ZARNA GARG

2026 Comedy Headliner

Outspoken Indian immigrant comedian Zarna Garg won’t stop with the hit comedy specials and sold-out live shows. She’s now touring with her new show Million Dollar Excuses, about how to get out of anything.

Zarna’s inspiring memoir This American Woman, about her treacherous climb from homeless Mumbai teen to internationally beloved stand-up comedian, is a New York Times Bestseller with over 10,000 4- and 5-star reviews on Goodreads and Amazon, where it was named one of their Best of 2025 books.

Zarna frequently opens for icons Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, and is currently building a new sitcom Zarna with Mindy Kaling and Kevin Hart.

She also made her acting debut in indie superhit A Nice Indian Boy, a New York Times Critic’s Pick (calling Zarna “a standout”). You can next see her on the Hulu series Not Suitable for Work and in the upcoming Amazon feature film, Clashing Through the Snow. Her hugely popular Zarna Garg Family Podcast explores modern family life with her husband and kids.

Zarna is a recipient of the inaugural Instagram Ring Award for the world’s top 25 creators (the Oscars of the Internet). With millions of social media followers and billions of views, Zarna just can’t stop laughing her way to the top.

CORY KAHANEY

Cory was a grand finalist NBC’s Last Comic Standing and a semifinalist on America’s got Talent. She has comedy specials on Comedy Central and HBO.

As a public speaker, Cory presented a Tedx called “The Joke that Saved my Life” chronicling her journey from domestic abuse to a comedy career.

Other talks include: “Don’t tell Jerry Lewis women are funny”; a multimedia presentation of rare archival footage. It is a celebration of the brilliant pioneer comediennes, their triumphs, and sacrifices effectively paving the way for today’s women in standup comedy.

Awards: voted best comedian in NYC by Backstage Magazine and Best female comedian by the Manhattan Association of Cabarets. Cory has also been featured numerous times at the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal, the Johnny Carson Festival, The Halifax comedy Festival and every year at the Nantucket Comedy Festival.

Cory has been featured multiple times on the Just for Laughs festival in Montreal the New York Comedy Festival and can be seen most summers at the Nantucket comedy festival.

Cory Kahaney co-wrote the Zarna Garg comedy special One in a Billion on Prime Video and her humor writing has been published by The Guardian and NY Observer.

RYAN NEAL

Musical Performance

For singer-songwriter Ryan Neal, music, resilience and hope have been intertwined for nearly his entire life.

Ryan was just five years old when recurring seizures led doctors at Children’s Hospital of Michigan to discover a brain tumor. At six years old, he underwent brain surgery under the care of renowned pediatric neurosurgeon Dr. Alexa Canady. Two years later, doctors discovered a second, benign tumor that remains with him today. By age ten, he had also permanently lost hearing in his left ear.

Those experiences could have defined his limitations. Instead, they gave Ryan an unusually early perspective on the fragility of life, the importance of gratitude, and what it means to truly make the most of the time we are given.

Today, Ryan is a Nashville-based singer-songwriter, producer, and keynote speaker whose work blends music with storytelling, hope and human connection. He has performed across the country and appeared on ABC’s The Bachelor Presents: Listen to Your Heart. A graduate of the University of Michigan, Ryan has transformed his experience as a brain tumor survivor into a platform for inspiring patients, survivors and families facing uncertain journeys of their own.

That mission has also taken on a new dimension through Ryan’s work with Cellular Performance Institute (CPI Stem Cells), where he serves as Patient Intake in the regenerative medicine space, helping individuals explore advanced stem cell treatment options and navigate deeply personal health decisions.

Ryan’s performance at No Laughing Matter brings a uniquely full-circle perspective to the stage. He is not only a survivor, but an example of the life that can exist on the other side of a childhood brain tumor. His story is a reminder of exactly who and what we are fighting for, and of the extraordinary lives that can unfold when children with brain tumors are given the chance to grow up.

JEN FULWILER

Jen Fulwiler is a nationally touring standup comic, bestselling author, and mom of six. She booked her first comedy tour with her personal credit card and sold out theaters across the US. Her podcast, The Jen Fulwiler Show, debuted in the iTunes Comedy Top 10. She has been featured on Nate Bargatze’s Nateland Showcase, the Today Show and CNN, and her viral social media sketches have racked up millions of views. Her new comedy special, Maternal Instinct, is out on Youtube.

For Jen, performing in support of pediatric brain tumor research is deeply personal. Just one year ago, her oldest daughter, Lane, was diagnosed with a pediatric brain tumor called medulloblastoma, in October 2025. She relocated from Austin, TX to St. Jude for a long road of treatments. Thankfully, Lane finished her protocol just weeks ago, and they returned home to Texas.

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ANTHONY GRECO

Anthony Greco is a New York City-based stand-up comedian originally from Long Island who performs throughout the tri-state area, including at The Stand, New York Comedy Club, and St. Mark’s Comedy Club. He is also a co-producer of Thirst Trap Comedy.

Anthony has been living with a rare brain tumor since he was a teenager and has undergone three brain surgeries. He has turned that experience into his signature “Tumor Humor,” using stand-up to find laughter in some of the most difficult parts of life with cancer. He has also shared his story through Stupid Cancer’s NYC Storytelling Open Mic and continues to use comedy and fundraising to support the cancer community.

A longtime member of the No Laughing Matter family, Anthony is a former patient of Dr. Mark Souweidane and has performed at the event multiple times, bringing a uniquely personal perspective to a night built around the healing power of laughter.

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MARY CIVIELLO

Emcee

We are delighted to welcome veteran New York television journalist Mary Civiello as emcee of No Laughing Matter 2026.

Mary Civiello is president of Civiello Communications Group (CCG), a leading executive communication consultancy. Mary has provided presentation and media support to top executives at some of the world’s most prominent organizations from Blackrock, Bloomberg, Biogen, Merck, and Sanofi to Anthropic Metlife, and IBM.

As a coach, Mary also supports leaders of not for profit groups ranging from the United Nations to Care and the US Military. Dubbed the corporate executive’s “Communications Guru” by the New York Times, Mary is the author of “Communication Counts: Business Presentations for Busy People.” Mary regularly contributes to FORTUNE, CNBC and the BBC on the topic of executive communication.

In her two decades as a journalist, reporting and anchoring the news for NBC New York, Mary won six Emmys. She has led communication seminars for Columbia University, Wharton School of Business, Harvard Business Review and NYU.

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