New York City's premier modern comedy school that amplifies womxn+ and underrepresented voices through our exclusive comedic blueprints that are unparalleled in the industry. Our signature offerings, interactive approach and innovative how-to guides make comedy approachable, accessible and supportive. We're not just about about punch lines but
punching through barriers!
Chris Gethard
Comedian, Author, Podcaster
"I have such high hopes for TLC. Christi isn't just hilarious - she really cares about people. This project has the potential to empower a lot of voices and foster a lot of good art."
Nicole Byer
Emmy Nominated Host, Comedian
"When people are like, ’Nicole where should I go to study comedy?’ I say, ‘First of all, who are you?’ Then I tell them all about The LaughtHER Collective. Christi & Hope are doing something very special with TLC & I can’t recommend them enough. They provide their students with tangible tools to become better comics. They LOVE what they do and it shows. Also I am bias I love Christi in an intimate way."
Matteo Lane
Variety's Top 10 Comics to Watch
"I am super excited about TLC. I love Christi; she is inspiring, hilarious and actually gives a damn about people which makes me think this project could help a ton of voices be heard."
What the community is saying about TLC...
"Jes & I couldn't stop talking about how thoughtfully this panel was curated. How you didn't just ask what it was like being a woman in comedy." - Robby Hoffman Showtime & Jes Tom Netflix on our 2022 NYCF Panel
"Christi's class was one of the best experiences I've had, and I can't recommend her enough! She was thoughtful with her lessons and not only gave incredible course material. Her notes and guidance helped to take my comedy to the next level, and I am forever grateful for her encouragement along the way." - Vannessa Jackson Saturday Night Live
"I am so happy we live in a time where TLC exists. It is so important to diversity voices and perspectives in comedy. Providing resources and community is vital." - Mary Beth Barone The Tonight Show, RIDE
"Christi really takes the time to cover every aspect of the job, from specific joke writing structure and skills to managing yourself as a business. Any student of comedy would be lucky to learn from Christi!" - Amy Miller Comedy Central
"Christi's class was the single best thing I have done for my comedy. My comedy is so much funnier and so much more ME because of Christi's joyful, warm and wise teaching." - Abby Wambaugh 2021 Funny Women Award Finalist
"Christi's ability to relate and empathize helps her connect to students from every background and skill level. I wish I had a mentor/cheerleader like her when I first started in the business!" - Giulia Rozzi Conan, Comedy Central
"Christi puts the most thought and care into supporting women and helping them develop their own gifts. She's also one of the best performers around!" - Blair Socci The Late Late show with James Corden
"Christi and Hope as are encouraging as they are informed (which is VERY)! Wherever you're at in your creative process - starting out or a pro looking for teammates on a new venture, I totally recommend them and their school to the fullest!" - Emma Willman Netflix, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
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Stronger, Collectively!
We offer a one-of-a-kind innovative curriculum, consisting of exclusive comedic blueprints, how-to guides, signature workshops, practical coursework, performance platforms, community connection, accountability programs and an empowering mission that's not just about entertainment - but about EMPOWERMENT!
Our commitment to comedy education extends beyond traditional teaching methods by using a hands-on, demonstrative and interactive approach. Our vision goes beyond entertainment; we believe comedy is a gateway to building essential life skills, from confidence to resilience. By making comedy approachable, accessible and showcasing its practical applications, we empower students to discover their unique comedic voice.
Get to know us!
By challenging norms, we are creating meaningful dialogues, turning laughter into healing and enacting social progress along the way. We offer an essential, contemporary and healthy guide for any comedian wherever they’re at.
The HER in The LaughtHER Collective is because we are led by womxn+, but we are working for anyone who's felt overlooked and underrepresented, which requires us all. Bottom Line: EVERYONE IS WELCOME!
Our programs have helped develop professional stand up comedians and writers who have gone on to work for:
+ many more! Plus past students have Followings in the MILLIONS!
As seen in:
Collabs include:
TLC Education
Whether you’re an aspiring stage performer or an experienced comedian looking to take your career to the next level, we have an offering for you!
TLC EDUCATION is comprised of three branches:
Preparation Program, Group Study, & Personal Development
each has their own necessary component for holistic growth.
Meet the Co-Founders!
Hi! We're Christi Somers (formerly Chiello) and Hope D. Combined, we have decades of experience in entertainment, higher education, and career counseling. Our unique and encouraging co-teaching approach makes stand up comedy approachable, accessible and supportive. Our classrooms ensure that every voice, from the quirky to the quiet, gets it's chance to shine in the spotlight.
