April 13, 2008 — So you dream of being a socialite, deigning to spend your days with the likes of "The Donald" or perhaps with Paris — or better yet, not deigning at all. But your family pedigree is more aligned with the dog pound than Westminster, and your bank account is on life support.
There's no need to despair, thanks to the V.I. Socialites.
Founded in February 2007 on St. Thomas, the organization is predicated not on snootiness but on professionalism, collegiality and friendliness. It's a forum for working people, regardless of collar, to mix business with pleasure.
It's not formal in a chamber-of-commerce sense, nor is it casual in a dating service sense — though Cupid's arrow knows no bounds. Rather, the V.I. Socialites is a welcoming group of professional networkers, from politician to student, old and young, black, white and in between. Its mission is "to empower the Virgin Islands towards upward movement through socializing, communicating and networking."
Attendance is open to anyone for a one-time purchase of a $10 wrist band. The band is that person's monthly entrance ticket as the Socialites gather at different restaurants, giving the establishment and themselves exposure. That way, when it's time for just the right business solution, a Socialite will know exactly whom to call.
"In St. Thomas, the same person you do business with is the same person you see in church or in the grocery store, so why not make friends?" said Tonia Garnett, the Indiana-born, Atlanta-raised co-founder and president of the club.
A four-year resident of St. Thomas, Garnett is the sales coordinator for Tropical Shipping. Garnett's poise and charisma help set the stage for what is a very welcoming atmosphere. This is the kind of gathering you can comfortably walk in to alone – yes, alone — and you won't want for introductions and conversation. Garnett and her co-founders distribute slips of questions and require people to engage someone they've never met in answering them together — just one ice-breaking technique.
"I gear it towards getting to know the person — you can discover their integrity and discover if it's somebody you'd like to do business with," Garnett explained. "Everybody feels comfortable whether you're a student, a taxi driver, or work in a boutique. We have many lawyers and every other business you can think of."
Sisters Ebonique and Celeste Jacobs co-founded the organization with Garnett. Ebonique said it struck her one day, how odd it was that a friend's resume landed on her desk, yet that person had no clue it was Ebonique on the receiving end.
"A lot of us have things to sell but we don't tell each other. We don't know what each other does," Ebonique said incredulously, explaining why she helped establish the organization.
For member Marla Cooke, who works at A.H. Riise, the Socialites is not just good business networking, but it's a chance to, yes, socialize, given a husband who often would rather not.
"He was like, ‘Go, go! Go meet some girlfriends,'" Cooke said, laughing during the most recent gathering at Taco Fiesta in Hibiscus Alley in downtown Charlotte Amalie. "It's only my second time, but everyone is awesome. You make a few friends, and you make a few business connections."
Suddenly, the evening is interrupted as a handful of "spotlighted guests" get an opportunity to introduce themselves and their business to the crowd, with a two-minute time limit each.
The first guest announces a comedy show he's doing, the next is an event coordinator for a singles mixer, the third is the owner of a new medical supply business, and the last guest co-owns a brewery on St. John which boasts the world's only mango-infused beer.
The mix inspires what Garnett calls "good conversation." And that, in turn, can inspire other things. Garnett admits she met her boyfriend through the Socialites, whose wrist band sales number 450 to date. Out of that, some 50 to 60 Socialites typically show up at the monthly gatherings, half of them old faces, half new, said Garnett.
And to ensure the infusion continues, she and her seven fellow officers of V.I. Socialites carry a stash of 10 wrist bands wherever they go, selling them ahead of time. On it, buyers will notice the website address
where they can keep track of events.
The next gathering is slated for May, though details haven't been finalized. All who deign to attend are welcome.
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