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St. Louis, Missouri (KMOV) — A St. Louis couple is taking the nightlife scene to a whole new level.
The soon-to-be husband and wife duo is taking a different approach to making sure millennials reach their full potential.
Onnie Simpson and LaRonn Simmons are the new mangers of Blue Lounge in the Delmar Loop.
The couple says the opportunity just fell on their lap.
The two are business owners of Sauce Event Productions LLC, an organization dedicated to the advancement of minority young professionals in the St. Louis area.
The two have been throwing parties with a purpose. At their networking events or community service gatherings, men wear bow ties and the women sport their chic dresses.
The goal is to get young black professionals to support each other and change the way young professionals view St. Louis.
“For the St. Louis community, by us being here, we hope to help boost the revenue in the area with the traffic we’re about to bring though and providing opportunities to millennials and others to be able to be successful for others as well,” said Simpson.
As new managers of Blue Lounge, the couple hires millennials to help remodel the new space and provide an experience in the St. Louis area.
Since the beginning, Sauce has strives to make sure young leaders have ways to have a safe, fun and inspiring experience to thrive.
“I think it’s extremely important because a lot of times we [millennials] are not taken seriously or they just think that a lot of things we say we’re not going to happen,” said Simpson.
Simmons says their new space they hope to build leaders, business owners and make sure black brilliance is at the forefront.
“Successful black men exist, but is it being broadcasted? Not so much,” said Simmons. “The way I look at it, I’ll make sure what I do is reach down to as many young black men and bring them up with me.”
The couple has a huge passion for mentorship. Simmons is one of the leaders of ManUpSTL, an organization aimed to motivate men in St. Louis to serve as a catalyst for positive change in their lives and their communities.
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