Feb 02 - 04 2025
An award-winning syndicated humor columnist for the Chicago Tribune, Greg Schwem brings clean, customized humor and 20-plus years of experience to your corporate event.
Are you tired of the same old team-building and “rah rah” motivational speeches? Step into a hilarious world where business meets belly laughs with motivational corporate comedian Greg Schwem. Greg swaps snooze-fests for wit-infused wisdom, offering a comedic spin on the corporate grind. He is well-known for his corporate entertainment and keynote speaking. Greg Schwem is available to be booked for corporate and private events. Contact the Mollie Plotkin Group today to inquire about Greg Schwem’s fees.
Contact the Mollie Plotkin Group at 215-510-6607 to book Greg Schwem for corporate or private events, keynote speeches, workshops, fireside chats, motivational speaking, or virtual appearances. Our agency will work directly with your organization and our keynote speakers to create an unforgettable event.
The Mollie Plotkin Group is the leading keynote speakers agency and entertainment bureau bringing excitement to audiences, clients, and employees. We represent subject-matter experts in every possible field, so whether we’re your partner in creating a memorable meeting, or your meeting planner’s secret weapon in securing the perfect keynote speaker, we’re in this with you.
Called “king of the hill in the world of corporate comedy,” by the Chicago Tribune, Greg Schwem has made the corporate world laugh for more than 25 years. Schwem tells all his clients:
“I want to have fun with you but, at the end of the day, I want to be your biggest cheerleader. I want the audience to say ‘This is a great place to work because they hired that guy.’”
Greg is the author of three books Text Me If You’re Breathing, The Road to Success Goes Through the Salad Bar, and Turning Gut Punches Into Punch Lines. He also writes the nationally syndicated Humor Hotel column for the Chicago Tribune. In addition, Greg’s media appearances include stints at Comedy Central, VH-1, and Sirius/XM Radio.
When he travels, he often stays at “home sharing” properties, stays that resulted in the hilarious TV series, A Comedian Crashes Your Pad. The series won a prestigious Telly Award for Travel and Tourism in November 2020 and streams on AppleTV, Roku, and Amazon Prime Video. In February 2022, Greg’s streaming TV special You Can’t Quarantine Laughter was released by Drybar Comedy.
What sets Schwem apart from other corporate entertainers is his ability—and willingness—to customize material for his audience. Real humor comes from real experiences. Greg dives deep into your corporate material (websites, products, public materials, even PowerPoint presentations when possible) to find what he calls positive ammunition that transforms your day-to-day into delightfully relatable comedy. His content is clean, politically neutral, and perfect for your entire team. Specifically, Greg’s performances aren’t just about getting giggles. He brings wisdom, insights, and genuine warmth to your event.
As a business speaker and corporate emcee, Greg’s clients have included Microsoft, McDonald’s, Southwest Airlines, AT&T, United Airlines, SAP, Hyatt, Oracle, and even the CIA. Traditional motivational speeches can often feel forced and insincere. Greg Schwem offers a refreshing approach by using humor to connect with his audience, making his message more memorable and impactful.
In addition to providing a much-needed break from the monotony of office life, incorporating humor into the workplace has been shown to increase productivity and creativity. Laughter also has the power to bring people together, break down barriers, and create a sense of camaraderie. By incorporating humor into your corporate event with Greg Schwem, you are not only entertaining your team but also helping to build stronger connections and promote a positive work culture. Don’t settle for the mundane when you can make your next corporate event genuinely funny, positive, and unforgettable.
Find out how to hire Greg Schwem to appear at your next event. Contact the Mollie Plotkin Group to inquire about Greg Schwem’s availability and cost. When booking Greg Schwem for an event, we need to know the type of venue and location the event will take place. Greg Schwem is a popular choice for corporate events, private events, and virtual events. So, you can click the Check Availability button or contact us and an MPG Greg Schwem booking agent will get back to you within 48 hours.
How much to book Greg Schwem depends on the type of event. So, the cost to hire Greg Schwem for corporate or private events is available by contacting a Mollie Plotkin Group Agent. Notably, Greg Schwem is available for conferences, festivals, private parties, and events. Just contact the Mollie Plotkin Group and tell the booking agent the proposed date, time, and location.
