RAYMOND LAMBERT

Raymond is a social entrepreneur, filmmaker, and published author. He is a founder of All Jokes Aside Comedy Clubs, which gave early exposure and early paychecks to many of today’s top comedians including Oscar winners Jamie Foxx and Mo’Nique, Emmy winners Steve Harvey, Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, and the late Bernie Mac, to name just a few. Raymond has served as a consultant on comedy and talent to producers at NBC, HBO, Comedy Central, The Second City, and Just For Laughs Comedy Festival. He was hired by comedian Hannibal Buress to develop the business and strategic plan for Melvina Masterminds, an Arts and Technology center in the Austin neighborhood of Chicago.

A filmmaker, Raymond earned a Peabody Award serving as an Executive Producer on American Masters, Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise; writing and producing credits for the SHOWTIME documentary about All Jokes Aside Comedy Clubs, Phunny Business: A Black Comedy; and is currently serving as a Producer on the documentary Punch 9 For Harold Washington, slated for release in 2022. Raymond was named a Diverse Voices in Documentaries Fellow, a partnership between the highly regarded Kartemquin Films, The Community Film Workshop, and The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.

Agate Publishing released his first book, All Jokes Aside: Stand Up Comedy Is A PhunnyBusiness, which chronicles his wild ride through the business world of stand- up comedy. The Midwest Book Review declared it “Impressively informative, exceptionally well written, organized and presented, and an inherently fascinating read from beginning to end.”

Before launching his entrepreneurial ventures, Raymond served as a senior level executive in sales, marketing, and business development at Starz Entertainment Group, Gardner Rich & Company, Continental Bank, Shearson Lehman Hutton, and the Coca Cola Company.

A native of Wilmington Delaware, where he attended Salesianum High School, Raymond earned his undergraduate degree in Marketing from Morehouse College, with honors, and his MBA from The University of Virginia’s Darden School.

The proud father of two teenage daughters, Raymond is based in Chicago.