About Us

Elizabeth Cawein is a music advocate and strategist. She founded Signal Flow Public Relations, a boutique media firm dedicated to serving the Memphis music industry, in 2011. In 2015, she launched a not-for-profit initiative called Music Export Memphis, which leverages public and private support to function as an export office for Memphis music, creating opportunities for musicians and driving economic development through music and culture. In January of 2019 she joined strategic consultancy Sound Diplomacy to continue her work in music strategy and advocacy. Elizabeth is an adjunct professor of music urbanism at Rhodes College. In 2015 she was honored by the British Council at its inaugural Education UK Alumni Awards, celebrating outstanding U.S. alumni of British institutions. Elizabeth has moderated panels and presented showcases at Folk Alliance International, SXSW, A3C, AmericanaFest, Canadian Music Week and Music Cities Convention, and in 2019 she keynoted the inaugural Texas Sounds and Cities conference. She is dedicated to the belief that smart cities are music cities – her TED Talk on the subject has 1 million views and climbing.

Morgan Massey is a central Arkansas native who moved to Memphis, Tennessee to study Music Industry at The University of Memphis. She was raised a music lover and was constantly surrounded by music. Morgan was classically trained in Bassoon for 11 years and performed in visual arts groups in WGI & DCI. This experience allowed her to understand the pressure of being a touring performer. Her passion for music has driven her to dedicate herself to music makers and advocating for them. She gained experience organizing events and live entertainment through her position as co-president of Blue Tom Entertainment, the University's student-run record label. During her final year at the UofM, she became the Music Export Memphis Program Assistant. Morgan believes in Memphis and loves calling it her home. She hopes to help grow and support the Memphis Music Community in every way she can.

Chris is a Memphis native, U of M graduate, and marketing consultant specializing in festivals and live events. He’s always had a passion for music, but really started to get into the industry in 2012 while working at Memphis in May. He has held various roles in the local music industry and was most recently the Marketing Director at Mempho Fest. Chris is a big advocate for bringing more live music to Memphis and understands the impact it can have on the local economy and in bringing people together. He also serves on the Professionals Board at the Overton Park Shell. In his spare time he enjoys seeing live music (of course) and spending time with his family at Pickwick lake.

Leah’s rich heritage and passion for exploring brings a global perspective to the city she has called home since 2016 and proudly wears on her sleeve. Leah has successfully promoted Memphis to visitors across the globe while reminding locals of what they have in their own backyard. Leah activates and leads client brand extension opportunities under the DCA umbrella, from festivals and fundraisers to newly formed ventures.

Baylee Less serves as the Director of Development for Memphis Jewish Home & Rehab. Formerly, she's worked at Youth Villages, Temple Israel, and the Kemmons Wilson Family Foundation. Her lifelong passion for music and Memphis led her to serve on the Board of Directors for Music Export Memphis, working to build a more thriving and equitable arts sector for her community. She is also pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at the University of Memphis, and during her free time, she enjoys reading lengthy historical fiction novels and cooking delicious vegan food.

A one-time owner of Young Avenue Sound Recording Studio, Cameron began his non-profit career in 2008 at the Memphis Music Foundation as the Director of the Music Resource Center. Since 2013, he has served in Development roles for Shelby Farms Park Conservancy, Edr (Now Greystar), and currently at Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare. He has also served as the Development Chair for the Overton Park Shell Board of Directors for the last 4 years. His passion is mission based fundraising with a special interest in growing the next generation of musical talent out of Memphis, TN and working to make Memphis a city of choice for musicians.

Hemant Gupta helps clients in health care, life sciences, and other industries protect their intellectual property (IP) and technology investments.

Hemant’s practice focuses on a wide range of IP and technology matters, including complex software agreements, technology licensing, foreign and domestic patent and trademark prosecution, e-commerce, data security, social media, infringement analysis, commercialization agreements, and enforcement of IP assets. Additionally, he regularly counsels clients on the IP and technology aspects of public and private corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, and venture capital financing, and handles IP due diligence reviews.

Hemant has represented a broad spectrum of clients, including emerging companies, research institutions, and Fortune 500 companies, in many technology areas, including biotechnology, consumer products, data analytics, health care, industrial chemicals, the Internet of Things (IoT), medical devices, and software.

Before joining Epstein Becker Green, Hemant was a partner at a national technology law firm. Prior to that, he was head of the IP practice at a national law firm. Earlier in his career, he worked in cancer and molecular biology research at a leading children’s hospital and as a software programmer and system administrator at the University of Pennsylvania.

