**Special Nerd Nite at the Palladium. Where nerds go epic (again).

Learning hits different with a drink in your hand and smart people around you. Nerd Nite is a worldwide phenomenon, popping up in over a hundred cities, including right here in St. Pete.

Each month, three passionate presenters take the stage for fascinating and fun 20-minute talks on things they truly geek out about. You will get to sip wine, mingle, laugh, and follow curiosity wherever it wanders.

Think of it as a lecture series that ditched the podium and grabbed a beer instead.

Drink. Learn. Connect. Come for the fun facts, stay for the conversations, and leave knowing something you didn’t when you walked in.

Doors open at 6:00pm. Presentations begin promptly at 7pm.

Tickets are $6.91. All tickets will be sold online.
No need to print tickets: Give us your name and we will check you in.

Check out this month's speakers:

Maureen McDole

How Being a Punk Rocker Saved My life. Advice for these current times.

Our world is changing fast, and adopting a punk ethos can help us navigate these radical times. I’ll share the ways that punk rock continues to inspires me in forging a career and lifestyle which celebrates being resourceful, unique, and innovative. I will show how to use the tools we already have on hand to help create a better world for all, regardless of what the status quo is telling us.

Maureen McDole was born in St. Petersburg, Florida. She is a direct descendant of carnies, carpenters and fishermen. This do-it-yourself ethos in her DNA infuses every area of her life. She is the author of four books of poems, Exploring My Options (2006), Longing for the Deep End (2011), Feast (2021), and Mending the Nets (2026). She has an English B.A., with Literary Studies Concentration from University of South Florida and a Certificate in Arts & Culture Strategy from University of Pennsylvania. In 2013 she founded the literary arts organization Keep St. Pete Lit, because she believes wholeheartedly and the power of literature to change the world. She currently lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Gabe Alves

From Fear to Fabulous: A Journey to Authentic

What happens when you follow the Good Book very closely… and it still doesn’t make you straight? In this candid, heartfelt, and occasionally hilarious talk, I’ll take you from evangelical golden child to pastor, husband, seminarian, conversion-therapy “graduate,” and—plot twist—still gay. Along the way: shame, seminary, a treatment center in Tennessee, a spectacular unraveling, and the painful, messy beauty of coming out. It’s a story about losing faith in fear, finding a real therapist (highly recommend), building a chosen tribe, and discovering that authenticity, joy, and spirituality don’t have to be enemies—they can actually save your life.

Gabe Alves was born in Rio de Janeiro and moved to the U.S. in 2000 to attend USF, where he earned a degree in International Studies and began his lifelong habit of thinking globally and acting dramatically. He later attended the Master’s in Global Leadership program at Fuller Theological Seminary in California—because “extra” is a lifestyle—and is a proud graduate of Leadership St. Pete, Class of 2024. By day, he’s a Realtor® with Smith & Associates; by night, he’s a Broadway producer of Drag: The Musical and Heathers: The Musical—proving escrow and show tunes pair beautifully. He serves on the boards of freeFall Theatre and Winter Pride St. Pete, where one of his proudest moments was helping fundraise and lead the effort to bring the Global Rainbow to the city for Winter Pride 2026. When rainbow crosswalks were removed, the response was simple: fine, we’ll install a laser rainbow visible from 60 miles away and make national news doing it. Gabe is married to Aron Tomko, is dad to Gabby and Caleb, and firmly believes joy—especially the glittery, slightly nerdy kind—is a civic responsibility.

Angela Romeo

Pinellas County’s most vulnerable housing stock: how to preserve manufactured housing as permanently affordable.

This presentation explores the unique vulnerabilities of manufactured housing communities in Pinellas County, where residents own their homes but not the land beneath them. With little protection around rent increases, utility management, and infrastructure upkeep, homeowners remain at the mercy of landowners—despite having invested in their housing. We’ll examine the history of manufactured housing in Pinellas, the risks of this ownership model, and the urgent need for solutions. Finally, we’ll highlight limited equity cooperatives as a proven, sustainable economic model that empowers residents, preserves affordability, and strengthens community resilience.

Angela is a St. Pete transplant that is nomadic at heart. She identifies as a daughter, friend, dog mom, aunt, and sister. She enjoys paddle boarding, hanging with her Bull Terrier Chino, staying active, and allowing her wandering feet to take her all over the globe. Angela is a VP of Acquisitions for ROC USA, a national nonprofit; co-owner of Ganesha Got Yoga here in St. Pete; co-founder of Wild Adventures Co, a boutique travel firm that curates group travel for fitness communities; a real estate investor; and an amateur cook.

Contact the host of Nerd Nite St. Pete-April 2026 (SUPERSIZED AGAIN!)