactions . |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Technology marketing expertise; long-term engagement in personal computing and digital imaging ecosystems .
- Education: Union College; Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Copenhagen .
- Appointed for marketing skills with technology companies .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Jun 30, 2024 | Sep 30, 2024 | Jun 20, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership (shares) | 1,211,028 | 1,211,028 | 38,850 |
| Ownership % of outstanding | 1.4% (based on 85,822,200 shares) | 1.1% (based on 108,001,782 shares) | <1% (based on 7,497,297 shares) |
| Direct common shares | 514,000 | 514,000 | 37,850 |
| Options exercisable within 60 days | 657,028 | 657,028 | — (not disclosed) |
| Warrants exercisable within 60 days | 40,000 | 40,000 | 1,000 |
Hedging/Pledging Policy and Ownership Guidelines:
- Anti-hedging policy prohibits hedging transactions; margin/pledging capped at ≤25% of owned shares; Board has no stock ownership guidelines .
Insider Trades (Section 16 Compliance)
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Late Form 4 filing | Jon Pepper filed a Form 4 on April 10, 2023 that was required to be filed on February 17, 2023 |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Long-tenured independent director (since April 2006) with technology marketing background; Audit Chair role supports financial reporting oversight; committees comprised of independent directors; robust insider trading policy including anti-hedging/anti-pledging .
- Alignment: Director pay heavily equity-based in FY2024 (cash ~$10k vs equity ~$188k), aligning incentives with shareholders; Pepper beneficial ownership included direct shares, options, and warrants as of Sep 2024 .
- Red flags/risks: No director stock ownership guidelines; immediate vesting of large option grants (exercise price $0.46; 5-year term) reduces performance linkage; late Form 4 in 2023 indicates past reporting lapse; company features material related-party financing with significant holder and CEO (though not linked to Pepper personally), requiring vigilant committee oversight .
- Engagement: Attendance thresholds met (≥75%) and annual meeting attendance disclosed; Audit and Compensation Committees met 4 times, indicating active oversight cadence .
Citations:
**[1074828_0001654954-24-010344_knwn_def14a.htm:11]** DEF 14A (Aug 12, 2024) – Pepper bio/education.
**[1074828_0001654954-24-014480_knwn_10k.htm:85]** 10-K FY2024 – committee memberships, Audit chair, meetings.
**[1074828_0001654954-24-014480_knwn_10k.htm:82]** 10-K FY2024 – Pepper bio.
**[1074828_0001654954-24-010344_knwn_def14a.htm:36]** DEF 14A (Aug 12, 2024) – director ages.
**[1074828_0001654954-24-010344_knwn_def14a.htm:16]** DEF 14A (Aug 12, 2024) – audit/comp/nominating committee details, meetings.
**[1074828_0001654954-24-014480_knwn_10k.htm:84]** 10-K FY2024 – independence, attendance.
**[1074828_0001654954-24-010344_knwn_def14a.htm:15]** DEF 14A (Aug 12, 2024) – independence, attendance, governance.
**[1074828_0001654954-24-010344_knwn_def14a.htm:26]** DEF 14A (Aug 12, 2024) – director compensation policy; FY2023 retainer; Pepper 20k options and $12,500 fee; option/warrant balances.
**[1074828_0001654954-24-014480_knwn_10k.htm:92]** 10-K FY2024 – director compensation table FY2024 (Pepper stock/option awards; fees).
**[1074828_0001654954-24-010344_knwn_def14a.htm:29]** DEF 14A (Aug 12, 2024) – H1 FY2024 director option grants terms ($0.46 strike; 5-year; immediate vest).
**[1074828_0001654954-24-012732_knwn_def14a.htm:23]** DEF 14A (Oct 7, 2024) – equity plan award types.
**[1074828_0001654954-24-014480_knwn_10k.htm:93]** 10-K FY2024 – amendment to increase equity plan reserve to 40,000,000.
**[1074828_0001654954-24-010344_knwn_def14a.htm:29]** DEF 14A (Aug 12, 2024) – beneficial ownership (group table).
**[1074828_0001654954-24-014480_knwn_10k.htm:97]** 10-K FY2024 – beneficial ownership (Sep 30, 2024).
**[1074828_0001654954-24-014480_knwn_10k.htm:98]** 10-K FY2024 – beneficial ownership details and base shares.
**[1074828_0001654954-25-007533_knwn_def14a.htm:31]** DEF 14A (Jun 30, 2025) – beneficial ownership (Jun 20, 2025).
**[1074828_0001654954-24-014480_knwn_10k.htm:87]** 10-K FY2024 – stock ownership guidelines (none); insider trading policy summary.
**[1074828_0001654954-24-014480_knwn_ex19.htm:3]** 10-K FY2024 – insider trading policy detail (anti-hedging, pledging limits).
**[1074828_0001654954-24-010344_knwn_def14a.htm:18]** DEF 14A (Aug 12, 2024) – Section 16(a) compliance (late Form 4).
**[1074828_0001654954-24-014480_knwn_10k.htm:118]** 10-K FY2024 – related-party convertible notes (Erickson/J3E2A2Z).
**[1074828_0001654954-24-014480_knwn_10k.htm:100]** 10-K FY2024 – related-party transactions (Struve).
**[1074828_0001654954-24-010344_knwn_def14a.htm:27]** DEF 14A (Aug 12, 2024) – related-party transactions summary.