8-K

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date Earliest Event Reported):

March 28, 2023

BARK, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware	001-39691	85-1872418
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)	(Commission File Number)	(IRS Employer Identification No.)
120 Broadway, Floor 12 New York, NY		10271 (Zip Code)
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

(855) 501-2275

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

☐	Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
☐	Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
☐	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
☐	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e- 4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class	Trading Symbol(s)	Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, par value $0.0001	BARK	New York Stock Exchange
Warrants, each warrant exercisable for one share of Common Stock at an exercise price of $11.50 per share	BARK WS	New York Stock Exchange

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

On March 28, 2023, the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of BARK, Inc. (the “Company”) appointed Ms. Paulette Dodson and Ms. Michele Meyer as new Class B members of the Board, effective immediately, for respective terms expiring at the Company's 2023 annual meeting of stockholders and until their respective successors are duly elected and qualified.

In connection with the appointment of Ms. Dodson and Ms. Meyer, the size of the Board was increased from six to eight members.

As non-employee directors, Ms. Dodson and Ms. Meyer are entitled to receive compensation arrangements in accordance with the Company’s Director Compensation Program, which currently includes an annual cash retainer of $40,000, paid in substantially equal quarterly installments, and an initial award of $300,000 in Restricted Stock Units (“RSUs”), which will vest on the one-year anniversary of the grant date (subject to the director's continued service through the vesting date), and additional annual awards of RSUs, in an amount to be determined by the Board, upon continuing service as of the respective dates of the Company's future annual meetings of stockholders, each of which will vest on the one-year anniversary of such grant, provided that the annual awards will become fully vested as of the day immediately preceding the relevant annual meeting date, if sooner, subject in each case to the director's continued service through the vesting date.

In addition, the Board appointed Ms. Dodson to its Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee and Ms. Meyer to its Compensation Committee, having determined that each of Ms. Dodson and Ms. Meyer satisfy all applicable requirements to serve on such committees, including without limitation the applicable requirements of the New York Stock Exchange and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended to date. Ms. Dodson and Ms. Meyer shall each receive an additional annual cash retainer of $5,000, paid in substantially equal quarterly installments, for service on such committees.

The Company will enter into its customary form of Indemnity Agreement with each of Ms. Dodson and Ms. Meyer.

There is no arrangement or understanding between either Ms. Dodson or Ms. Meyer and any other persons pursuant to which either of Ms. Dodson or Ms. Meyer was appointed as a director. Furthermore, there are no transactions between either of Ms. Dodson or Ms. Meyer and the Company that would be required to be reported under Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K.

Item 9.01    Financial Statements and Exhibits

(d) Exhibits

Exhibit No.	Description
99.1	Press Release dated March 30, 2023
104	Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

BARK, Inc.
By:	/s/ Allison Koehler
	Name: Allison Koehler
	Title: General Counsel and Secretary

Date: March 30, 2023

EX-99.1

BARK Announces Appointment of Two New Independent Directors

Seasoned Industry Executives Paulette Dodson and Michele Meyer Bring Complementary Skillsets

and Public Company Experience to Board

NEW YORK – March 30, 2023 – BARK, Inc. (“BARK” or the “Company”) (NYSE: BARK), a leading global omnichannel dog brand with the mission to make all dogs happy, today announced that, effective immediately, Paulette Dodson and Michele Meyer are joining the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”).

Ms. Dodson and Ms. Meyer each bring significant industry experience, rounding out the Board’s experience across operations, legal, corporate governance, marketing, and finance functions. Ms. Dodson is the former General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Alight, Inc., PetSmart Inc., and Sara Lee Corporation, and Ms. Meyer is the former President of the Snacks and Meals Operating Units at General Mills, Inc.

“We are pleased to welcome Paulette and Michele, two highly esteemed and proven executives with significant industry and public company experience, to our Board,” said Matt Meeker, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of BARK. “Paulette is a trusted advisor who throughout her career has played an integral role in driving strategic change on a global scale, including at PetSmart. Similarly, Michele’s combination of creative, strategic, and operational experience will bring important insights to BARK as we continue to deliver on our long-term growth strategy. Their collective experience driving significant value at leading consumer, retail, and food brands will be additive to BARK’s Board and help us better serve our customers and shareholders.”

