Exhibit 10.16


 


EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT


 


This EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”)
is made and entered into as of this 15th of November, 2020 (the “Effective Date”), by and between Jowell Global Ltd.,
a Cayman Islands company (the “Company”), and Mei Cai (the “Executive”).


 


WITNESSETH:


 


WHEREAS, the
parties desire to enter into this Agreement setting forth the terms and conditions of the employment relationship between the Executive
and the Company.


 


NOW, THEREFORE,
in consideration of the foregoing premises and the mutual covenants and agreements contained herein, the parties hereto agree as
follows:


 


1. EMPLOYMENT.


 


1.1 Agreement to
Employ. The Company hereby agrees to employ Executive, and Executive hereby agrees to serve, subject to the provisions of this
Agreement, as an officer and employee of the Company.


 


1.2 Duties and Schedule.
Executive shall serve as the Company’s Chief Financial Officer, and be the Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting
Officer of the Company and responsible for all financial matters and management of the Company. The Executive shall report directly
to the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Board of Directors (the “Board”) and shall have such responsibilities
as designated by the Chief Executive Officer or Board to the extent that such responsibilities are not inconsistent with all applicable
laws, regulations and rules. Executive shall devote her best efforts and all of her business time to her position with the Company
during the Term.


 


2. TERM OF EMPLOYMENT.
Unless Executive’s employment shall sooner terminate pursuant to Section 4, the Company shall employ Executive for a one-year
term commencing on the Effective Date (the “Term”), which Term shall be renewable upon mutual agreement of the
Company and the Executive, as approved by the Board.


 


3. COMPENSATION.


 


3.1  Salary.
Executive’s salary during the Term shall be US$120,000 per year (the “Salary”), payable monthly.


 


3.2 Bonus.
At the sole discretion of the Board, or any committee duly designated by the Board and authorized to act thereto, the Executive
shall be eligible for an annual cash bonus.


 


3.3 Vacation.
Executive shall be entitled to 5 days of paid vacation per year. In the event that Executive remains employed by the Company for
3 years or more, Executive shall be entitled to 10 days of paid vacation.


 


3.4 Business Expenses.
Executive shall be reimbursed by the Company for all ordinary and necessary expenses incurred by Executive; provided that they
are incurred and approved in writing in accordance with the Company’s expense policy.


 


3.5 Benefits.
During the Term, Executive shall be allowed to participate, on the same basis generally as other employees of the Company, in all
general employee benefit plans and programs, including improvements or modifications of the same, which may exist as of the Effective
Date or thereafter and which are made available by the Company to all or substantially all of its employees. Such benefits, plans,
and programs may include, without limitation, any health, and dental insurance, if and when instituted. Any benefit plan currently
existing or instituted by the Company after the Effective Date may be altered, change or discontinued by the Company at its sole
discretion and at any time without obligation of any nature to Executive. Except as specifically provided herein, nothing in this
Agreement is to be construed or interpreted to increase or alter in any way the rights, participation, coverage, or benefits under
such benefit plans or programs to other than those provided to other employees pursuant to the terms and conditions of such benefit
plans and programs.  


 






     


     


    

 


4. TERMINATION.


 


4.1 Death.
This Agreement shall terminate immediately upon the death of Executive, and Executive’s estate or Executive’s legal
representative, as the case may be, shall be entitled to Executive’s accrued and unpaid Salary as of the date of Executive’s
death, plus all other compensation and benefits that were vested through the date of Executive’s death.


 


4.2 Disability.
In the event of Executive’s Disability, this Agreement shall terminate and Executive shall be entitled to (a) accrued and
unpaid Salary and vacation through the first date that a Disability is determined; and (b) all other compensation and benefits
that were vested through the first date that a Disability has been determined. “Disability” means the
good faith determination of the Board that Executive has become so physically or mentally incapacitated or disabled as to be unable
to satisfactorily perform her duties hereunder for a period of ninety (90) consecutive calendar days or for one- hundred twenty
(120) days in any three-hundred sixty (360) day period, such determination based upon a certificate as to such physical or mental
disability issued by a licensed physician and/or psychiatrist (as the case may be) mutually agreed upon by Executive and the Company.


 


4.3 Termination
by Company for Cause.  The Company may terminate the Executive for Cause and such termination shall take effect upon
the receipt by Executive of the Notice of Termination. Upon the effective date of the termination for Cause, Executive shall be
solely entitled to accrued and unpaid Salary through such effective date. “Cause” means: (i) engaging
in any act, omission or misconduct that is injurious to the Company or an affiliate; (ii) gross negligence or willful misconduct
in connection with the performance of duties; (iii) conviction of a criminal offense (other than minor traffic offenses); (iv)
fraud, embezzlement or misappropriation of funds or property of the Company or an affiliate; (v) material breach of any term of
any employment or other services, confidentiality, intellectual property or non-competition agreements, if any, between the Executive
and the Company or an affiliate; (vi) the entry of an order duly issued by any regulatory agency (including federal, state and
local regulatory agencies and self-regulatory bodies) having jurisdiction over the Company or an affiliate requiring the removal
of the Executive from any office held with the Company or prohibiting the Executive from participating in the business or affairs
of the Company or any affiliate; or (vii) the revocation or threatened revocation of any of the Company’s or an affiliate’s
government licenses, permits or approvals, which is primarily due to the Executive’s action or inaction and such revocation
or threatened revocation would be alleviated or mitigated in any material respect by the termination of the Executive’s employment
or services with the Company or an affiliate.