IMAKEMADBEATS – born James Dukes – is a Memphis native, having grown up immersed in the city’s unmistakable sonic identity. But despite the definitive identity of the region, he often felt disconnected from what creative paths were supported there. After leaving his home to find infrastructure and creative synergy, he would eventually end up in Manhattan’s legendary Quad Studios, where he became a go-to ghost producer and found a new niche in scoring for film and television. He went on to provide music for many companies, including NBC, ABC, HBO, DC Shoes, Oxygen, and more. Inspired by the idea that music could speak without words – a theme that he would uphold years later with his debut instrumental EP Better Left Unsaid – he further developed the IMAKEMADBEATS persona and mask. This led him to work with the who’s-who of the indie underground scene in the ‘00s on wax, in the studio, and on stage, including Black Milk, Oh No, Talib Kweli, Solange Knowles, Ludacris, and more. Upon returning to Memphis years later, IMAKEMADBEATS discovered he was no longer the only odd man out in his home. “I found other people that felt like they had no representation creatively, and they too felt like they had to leave,” he says. “I realized that people will never know that others share their outlook if they feel suppressed and don’t speak on things that could possibly alienate them. Understanding that need was the start of Unapologetic.” In 2015, IMAKEMADBEATS founded Unapologetic, a company/label that would not only change the landscape of his career as a producer, but also would focus on shifting the culture of the community he was raised in. The idea was simple: create a forward-thinking & culture based organization that allowed creatives of all kinds to represent themselves and their ideas unapologetically. The multifaceted organization included music production/distribution, videography, merchandising, event coordination, and the Unapologetic World App, an app designed by IMAKEMADBEATS himself as a platform for Unapologetic’s content and it’s Uncover journalism series.

As a leader in Donor Experience for ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Jack Torregrossa oversees the strategic planning and execution of ALSAC’s experience quality and insights aimed at increasing supporter commitment and retention.
Jack has 26 years of experience in operations, customer service, customer retention and relationship management. His diverse professional background includes product development, finance, franchise business development and operations, and marketing.
Prior to joining ALSAC in 2014, Jack spent 17 years at ServiceMaster with American Home Shield and AmeriSpec Home Inspection Service brands. Jack earned his bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Memphis.

Anna Traverse has spent the last decade telling and sharing the stories of Memphis. She is editor-in-chief of Memphis Magazine and CEO of Contemporary Media, which publishes that magazine along with the Memphis Flyer, Memphis Parent, and others. She was raised in Midtown and graduated from St. Mary's. After college and grad school (Johns Hopkins, Harvard), twists of fate led her home, and she is grateful to have fallen back in love with Memphis, and of course, the city's heartbeat: music.

James is passionate about inspiring and guiding young professionals in entrepreneurship, particularly through public speaking engagements. After founding his first company at 19, he has played an instrumental role in mentoring and supporting entrepreneurs, helping them build their ventures from the ground up to full-service operations.
Music has been deeply ingrained in James's life from an early age, starting with classical piano and viola lessons at the age of six. This long-standing connection to music fuels his passion for supporting the artistic community. As part of his involvement with MEM, he aims to elevate financial literacy and provide technical support to Memphis musicians, helping them navigate the business side of their careers more effectively.
In his personal life, James is dedicated to fitness, participating in triathlons, and balancing his professional commitments with a strong sense of community involvement. He is actively engaged in giving back and contributing to local causes through his church and outreach programs.

Lizzie is an Account Manager for the Tennessean’s Best Place To Work, Bauer Entertainment Marketing, Nashville’s premiere full-service Entertainment Marketing Agency. She received a BM in Music Business from the University of Memphis and a Masters in Strategic Communication from Arkansas State University. Originally from West Palm Beach, Florida, Lizzie began studying music at the early age of 6, and has had the opportunity to sing in Italy, Germany, Austria, Greece, and many cities around the United States. She is a member of Memphis ChoralArts, Grace St. Lukes Episcopal Choir, an advisor for Alpha Delta Pi at Memphis, and a founding/board member for the Rudi E Scheidt School of Music Alumni Association. In her free time, she enjoys supporting live music, playing golf, spending time at the Memphis Zoo, and antique shopping around the city.

Tucker Carr is a Relationship Manager at Diversified Trust, where he is primarily focused on serving clients in the Memphis office. Prior to joining Diversified Trust, Tucker spent five years as a Senior Portfolio Advisor at Merrill Lynch in Austin, TX. Prior to Merrill, Tucker worked in investigations for the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ethics in Washington, DC. Tucker earned a Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville as well as a Master of Science in Finance from the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin. Tucker holds the CFP® certification awarded by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc.

Louise (Weetie) Whittemore is married to John Whiittemore who is a dentist and local musician. She is a mother of three, son McKee (22), daughter Weetie (20), and daughter Julie (18). She has been an avid volunteer her adult life serving the Memphis community. She has served on several boards throughout the years including Junior League of Memphis, Children's Museum, Carnival Memphis, The Pink Wig Project, and The Little Garden Club. She has also chaired several major fundraisers: Art on Fire (Dixon Art Gallery), Crystal Ball (Junior League of Memphis), Children's Museum, The Pink Wig Project, Woodland Presbyterian School, A Step Ahead Foundation, and MIFA (No Go Gala). She is also a supporter of Church Health, Sling Shot, Memphis Botanic Gardens and Southern Reins.

Many know her as "That Girl From Choose901," but her name is Shelby Laclair Smith.

She’s got an affinity for storytelling, working as the Sr. Manager of Marketing and Communications at the Overton Park Shell by day—and moonlights as a DJ and host of Bread & Butter Radio on WYXR 91.7FM. The former competitive dancer, and music aficionado's love for the arts runs deep—and she’s been blessed with the opportunity to blend her passions, and talents together to serve the city.

Beyond that, she’s a dog mom to three, a foodie who refuses to tell you her favorite, local restaurant—because there are too many to name—and a born-and-bred Memphian who hopes to honor all who trust her to tell their truth.