About Us

Our History

The 100% not-for-profit show for DJs by DJs

Midwest DJs Live started in January 2008 as a one-off get-together in Milwaukee called Practice and NJoy, changed to YouTubeDJs Live the following year, and 2013 – the 5th anniversary! – saw its final name change.

At that first mini-workshop some 30 DJs came to meet and greet, to try their hand at mixing on a variety of different setups and to network. Ideas were swapped, tricks were shown, and it was agreed that a similar event should be attempted the following year, still in the Midwest.

Suppliers started to request to be a part of the show, and in 2010 NLfx Pro and Eternal Lighting amongst others were in attendance. Much has changed since that first show, but the core reasons to come are still the same. Camaraderie, knowledge, product demos, purchasing gear, and, of course, the traditional dance party on the Sunday evening before the show.

In 2020 Midwest DJs Live became a 100% not-for-profit 501c(3) educational organization led by volunteer directors that are active DJ business owners. All funds raised are invested in our mission to serve the DJ community by continuing to offer educational growth opportunities.

Rich Lange - President

Rich Lange has found the fun in many jobs; marketing director, radio jock, concert promoter, writer, event producer, voice-over artist, event DJ, and professional salty-snack-taster. Rich earned his business-skill stripes as a Marketing and Sales Director at Procter & Gamble, building some of the world's biggest consumer brands. He made the world a better place as an award-winning Marketing and Event Director in radio broadcasting, creating events and promotions that made life more fun for radio listeners.

Rich is professionally trained as a speaker, Master of Ceremonies, and Storyteller – including time at Second City in Chicago. Today, Rich creates experiences for clients and their guests by working in both his wedding and holiday event businesses as an Entertainment Designer and Professional Master of Ceremonies/DJ, AND on those businesses with expertise in Creativity, storytelling, Sales, and Marketing. Rich also lends his voice to a variety of projects as a professional voice actor. Rich serves others as a speaker and coach, sharing his experience, ideas, and skills, focusing on the use of story in both selling and performance.

Rich is the Founder and past Director of The North American Collective of Entertainment Designers, dedicated to the ongoing training and development of event entertainers. Rich has served on the board of Midwest DJs Live since 2019, including a stint as the Vice-President of Education. He currently serves as the board President. Rich is considered by many to be a mentor, is a frequent contributor to industry groups, and has appeared as a speaker at events including ADJA and ABC chapter meetings, Wedding MBA, Pro Santa School, and the NAB Show/National Association of Broadcasters annual convention.

Shaun Shouldeen - VP Public Relations

Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, Shaun loves serving newlyweds and performing at craft events to satisfy, amaze and enhance guest experiences with his one-of-a kind approach to music and crowd engagement. What began as an interest at age 15 soon blossomed into a passion for seeing his clients realize all that a great DJ experience can bring to a special occasion. He performed his first professional DJ gig at 18, and he hasn't stopped since! Shaun has perfromed upscale weddings in Chicago, Atlanta, the Caribbean and into Northwest Wisconsin and has maintained residencies at several clubs, playing for thousands every week. He's had the pleasure of working with American Red Cross Dancing With Our Stars, Touchdowns For Hope, Green Gala, Fashions Meets The Art and the Green Gala, just to name a few.

Beyond DJing, he enjoys CrossFit and weightlifting, traveling, anything bacon and spending time with his husband working on their 120 year old home and tending their hobby farm. The apple of his eye are his two children, both with special needs.

Eric Jaeger - VP of Sponsorship & Vendors

Eric Jaeger will tell you that he has the two greatest careers imaginable. On the one hand, he’s a 25-year Career Firefighter and Senior Captain with the Hammond Fire Department. On the other, he’s a Wedding and Special Event DJ and Master of Ceremonies. With over two decades of experience attending and presenting at industry conferences and honing his craft with celebrated mentors, including Mark Ferrell, Bill Hermann Randy Bartlett, and formal training with Second City in Chicago, Eric possesses an innate ability to create impactful moments that transcend conventional musical boundaries.

