About Us

Dr. Cheng Zhu is the CEO of Humor Leadership Consulting LLC, a New York based consulting firm that provides executive coaching, consulting and training on leadership development, organizational innovation, change management, negotiation, conflict resolution, and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) strategies.

An expert in the design, delivery, and evaluation of leadership development solutions for Fortune 500 companies, governments, and non-profits, Dr. Zhu has designed and taught executive education programs for managers and executives from more than 50 countries. Examples include Eisenhower Fellowships' first Global Leadership Development Program and Women’s Leadership Development Program under the guidance of then-Chairman General Colin L. Powell.

Dr. Zhu’s book chapter was published in The American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) Leadership Handbook, featuring a who’s who of leadership gurus. Her articles appeared in Forbes and The Leadership Quarterly Journal and were translated into multiple languages. As a Fellow of Disruptor Foundation, Dr. Zhu helps leaders build innovative organizational cultures and develop adaptive growth strategies based on the seminal work of Dr. Clayton Christensen, the world’s foremost authority on disruptive innovation.

Previously Dr. Zhu conducted research at the Harvard Business School and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government Center for Public Leadership, and worked as faculty at the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences and at the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL). She was the first Asian to be elected President of the Harvard Graduate Student Government, and received the Harvard University Certificate of Distinction in Teaching and the Harvard Provost’s Outstanding Service Award.

With an Improv certificate from New York’s top comedy school Upright Citizens Brigade, she frequently helps organizations embrace laughter and use humor to build high-performing workplaces. She recently guest-starred in truTV's hit comedy series "Impractical Jokers." Dr. Zhu is also certified in a number of 360-degree learning solutions, psychological assessments, simulations, and coaching for board effectiveness, executive team development, succession planning, on-boarding, and organizational transformation.

She lives in Manhattan, New York, and holds a B.A. from Beijing University and a Masters and Doctorate from Harvard University.