Baltimore-based comedian, writer, producer, and community builder Mia Musa has discovered that laughter can do more than entertain an audience. It can help people make sense of the world, find common ground, and feel less alone.
Musa’s love for comedy began long before she ever stepped onto a stage. Growing up, she was influenced by a wide range of comedy programs and performers, including ComicView, In Living Color, MADtv, Saturday Night Live, The Flip Wilson Show, and I Love Lucy. Comedy was not simply entertainment for her—it was also a way to learn about life and understand the people and situations around her.
She wrote her first comedy bit as a young teenager but abandoned it after deciding it was too wordy. About a decade later, she attempted stand-up for the first time, but an improvised performance that did not go as planned caused her to walk away again.
It was not until she reached her 30s and was navigating life after divorce that Musa decided it was finally time to pursue the things she had always wanted to do.
“I did a thing and got onstage as a bucket list item,” she recalled. “People laughed at all my jokes, and other comedians invited me to perform in other places. The rest is history.”
Building Confidence Through Comedy and Community
As Musa continued performing, comedy introduced her to a growing network of creatives across the country. A comedian she met in New Orleans could later become someone she encountered again in New York, opening the door to another show, relationship, or opportunity.
Those connections have been especially meaningful when they involve other Black women comedians.
“Connecting with other Black women, especially across state lines, is what built the confidence to perform all over,” Musa shared. “To know I have a unique perspective, but I’m not alone.”
One of the most impactful experiences of her stand-up career has been performing at the Black Girl Giggles Comedy Festival in New Orleans. Musa said the connections she formed with its audiences and fellow Black women comedians made it her favorite comedy festival experience.
Her comedy résumé also includes appearances at Baltimore events such as First Friday Comedy Night at Bird in Hand Coffee & Books, where she performed alongside David Davis and Mert Wolf. Musa has also begun producing and curating her own comedy experiences in Baltimore, further demonstrating her commitment to creating platforms as well as performing on them.
Turning Stand-Up Ideas Into Film and Television
Musa’s creativity is not limited to the comedy stage. As a writer and producer, she studies her surroundings, the people within them, and how their experiences might work together to tell a larger story.
Her background as a community organizer and consultant helps shape that process.
“When I’m writing and producing, I’m paying attention to my environment in a way that becomes the pieces in it,” she explained. “As an individual performer, I’m just being myself.”
Musa has recently begun developing jokes and stand-up premises into ideas for sketches, film, and television. She points to comedians such as Jerry Seinfeld and Martin Lawrence as examples of performers whose stand-up observations eventually helped shape successful television stories.
Her filmmaking work includes My Lor Gig, a comedic project examining the absurdities of the modern economy through a main character who takes on different gigs to maintain housing. Musa is credited as the project’s director, writer, curator, and producer.
The project’s inclusion in the LA Comedy Film Festival became another defining moment in her creative journey.
“It made me realize I really am working with something and to keep pushing,” Musa said.
Musa is also developing her live stand-up special, Comedy Is Cheaper Than Therapy, which explores personal growth, life’s everyday chaos, and the sometimes-unusual realities of Baltimore through her honest comedic perspective.
Bringing Laughter to the Black Women of the Future Dinner
Musa will bring her bold perspective and comedic voice to the Black Women of the Future Dinner, presented by SwagHer Magazine in celebration of visionary Black women shaping the future of media, entrepreneurship, wellness, technology, and nonprofit leadership.
For Musa, performing in a space that intentionally centers Black women carries special significance.
“I’m always down to be in spaces that center and celebrate Black women,” she said. “It’s truly an honor to be invited to do comedy in such a space—an art form that doesn’t have enough Black women supported, and we have to fight to be recognized.”
She also hopes her performance reminds attendees of the important role humor has always played within the Black community, particularly when Black women have the power to control the stories being told.
“What does it mean when we own the narrative, and we’re not just the butt of the joke or a punchline?” she asked.
As for what guests should expect from her performance, Musa is keeping the details a surprise.
“I honestly don’t want anyone to expect anything,” she joked. “Please just be open to the ride.”
That willingness to show up honestly is also at the heart of Musa’s SwagHer.
“According to others, I show up bold and as myself,” she shared.
Guests can experience Mia Musa’s comedy live at the Black Women of the Future Dinner on Saturday, August 15, 2026, at VIBE Restaurant & Lounge in Silver Spring, Maryland. The celebration begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $30 and may be purchased here on Eventbrite.
Follow her on IG: @miamusacomedy
