David Studebaker
- San Francisco, CA
- Stand-Up Comedian
- 34 Verified Bookings
Susan L. said “David was the Master of Ceremonies for a dinner of about 100 attendees recognizing Small Business success stories in San Francisco, with awards given…”
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Disability Awareness with a Punch(line)! Nina G is a stuttering stand up comedian, author and international speaker. Her funny and engaging keynotes, comedy shows, EAG presentations and book events educate people about the Disability experience.
Services are available in person and virtually!
Phenomenal comedian who is hilarious and insightful at the same time. She skillfully uses humor to educate the public about stuttering and disabilities, in general.
We were looking for a guest speaker for our corporate event celebrating International Day of Persons with Disabilities and I stumbled upon Nina's previous Ted Talks. I was immediately drawn to her contagious energy and knew she would be perfect for our event. I loved how Nina tailored her presentation to our community's needs. She was flexible and extremely communicative through the whole process.
Nina brought life to the conversation through her witty banter, reframing "disability", and opening up the floor for our audience to ask genuine questions. After Nina's presentation, I kept receiving outstanding reviews about how much they loved Nina, would love to see her again, and even wanting to purchase her book. Nina reminded us to laugh and check our own "icebergs" to see what's lying under the surface.
Just got done reading some of the best reviews we've received for professional development programming at our college, including, "Best flex day event since I have worked here since 2010," and "Real, tangible ways to alter our practice to better serve students, and great humor!" Nina was responsive, dependable, and delivered a terrific professional learning experience for our classified professionals, faculty, and administration.
Nina participated in a special panel event we hosted on Learning Disabilities. She shared her story, mixed with her unique comedic approach, and helped the participants understand that disabilities aren't the same things as limitations. She was great to work with and was very professional. I would definitely recommend her if you are looking for someone who can help your company understand the abilities (not limitations) of someone with a diagnosed disability!
Nina provided incredible emcee services for a Community Day performance at the Art Center. She was super communicative, organized, proactive, and a hilarious performer. Thanks Nina G!
We hired Nina G. to provide comedy and storytelling for a virtual fundraising event for our high school. We found her knowledgeable and full of suggestions of how we could improve the event. She also provided insight into the whole virtual experience and followed our guidelines for what we wanted. All in all, we raised over our goal in part to Nina's professionalism and flexibility.
Nina G is a great performer! She performed for my school virtually and did an amazing job. She was very easy to contact and responded quickly so that I could plan the event in a timely manner. Her performance brought the whole audience laughter and Nina’s story was inspiring to all. I strongly recommend booking Nina for future events. Even though it will be virtual for the time being, it felt like she was speaking right to us as if we were all in the crowd. Thanks again, Nina!
It was a privilege to work with Nina G., and we hope to work with her again in the future when we can invite her to present on campus in person. She was very easy to work with, and she accommodated all of our requests in regards to what we wanted her to include in the presentation. Below are just a few of the comments we received from our students, and we highly recommend Nina G. to anyone who is looking for a presenter who can inspire and engage their audience.
“So inspirational. :)”
"Amazing presentation and inspirational person! :)"
“I enjoyed this presentation very much, much love to Nina G.”
Nina did a book reading with us, focusing on her very funny and thoughtful book, Stutterer Interrupted. She was great to work with in preparing the event, did a great job promoting it (bringing new people into our orbit!), and brought great energy, warmth, and reflection the whole way through. I laughed just about the entire event - except when she was making a point so poignant that we all paused. She handled a big range of personal and practical questions with empathy, creating a space that felt empowering and energizing. A big bright spot in an otherwise tough time! In short, you want to work with Nina!!
My group, UW NSSLHA, hired Nina to do a book-reading, Q&A, and powerpoint presentation about her experience with stuttering via zoom. Overall, it was an awesome experience. It was the perfect way to celebrate national stuttering awareness week. :)
Nina G came to speak to my class of apprx 25 college students on Zoom (thanks, COVID) and was amazingly engaging! Students hadn't been turning on their cameras or engaging much over the platform, and her relaxed style as well as direct suggestions for how to engage (e.g. 'respond in the chat box') really helped us reengage. She talked about disability culture, microaggressions, being a disabled student in higher education, and of course, comedy. It was a wonderful combination of education and humor - just what we needed. Thanks, Nina!!!