As an original member of The North American Collective of Entertainment Designers, he thoughtfully champions ongoing training and development for event entertainers, raising the bar for excellence in the industry. Beyond his professions, Eric cherishes the power of storytelling, believing it to be the most potent force in the world. When he's not orchestrating unforgettable memories or dousing flames, you'll find Eric engaging in meaningful conversations over bourbon and cigars, cherishing the company of friends. As a first year member of the Board, Eric is excited to help curate an exciting environment for learning, and growing both personally and professionally.

Bob Powell - VP of Education

With over three decades of experience in the entertainment industry, Bob is. a seasoned DJ and Master Of Ceremonies specializing in weddings, corporate functions, and club events. As a single operator mobile DJ, Bob has built a reputation for delivering unforgettable experiences tailored to each audience. Dedicated to personal growth and industry excellence, Bob was a charter member of DJ & MC Toastmasters, where he held various board positions and served as Club President in his final term. His expertise is further enhanced by professional Master of Ceremonies training through the prestigious Marbecca Method and Bill Hermann's Entertainment Experience. As Vice President of Education for Midwest DJs Live, Bob is passionate about sharing knowledge, mentoring fellow DJs, and fostering a culture of continuous learning within the DJ industry. Actively engaged in professional development, he attends multiple industry conferences annually, ensuring he remains at the forefront of trends and innovations. Bob's commitment to excellence, combined with his engaging stage presence and deep industry knowledge, makes him a respected leader and an invaluable asset to the DJ community.

Nicole Young - Secretary

She-J Nicole Young, of Yo DJ Entertainment, has spent 11 years connecting people through the power of music and words. As a full-time Entertainment Specialist and MC, she’s hosted countless weddings, nonprofit events, corporate gatherings, and been an opening speaker at women’s conferences. Being fully deaf in one ear, she overcomes challenges while thriving in an industry built on sound, proving passion speaks louder than limitation. Her mission as a Midwest DJs Live Board Member and beyond, is deeply personal—to bridge the diversity gap, creating spaces where everyone feels seen, heard, and celebrated. She pours that same energy into her community, serving as an ambassador for the New London Area Chamber of Commerce, leadership committee for Mom Prom, and founding an annual LGBTQ+ benefit. Beyond entertainment, she shares healing through meditation and spiritual healing events across the state, partnering with organizations like Titletown. Above all, her greatest joy is raising a beautiful family with her wife Cami and four children, building a life filled with love, music, and purpose.

Chris Moore - Treasurer

Chris brings with him over 35 years of experience both as a mobile DJ and radio personality. Born and raised in the Milwaukee area Chris has a great vibe for the area. Anything from polkas to the latest dance music, Chris has a great knowledge of music and knows just what to play at the right time.

Chris started in high school as a sound technician for school plays and other related events. This lead him into his first part time job as a DJ assistant his senior year. Right then and there he was hooked. Chris spent several years working with and learning from some of the best disc jockeys in the area. Now nearly 40 years later the student has become the teacher and he is happy to have helped launch the careers of several successful DJs.Chris has focused his DJ career on weddings and he has great pride in being able to be a part of so many people’s special day. Chris enjoys all types of music and truly enjoys being able to share his passion with so many different people and see the joy that comes with hearing that favorite song or golden oldie. Chris also enjoys working with brides and grooms to make their dreams of a perfect wedding day come true. For him there is no better feeling than seeing a group of people having a great time on a packed dance floor.

Mitch Taylor - Past President

Mitch Taylor is an internationally known Sales Trainer for the events industry and has impacted thousands over the course of his 25-plus year career, through interactive workshop instruction, sales mentoring, educational podcasts & personal coaching. Mitch got involved with Midwest DJs Live first as a speaker back at Midwest DJs Live 6 in 2014. After presenting at the show for 2 consecutive years, Mitch officially joined the board serving as Education Chair from 2016-2021, then he took on the role as President of Midwest DJs Live until 2023. Mitch is the author of the book SALES 4 Event Pros, and his company Taylored Weddings just celebrated 20 years in business.

“Midwest DJs Live is a passion project of mine. It’s important for us to NEVER forget where we came from. I started out doing high school dances, cueing up cassettes in my car out the back door of a gymnasium to bring them in to play for the students of a local high school. It’s AMAZING to think of how far our industry has come since the early 90s. I’m proud to be affiliated with a locally grown show that got its start in the back of a pub and has grown into a full-blown conference, complete with hands-on sessions, educational opportunities and an experience that keeps attendees coming back year after year. What I love most about the show is the ability for attendees to connect one-on-one with each other without the distractions of the larger Vegas or Atlantic City shows, and the establishment of our DJs Loving DJs Fund, which allows us as a non-profit entity to give back to the DJ community brothers and sisters at a time when they may need it the most.”

