Shivani Davé (pronounced “Dah-vay,” spelled like Dave) is an NYC-based, Indian-American stand-up comic and writer originally from Boston, a city she has mixed feelings about. Self-described as “a walking identity crisis,” Davé brings that tension between backgrounds and worlds directly into her comedy.

Prior to her comedy career, Davé was a Division 1 tennis player before becoming a corporate healthcare technology professional. She started out writing sketch comedy at Magnet Theater and screenplays, several of which have been placed in festivals including the Atlanta Film Festival, though, as she’ll tell you, most of them mostly just pile up in her apartment gathering dust.

Davé performs regularly at the top comedy clubs around New York City and the country, and hosts the popular “Top 5 Comedy” show. She’s featured in national festivals including the New York Comedy Festival and the Boston Comedy Festival, was a 2024 Ladies of Laughter finalist, and has toured and opened for comics including Dave Attell, Bonnie McFarlane, and Nimesh Patel. During the week, you can find her telling jokes at your favorite NYC comedy clubs or stuffing her face at Joe’s Pizza.