Hope D!
Hope is a comedian and comedy educator based right outside of Philly. Since 2022, Hope has helped students land coveted jobs on Showtime, Netflix, Saturday Night Live and various humor publications. Hope has been featured in Time Out New York, WNYC and Broadway World for her thoughtful moderation of the New York Comedy Festival’s ‘Women in Comedy’ panel at The Stand. Hope is also proud to be collaborating with Chris Gethard on Laughing Together, bridging humor and mental health for school communities. Hope obtained their Master’s Degree in Leadership from Manhattan College. They have extensive experience in higher education, career counseling and non profit sectors; including a 6 year contribution to help eradicate poverty with the Harlem Children’s Zone and teaching a comedy intensive at Muhlenberg College. While taking graduate courses, Hope began their comprehensive comedy training at both the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater and The People’s Improv Theatre where they studied stand up, improvisation, and sketch comedy both performance and writing. Hope went on to be selected for the NY Underground Comedy Festival’s Diversity Showcase and has performed on dozens of stages in NYC and the greater New England area.
Christi Somers!
Christi Somers is a stand up comedian and comedy educator based in Queens. She is one of the co-founders of The LaughtHER Collective, a modern NYC-based comedy school that amplifies womxn+ and underrepresented voices. Christi made her television debut on Comedy Central's Roast Battle, opposite legend Jimmy Carr. She has been featured on Comedy Central Stand Up Featuring, This Joka presented by Will Smith, TruTV's Rachel Dratch's Late Night Snack & Comedy Knockout, Kevin Hart's LOL Network, Chris Gethard Presents & IFC's Comedy Crib. Christi was named a 'New Face of Comedy' at the International Just For Laughs Comedy Festival. Her one woman show at Joe's Pub was featured in the NY Times and hailed a “must see comedy event” by Time Out New York. Christi is an accomplished voice over artist, currently featured on PBS's Pinkalicious and Peterrific & Adult Swim's Teenage Euthanasia. She made her film debut in 'Molli and Max in the Future,' which premiered at SXSW this year and opened the Lower East Side Film Festival. In addition to co-founding The LaughtHER Collective, Christi has taught on a collegiate level at Sarah Lawrence College, Muhlenberg College and Hunter College. She is proud to work with the nonprofit organization Stand Up! Girls, an after-school program that teaches stand up comedy to girls in underserved communities. This year, Christi spoke at the Student Mental Wellness Conference in Anaheim, CA on the benefits of using humor and play in the classroom. Christi is currently the opening act for Nicole Byer on her national theater tour!
Our Story!
Hope D was originally an advanced student of Christi's during the height of Covid lockdown in 2020! Christi immediately took notice of not only Hope's natural talents but also her hunger for knowledge and inexorability. Although it was a stand up class for womxn+ that brought them together, what united them was (believe it or not) grief. Both Hope & Christi lost their beloved mothers in eerily similar ways and found tremendous comfort and healing through their shared experiences. The duo wanted to use comedy techniques and training to amplify other womxn+ and underrepresented people while providing a warm, encouraging and safe community to heal and grow as artists. Although they had some pitfalls at first (for a time they thought about being HERSterical Productions?) they landed on The LaughtHER Collective in March of 2021. And the rest is HERtory!
Our Pillars are W.H.A.T!
Like womxn+ and diverse communities, each of our pillars supports one another!
Womxn+
We are womxn+ led and focused on amplifying the underrepresented comedian. We equip people with tools, resources and opportunities to narrow the gender gap in every industry, but in stand up specifically. Womxn+ and diversity make up less than 25% of the stand up industry. A disparity we will disrupt.
Healing
Laughter is the best medicine which makes stand up comedians, doctor. It may sound ridiculous, but humor has been proven to heal and extend your life. Don't believe us take a look at these studies from the Mayo Clinic, American University and the Stanford Business School.
Authenticity
Like carbon emissions, we are offsetting an imbalance that should not exist to ensure that each and every voice can be heard shared and developed. We refuse to lose another unique perspective, joke or delivery because it's from someone other than a person identifying as a man.
Tenacity
Through guidance, support and opportunities we are preparing and elevating everyone to exist, persist and lead with conviction. The road has already been paved thanks to collective persistence from those before us. But we're far from done. Now we're painting lines, putting up signs and building community that lasts.
!ntentional
Everything about us is intentional. There is consideration put into everything we do from our curriculum to our pillars. We are driven by purpose and supported by tenacity.