Suzanne Summers fosters connection through music and mentorship
For Suzanne Summers, music and community-building go hand in hand. When she first started DJing 15 years ago, Summers identified a gap in the industry that hit close to home: women and gender-diverse people were severely underrepresented and noticeably underpaid. She immediately set out to change this.
Summers launched Vibe Collective alongside her business partner Shirls Tse (known as YELRIHS when she’s behind the turntable). Summers’ and Tse’s vision for Vibe Collective was to create a booking agency and mentorship program designed to create opportunities to elevate women and other underrepresented groups in the industry. Tse brings expertise in graphic design, production, and an ear for electronic music, while Summers acts as the pair’s marketing liaison, event organizer, and booking agent. Summers’ mix of femme-powered disco, pop, hip-hop, oldies and almost everything in between brings an electric energy to every gig. Together, they’ve built a network of like-minded DJs and up-and-comers in the local entertainment scene. “You want to wake up in the morning and be excited about what you’re working on,” Summers says, emphasizing the importance of following through on goals and helping others along the way. “From there,” she says, “it ends up snowballing.”
Vibe Collective isn’t the only manifestation of Summers’ passion for finding and building community through music. Alongside friend and yoga instructor, Angie Clark, she created The Movement, an initiative designed to reconnect mind, body and soul through somatic raves, music and yoga. The sessions are tailored to help alleviate stress caused by living life dominated by technology. Summers utilizes her professional background in marketing to organize and socialize these events, while Clark facilitates classes by leading the group through breathwork, stretching and deep visualization.
Being a new second-time mom, Summers has to find pockets of time throughout the day to dedicate to her ongoing projects. In 2026 her maternity leave will come to an end allowing her to dedicate time and energy to her career—a feeling she describes as bittersweet. “Being a mom has definitely created this internal shift to live every moment with purpose. I want to strive to lead by example, and I really would like to be a role model to show my kids that they don’t have to take the straight path in order to be successful. They can create something unique, build a community and find support to create their own definition of success.”
Summers is thrilled to see how the next generation of DJs will continue to rock the industry. Her advice is to curate personal playlists, track down new music, and find free resources online to learn the basics. Once they’ve connected with their sound, she encourages them to find her at any Vibe Collective event to become a part of her growing community.
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