Raucous rhetoric and amiable jabs marked the Tuesday launch of a new debate series hosted by SRQ Media Group, where two teams debated the question “Has our region failed our young professionals?” The SB2 Rumble, promised as an intellectual bloodsport, turned the Powel Crosley Estate into an academic wrestling ring before onlookers weighed in on who made the best case in the modified Oxford-style debate. 

Criminal defense attorney Jacob Grollman, of Glen and Hibbert, who led the team arguing the region has failed young professionals, argued that regional failures extended much further. “We continue to discuss this problem but nobody offers any solution,” he argued. He noted home prices since the recession have skyrocketed up to $242,000 even though average annual wages here run around $28,000, or $2,000 less than the national average. Jag Grewal, a broker with Ian Black Real Estate, added that county leaders failed to attract North American Roofing for petty reasons, giving up a chance for high-paying jobs. And Raymmar Tirado, chief disruption officer for Clear Idea Labs, suggested the exodus of Sarasota-trained college grads to other areas showed how badly the region has abandoned the needs of millennials. “All you have to do is ask a young person,” Tirado said. “They do not get involved because it is not advantageous to be involved."

But Frank Maggio, of Centennial Bank, suggested infrastructure has been in place for 15 years that empowers professionals, but that it’s on young people to become more engaged. “The community is doing what it can to attract and engage young professionals,” he said. “There are many of us that are actually doing something and influencing things.” Doug Grosso, a broker associate with Dwell Real Estate, said many millennials are living in the area—in their parents’ homes—and noted that the Sarasota-Bradenton market lags behind only Orlando and Dallas in terms of business development and job growth. Candice McElyea, owner of ThreeSixOh PR, noted many successful professionals today grew up in the region and chose to stay here because of the opportunities and quality of life. “The people I went to school with, everybody made a name for themselves,” she said.

This debate format allowed for a winner to be declared, based not just on the opinion of those in the room but on how opinion changed from before the event started until all discussion concluded. Who won the day? It seems, according to the Rumble crowd, the region HAS failed young professionals. The term arguing that motion moved a net 11 percent of the crowd to their side, while the team arguing against moved only a net 3 percent. But all agreed the question should be how to get to a point the question doesn’t reasonably get asked in the future. 

Photo by Wyatt Kostygan: Raymmar Tirado argues why young people have been failed.

The Ringling Museum of Art continues its millennial-focused Ringling Underground series this Thursday, inviting all comers (but particularly the younger community) out to the Ringling Courtyard for an evening of art, music and cultural camaraderie and a one-night presentation of Action in the Manicure: Works by Nail Pop LLC & Porn Nails. Stationed among the statues and greenery and under the shadow of David, conceptual nail artists Rosemarie Romero of Porn Nail$ Salon and Erin Hart of Nail Pop LLC transform the grounds for a socially-conscious art installation celebrating female empowerment and hyper-feminine aesthetic. Romero took a moment with SRQ to explain her approach.

Far from the subdued greys and greens of the Ringling Courtyard on a typical day, visitors to the Porn Nail$ Salon will be instantly bombarded by Romero’s aesthetic, from the purposefully kitschy and candy-colored mobile nail salon bedecked in pink sequins to the ostentatious flower arrangements, Santeria candles and flocks of pink flamingoes. Adopting the character of the classically flamboyant and chatty nail tech—complete with purple wig—Romero greets each visitor and welcomes them to the salon, where they can get anything from a simple manicure to one of her more extravagant adornments. The price? A meaningful conversation on love, sex, work or dreams—peppered with juicy gossip.

