Joe Riley is the second-generation CEO of Feed Energy, a family-owned lipid processing company headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa. Founded by his parents, Feed Energy processes close to one billion pounds of agricultural lipid byproducts annually across four plants in Iowa and Minnesota, serving customers at the intersection of fats and oils processing, animal nutrition, and renewable fuel feedstock supply.

Feed Energy operates under a formal governance structure with a nine-member board — five independent outside directors and four family members — chaired by founder Bob Riley. Joe works closely with that board to navigate the complexity inherent in a family-owned enterprise operating in commodity markets, regulatory environments, and dynamic supply chains across food, feed, and energy.

Before taking the helm at Feed Energy, Joe served as president of Iowa Steel Fabricators, a division of TerraVest Industries (TVK.TO), and of Rantizo, a venture-backed ag-tech start-up — experiences that shaped his perspective on governance and leadership across very different ownership and capital structures.

Joe holds a BBA from the University of St. Thomas and studied family business at Next Generation Leadership Institute in the Quinlan School of Business at Loyola University Chicago. He serves on the board of Feed Energy and Whiterock Conservancy. 

Joe and his wife Sarah are raising four sons — Josh, Reece, Whit, and Norm — in Des Moines.