Nina G and comedian Mean Dave packed our college's theater, combining standup and enlightenment about disability awareness and how to be an ally. Our students were rapt and engaged, and they had a ton of questions and comments during the Q & A. Nina's and Dave's styles complemented each other and really opened up our students. The show was overall informative, too, providing a unique perspective. I'm really glad that they came to our campus! Highly recommend.
I spent the first half of Nina G.'s talk/set wondering if this was part of her speaking repertoire or comedy routine before realizing it was both! Nina's ability to combine her talents along with her story and a call to action on awareness and how to address it in the workplace was invigorating.
Nina G came and spoke at The Coca-Cola Company's headquarters on National Stuttering Day to enlighten our employees about what it means to be inclusive and a good ally. The message was light hearted and funny, but also brought awareness to her experiences that everyone should hear in order to be more inclusive in the workplace. Beyond a great performance that our employees really enjoyed, she was extremely professional and a delight to partner with to create this special work place event. I highly recommend her.
Nina visited our large corporation as part of a disability awareness event. Knowing that Nina was a comedian, I expected a comedy show. However, after hearing Nina, I hesitate to call it a "show" or "performance," because even though it was 100% entertaining, it was also 100% genuine as she shared her story and educated us about stuttering -- all with a major dose of humor. I especially appreciated her sharing some stories about navigating the office/professional environment with a speech difference. She was thoroughly engaging and heartwarming. Thank you, Nina, for sharing with us!
Nina G gave a talk at the Livermore Public Library on October 13, 2019. We had a nice audience, comprising of adults, parents, and teens. Nina was amusing and enlightening. The folks enjoyed listening to her stories and insights. She talked about an important subject that is not discussed enough in our communities. I would wholeheartedly recommend Nina G for your venue!
Nina G gave an awesome training for San Mateo County Libraries staff around inclusive communication, universal learning design, dyslexia, and stuttering. She packed a lot in to just an hour and half and yet staff didn't leave feeling overwhelmed. She made it interactive and had creative ways to show the difference in brain activity for a typical adult and an adult with dyslexia. She had a lot of knowledge about what each part of the brain does for us as well. She gave us informative postcard sized handout that talked about how to make the library more welcoming for people who stutter. I would love to have her back to train other staff and I highly recommend Nina as a trainer for public librarians.
We were lucky enough to book Nina G as the opening keynote for our 2019 Oregon Statewide Transition Conference. She was a joy to work with from beginning to end. Her keynote was inspiring, enjoyable, and full of passion! As the person who booked Nina G for this event, I had many, many of our attendees approach me to express how fabulous Nina G's keynote was and that they truly enjoyed and appreciated her message. She is an absolute gem and I feel fortunate to have gotten to work with her and hear her message!
Nina G came to our school last week and did an amazing presentation about her journey with Learning Differences. She was engaging, funny and most of all, totally authentic in storytelling. This is the second time I've heard Nina and she did not disappoint!
We recently brought Nina to our community college to speak for International Day of Persons with Disability. It happened to be pouring rain that day, but we had a much higher attendance rate than other presentations we put on through the Cultural Awareness Center... We had a mixed audience of students with and without disabilities, and staff and faculty. She spoke eloquently about her experience with dyslexia and stuttering, navigating the school system (and comedy) with a disability, and learning how to identify proudly as an individual with a disability. All this while weaving in hilarious jokes. She had a line a mile long of students wanting to talk to her afterward, and she patiently spoke to each of them. She truly blew it out of the water and I would bring her back on campus in a heartbeat!!!
Wow! Nina G was fantastic! She mixed humor with real time issues relating the learning differences (dyslexia). The audience definitely connected with her and were fully engaged as she navigated through her conversation/discussion. Nina G came across relaxed, yet confident, while talking and sharing her experiences, all the while making us laugh! Thank you Nina G!
The University at Albany hosted Nina G as our key note speaker for our Disability Awareness month and then had the privilege of seeing her in full performance mode that evening. Her talk during our awards presentation was spot on and brought praise fro upper administration.