 


4.4 Voluntary Termination
by Executive. The Executive may voluntarily terminate her employment for any reason and such termination shall take effect
30 days after the receipt by Company of the Notice of Termination. Upon the effective date of such termination, Executive shall
be entitled to (a)accrued and unpaid Salary and vacation through such termination date; and (b) all other compensation and benefits
that were vested through such termination date.  In the event Executive is terminated without notice, it shall be deemed
a termination by the Company for Cause.


 


4.5 Notice
of Termination. Any termination of the employment by the Company or the Executive shall be communicated by a notice in accordance
with Section 8.4 of this Agreement (the “Notice of Termination”).   Such notice shall (a) indicate
the specific termination provision in this Agreement relied upon and (b) if the termination is for Cause, the date on which the
Executive’s employment is to be terminated.


 


4.6 Severance.
The Executive shall not be entitled to severance payments upon any termination provided in Section 4 herein.


 


5. EMPLOYEE’S
REPRESENTATION. The Executive represents and warrants to the Company that: (a) she is subject to no contractual, fiduciary
or other obligation which may affect the performance of her duties under this Agreement; (b) she has terminated, in accordance
with their terms, any contractual obligation which may affect her performance under this Agreement; and (c) her employment with
the Company will not require her to use or disclose proprietary or confidential information of any other person or entity.


  


6. CONFIDENTIAL
INFORMATION Except as permitted or directed by the Board of Directors of the Company in writing, during the time the Executive
is employed by the Company or at any time thereafter, the Executive shall not use for her personal purposes nor divulge, furnish,
or make accessible to anyone or use in any way (other than in the ordinary course of the business of the Company) any confidential
or secret information or knowledge of the Company, whether developed by himself or by others. Such confidential and/or secret information
encompassed by this Section 6 includes, but is not limited to, the Company’s customer and supplier lists, business plans,
software, systems, and financial, marketing, and personnel information. The Executive agrees to refrain from any acts or omissions
that would reduce the value of any confidential or secret knowledge or information to the Company, both during her employment hereunder
and at any time after the termination of her employment. The Executive’s obligations of confidentiality under this Section 6
shall not apply to any knowledge or information that is now published publicly or that subsequently becomes generally publicly
known, other than as a direct or indirect result of a breach of this Agreement by the Executive.


 






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7. NON-COMPETITION:
NON-SOLICITATION; INVENTIONS.


 


7.1 Non-Competition.
 During the employment of the Executive under this Agreement and for a period of six (6) months after termination of
such employment, the Executive shall not at any time compete on her own behalf, or on behalf of any other person or entity,
with the Company or any of its affiliates within all territories in which the Company does business with respect to the business
of the Company or any of its affiliates as such business shall be conducted on the date hereof or during the employment of the
Executive under this Agreement. The ownership by the Executive of not more than 5% of a corporation, partnership or other enterprise
shall not constitute a violation hereof.


 


7.2 Non-Solicitation.  During
the employment of the Executive under this Agreement and thereafter Executive shall not at any time (i) solicit or induce,
on her own behalf or on behalf of any other person or entity, any employee of the Company or any of its affiliates to leave the
employ of the Company or any of its affiliates; or (ii) solicit or induce, on her own behalf or on behalf of any other person
or entity, any customer or Prospective Customer of the Company or any of their respective affiliates to reduce its business with
the Company or any of its affiliates. For the purposes of this Agreement, “Prospective Customer” shall mean
any individual, corporation, trust or other business entity which has either (a) entered into a nondisclosure agreement with the
Company or any Company subsidiary or affiliate or (b) has within the preceding 12 months received a currently pending and not rejected
written proposal in reasonable detail from the Company or any of the Company’s subsidiary or affiliate.


 


7.3 Inventions and
Patents. The Company shall be entitled to the sole benefit and exclusive ownership of any inventions or improvements in products,
processes, or other things that may be made or discovered by Executive while she is in the service of the Company, and all patents
for the same. During the Term, Executive shall do all acts necessary or required by the Company to give effect to this section
and, following the Term, Executive shall do all acts reasonably necessary or required by the Company to give effect to this section.  In
all cases, the Company shall pay all costs and fees associated with such acts by Executive.


 


7.4 Return of Property.  The
Executive agrees that all property in the Executive’s possession that she obtains or is assigned in the course of her employment
with the Company, including, without limitation, all documents, reports, manuals, memoranda, customer lists, credit cards, keys,
access cards, and all other property relating in any way to the business of the Company, is the exclusive property of the Company,
even if the Executive authored, created, or assisted in authoring or creating such property. The Executive shall return to the
Company all such property immediately upon termination of employment or at such earlier time as the Company may request.


