The Who, What and How of
Laughter On Call
We are a company of comedian-facilitators who are passionate about creating a sense of belonging and improving communication using proven and practical comedy tools. Our approach is always about creating connection, a goal we achieve using affiliative humor first and foremost. Our programs are run by a diverse group of professional comedian-facilitators who teach tailored and immediately impactful programming that is always “laughing with” and not “laughing at.” We’re committed to boosting morale and fostering inclusive environments, helping your team create a strong and healthy foundation for freeing creativity and increasing productivity.
We run highly interactive, engaging workshops and training in-person, virtually, and hybrid all across the US, Canada, and the world (any time zone!). Since our launch in 2018 we have worked with over 600+ companies to improve company culture, create trust and accelerate collaboration and productivity. None of this sounds funny! And yet the experience working with Laughter On Call consistently has people laughing together, feeling seen, heard and more connected to each other. They also leave with practical, applicable skills.
Founder Dani Klein Modisett taught stand up at UCLA for ten years and has written several books on the value of shared laughter for helping relationships thrive. She launched Laughter On Call after her mother became depressed facing Alzheimer’s. The idea to hire a comedian, someone not her daughter, to make her mother laugh worked. She wrote an article about the experience for AARP magazine, received hundreds of requests for comedians and launched the business.
During COVID, locked out from seniors, LOC started running live, interactive sessions for their clients. Very quickly, in addition to seniors and caregivers, perfectly lucid people showed up to feel the connection and morale boost. Since then, in addition to working with those facing Alzheimer’s, LOC has also run highly engaging, interactive team-building and wellness workshops as well as professional development and leadership training for companies around the world. Dani is also a sought after keynote speaker who teaches at top business schools.
Watch What We Do!
Meet Our Hilarious Team!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this a comedy show, or does our team actually participate?
It's not a show - it's an experience. Your team isn't watching comedians perform; they're laughing,playing, and connecting together. Our professional comedian-facilitators lead interactive improv-basedactivities where everyone participates at whatever level feels comfortable. Think of it less likeentertainment and more like the most fun your team has ever had at work while also building realpractical and immediately applicable communication skills.
My team hates team building. Will this actually work?
This is the question we hear most often… and it's our favorite to answer! The people who "hate teambuilding" are usually reacting to being forced into awkward trust falls or personality-type exercises thatfeel clinical and pointless. Laughter On Call sessions are different because they're genuinely fun first.We've had skeptics become the most enthusiastic people in the room. Our approach createspsychological safety so people can participate without feeling exposed, judged, or embarrassed. No oneis put on the spot, no one is made to look foolish, and nobody is the butt of the joke.
What's the difference between an improv workshop and a standard team building activity?
Most team building activities are one-and-done experiences - a nice afternoon that fades by thefollowing Monday. Improv-based workshops work differently because the skills you practice (activelistening, building on others' ideas, adapting in real time, communicating with confidence) are directlytransferable to how your team works every day. Participants leave with a shared vocabulary, new habits,and (honestly!) inside jokes that last for years. It's team building that has a Monday-morning impact.
Who is this for? What size companies and industries do you work with?
We work with individuals and teams of 5 to 1,500+, from startups to Fortune 500 companies. Ourclients span technology, financial services, healthcare and pharma, professional services, media,nonprofits, and associations. If your team communicates, collaborates, or needs to trust each other, thisis for you. We've run sessions for Comcast, Amazon, Microsoft, Intuit, Merck, CapitalOne, Hilton, andhundreds more. We also work with universities, government agencies, and healthcare organizations.
Do you offer virtual, in-person, and hybrid sessions?
All three, and we've built each format intentionally. Our virtual sessions aren't just Zoom meetings with games - they're purpose-built for distributed teams, with breakout activities designed to create real connection across screens. In-person sessions allow for the full energy of live improv. And our hybrid format is one of the things we're most proud of: remote participants aren't passive observers, they're fully integrated. We've run events with participants on six continents!
How customized are your sessions?
Very. We don't run the same session for every partner. Before any program, we learn about your teamusing qualitative and quantitative metrics: your goals, your culture, what's worked before, what hasn't,who's in the room, and what you're hoping people feel when it's over. The result is something that feelsless like an activity and more like a conversation your team was ready to have. Every facilitator is briefedon your team specifically and collaborates on a rigorous but flexible program to provide the mostindelible experience before they show up (or log on).
Is improv comedy inclusive? What about people who are shy, introverted, or skeptical? Willthis work for my international teams or between generations?
This is one of the things that makes our approach genuinely different. Our facilitators are trained in affiliative humor: humor that brings people together rather than singling anyone out. There's no "laughing at," only "laughing with." Activities are designed so that introverts, skeptics, and quieter personalities can participate fully without being pushed into the spotlight. We meet people where they are. Some of our most memorable participant moments have come from people who walked in saying they wanted nothing to do with it. We also bridge generations and work across cultures with dozens of uplifting and connecting sessions to bolster our expertise.
What is Dani Klein Modisett's background, and why does it matter?
Dani founded Laughter On Call after hiring a comedian to help her mother (who had recently beendiagnosed with Alzheimer's) find moments of joy and connection. That experience, which she wroteabout for AARP, led to hundreds of requests and eventually the company. She taught stand-up comedyat UCLA for ten years, has coached Congressional candidates and C-suite executives on using humor incommunication, and has been a guest lecturer at many business schools including Harvard BusinessSchool, where LOC was the subject of a case study. She's also spoken at Dartmouth Tuck, Duke'sFuqua School, Columbia, and Stanford. She was named to the Forbes 50 Over 50 list in 2023. Thepoint: this isn't a novelty act. The methodology has real academic and clinical roots.
How far in advance do we need to book?
We can often accommodate events with two to three weeks' notice (sometimes even one week!),though we recommend reaching out as early as possible for retreats, large conferences, events withspecific dates, and learning and development courses. The earlier we connect, the more time we have tocustomize your session properly - everything we do is customized to you! For quarterly kickoff eventsand end-of-year gatherings especially, dates fill up fast.
How do I know this will be worth the investment?
We'd point you to the clients who've booked us more than once: Amazon, Intuit, and others have come back repeatedly, which says more than any testimonial. We'd also point you to the Harvard Business School case study, the research backing improv as a tool for communication and psychological safety, and the 600+ companies we've worked with across every major industry. The fastest way to know if it's right for your team is a 20-minute call. We'll ask the right questions, understand your goals, and be honest if something else might serve you better.
