Brave New Workshop

Brave New Workshop (BNW) is an innovative company that transforms people’s thinking and behavior through the use of comedy, improv, action learning and intentional practice. Started in 1958 by a former circus performer and American improvisation founding father Dudley Riggs, the organization today is owned by John Sweeney and Jenni Lilledahl and has grown to include the oldest satirical comedy theater in the U.S., one of the largest schools of improvisation, a thriving corporate training business, and top business speaker John Sweeney. 

John Sweeney and the Creative Outreach team help Fortune 500 organizations such as Microsoft, Hilton Worldwide, Apple, Ingersoll Rand, Target and many more focus on the human side of innovation. John and team inspire and train thousands of professionals each year through keynote speeches, workshops and train-the-trainer experiences. 

The non-profit Student Union engages people from all walks of life in transformational improv classes. Its proprietary every-day improv curriculum has changed the lives of thousands of people aged eight through eighty. 

The Comedy Theater relies on 55+ years of satirical tradition to entertain audiences every week in its beautiful location in downtown Minneapolis. The theater team also brings the power of BNW’s comedic traditions and unmatched creativity to a unique brand of event hosting, scriptwriting, video messaging and entertainment services to hundreds of companies. 

The BNW is headquartered in downtown Minneapolis, and welcomes theater goers, students, corporate groups and forward-thinking individuals to its campus for unique, unforgettable experiences.