Mary Nisi, DJ and radio host

Mary Nisi’s journey through Chicago’s music and radio landscape illustrates a rare blend of artistic passion and community activism. Beginning her career in 2000 as a volunteer DJ at Loyola University’s WLUW station, Nisi quickly found her calling behind the turntables. Her early days saw her spinning at various city venues, ultimately carving a unique space as a wedding DJ where she challenged conventional expectations of the role.

In 2005, she launched Toast & Jam, a DJ enterprise that grew to employ around 20 part-time DJs. Nisi’s approach rejected typical wedding clichés, emphasizing client-driven experiences over formulaic crowd-pleasers. This direction underscored her belief that wedding DJing demands a multifaceted skill set, often underestimated within the industry, and she positioned women as especially adept due to their cultural exposure to weddings from a young age.

Beyond her entrepreneurial ventures, Nisi played a critical role in the broader fight to preserve and expand independent radio in urban environments. After Loyola altered WLUW’s mission to prioritize student broadcasting, Nisi helped establish the Chicago Independent Radio Project (CHIRP) in 2007. The group aimed to develop an independent station for Chicago’s diverse communities, aligning with the nationwide movement advocating for low-power FM (LPFM) radio.

This campaign responded to the Telecommunications Act of 1996’s deregulation, which had led to major corporations consolidating radio ownership and diminishing local programming. Through concerted lobbying efforts, including mobilizing public support and engaging lawmakers, advocates like Nisi contributed to the passage of the Local Community Radio Act in 2011. This legislation empowered the FCC to issue noncommercial LPFM licenses in previously restricted frequency ranges, thereby invigorating community-oriented stations.

CHIRP’s terrestrial broadcast began in 2017 from a transmitter in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood, with Nisi continuing as a host. Her show, The Noonday Underground, airs Monday afternoons, featuring human-curated playlists that prioritize local and independent music over algorithmic selection. This commitment to authenticity reflects her broader philosophy about radio’s role as an equitable platform for information and culture.

In addition to radio and weddings, Nisi has innovated with Hot Flash Dance, a roving dance party launched in 2025 catering exclusively to women, queer, and trans attendees. By scheduling events in early evenings, the series accommodates parents and those seeking alternatives to late-night club scenes. Hot Flash Dance fosters an inclusive atmosphere reminiscent of the communal energy Nisi observed at large-scale events like Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.

Nisi’s efforts have also extended into podcasting with 2022’s All Up in My Lady Business, which explores the intersections of entrepreneurship, parenting, and daily life among women leaders. Throughout her career, she has prioritized elevating female DJs, confronting industry gender biases, and expanding representation within the music and radio fields.

Her path was marked by challenges inherent to pioneering an unrecognized business model—Toast & Jam was among the first DJ companies to navigate legal and financial frameworks in a field traditionally seen as informal or freelance. Nisi’s experience highlights the complexities of legitimizing DJing as a professional enterprise in the United States.

Mary Nisi’s contributions offer a compelling example of how artistic practice and civic engagement can intersect to create meaningful change. By fostering spaces that celebrate diversity and local culture, she has helped reshape Chicago’s music scene and radio landscape, leaving a lasting imprint on both industries.