'AGT' Season 17: Meet Gina Stahl-Haven, professor and second place winner of San Francisco International Comedy Competition 2019
If there is one thing that makes 'America's Got Talent' unique, it is the fact that people often have a range of talents that might not have much to do with their day jobs. These talents are born out of passion and pursued with intensity, which ultimately leads them to the 'AGT' stage!
Some of the comedy acts that have impressed the judges and audiences so far are Aiko Tanaka, Mike E Winfield and Mr Pants, all of whom had fans in splits. Now, it's Gina Stahl-Haven's turn to take to the stage and it looks like she has quite the reputation.
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Who is Gina Stahl-Haven?
Gina Stahl-Haven is a comedian and an adjunct professor at the University of San Fransico. She has been teaching rhetoric and communication since 2005 and as per the University of San Fransico website, her "dynamic teaching style emphasizes critical thinking, following research toward a conclusion, and creating an end product that sparks your passion."
As per her LinkedIn, Stahl-Haven also works as a presentation consultant. She previously taught at Santa Rosa Junior College. She attended San Francisco State University and has an M.A. in Communication Studies, Identity Construction as well as a B.A. in Communication Studies. She also has an A.A in Communication Studies from College of Marin.
When it comes to her stand-up career, Stahl-Haven recently placed second in the San Francisco International Comedy Competition 2019. The only other woman to place that high was Ellen DeGeneres, who also placed second in 1985. In a conversation with San Fransico Foghorn, she explained that the comedy space is male-dominated, with misogyny being commonplace. “To make it, a woman has to be 50 times better than a dude who’s just as successful as her. So that, it wears on you in some ways," she explained. However, that clearly hasn't stopped her from making waves.
Stahl-Haven also runs the Roadside Stand, which is her culinary business. “I just sell person-to-person off my porch," she explained. “People asked me to make things, and I would make gift baskets. And then people were like, ‘You should sell that,’ and I was like, ‘Okay!’” she added, noting that it wasn't much about making money, but more about pursuing her passion. Looks like there is little that Stahl-Haven can't do! Will impressing the 'AGT' judges be the next accolade on her list? Fans will have to wait to find out!
'America's Got Talent' airs on Tuesdays at 8 pm on NBC. For viewers who wish to tune in to the show without cable, they can do so using any of the following streaming services: Sling TV, fuboTV, Hulu With Live TV, AT&T TV or YouTube TV.