Joe Mueller
About Joe Mueller
Joe Mueller, age 55, has served as an independent director of Sow Good Inc. since April 2022. He is Vice President of Industry and Customer Development at Kellogg Company (since Sep 2019), previously leading Kellogg’s Walmart Snacks Team (Mar 2015–Sep 2019). He holds a B.S. in Marketing and Management from Missouri State University and an MBA from the University of Phoenix, and serves on the American Heart Association board . The Board has determined he is independent under Nasdaq rules .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kellogg Company | VP, Walmart Snacks Team | Mar 2015–Sep 2019 | Led large retail-focused snacks business |
| Kellogg Company | VP, Industry & Customer Development | Sep 2019–Present | Portfolio/customer development leadership |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Heart Association | Board Member | Not disclosed | Non-profit governance role |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Member, Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee; Chair is Edward Shensky .
- Independence: Board-determined independent director (Nasdaq standards) .
- Attendance and engagement:
- FY2023: Board met 5 times; all directors ≥75% attendance; committees formed April 2024 .
- FY2024: Board met 6 times; Audit 5, Compensation 4, Nominating 3; all directors ≥75% attendance .
- Annual meeting: Directors attended the 2024 annual meeting; no meeting held in 2023 .
- Board leadership: Chair is Executive Chairman (Ira Goldfarb); no lead independent director .
Fixed Compensation
| Metric | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Cash retainer | $0 | $0 |
| Stock award (grant date) | 3,000 shares on Jun 1, 2023; fair value $18,150 | 1,267 shares on Jan 10, 2024 ($10,389) + 4,083 shares on Feb 9, 2024 ($39,611); total $50,000 |
| Option awards | $0 | $0 |
| Meeting/committee fees | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
Performance Compensation
| Element | Disclosure |
|---|---|
| Performance-based equity (PSUs), cash bonus, metrics (TSR, EBITDA, revenue, ESG) | Not disclosed for non-employee directors; director pay comprised of stock grants with no stated performance conditions |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Public/Private | Role | Interlocks/Conflicts |
|---|---|---|---|
| None disclosed | — | — | No other public company boards disclosed |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Consumer packaged goods and retail channel leadership (Kellogg) .
- Marketing/management academic credentials; MBA .
- Board-level governance via AHA board role .
- The Board values accounting/financial expertise and M&A/growth experience broadly; Joe serves on the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee alongside experienced legal and industry directors .
Equity Ownership
| Date (As of) | Shares Beneficially Owned | % Outstanding | Options Exercisable within 60 Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 15, 2024 | 31,074 | <1% | 9,660 |
| Apr 15, 2025 | 49,722 | <1% | 14,490 |
- Ownership guidelines, pledging, hedging: Company prohibits hedging transactions per Insider Trading Policy; pledging not disclosed .
Insider Trades
| Date | Form | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Feb 9, 2024 | Form 5 | Filed to correct number of securities beneficially owned in 2023 (late Section 16(a) report) |
Related-Party Exposure
- No Sow Good related-party financings or exchanges name Joe Mueller as a participant in 2023–2025 disclosures; transactions involve other directors/executives (e.g., Ira & Claudia Goldfarb, Lyle/Bradley Berman) .
Governance Assessment
-
Strengths:
- Independent director with deep CPG/operator background; serves on governance committee, supporting nominations and board performance review .
- Clean compensation structure for directors (equity-only, no cash retainer), aligning with shareholder interests; award details transparent .
- Attendance at or above policy thresholds across 2023–2024 .
-
Contextual risks for investor confidence:
- Board lacks a lead independent director; chair is an executive, potentially limiting independent oversight .
- Concentrated insider ownership (directors/executives as a group ~50.1%) may reduce minority shareholder influence .
- Administrative lapse: Joe filed a corrective Form 5 (late), a minor compliance signal; monitor future Section 16 timeliness .
-
Committee effectiveness:
- Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee membership (Mueller, Berman, Shensky; chair Shensky) positions Joe in director selection/performance oversight; charters publicly available .
RED FLAGS
- No lead independent director; executive chair structure .
- Late Section 16(a) Form 5 correction for Joe (administrative compliance) .