Bryson Whitney Email & Phone Number

San Francisco, California, United States

Founded in 2022, UpSmith is a software venture on a mission to solve our nation's skilled labor shortage. To this end, we develop technology to maximize workforce productivity, starting with services to help employers source, screen, train, and deploy new technicians for mission-critical roles in under 90 days, followed by gamification software to help employers identify and influence the adoption of revenue-generating best practices among existing entry, mid-level, and senior technicians.Learn more and follow our progress at UpSmith.com

Memphis, Tennessee, United States

Attorney and Legislative Research Analyst within the office of the Memphis City Council tasked with guiding public policy and researching best legislative practices in the areas of economic development, government affairs, historic landmarks, housing and community development, land use and zoning, park space and environmental initiatives, public art, public safety, public works, technology, tourism, transportation, and youth development services for the purpose of writing new, revised, and innovative legislation for the City of Memphis.

Memphis, Tennessee, United States

Staff Attorney and Qualified Tax Expert within the low-income tax clinic and consumer unit of Memphis Area Legal Services, Inc., tasked with representing clients on federal income tax issues in a variety of forums including the U.S. Tax Court. In addition to federal income tax law, my practice extended to issues involving consumer rights law, business planning strategies, education law, civil rights, debt settlement, debt negotiation, as well as civil litigation within the state and federal court systems.Memphis Area Legal Services, Inc. is the primary provider of civil legal representation to low-income families in the western Tennessee counties of Shelby, Fayette, Tipton, and Lauderdale. Memphis Area Legal Services, Inc. helps individuals and families facing critical, sometimes life-threatening, situations such as:Domestic violence, mortgage foreclosure, eviction, or homelessness, income tax, consumer fraud, predatory lending, wrongful denial of health care, food stamps, unemployment compensation, and special challenges facing children and the elderly.Visit Memphis Area Legal Services, Inc. at malsi.org for more information.

New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

Co-founder of Whitney Entertainment Brokers, LLC - an entertainment-based event, concert, and festival production company leveraging bold innovation to contribute high-impact work to the music and arts community. With a team of content producers, music programmers, and creative strategists, we provided live-music programming, multi-platform marketing, artist management, and strategic partnership services to musicians, music venues, and privately-owned organizations. In five years, the company expanded its services and operations to four cities and four states. As a Co-Founder doing business in New Orleans, Louisiana and Memphis, Tennessee, my role involved conceptualizing innovative live-music events marketed toward music consumers in the Greater New Orleans and Greater Memphis areas. Additional job responsibilities included conducting entertainment-based legal research and writing, performance contract drafting and negotiations, talent acquisition, client-facing sales, brand management, multi-platform marketing efforts, as well as locating new venues and other creative spaces to produce live-music events, concerts, and music festivals.

New Orleans, Louisiana

Judicial Law Clerk to Civil Court Judge Monique E. Barial tasked with preparing bench memos for each day’s general docket of cases. Conducted legal research on topics including the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA), 401(K) plans, individual retirement accounts, pension funds, insurance, community property partition, protective orders, civil injunctions, and divorce. Drafted judicial orders. Verified citations in judicial opinions. Scheduled pre-trial conferences. Communicated with counsel regarding case management and procedural requirements to ensure compliance with the Local Rules. Assisted the Honorable Monique E. Barial and her staff of licensed attorneys during all courtroom proceedings within Division H, DRS-III, of the Orleans Parish Civil District Court.

New Orleans, Louisiana

Judicial Extern to U.S. District Court Judge Jay C. Zainey tasked with reading and discussing case pleadings and memorandums filed by parties setting forth the facts, issues, case law, and recommended dispositions for motions involving civil rights, foreign national, drug offense, and sex offense matters. Participated in all pre-trial conferences. Observed all bench trial and jury trial proceedings. Worked closely with the Federal Rules of Evidence and Civil Procedure.

New Orleans, Louisiana

Legal Defense Advocate tasked with representing high school students at charter school suspension and expulsion hearings. Won multiple expulsion cases that resulted in special needs students being readmitted to high schools of their choice in the Greater New Orleans, Louisiana area. Researched the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as well as Individualized Education Programs (IEP). Performed field investigations with students, counselors, and school administrators to provide the best representation possible for my education advocacy clients.

Greater Memphis Area

Economic Development Intern tasked with drafting grant applications for community development corporations. Developed websites to provide locally-owned businesses with access to tax credit and tax incentive programs, loan fund programs, and P.I.L.O.T. (Payment-in-lieu-of-taxes) programs.

Greater Memphis Area

Development Associate tasked with drafting grant applications and developing capital fundraising strategies to support long-term capacity projects.

Greater Memphis Area

Law Clerk to Shelby County Attorney Kelly Rayne tasked with performing legal research and providing technical support to attorney case work. Used digital media to develop presentations to train Shelby County government employees in the areas of Ethics, Resolutions, Parliamentarian Rules of Order, Purchasing and Contracts. Drafted, edited, and commented on proposed contracts between locally-owned small businesses and Shelby County government for the procurement of goods and services. Observed Shelby County Board of Commissioners general and committee meetings.

Greater Nashville Area, Tn

Music Festival Programmer tasked with producing an annual outdoor and indoor music festival featuring over thirty live acts ranging from Trombone Shorty and Kid Cudi to Grammy Award winner Ben Harper and Juno Award winner Feist. Conceptualized, designed, and developed each festival from the planning phase, to the production phase, to day-of-management and event execution. Oversaw the annual talent buying and contract negotiation processes for selecting each festival's lineup of artists and bands. Reviewed individual performance contracts for each performing artist and band. Oversaw the organization's annual budget. Created new media marketing and advertising strategies to enhance ticket sales campaigns. Designed and produced festival merchandise apparel to increase gross proceeds of sales. Executed day-of-event tasks to ensure successful programming outcomes. Utilized print-based, online, and on-air media services to advertise each festival to three separate state-based consumer markets.

Greater Nashville Area, Tn

Concert Programmer tasked with producing an annual ten-month performing arts concert series featuring over thirty live acts ranging from Ravi Coltrane and Blue Note Records recording artists to the Grammy Award winning Mariachi los Camperos de Nati Cano. Traveled extensively representing Vanderbilt University at the Association of Performing Arts Presenters Conference in New York, NY for the purpose of scouting and securing international musicians, bands, and dance troupes for future series. Traveled extensively representing Vanderbilt University at the Association of Performing Arts Presenters Conference in New York, NY to attend seminars on improved methodologies for presenting innovative concert-based and performing arts-focused events. Participated in the annual selection of musicians, bands, and dance troupes for each year's performing arts concert series. Reviewed all artist contracts for each performing musician, band, and dance troupe. Oversaw the organization's annual budget. Oversaw the organization’s individual events budget. Oversaw the venue box office at each event. Executed day-of-event tasks to ensure successful programming outcomes.

Research Fellow tasked with interviewing local civil rights leaders + establishing a digital archive of interviews chronicling the Civil Rights Era and its present-day effects on Memphis, Tennessee.

Greater Memphis Area

Development Associate tasked with developing marketing campaigns aimed at raising awareness for sickle cell disease within minority communities.

Greater Memphis Area

Mayoral Intern to Shelby County Mayor A C Wharton tasked with providing logistical support to youth literacy initiatives.

Juris Doctor (J.D.)

Activities and Societies: Dean's Scholarship for Academic Excellence, Semora Bartholomew Davis Scholarship, American Bar Association.

Bachelor Of Arts (B.A.)

Activities and Societies: The Curb Center for Art, Enterprise, and Public Policy at Vanderbilt University, Great Performances.