Comedy Writers and Performers Selected by Aparna Nancherla, Roy Wood Jr., Sarah Cooper, and More
Dozens of Partners Include Netflix, Irony Point, NBCUniversal, GLAAD, Define American, and RAINN
The Yes, And… Laughter Lab announced that it is accepting applications for its seventh annual comedy incubator and talent development fellowship program. Yes, And… Laughter Lab Fellowship supports the best comedy writers and performers creating new comedy about topics that matter, with a focus on BIPOC, immigrant, Muslim, LGBTQ, and women creators.
From May 6 to June 8, 2025, the Yes, And… Laughter Lab is accepting applications from comedians who are creating all types of comedy for all kinds of platforms.
Projects will be juried by a Selection & Leadership Committee which includes Alex Fumero (Netflix’s I Think You Should Leave), Alice Mathias (IFC’s Portlandia), Aparna Nancherla (Netflix’s BoJack Horseman), Baron Vaughan (Netflix’s Grace and Frankie), Brittany Scott Smith (HBO’s Black Lady Sketch Show), Chris Gethard (HBO’s Career Suicide), Corey Ryan Forrester (Round Here and Over Yonder), Franchesca Ramsey (Comedy Central’s The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore), Jana Schmieding (Peacock’s Rutherford Falls), Jeff Hiller (HBO’s Somebody Somewhere), Jeffrey P. Jones (Peabody Awards), Jenny Yang (FOX’s Last Man Standing), Jill Twiss (HBO’s Last Week Tonight with John Oliver) Naomi Ekperigin (Apple TV+’s Mythic Quest), Prashanth Venkataramanujam (Netflix’s Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj), Roy Wood, Jr. (Comedy Central’s The Daily Show), Ryan Cunningham (HBO Max’s Search Party), Sachi Ezura (BET’s The Rundown with Robin Thede), and Sarah Cooper (Netflix’s Sarah Cooper: Everything’s Fine), among other leading entertainment leaders and advocacy experts.
Previous Fellows of the Yes, And… Laughter Lab include comedians and writers like Ella Gale whose YALL project, a climate crisis themed pilot, was selected for the Sundance Episodic Lab Fellowship. Ayman Samman, Abdallah Nabil, and Yusef Zeidan submitted to YALL with their animated series Momo’s Amerika that was later acquired by Comedy Central, that follows the story of an Egyptian-American family living in Orange County. Keisha Zollar and Sasha Stewart were selected as Fellows for their docuseries Let’s Get Physical that utilizes humor, patient testimonials, and medical experts to debunk the myths and misogyny around women’s bodies. Zollar and Stewart used their comedy and healthcare justice expertise as writers on FX’s Dying For Sex.
In an effort to merge the power of the entertainment industry with the expertise of activists and advocates, the Yes, And… Laughter Lab collaborates with a variety of experts whose work lives at the intersection of Hollywood and social justice.
THE FELLOWSHIP & FESTIVAL
The Yes, And… Laughter Lab will select up to 12 Fellows for the lab. Training in the lab includes a three-day workshop on November 7-10 in Los Angeles to prepare the Fellows for YALL’s annual Pitch Showcase at YALL Comedy Fest in April 2026 (exact date TBA). YALL’s Pitch Showcases are a unique exhibition of top tier writers and performers sharing new comedy projects that address social issues. The pitches are judged by the panel of industry experts who will provide individualized feedback and advice to the Fellows. Fellows also receive $2,000 in funding to support their project as well as travel stipends to attend the training in Los Angeles and festival in New York.
YALL Comedy Fest is the first and only comedy festival that celebrates the power of humor to change the world. Showcasing a diverse community of Yes, And…Laughter Lab creators, YALL Comedy Fest spotlights the best comedy writers and performers who take on social justice issues while making us laugh. From pitches to table reads to stand-up, sketches, and more, YALL Comedy Fest is the place to discover some of the most talented creators in the industry for three days of next-level comedy.
Applications for the Yes, And… Laughter Lab are due by 11:59pm EST on Sunday, June 8, 2025. Visit the Yes, And… Laughter Lab website to learn more and apply at yesandlaughterlab.com/apply.
ABOUT THE YES, AND… LAUGHTER LAB
Created in 2019 by the non-profit innovation lab and research center Center for Media & Social Impact (CMSI) and creative agency Moore+Associates, the Yes, And…Laughter Lab is designed to introduce diverse comedians to the entertainment industry, social justice organizations, philanthropists and activists who can help bring their work into the entertainment marketplace – and into movements for social change.
Yes, And… Laughter Lab’s partners include leaders in comedy and social change, including 3Arts Entertainment, A Penny For Your Thoughts Entertainment, Above Average, Artists First, BoomGen Studios, CAA Foundation, CAPE, Caring Across Generations, ViacomCBS, Color Creative, Color of Change, Comedy Central, Define American, GLAAD, GloNation, Harness, Imagine Artist Management, Irony Point, Key Rat Inc., Levity Entertainment, MGM, MPAC Hollywood Bureau, MuslimArc, National Lampoon, NBCUniversal, NBCU Launch, Netflix, The Opportunity Agenda, Pillars Fund, Powderkeg Media, RAINN, RespectAbility, Spotify, Starfish Accelerator, Topple Productions, TBS, truTV, Wise Entertainment and WV Entertainment.
The Yes, And… Laughter Lab is generously supported by Doris Duke Foundation’s Building Bridges Program, MacArthur Foundation, Pop Culture Collaborative, Open Society Foundations, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