But it’s not just for show or a good laugh, though it’s certainly supposed to be an enjoyable time, but rather an effort to bridge divides. “I use Porn Nail$ as an opportunity to create meaningful social encounters & cultural exchanges by transporting this Hyper-kitsch, colorful experience to different/ unconventional situations, social contexts, and diverse audiences,” says Romero. “Porn Nail$ is usually situated in a place of chaos, and allows visitors a safe space of relaxation, conversation, friendship, and intimacy. Instantly, guests share personal stories about their lives, and express their fears, hopes and aspirations as they receive their colorful manicure. As a nail technician, I function like a psychoanalyst while the patron free-associates and work through topics and feelings on their minds.” And though they begin as strangers, the physical connection built by constant casual touch involved in a manicure creates an intimacy, even if just for a moment.

And while Porn Nail$ is overtly an exercise in female empowerment (“It allows them a space that celebrates female pleasure, creative self-expression, and self-reflection through camp-humor and bright colors.”), the message is actually much broader. “Porn Nail$ is an empowering exercise for women, cis-men, and LGBTQI community in that it promotes the message of love, empathy, friendship, and the celebration of diversity,” says Romero. “What I want people to take away from my art now more than ever is the importance of connection, empathy and understanding of 'the other.’”

Ringling Underground and Action in the Manicure: Works by Nail Pop LLC & Porn Nail$ is this Thursday, March 2, from 8pm to 11pm. 

Pictured: Rosemarie Romero. Photo courtesy of the Ringling Museum.

The Lazy Lobster of Longboat Key is certainly not lackadaisical when it comes to whipping up some of the most succulent seafood in the area. With an enormous selection of speciality seafood dishes, it’s no wonder reservations made in advance come highly recommended. The Swordfish Delaney is a staff favorite at the Lazy Lobster—the center-cut, pan-seared swordfish gets topped with an abundance of spinach and gorgonzola, grain mustard beurre blanc and then served atop a feta-scallion mash. The little dish is packed with a surprising mega-medley of complimenting flavors that make all the difference in this chef-inspired creation.  

The Lazy Lobster, 5350 Gulf of Mexico Dr., 941-383-0440.

The Patterson Foundation provided a $200,000 matching gift to strengthen its international partner NetHope’s mission to install additional Wi-Fi hotspots in refugee camps throughout Greece, Serbia and Slovenia—catalyzing a $400,000 total investment for the expanded effort. The NetHope-led Syrian Refugee Connectivity Alliance has brought Wi-Fi to approximately 500,000 people in 76 camps since October 2015, in close collaboration with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and its Connectivity for Refugees dedicated program. The NetHope-led Syrian Refugee Connectivity Alliance works to provide Wi-Fi connectivity and technical support for refugees, aid workers and other camp support staff. Refugees depend on Internet access in their settlements to communicate with family and friends, seek asylum, learn new languages, gather news and stay connected to the outside world. The Patterson Foundation contributed $393,000 total to NetHope’s effort in 2016 through the $200,000 match and a previous gift of $193,000 in catalytic funding. 

The Patterson Foundation

Susan Moseley, founder and CEO of Moseley Investment Management, Inc. has been honored by the prestigious weekly financial and business publication Barron’s to attend the intimate and invitation-only Top Independent Advisors Summit. The summit is for the nation's top independent financial advisors to network and collaborate on best practices for managing investments and clients in the ever changing market. Barron’s will be hosting at The Ritz Carlton on March 22–24 in Orlando. 

Moseley Investment Management, Inc.

For the past seven years, Shannon Lummert-Helmer has led the team at the Honore Goodwill retail location in Sarasota to unprecedented success. Since taking the helm, her team has grown from 60 to more than 90 team members, has become the top revenue generator for all Goodwill stores in Florida and ranks fifth in the nation out of approximately 2,800 stores. Next week, she will bid her team farewell and take charge at a new Goodwill store location at 3501 Cortez Rd. W in Bradenton. The store is scheduled to open in April. 

Goodwill Manasota

David W. Young views the world through emerald-tinged lenses—with a life dedicated to making the area a little greener, the Naples native has beautified many of Sarasota's most iconic residences. Find out what makes him tick (think craft beer and mullet brekkies) in this month's In Brief, Chill in the Garden.  

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