Unapologetically Airis

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Written By Dimitra Geneva

Please welcome to the stage, Miss Airis Smallwood! Please welcome to the stage, Miss Airis Smallwood! Airis is the visionary behind The Singer’s Lounge, but nine years ago, she was focused on a completely different future. She was preparing to settle down, become a wife, and build a life she thought was meant for her. 

But, as life does, things didn’t go according to plan. After a painful breakup, Airis made the decision to pawn her engagement ring and used the money to fund the very first Singer’s Lounge. Looking back at what felt like one of the hardest moments of her life, she now sees it as an investment in herself that continues to grow.

For almost a decade, The Singer’s Lounge, affectionately known as TSL, has been in the center spotlight of Harrisburg’s live music scene. What started as a space for local singers to perform has grown into one of the city’s most beloved events, giving both artists and audiences something they didn’t even realize they were missing. 

Read the complete article in the upcoming inaugural issue of 717 LIVE, a lifestyle publication geared towards the Tastemakers of Urban Central PA.

Dimitra Geneva

Dimitra Geneva helps people and organizations find the right words to tell their story and make an impact. A retired fashion girlie and founder of Urban Snob, a boutique that shaped fashion and community in the city of Harrisburg for 12 years. She now serves as Chief Vibe Officer of Perry Media, where she leads national campaigns, corporate initiatives, and executive branding. She also directed the writing and production for a major institutional project for a top HBCU and developed submissions that earned this organization three national awards in 2024. While running her boutique, she was invited to write Snob in the City, a blog for Harrisburg Magazine that blended fashion and culture through a local lens. A corporate creative with a structured approach to storytelling, Dimitra brings strategy and creativity to every project. She holds a degree in Organizational Leadership from Penn State.

Facebook/Instagram: Dimitra Geneva

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