 


7.5 Court
Ordered Revisions. If any portion of this Section 7 is found by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid
or unenforceable, but would be valid and enforceable if modified, this Section 7 shall apply with such modifications necessary
to make this Section 7 valid and enforceable.  Any portion of this Section 7 not required to be so modified shall
remain in full force and effect and not be affected thereby.


 


7.6 Specific Performance.
The Executive acknowledges that the remedy at law for any breach of any of the provisions of Section 7 will be inadequate, and
that the Company shall be entitled, in addition to any remedy at law or in equity, to preliminary and permanent injunctive relief
and specific performance. 


 






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8. MISCELLANEOUS.


 


8.1 Indemnification.  The
Company and each of its subsidiaries shall, to the maximum extent provided under applicable law, indemnify and hold Executive harmless
from and against any expenses, including reasonable attorney’s fees, judgments, fines, settlements and other legally permissible
amounts (“Losses”), incurred in connection with any proceeding arising out of, or related to, Executive’s
employment by the Company, other than any such Losses incurred as a result of Executive’s negligence or willful misconduct.  The
Company shall, or shall cause a subsidiary thereof to, advance to Executive any expenses, including attorney’s fees and costs
of settlement, incurred in defending any such proceeding to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law.  Such costs
and expenses incurred by Executive in defense of any such proceeding shall be paid by the Company or applicable subsidiary in advance
of the final disposition of such proceeding promptly upon receipt by the Company of (a) written request for payment; (b) appropriate
documentation evidencing the incurrence, amount and nature of the costs and expenses for which payment is being sought; and (c)
an undertaking adequate under applicable law made by or on behalf of Executive to repay the amounts so advanced if it shall ultimately
be determined pursuant to any non-appealable judgment or settlement that Executive is not entitled to be indemnified by the Company
or any subsidiary thereof.  The Company will provide Executive with coverage under all directors and officers liability
insurance policies that it has in effect during the Term, with no deductible to Executive.


 


 8.2 Applicable
Law. Except as may be otherwise provided herein, this Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws
of the Cayman Islands, applied without reference to principles of conflict of laws. Each party hereby irrevocably submits to the
exclusive jurisdiction of the courts sitting in Cayman Islands.


 


8.3 Amendments.
This Agreement may not be amended or modified otherwise than by a written agreement executed by the parties hereto or their respective
successors or legal representatives.


 


8.4 Notices.  All
notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be given by hand-delivery to the other party, by an international
mail courier, or by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, addressed as follows:


 


If to the Executive:


 


	Mei Cai	 
	2nd Floor, No. 285 Jiangpu Road	 
	Yangpu District, Shanghai	 
	China 200082	 


 


If to the Company:


2nd Floor, No. 285 Jiangpu Road


Yangpu District, Shanghai


China 200082


Attn:  Chief Executive Officer


 


Or to such other address as either party
shall have furnished to the other in writing in accordance herewith.  Notices and communications shall be effective when
delivered to the addressee.


 


8.5 Withholding.
The Company may withhold from any amounts payable under the Agreement, such federal, state and local income, unemployment, social
security and similar employment related taxes and similar employment related withholdings as shall be required to be withheld pursuant
to any applicable law or regulation.


 


8.6 Severability.
The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other
provision of this Agreement and any such provision which is not valid or enforceable in whole shall be enforced to the maximum
extent permitted by law. 


 


8.7 Captions.
The captions of this Agreement are not part of the provisions and shall have no force or effect.


 


8.8 Entire Agreement.
This Agreement contains the entire agreement among the parties concerning the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior agreements,
understandings, discussions, negotiations and undertakings, whether written or oral, between the parties with respect thereto.


 






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8.9 Survival.
The respective rights and obligations of the parties hereunder shall survive any termination of this Agreement or the Executive’s
employment hereunder to the extent necessary to the intended preservation of such rights and obligations.


 


8.10 Waiver.
Either Party’s failure to enforce any provision or provisions of this Agreement shall not in any way be construed as a waiver
of any such provision or provisions, or prevent that party thereafter from enforcing each and every other provision of this Agreement.


 


8.11 Successors.  This
Agreement is personal to Executive and, without the prior express written consent of the Company, shall not be assignable by Executive.
This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by Executive’s estate, heirs, beneficiaries, and/or legal
representatives. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Company and its successors and assigns.


 


8.12 Joint Efforts/Counterparts.
Preparation of this Agreement shall be deemed to be the joint effort of the parties hereto and shall not be construed more severely
against any party.  This Agreement may be signed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original
and all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.


 


8.13 Representation
by Counsel.   Each Party hereby represents that it has had the opportunity to be represented by legal counsel
of its choice in connection with the negotiation and execution of this Agreement.


 


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties
have executed this Agreement as of the day and year first above written.


 


	EXECUTIVE:	 	Jowell Global Ltd.
	 	 	 
	/s/ Mei Cai	 	/s/ Zhiwei Xu
	Mei Cai	 	Zhiwei Xu
	 	 	Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer


 


 


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