Note 13: Related Parties

J. Stephen Holmes formerly served as a non-employee sales manager advisor to and significant shareholder of the Company. The Company incurred $750,000 in professional fees for services provided by Mr. Holmes during each of Fiscal 2021 and 2020, respectively. On or about October 22, 2021, the Company severed all ties with Mr. Holmes, effective immediately, and cancelled Preferred Options that had previously been issued to him but had not been exercised. As a result of these actions, the Company no longer has any financial obligation to Mr. Holmes, and believes that he is no longer a significant shareholder of the Company.

During Fiscal 2021, we made one-time payments to certain of our employees totaling approximately $650,000 in connection with their agreement to relocate from California to our new principal executive offices in Miami, Florida. Included among these were payments to the following related parties, in the amounts indicated: (i) Scott W. Absher, our board of directors Chair and Chief Executive Officer, $160,000; (ii) Amanda Murphy, our Director of Operations and a member of our Board, $80,000; (iii) David May, a member of our business development team, and the son-in-law of Mr. Absher, $80,000; (iv) Phil Eastvold, the Executive Producer of our wholly owned subsidiary, ShiftPixy Productions, Inc., and the son-in-law of Mr. Absher, $88,000; (v) Hannah Absher, an employee of the Company and the daughter of Mr. Absher, $18,000; and (vi) Jared Holmes, an employee of the Company and son of J. Stephen Holmes, $18,000.

David May, a member of our business development team, is the son-in-law of Mr. Absher. In addition to the relocation bonus noted above, Mr. May received compensation, including sales commissions, of approximately $149,000 and $132,000 for Fiscal 2021 and Fiscal 2020, respectively.

Phil Eastvold, the Executive Producer of ShiftPixy Productions, Inc., is the son-in-law of Mr. Absher. In addition to the relocation bonus noted above, Mr. Eastvold received compensation of approximately  $224,000  for Fiscal 2021.Mr. Eastvold was not an employee of the Company prior to Fiscal 2021, and therefore received no compensation during Fiscal 2020.

Connie Absher, (the spouse of Scott Absher), Elizabeth Eastvold, (the daughter of Scott and Connie Absher and spouse of Mr. Eastvold), and Hannah Absher, (the daughter of Scott and Connie Absher), are also employed by the Company. These individuals, as a group, received aggregate compensation of $240,000 and $220,000 for Fiscal 2021 and Fiscal 2020, respectively. In addition, as noted above, Hannah Absher received a relocation bonus of approximately $18,000 during Fiscal 2021, in connection with her relocation. Neither Connie Absher nor Elizabeth Eastvold received any such relocation bonus.

Amanda Murphy is a member of the Company’s board of directors and its Director of Operations, and has been named as the Company’s Chief Operating Officer effective January 1, 2022. In addition to the relocation bonus noted above, Ms. Murphy received compensation of approximately $264,000 and $240,000 for Fiscal 2021 and Fiscal 2020, respectively.

On December 23, 2019, pursuant to the terms of his director agreement, the Company issued to Whitney White, one of its independent directors, 428 shares of our common stock, valued at $37,500, or $87.62 per share.

On June 2, 2021, the Company's board of directors approved a one-time discretionary cash bonus award to Mr. Absher in the amount of $240,000, in recognition of his recent contributions to the Company.