Her Story
Fashion Meets Social Impact
Born and raised in Chicago, Suzanne’s activism began at a young age when she became part of the city’s dynamic movements for gender and racial equality. She and Michael Cohen, her partner in business and in life, co-founded and built Los Angeles-based lifestyle and clothing company Michael Stars in 1986 with opportunity, equality, and inclusivity as core values.
Today she serves as CEO of Michael Stars and is an activist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. Her focus is on lifting up the voices of women to ensure equal rights; providing the access to capital, skills and leadership training needed for women and marginalized groups to get ahead; investing in community-led organizing; and building transformative power at the grassroots level. She is also broadening her activism to include engaging men and fighting for reproductive justice both in the US and globally. Her activism and philanthropy span local and international communities through personal grants, impact investments, and the Michael Stars Foundation. She is a frequent contributor and speaker on business and activism, sharing her perspective and experiences around running socially responsible businesses, entrepreneurship, and the role of business in advocating for an equal world.
Michael and Suzanne began Michael Stars with a simple purpose: to “make people happy and feel comfortable and confident.” They began a quest to make the perfect tee that would have timeless appeal and outstanding quality. They saw the tee as a canvas for expression and saw the potential for Michael Stars as a company to create opportunity for the Los Angeles community.
Under Suzanne’s leadership, Michael Stars has evolved into a contemporary collection of beautifully designed and constructed fashion essentials. The company was an early innovator, locally sourcing and manufacturing its clothing, which gave them direct control over garment quality and the ability to ensure fair wages. Suzanne and Michael also established the Michael Stars Foundation more than 20 years ago, which has become a major supporter of organizations that build critical pathways to racial and gender equity in LA County and around the world. The company was recently awarded the Southern California Apparel Social Responsibility Award from the Los Angeles Business Journal, honoring Suzanne’s passion for philanthropy locally and globally.
She launched a number of new initiatives through her company and the foundation including collaborations with: “I am a Voter” and Gloria Steinem to drive voter registration: the ERA Coalition to raise awareness for the Equal Rights Amendment; and with social justice activism organizations in “One for All,” a giving campaign that supports communities hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Highly active in social justice organizations, Suzanne serves as a board member for the Fund for Women’s Equality and the ERA Coalition and the Foundation Board of the ACLU of Southern California. She previously served on the board of the Ms. Foundation for Women and is currently co-chair of the Ms. Foundation 50th Anniversary Capital Campaign . She is an advisory board member of Prosperity Catalyst, A Call to Men, and Children Mending Hearts, and a member of Women Donors Network (WDN), One for Democracy, the Maverick Collective at PSI, and the Forbes Business Council.
An avid supporter of documentary and feature films, served as an associate producer, executive producer, and co-executive producer on a number of award winning films including "The Fight," “Shouting Down Midnight”, and “Sell/Buy/Date, among others. Her honors include the “Woman of Vision” Award from the Ms. Foundation for Women, as well as recognition as one of “21 Leaders for the 21st Century” by Women’s eNews and as one of the “25 Most Influential Angelenos,” by Angeleno Magazine.
She resides in Los Angeles, CA with her #feministpup @ms_simba.
About
Michael Stars
Michael Stars was founded in 1986 with one simple premise: to make people happy. Co-founders, Michael Cohen and Suzanne Lerner, set out to create effortless fashion that was timeless and comfortable—meant to go with people wherever they went in life. What started with an iconic, one-sized tee that created a fashion movement, has evolved into a collection of contemporary essentials that includes style-driven silhouettes and accessories; crafted with quality and made to last.
As a women-led and family-owned business, Michael Stars continues to produce the majority of its garments in Los Angeles to ensure quality production and provide fair wages and economic opportunity for the community. The Michael Stars Foundation, established by Michael and Suzanne more than 15 years ago, is a major supporter of grassroots organizations building critical pathways to equality.