Rajiv Satyal

Rajiv Satyal (born 1976) is an American comedian. He is the first person to perform standup comedy on all seven continents.

Early life Rajiv Satyal was born in Hamilton, Ohio to Indian parents. He graduated from Fairfield High School in 1994. Satyal earned a Bachelor of Science degree in materials engineering from the University of Cincinnati During college, he interned on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, for Rep. Steve Chabot (R-OH).

Career Procter & Gamble Satyal worked at Procter & Gamble from 2000 to 2006. He started in purchasing at P&G but switched to marketing in 2004. Satyal began but did not finish an MBA at Xavier University in Cincinnati. He gained admission to New York University Stern School of Business after fewer than three years of full-time work but did not attend. While at P&G, Satyal created content for Home Made Simple, a site visited by 15 million people per month. He was named P&G’s Funniest Employee in 2005. Satyal left P&G and moved to Los Angeles in 2006 at the age of 30. He was the brand manager of FIJI Water for 12 weeks.

Comedy Satyal started doing standup comedy in 2002

In 2005, Satyal entered the Funniest Person in Cincinnati contest, this time in the semi-pro/professional division, and won. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) grilled U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton about it. "I can understand that maybe you're not aware that your department spent $100,000 on three comedians who went to India on a promotional tour called ‘Make Chai, Not War’."”

Satyal was hired by Velvet Suite Marketing to speak to NFL players about personal branding. He spoke to the Green Bay Packers, Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills.

Satyal puts together comedy shows for corporate innovation sessions. Brands such as Dannon, P&G's Herbal Essences and Gillette have signed up.

He has been blogging on his website since 2002. Satyal has over 50 million views on YouTube.

Satyal developed a 90-minute one-person show, No Man's Land, which sold out shows in Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Cincinnati.

Satyal named University of Cincinnati's radio-station-turned-media group "BearCast". Satyal has described his performance style as alternatingly self-aggrandizing and self-deprecating.

Satyal opened for the Indian prime minister Narendra Modi in front of 17,000 people in San Jose, California.

Personal life Satyal's mother migrated to the US in 1970 and his father in 1971 from India. They are naturalized citizens. Satyal is friends with the SNL and Weeds star Kevin Nealon. Satyal's favorite book is The Catcher in the Rye. of Indian Punjabi descent.

Works Discography

Filmography Film

Year Title Role Notes 2007 Indian Invasion Comedy Lead

Comedy bits

Year Title 2011 Fahim Anwar 2011 Neelu Sodhii 2011 Comedian KT Tatara part I of II 2011 Fahim Anwar part II 2011 Hasan Minhaj 2011 Hasan Minhaj part II 2024 Let Me Be Clear 2024 Bachelorhood 2024 All Over The Place 2024 Born Outside London

Awards and recognitions Russell Peters called Satyal "one of two Indian Americans to watch". Satyal has generated a fair amount of press, being featured on/in NPR, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Advertising Age, The Huffington Post, India Abroad, The Cincinnati Enquirer and the Los Angeles Times. He won The Funniest Person in Cincinnati Contest in 2005. Satyal has the distinction of opening Dave Chappelle's first show after he returned from Africa in 2005.