Her evening performance was funny and gave insight in to the life of stuttering. And she is so right, the biggest hurdle a person with disabilities has to over come is the attitude of "jerks".
Nina G we loved you and hope to have you come back some day!! Thanks for a great talk and performance!
Nina performed at our community college for our Disability Awareness Day and everyone loved her so much!! Not only is she hilarious, but she provides awareness about stuttering, learning disabilities, and all disabilities in general. In her one performance, she helped students with disabilities feel more comfortable with and confident about themselves and helped people without disabilities feel comfortable talking about it. The students had nothing but great things to say about her and we hope to someday have her back to perform/present again!!!
We could not have asked for more when Nina G. agreed to be the guest speaker for our fundraiser. She was heartwarming, so funny, and an amazing presence at our event. She had the whole room in tears, and I cannot wait to invite her back for our next event!
Nina is absolutely wonderful! She is friendly, kind, and easy to work with. She spoke with our staff and did a wonderful job talking about disabilities, disability services, and accommodations. Everyone left the presentation better educated and with thoughts on how to better support individuals with intellectual disabilities. Nina also provided a comedy show as part of a fundraising event later in the evening. Not only did the show make people laugh, she helped the audience think about disability issues in a whole new light. We are extremely thankful we had the opportunity to work with her. Thank you Nina!
Nina G was our keynote speaker for the Oregon Association on Higher Education and Disability Fall Conference. She was EXACTLY what we were looking for in a keynote, she was engaging, informative, funny, serious, and pushed our boundaries. You should book her today!
Nina G came to our college campus as the concluding event for Disability Awareness Week. She presented information about learning disabilities in an easy to understand way that was appropriate for the students, staff, and teachers in our audience. Her humor kept everyone engaged, and the interpretive dance was effective in getting the audience to understand what dyslexia is like and why extra time is a necessary accommodation. Nina G was easy to work with, always quick to resond, reliable, and professional. It was great to have her!
Nina G provided a keynote presentation as well as facilitated 2 panel discussions of adults with disabilities. I had so many participants come to me, some in tears of gratitude, thanking me for bringing her in. She shares her perspective and story in a way that really allows for others to see what people with disabilities may be experiencing, and she's also really funny! I would highly recommend bringing her to speak to your team!
Nina was such a pleasure to work with, as our MC for the recent Education Revolution (EdRev) at AT&T park! From the very beginning stages of planning, through out-reach efforts to raise awareness of the event, and all the way through to the big day - I was thrilled to have her a part of our team. She read connected with and read the crowd well, kept the program on track, and of course kept things light! We especially got a kick out of how her and Dave announced our Art Contest winners - such a clever and creative accommodation!
Nina G and Michael Beers provided the keynote at the Montana Association of Secondary School Principals state conference in April, 2017. They are perfect for a large group! She has an interactive and humorous way to impart an important message. She's also spoken to our student body and is equally effective. I'd recommend her for any group - small or large, student or adult.
Nina was seriously wonderful, bring both laughs and fascinating insights to high school students. Her own personal presence was one of confidence and respect, but not imposing, so the atmosphere in the room was very inviting and comfortable. The journey we were lucky to have her share with us filled me with a sense of appreciation, as well as some honestly good laughs.
Nina presented to my staff of special education school bus drivers for the San Ramon Valley Unified School District. Nina brought with her Dr. Michelle Hernandez. The message touched my staff deeply, how school bus drivers impact the lives of the students they transport from the perspective of individuals with disabilities. Nina being a comedian as well as an educator and author delivers her message in the most entertaining way. The drivers were so inspired and touched by Nina and Michelle, they could thank me enough for inviting them. I highly recommend Nina for any event, she is so inspiring and funny!!
I had heard good things about Nina G. as a comedian and speaker, and she lived up to every positive thing! She even surpassed our expectations! Nina spoke to the high school age students with disabilities at our Kansas Youth Leadership Forum, and she was a wonderful speaker. Our youth loved her and really connected with her humor and her story. Nina was interactive, hilarious, articulate, and understood how to connect with teens. Not only that, but we heard lots of compliments from the adults in the room as well. She was able to appeal to all ages. Nina was also really great about working with us on a price that could work with our non-profit budget. I would highly recommend Nina G. for any audience or event! She is a fantastic, energetic keynote speaker!
