Greg Schwem

Corporate Humorist
Greg Schwem's Headshot
  • Comedian, author, nationally syndicated humor columnist, and award-winning greeting card author
  • Gives a hilarious overview of today’s corporate world and demonstrates how laughter motivates employees
  • Energetic speaker who cleverly customizes his material for each company

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Greg Schwem’s comedic take on the 21st century workplace and work/life balance has landed him on SIRIUS Radio, FOX News, Comedy Central, and the pages of Parents Magazine. More than just a business humorist, Greg is also an author, nationally-syndicated humor columnist, award-winning greeting card writer, and creator of funnydadinc, voted one of the top Dad humor sites of 2016.  His recent business travels have resulted in a hilarious web series, A Comedian Walks Into an AirBNB.

A graduate of Northwestern University’s prestigious Medill School of Journalism, Greg never envisioned a career in laughter. Instead, he settled in Florida, becoming an award-winning reporter for NBC-owned WPTV in West Palm Beach. But the comedy bug bit Greg hard and he returned to his hometown of Chicago, where he honed his standup act in nightclubs. When he began inserting material about business and technology into his act, audience members approached him and said, “You really should come down to my office and tell those jokes.” Behold! A new approach to comedy was born.

Greg’s two keynotes—“Work, Laugh, Repeat” and “Rock, Roll & Laugh Your Way to the Top”—provide hilarious looks at today’s corporate environment and the latest tools used to conduct business. Indeed, Greg’s client list includes such corporate heavyweights as McDonald’s, Microsoft, General Motors, IBM, Hyatt Hotels, United Airlines, and Cisco Systems. What sets Greg apart from other corporate entertainers is his ability—and willingness—to customize material for his audience while working within the parameters of the corporate environment. That means no profanity or politically incorrect material. “That’s never been a part of my show anyway,” Greg recently told a reporter.

When Greg hits the stage he already has perused the company’s Internet site, combed the internal message boards and even sifted through numerous PowerPoint presentations. “There is no such thing as too much information,” Greg says. “I know corporate audiences like to laugh at themselves so the more ammunition I get, the funnier it will be. Just don’t give me a 10-K report. There is NOTHING funny about that.”

Greg’s preparation always includes a conference call with company executives and, in some cases, an onsite visit.

Customized Material From Past Shows

John Hancock: You sell the U.S. Global Leader Growth Fund.  Is there a U.S. Regional Follower Growth Fund as well?

Michigan Realtors Association: Your organization has been around since 1915?  What kind of sessions did realtors attend at the 1915 convention? “The do’s and dont’s of selling that log cabin!”

Campbell’s Soup:  You make “premium organic” baby food? Don’t you realize that, after the baby eats your incredibly healthy food, he’s gonna grab a fistful of the cat’s hair and eat that too?

Besides customized material, Greg entertains audiences with stories about tedious business meetings, SmartPhone addiction, “frequently” asked questions and his fascination with the American Girl Doll company. In addition to his hefty speaking schedule, Greg writes a weekly humor column nationally distributed by Tribune Content Agency. He also is the author of the books, Text Me If You’re Breathing: Observations, Frustrations and Life Lessons From a Low-Tech Dad and The Road to Success Goes Through the Salad Bar:  A Pile of BS (Business Stories) From a Corporate Comedian.

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Speaker Video

Greg Schwem Hilarious Business Speaker Demo 2024

Meet Business Humor Speaker and MC Greg Schwem

You Can't Quarantine Laughter

Rock Roll & Laugh Your Way to the Top

EMCEE Reel

Work, Laugh, Repeat. Perfect for any group that needs a humorous break from the serious side of business. In spite of its therapeutic qualities, laughter is often absent from the business environment.  Greg shows it is possible to laugh at work and about work. Audience members will put down their iPads and Blackberries and laugh along with Greg as he good-naturedly discusses topics such as Smart Phone abuse, social network overload, never-ending conference calls, “frequently” asked questions, and home office workers. His preparation includes company web site research, phone conferences, and maybe even a personal visit! 

If Laughter is Healthy, Why Aren't We All OK? We all need to laugh at work. But is it okay to laugh at work? And about work? High profile incidents like the Will Smith slap and the Dave Chapelle Netflix controversy have the corporate world talking about the role of humor in the workplace and the definition of “funny.” What Gen X finds uproarious, Gen Z might find “offensive” or “inappropriate” Who is correct? In a hilarious yet thought provoking presentation, renowned business humorist and award-winning Chicago Tribune humor columnist Greg Schwem challenges his audience to realize that curtailing humor in the workplace also stifles creativity, teamwork and employee wellness. For those who say, “we aren’t a funny company” or “this isn’t a good time for us to be laughing,” Greg disagrees. Using real world examples, Greg explores how companies have increased sales and overcome negative publicity through humor. Unlike speakers who dub themselves “humor experts,” yet provide no answers, Greg, a 30- year standup comedy veteran, offers suggestions for how to navigate this slippery slope while laughing the entire time.

Rock, Roll & Laugh Your Way to the Top. Greg Schwem knows a thing or two about rock and roll.  As a comedian who has opened concerts for stars ranging from Keith Urban, to Celine Dion, to Pat Benatar to (wait for it) KC and the Sunshine Band, Greg has seen how rock and roll is really a business. Like your business.  In short?  Every company and employee has "rock star" potential.  Greg shows you how to achieve that potential in a presentation that combines hilarious comedy, live concert footage and a musical soundtrack featuring everything from classic rock to country to EDM (electronic dance music for you music neophytes.) Topics include "Why Every Office Needs a Keith Richards," "Are you Team Taylor or Team Kanye?," and "Don't Turn Your Company Into a Country Song." Rock on!

Remove the Tumor, Find the Humor: In January 2024, while in the midst of a late in life divorce, corporate comedian and business humor speaker Greg Schwem was diagnosed with a malignant tumor lying flat on his colon.


Divorce and cancer in one year. Other than that, how was the play, Mrs. Lincoln?


Facing an uncertain outcome, Schwem was forced to adopt what he had been preaching to corporate clients such as Microsoft, Oracle and AT&T for years: Locate humor in the unfunniest of situations, during times
when everything seems hopeless. With a laptop propped up on hospital pillows, Schwem began writing…and writing…and writing. The result was Remove a Tumor, Find the Humor, a hilarious, multimedia-fueled presentation that talks candidly, and comedically, about how triumphing over personal struggles, business challenges, or both, is so much easier when laughter plays a role.


Some insights from the presentation, most of which were written without the help of pain medication:


For two weeks after surgery, all I did was eat, sleep and attempt to poop. Basically, I had the day planner of an infant


My surgeon kept telling me passing gas any time was a good thing. I handed him my phone and said, “Please call my wife and repeat what you just said.”

Emcee/Host. Performing live or virtually, Greg can host an event separately or in addition to one of his three keynotes.

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