“I have long admired the brand BARK is building and the differentiated products and services offered across its impressive array of business lines,” said Ms. Dodson. “I am pleased to join the Board at this exciting point in the Company’s journey and look forward to working collaboratively with my fellow directors to help create value for all stakeholders.”

“I have great respect for BARK’s unique mission to improve the lives of dogs through personalized data-driven insights and an unparalleled focus on customer engagement,” said Ms. Meyer. “I look forward to working closely with the Company’s leadership team and Board to continue to execute on this mission.”

About Paulette Dodson

Ms. Dodson is a highly experienced legal, strategic, and operational executive who most recently served as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Alight, Inc. (NYSE: ALIT), a global human capital and business solutions provider. Prior to that, Ms. Dodson served as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of PetSmart, Inc., where she guided the board and company through major corporate transactions and change. She also led PetSmart Charities, North America’s largest animal welfare organization at the time, through a full strategic review and organizational transformation. Previously, Ms. Dodson was General Counsel, Corporate Secretary, and Chief Counsel for North America at CPG company Sara Lee Corporation, and Assistant General Counsel of publishing at the Tribune Company. Ms. Dodson currently serves as a member of the boards of directors of Mather, Portillo’s Inc. (NASDAQ: PTLO), and the United Way of Metro Chicago. She holds a BA from City College of New York and JD from Cornell Law School.

About Michele Meyer

Ms. Meyer is a CPG industry veteran who worked for over 30 years at General Mills, Inc. Most recently, Ms. Meyer served as President of the Snacks Operating Unit, where she led the unit to market share growth through new product launches and strategic advertising, marketing, digital and eCommerce initiatives. During her tenure at General Mills, Ms. Meyer held multiple P&L leadership roles, including as President of Small Planet Foods as well as the Meals Operating Units, and led multiple M&A

initiatives, including the acquisitions of Larabar, Food Should Taste Good and Annie’s Brands. Ms. Meyer currently serves as a member of the boards of directors of Quinn Foods and Kevin’s Natural Foods and is a former board member of GNC. She holds a BA in Economics from Vanderbilt University and MBA from the University of Texas, Austin.

About BARK

BARK is the world’s most dog-centric company, devoted to making dogs happy with the best products, services and content. BARK’s dog-obsessed team applies its unique, data-driven understanding of what makes each dog special to design playstyle-specific toys, wildly satisfying treats, great food for your dog’s breed, effective and easy to use dental care, and dog-first experiences that foster the health and happiness of dogs everywhere. Founded in 2011, BARK loyally serves dogs nationwide with themed toys and treats subscriptions, BarkBox and BARK Super Chewer; custom product collections through its retail partner network, including Target and Amazon; its high-quality, nutritious meals made for your breed with BARK Food; and products that meet dogs’ dental needs with BARK Bright®. At BARK, we want to make dogs as happy as they make us because dogs and humans are better together. Sniff around at bark.co for more information.

Contacts

Investors:

Michael Mougias

investors@barkbox.com

Media:

Garland Harwood

press@barkbox.com

XML

Cover	Mar. 28, 2023
Document Information [Line Items]
Document Type	8-K
Document Period End Date	Mar. 28, 2023
Entity Registrant Name	BARK, Inc.
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code	DE
Entity File Number	001-39691
Entity Tax Identification Number	85-1872418
Entity Address, Address Line One	120 Broadway, Floor 12
Entity Address, City or Town	New York
Entity Address, State or Province	NY
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code	10271
City Area Code	855
Local Phone Number	501-2275
Written Communications	false
Soliciting Material	false
Pre-commencement Tender Offer	false
Pre-commencement Issuer Tender Offer	false
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false
Entity Central Index Key	0001819574
Amendment Flag	false
Common Stock, par value $0.0001
Document Information [Line Items]
Title of 12(b) Security	Common Stock, par value $0.0001
Trading Symbol	BARK
Security Exchange Name	NYSE
Warrants, each warrant exercisable for one share of Common Stock at an exercise price of $11.50 per share
Document Information [Line Items]
Title of 12(b) Security	Warrants, each warrant exercisable for one share of Common Stock at an exercise price of $11.50 per share
Trading Symbol	BARK WS
Security Exchange Name	NYSE