Nina G was the keynote speaker at the 2016 MEGA Conference in Cheyenne, Wyoming. She was motivational, dynamic, and engaging. People who attended had positive things to say and hope she will come back and speak again. She wove comedy into her presentations - but hit serious notes when talking about being an advocate and self-esteem. She is awesome and thoroughly entertaining!!
Saw Nina G for the first time at USF for Disability Awareness Week. She was one of the most funny, educational, warm, and engaging speakers I have ever seen. Not only did she provide a comprehensive overview of disabilities in general, learning disabilities, and stuttering, she did so with humor, wit, and compassion. Her stories were touching and funny, but also educational. She did not "hit you over the head with the disability/ADA bat" but, instead, provided a narrative that brought the listener inside the experience of a person with a disability. Nina G is a true professional, and someone I will see again and again. Excellent performance!
We hired Nina to come perform for a Disability Awareness Week event on our college campus and the audience walked away laughing, talking about the performance and already saying how we'd like to bring her back for another event. Nina is hilarious, knowledgeable, approachable and absolutely rolls with the punches. Thanks for a great time Nina, hope to see you soon!
The Rural Institute for Inclusive Communities partnered with Summit Independent Living Center to bring Nina G to western Montana. Nina presented to 2 groups at the University of Montana: a morning presentation on accessibility to our Access Partners group and an evening presentation and panel discussion with Mike Beers of Summit on the topics of disability and inclusion.
Having a formal and informal appearance with similar content allowed us to target specific audiences for each presentation and both were well-received. Nina offers great tidbits on how to host successful events on her website and she was was sure to tailor her presentation to the audience and situation. Nina was easy to work with and made sure to ask questions and confirm details as needed. I would love to work with Nina again!
Nina G presented at the 2015 Montana Youth in Transition conference and was very well received by everyone in attendance. Our audience consists of youth, parents, educators and service providers from various agencies, and she was able to impact audience members from all those groups.
One teacher commented: “She had an amazing and empowering presentation that inspired my students to work towards greater self-acceptance, self-advocacy and activism”. Her use of humor, personal stories of struggle and triumph, and peppering it all with powerful tools for lives in transition, made for a highly motivating and inspirational presentation.
Nina G. emcee'd Superfest: International Disability Film Festival for the second year in a row in November 2015. This year was twice as hard - two days, two venues, a tough challenge knowing that some people would come for the whole thing whereas others would be new at each session. And, quite simply, she nailed it. So obviously she's hilarious, but my favorite part of working with Nina is how calm she stays throughout. We threw last minute changes at her, and she kept was wonderful at running with the punches. She moderated three Q&A panels with the filmmakers and gracefully ensured that everyone spoke, helped the chatty people wrap their comments up, etc. She's just amazing.
We hired Nina for two events on campus as part of our Disability Awareness Month Celebration. Nina Performed her one woman comedy show followed by a Q & A, then returned the next day to host a seminar on Universal Access. Her comedy show was the perfect blend of humor and social activism. She was a big hit with everyone from students to administrators, finding a way to connect to, and engage our diverse student population. We were very pleased with both events. Nina was a pleasure to work with from the very start and remained flexible throughout the entire process. She did her research and really tailored her show to the audience, which was greatly appreciated. We would hire her again in a heartbeat!
We booked Nina G. for Disability Acceptance Week at my university. She's definitely funny, but we got a lot more than a comedian--her social and cultural commentary was exceedingly on point. She performs important social activism through her comedy. This was definitely more than I bargained for (in a good way) when booking a comedian. She is able to be funny, insightful, scathing, and approachable all at once. On a business note, throughout the booking process, she was an excellent communicator: flexible, direct, and reliable. I'd book her again!
Nina G came and spoke at The 8th Annual Youth Summit put on by The Florida Youth Council, she was awesome! Her presentation was about self-esteem in young people with disabilities. She had a great presentation and completely confident the entire way through! I definitely recommend her for any event involving youth with disabilities!
