AN EVENING WITH PURPOSE — AND PLENTY OF LAUGHTER
THE LINEUP
At No Laughing Matter, our stage program has always reflected the heart of the evening.
The reason we gather is incredibly serious: children diagnosed with brain tumors desperately need better treatment options, and the research required to find them cannot wait. But alongside the stories that remind us why this work matters, we have always believed there should also be moments of pure joy — moments when a room full of people can laugh out loud, enjoy incredible entertainment, and remember just how good it feels to be together.
Because sometimes, laughter really is the best medicine.
This year’s program brings those two worlds together in a very special way, featuring an unforgettable musical performance by brain tumor survivor Ryan Neal, followed by our 2026 comedy headliner, Zarna Garg. Guiding us through the evening will be former WNBC anchor Mary Civiello.
COMEDY — MUSIC — MISSION
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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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.