Our speakers are in high demand! View their upcoming events.
In this hilarious, highly sought-after presentation, renowned corporate entertainer and award-winning Chicago Tribune humor columnist Greg Schwem will make audiences of all ages howl with laughter as he explores the role of, and the need for, humor in a post-COVID, return-to-the-office world.
As companies struggle to define “What is funny?” and humor’s role in the workplace, Greg offers a different perspective: There ARE no right answers.
Instead, he feels all employees, from the new hires to the C-level executives, must formulate their own answers by working together, instead of running from one another. Only then will the result be a healthy and FUN work environment.
Greg’s ability to research his audience and tailor his content is why companies such as Microsoft, McDonald’s, Southwest Airlines, and even the CIA have turned to him for laughs and why HuffPost calls him “your boss’ favorite comedian.”
But “Humor is Serious Business” is hardly a straight stand-up comedy show. Greg challenges his audiences to envision how they can use humor to improve workplace communication, and how to motivate one another in difficult times. Using real-world examples, Greg reinforces his message with stories of companies and personnel that have increased sales, created successful campaigns, overcome negative publicity, and turned their businesses around through humor. As a cancer survivor, Greg will also share how humor helped him overcome his devastating diagnosis.
In January 2024, while in the midst of a late-in-life divorce, Greg was diagnosed with Stage 2 colon cancer. 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, Greg began writing…and writing…and writing. The result, other than a cancer-free diagnosis, was Turning Gut Punches into Punch Lines, a hilarious, multimedia-fueled keynote speech that teaches audience members how to use humor to battle personal struggles, business challenges, or both, and emerge happier. It starts, Schwem says, by admitting you are the “least interesting person in the room.” Everyone has a great and funny story to tell if you’re willing to listen and show genuine interest.
Perfect for any group that needs a humorous break from the serious side of business.
Despite its therapeutic qualities, laughter is often absent from the business environment. In Work, Laugh, Repeat, 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 him as he discusses topics such as smartphone abuse, social network overload, never-ending conference calls, “frequently” asked questions, and home office workers.
Greg Schwem knows a thing or two about rock and roll. As a comedian who has opened concerts for stars ranging from Keith Urban and Celine Dion to Enrique Iglesias and KC & the Sunshine Band, Greg has seen how rock and roll is a business – just like yours.
In short, every company and employee has “rock star” potential. Greg shows you how to achieve that potential in a highly motivational presentation that combines hilarious comedy, live concert footage, and a multi-genre musical soundtrack. Topics include “Why Every Office Needs a Keith Richards,” “Are you Team Taylor or Team Kanye?” and “Don’t Let Your Company Become a Country Song.” Get ready for a performance that’ll leave you rocking on!’
A good emcee needs to multitask. He must keep the event moving, be adept at improvisation, and work efficiently with all participants onstage. Greg Schwem has hosted everything from an awards ceremony for systems engineers to a three-day conference for 6,000 McDonald’s restaurant managers to a virtual webinar for IBM customers. He is equally at ease chatting with a company CEO live on stage, (correctly) pronouncing the names of awards recipients, and conducting humorous on-camera interviews with meeting attendees.
“Your boss’ favorite comedian!” – HuffPost
“This presentation made me realize that my whole company needs to lighten up.” – Intuit
Imagine Eat, Pray, Love written by a comedian. Greg Schwem's mid-life journey may not result in a movie starring the male version of Julia Roberts (Tom Cruise, are you reading this?) but it is a helluva lot funnier.
In 2024 Schwem, a syndicated humor columnist and 30-year standup comedy veteran, became a member of two unwanted classes: Gray Divorcee and Cancer Patient. Suddenly single and (thankfully) cancer free, Schwem begins a healing journey, hilariously navigating a new environment full of "gig" work, dating apps, therapy and "rizz." All in a quest to find his best self.
Eventually Schwem realizes the answers lie not within a phone or via Artificial Intelligence, but through humor, face-to-face communication and an insistence on being the least interesting person in the room. An inspiring, self-help read from the author of Text Me If You're Breathing: Observations, Frustrations and Life Lessons From a Low-Tech Dad.
