Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan Huban.
Hi Ryan, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
What do improv comedy and creative strategy have in common? It comes down to human connection.
I graduated from Pratt Institute with a BFA in Communications Design, but it’s fair to say I minored in comedy. I never understood how one of the top-ranked art schools in the world could lack a theater program, but that gave me an opportunity to fill the gap. As a freshman, I founded a new organization called the Up Top Playerz. Before I’d even declared my major, I was leading weekly meetings to teach improv games I’d learned in high school and producing comedy shows on campus.
After graduating, I stepped directly into advertising as a junior art director and spent nearly 20 years rising through the ranks to Account Director, leading creative strategy, account management, and integrated campaigns for major brands. Along the way, I earned recognition, including NJBIZ’s Forty Under 40.
At the same time, I was training and performing improv in NYC. I completed the Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) improv program, trained under Armando Diaz, founder of the Magnet Theater, played on several house improv teams, and even spent a year doing stand-up for good measure.
I thrive on chaos, but the constant commute to the city after work was brutal. Bergen County has always been home, and just like at Pratt, we were missing an improv community. I’d done it before, so why not do it again?
In 2008, I gathered my funniest friends and founded Howdy Stranger. It began as an artist collective, grew into an improv performance troupe, and eventually became a full-fledged comedy company. Over the years, we’ve won competitions like the NYC Tournament of Improvisers, established a resident performance space at the Hackensack Performing Arts Center (HACPAC), and developed an expansive curriculum of classes and workshops.
These days, I work as an independent creative consultant doing brand strategy and graphic design, while continuing to grow Howdy Stranger. Beyond our main shows, we host monthly community improv jams, teach classes, and offer applied improv workshops for corporate teams, schools, and local groups. In many ways, I’m still doing what I did as a freshman at Pratt: bringing strangers together to create something that didn’t exist before. And to me, that’s magic.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It hasn’t been a smooth road, but the bumps have taught me some of my best lessons.
One of the biggest challenges early on was balancing two demanding careers. In advertising, you’re working in fast-paced environments with tight deadlines, where everyone is under pressure to get things right. Running a comedy company carries a similar hustle. I’m not just on stage making people laugh. I’m managing production, marketing, venue logistics, dynamics between cast members, and finances. Most of the work happens behind the scenes before anyone takes a seat in the audience.
Another ongoing challenge is helping people understand what improv actually is. When corporate leaders or prospective students hear, “improv,” they assume it’s something for aspiring comedians or outgoing extroverts. They don’t necessarily see how it applies to everyday life or the workplace.
Everyone improvises. No one wakes up with a script next to their bed detailing how every interaction throughout the day is going to go. We constantly adapt to unexpected situations, communicate with people, and figure things out as we go. Improv gives us a way to practice those skills in a supportive environment where it’s okay to make mistakes.
The value of improv can be hard to explain until you step into the room and try it yourself. It’s not about being funny. It makes you a stronger communicator, a better listener, and an easier person to collaborate with. Improv training can help you face the world with less anxiety and more confidence, and many older students say they wish they’d started taking classes sooner. As our Howdy Stranger tagline says, “Life is unscripted. Get better at it.”
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
As a creative consultant, I specialize in brand development, graphic design, and marketing strategy. As the founder and president of Howdy Stranger, I teach and perform improv.
With our corporate improv facilitation, what sets me apart from other instructors is my two decades of experience working in advertising and agency environments. I’ve experienced the realities of navigating team friction and the stress caused by communication breakdown or information gaps. When designing an applied improv program for an organization, whether it’s a small team or a company-wide leadership group, I start with a conversation to understand the workplace culture, team dynamics, and any challenges they’re facing.
From there, we use improv exercises to develop three core skills sets:
Immediacy: Staying present, hearing what’s actually being said, and responding thoughtfully as an active participant.
Adaptability: Handling unexpected changes, dropping the panic response when plans shift, and moving forward with grace.
Creativity: Pitching ideas without self-censoring, presenting with confidence. solving problems on the fly, and building on what your teammates bring to the table.
The same principles apply to my consulting work. When I help a business develop or refresh their brand, we uncover what makes their product or service unique, the value it brings to customers, and the authentic story it has to tell. In advertising, you have time to design that narrative. In improv, you do it live. In both cases, it’s about understanding people and making a real connection.
On a personal level, I’m incredibly proud that Howdy Stranger continues bringing interactive, family-friendly comedy to North Jersey since 2008. Some of the most meaningful work I do comes from my full-circle connection to the New Jersey State Thespian Festival, where I attended my very first improv workshop at 15 years old. Who knew that stepping into that room back then would alter the course of my life, and it’s pretty special that I can pay it forward.
Today, not only do I run those workshops, I also redesigned the scoring rubrics for the competition’s improv pairs category and serve as an annual judge. I also adjudicate the improv category at the STANJ Governor’s Awards Competition for Theatre Arts, and bring workshops to the Teens Arts Festivals in Bergen, Passaic, Somerset, and Sussex counties.
Ultimately, I love creating spaces where folks of all ages can get out of their comfort zones, try something new, and laugh with new friends. It never gets old!
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was always the first kid to raise my hand if a teacher needed someone to read aloud or present to the class. I loved interacting with people. Honestly, I couldn’t understand why I wasn’t allowed to talk to strangers when my mother seemed to do it everywhere we went!
If an assignment called for a written paper, I’d get special permission to make a video instead. Even in first grade, when our class was given paper plates to make circus animal masks, I asked to be the ringleader. After a few failed attempts, I figured out how to cut and tape black construction paper into a makeshift top hat. On one hand, I always followed the rules. On the other, I was constantly seeking creative exceptions around those rules. It made every project more fun.
I performed in all the plays, but I also loved producing my own work. I’d spend all day making puppets out of paper bags and socks, go door-to-door inviting neighbors, collect dimes and quarters as admission, then hide behind my parents’ sofa doing improvised puppet shows. By high school, I was involved in 14 clubs, serving as president or vice president of half of them, and leading friends in improv games at weekend parties.
Looking back, the combination of leadership, creative problem-solving, and spontaneous performance makes it pretty clear how I ended up combining design, advertising, improv, and education into one career.
Pricing:
- Beginner Improv Classes (Improv Principles): $275 for a 6-week foundational course. Designed for complete beginners and experienced folks alike, focusing on creativity, confidence, listening, adaptability, and collaboration in a supportive environment.
- Advanced Improv Classes: $350 for specialized 8-week courses designed for improvisers looking to refine their work and perform as part of an ensemble in a class show.
- Monthly Improv Jams: $10 to perform or free to watch. A relaxed, low-pressure opportunity to play improv games with Howdy Stranger performers and community members.
- Corporate & Applied Improv Workshops: Customized training programs for businesses, teams, and schools focused on communication, team alignment, public speaking, and creative problem-solving. Pricing varies based on program design, number of participants, and session duration. Contact howdy@howdystranger.com for a quote.
- Private Comedy Shows & Events: Customized live improv shows and interactive entertainment for private parties, venue bookings, and special events. (Contact for current rates.)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.howdystranger.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/howdy_stranger/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HowdyStrangerComedy/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanhuban/
- Twitter: https://x.com/howdy_stranger
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/HowdyStrangerComedy