Nina G was incredible on all levels. From our first phone call to the actual event, I was very pleased with the services she provided. She tailored her talk perfectly for our community audience. Her anti-bullying presentation mixed along with personal anecdotes gave us much insight into the world of a stutterer. Her words were also a source of strength and motivation for everyone present. I would highly recommend hiring Nina G for your next event.
Nina G. is a great trainer who can really connect with each of person. With staff having different skills and different beliefs, Nina presented a universal approach that we can all support. My team enjoyed the presentations, discussions and "Bingo" exercise. All in all, it was a wonderful opportunity to learn. It was also awesome to hear about Nina's own life experiences. We look forward to Nina's next training.
I have attended several of Nina's talks/presentations, and she is always phenomenal. I gain new and useful information every single time. We like her so much we ask her to come back to our company once a year. This year we asked her to speak about issues around disabilities. She blends information, awareness and humor in her presentations. She has a great way of presenting information and creating space for audience members to ask questions. She is engaging and shares very relevant personal experiences to illustrate her teaching points. She's warm, charismatic and very funny. We can't wait to have her come back to speak next year!
Nina was flexible with the 2 presentations we did: One for students and one for staff/faculty. She catered the presentation to what the audience was interested in learning more about. For example, she focused on activism with the students and accessibility with staff. We really enjoyed her stories which helped to make the stories relatable to everyone in the audience. I especially enjoyed the dyslexia Dance as a physical way to explain internal processing.
Nina was flexible with the 2 presentations we did: One for students and one for staff/faculty. She catered the presentation to what the audience was interested in learning more about. For example, she focused on activism with the students and accessibility with staff. We really enjoyed her stories which helped to make the stories relatable to everyone in the audience. I especially enjoyed the dyslexia Dance as a physical way to explain internal processing.
On Sunday, Nov 2, we hired Nina G. to emcee our disability film festival. This is the smartest move we made for this year's event. From her jokes to her intellect to her tact as a Q&A moderator, she nailed it. We'd hire her again in a heartbeat.
Nina was fantastic! The parents, students and faculty at Bayhill High School very much enjoyed her presentation. Everyone could relate to her experiences.
We hired Nina G for a corporate event focusing on raising disability awareness. The event could not have gone better thanks to Nina G. She used the perfect mix of humor and education to drive the point across. I would highly recommend her.
Nina has the extraordinary ability of bringing together her experience a teacher, training as a academic, and skill as a stand-up comedian to help raise awareness about and promote action on disability rights. I had the opportunity to watch her give the keynote speech at the Wyoming Youth Leadership Forum last summer and was very impressed by the way in which she was able to engage and hold the attention of an audience of young people with a significant range in developmental and cognitive abilities. She brought practical and theoretical insights about learning disabilities to life with her humorous illustrations and personal charisma. Whether she is speaking to the disability community or the general public, she does so in such a way that invites people to think more deeply and compassionately about the ways in which we see and treat each other (and ourselves) based on our differences. With quick wit and deep wisdom, she challenges us to embrace the fullness of our lives, including our limitations, as a vital part of creating communities that value the full participation of each member.
Nina provided an eight hour training for our staff on issues surrounding disability and universal design. Nine delivered the information in different modalities, visual, audio and kinetic which assured each learning style was able to access what was being presented. Nina has a strong grasp of her subject matter, which is at its hard complex and often hard to understand. Nina made it clear, provided space for questions and conversations. She is professional and warm and the day went by very quickly for all the attendees.
I highly recommend Nina as trainer and look forward to having an opportunity to work with her again.
Nina G performed in three events that I co-produced at Los Angeles City College. Two were in 2011 and one was in 2012.
The first was a variety show in association with Krip Hop Nation. The second and third were comedy fundraisers with The Comedians with Disabilities Act, of which Nina is a member. These took place at the world famous Laugh Factory in Hollywood. Nina and the comedians also gave motivational speeches to the campus.
Nina is very funny and very smart.
Nina G. is booking great comedy shows into the Pacific Pinball Museum. We are averaging one show per month. Our patrons love the her shows which have a lot of intellectual content as well as edgy humor! Pinball and comedy go well together.
