Byron Linnell Edwards

About Byron Linnell Edwards

Passionate and results-driven professional with a dynamic career spanning entertainment, brand strategy, and creative economy leadership. I bring extensive experience cultivating high-impact relationships with celebrities, influencers, corporate partners, and city leaders to drive visibility, build communities, and support culture-shifting initiatives. After years building brand equity and cultural strategy across New York and Los Angeles, I returned to Norfolk to lead public-private economic development work at the intersection of entrepreneurship, community, and the arts. As General Manager of Selden Market, a downtown creative business incubator, I oversee 11 small retail vendors, 4 anchor restaurants, and collaborate directly with the City of Norfolk to drive small business growth and downtown revitalization. I’ve led nationally visible partnerships (including a strategic activation with Feld Entertainment/Ringling Brothers), produced citywide events (like Norfolk’s inaugural Small Business Resource Fair), and built scalable operational systems for vendor success. Whether working with entertainment brands, wellness ventures, or arts organizations, I specialize in curating spaces where creativity, commerce, and community intersect. My focus now is expanding into national and global-facing leadership roles across creative economies, cultural strategy, and community-focused innovation.

Experience

1. General Manager Selden Market

   Downtown Norfolk Council

   Mar 2025 — Present · Norfolk, VA, US

Education

• George Mason University

  Bachelor's degree

  2004 — 2008

• New York University School of Continuing and Professional Studies

  Certificate

  2008 — 2009