Jeff Burdick - Director of Logistics

Jeff takes the blame for getting DJ Big Ron Interested in DJing. He was DJing at Ron's middle school and that’s when Ron decided to become a DJ. After Jeff went to college for radio broadcasting, he found himself at DJ International Records in Chicago. He became the head engineer and studio manager, engineering some Classic House music, as well as becoming one of the first certified ProTools III engineers in the Midwest.When Jeff came back to Wisconsin, he and Ron became good friends as he built an updated ProTools studio in his basement.

Ron asked Jeff to join the first Midwest DJs Live board to "help out". Well that was over 10 years ago...Jeff has found himself doing a little bit of everything on the board over the years from creating some of the first artwork to deploying our own branded wifi for our attendees at the hotel when they said they couldn't. Currently Jeff is the secretary keeping notes of every meeting. As one of the longest serving board members Jeff helps keep the history and traditions of the show alive.

Chris Hintz - Production Manager

Chris grew up with a love of music and a love for people. With a background in hospitality and sales, Chris started Pinnacle Productions in Sioux Falls in 2002 with a 2k loan from his 401k and a desire to create a company based on relationships with its clientele. During the last 15 years, Pinnacle has performed over 15k events with 30+ Employees. His approach to talent has been customer-centric. Chris has attended countless workshops, networking groups, and he truly believes in the “Teamwork makes the Dream Work” concept. Chris is married to his beautiful wife Holly they have two fur babies Duke and Diesel (boxers), and enjoy camping, volleyball, and a great Moscow mule :)e

Geoffrey Sandler - Funraising Chairman

Geoffrey Sandler is the owner of Celebrations Entertainment. His entrepreneurial spirit was evident early in his childhood as he ran a very successful paper route business. Geoffrey's love for performing also started early; acting in school and community live theater productions. At age 18, he started DJing at clubs, wedding receptions and other private parties. From the very beginning, clients and guests at every event could tell that Geoffrey had that ‘extra special’ touch. As his skill level increased, he began to realize that his growing knowledge of the industry, his desire to succeed and his experience running a small business was the equation that equaled success.

At the age of 23, just 29 short years ago, Celebrations Entertainment was born! During that time, an honorable 9 year military career, that included living and traveling around the world and never stopping being a DJ, Geoffrey gained unparalleled experience that has shaped the companies identity and his leadership as well as his training and performing abilities.

In the past 10 years, Geoffrey has expanded Celebrations from it's base of weddings, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, corporate and schools to include full event production services, photo booths, lighting, casino parties and a very successful fundraising division where he has become a fundraising expert and helps non-profits and foundations raise millions of dollars through consulting, emceeing, and auctioneering. Celebrations does about 450 events each year, has 4 full time staff, and over 75 part time employees.

Nate Nelson - Director of Entertainment

While most students were studying for finals in college, Nate was fine tuning his life skills. Mixing it up in the college nightlife scene reflected his grades, but the value of learning the art of mixing music early in his career would pay off in the end. Fast forward 15 years, Nate can now buy all the sneakers he wanted growing up. That's the true meaning of success, right?

Nate started his Dallas DJ career bouncing from bar to bar, it wasn't until he met his mentor and business partner, Glenn Roush, that he leaped head first into the private event world with LeForce Entertainment. Nate's resume includes intimate night clubs, festival stages, working with celebrity athletes such as Lindsey Vonn, Alex Rodriguez, Sean Lee, Adrian Beltre and opening for Waka Flocka and Travis Scott. Nate keeps finding himself leveling up his event game by bringing a high energy, club atmosphere to his weddings and corporate events. Nate is a key founder of Kings Of Prom, a festival inspired school dance production company.

Nate grew up in Oklahoma then transplanted to Dallas after falling in love with his dream girl. Nate and his wife Jennifer married in 2008 and have two beautiful daughter Mollie and Kate. Follow Nate's journey on Instagram @djnatenelson.