Price Range: Varies
Gig Length: 15 - 200 minutes
Languages: English
Whether Nina is doing her night club comedy act or a motivational speech to children, you can expect honesty, dignity, and humor. Through stand up comedy, humorous keynotes, and interactive workshops, Nina brings experiences of disability to the forefront, helping to change attitudes and validate personal experiences. She has educated thousands of educators, professionals, and parents through her workshops and speaking engagements. Topics include self-esteem, universal design/accessibility, accessible teaching techniques for children and adults with and without disabilities, advocacy, and developing empathy for people with disabilities. She performs consistently with The Comedians with Disabilities Act.
New for 2023: EAG presentation and consultation for raise Disability awareness
Employee Affinity Groups (EAGs) have made advances in their organizations. These groups advocate across many different identities and interests as diversity and inclusion stand out as a necessary part in making the workplace better for everyone. In recent years Disability/Ability groups have started to pop up in many corporate and collegial organizations. The goal of these groups is often, but not limited, to:
-Educate nondisabled employees about disability issues including etiquette and basic questions
-Reflect the experiences of Disabled employees and family members of Disabled individuals
-Introduce and facilitate Disability centered recruitment, mentoring and retainment of employees
Nina G has been working with corporations, K-12 schools and colleges to make their institutions more accessible and welcoming to people with disabilities since 2000. Armed with a doctorate in psychology and 13 years as a professional comedian, she is able to blend these worlds making her message of inclusion for people with disabilities accessible to all audiences through humor, storytelling and vital information. Nina has worked with Coca Cola, Oracle, Geico, PG&E and countless other colleges and organizations. Nina is engaging both in person and online in her presentations.
Nina G is a stuttering stand up comedian and dyslexic writer. She so also an author, professional speaker, and advocate. She has made countless audiences laugh while educating them about disability issues and equity. Nina breaks down stigma, raises awareness and helps people reach their potential as allies to the Disability community. Audiences have included college students and instructors, speech therapists, K-12 educators, helping professionals (psychologists, social workers, counselors, etc.), and mainstream audiences at comedy clubs like the San Francisco Punchline and Los Angeles Laugh Factory.
Nina works solo as a public speaker and educator and also tours with the comedy troupes The Comedians with Disabilities Act and Feminist Tendencies (an all-female comedy troupe aimed to empower diverse young women). Whatever your event, she is able to work collaboratively to meet the needs of your organization. Examples of presentations include:
• Keynote speaker
• EAG (Employee Affinity Group) speaker
• One person show (Stutterer Interrupted)
• College performances
• Disability Awareness presentation, activities and discussion
• Teacher training on universal design for the classroom for elementary, high school, or college
• Classroom/Small group discussions on specific topics:
- Overcoming obstacles to success
- Self-esteem and Disability
- Study Skills
- Advocacy
- General information about stuttering and/or learning disabilities
For more information on Nina G at (link hidden).
About Nina G
Nina G is the San Francisco Bay Area's favorite female stuttering stand up comedian (granted she is the only one). She is also a disability advocate and writer. When she isn’t performing at comedy clubs like the San Francisco Punchline or the Laugh Factory, she is playing colleges and presenting as a keynote speaker! Nina is part of the comedy troupe The Comedians with Disabilities Act, which brings laughter and awareness to audiences of all ages across the country.
She is the author of three books: Bay Area Stand-Up Comedy: A Humorous History, Stutterer Interrupted: The Comedian Who Almost Didn't Happen and children’s book, Once Upon An Accommodation: A Book About Learning Disabilities, that helps children and adults advocate for their rights as a person with a Disability. Nina's one person show, Going Beyond Inspirational, which is a comical exploration about growing up with Learning and Speech Disabilities debuted in 2015 and was featured CBS San Francisco Local. Also in 2015 the first ever comedy compilation of all comedians with disabilities was released which featured the Comedians with Disabilities Act, Nina's comedy troupe.
Flexible based on venue.
Speaking engagements vary depending on the topic and audience. As needed, workshops contain interactive components and group discussions.
Too many funny and passionate people to name!
Varies
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I am a very clean professional funny comedian. My act is suitable for all ages and professional settings. I am perfect for all private parties, corporate gigs.…