Cory Kahaney (born January 1, 1963) is an American stand-up comedienne, actress, writer, and public speaker. She was a grand finalist on NBC's Last Comic Standing and a semi-finalist on America's Got Talent. Kahaney has performed comedy specials for Comedy Central and HBO.

As a public speaker, Kahaney delivered a TEDx talk titled "The Joke That Saved My Life," which recounts her journey from surviving domestic abuse to building a career in comedy. Her other notable talks include "Don’t Tell Jerry Lewis Women Are Funny," a multimedia presentation featuring rare archival footage that celebrates pioneering women in comedy and their contributions to the standup genre.

She has been featured several times at prominent events such as the Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal, Canada, the Johnny Carson Festival, the Halifax Comedy Festival, the New York Comedy Festival, and the Nantucket Comedy Festival.

In addition to her standup work, Kahaney co-wrote the Zarna Garg comedy special One in a Billion on Prime Video. Her humorous writing has been published in The Guardian and the New York Observer.^[1]

In A Shared Universe Podcast, Kahaney shared that the best comedy often originates from tragic experiences. She highlighted how a pivotal moment in her life as a domestic violence survivor revealed her "secret power"—using humor to interrupt dangerous situations and ultimately save herself.^[2]

Kahaney has received several awards, including being named Best Comedian in New York City by Backstage Magazine and Best Female Comedian by the MAC Awards (Manhattan Association Of Cabarets).

• Official website
• Cory Kahaney at IMDb