Founder of Comedy Oakland and the world’s only Indian Jewish Standup Comedian, Samson Koletkar.

Samson Koletkar is a co-founder at Desi Comedy Fest.

In his debut year, Samson marked his presence by becoming a finalist in the Rooster T Feather’s Amateur comedy Competition. His exceptional talent garnered recognition through accolades such as winning the International Society of Humor Studies Comedy Competition and the Asian American Theater Company Comedy Competition, alongside being a Seattle International Comedy Competition semi-finalist.

Samson has risen as a revered comedian, headlining the Mahatma Moses Comedy Tour and the You’re Funny But You Don’t Look Jewish Tour. He’s been a prominent figure on distinguished comedy tours like the Funatical Comedy Tour, Make Chai Not War, Pundits with Punchlines, and Sultans of Satire.

Samson’s impactful footprint extends through his creation of Comedy Oakland in 2009, a venture that has since blossomed into a community staple, earning the “Best Comedy Night” award in the East Bay Express Reader’s Poll multiple times.

Samson shared about:

• The journey that propelled his stand-up comedy forward.
• His strategy of effectively connecting with people from various backgrounds.
• The valuable guidance on how to genuinely make people laugh with every spoken expression.