About Us

Next Stop Comedy was founded in 2021 in Boston, MA by Josh Mandl and Rollin Atkinson. Rollin and Josh were comedians (and still are!) looking for stage time, so they started running their own shows. They began with a free show in Boston’s North End in the basement of a pastry shop. Soon, the popularity of the show led to multiple shows throughout the city. Today, Next Stop Comedy is partnered with 400+ venues in 40 states!

Rollin Atkinson is the co-founder of Next Stop Comedy. His background is in hospitality, not entertainment management or tech. Before launching Next Stop Comedy, Rollin worked as a bartender in high-end restaurants, where the work was equal parts craft, efficiency, and human connection. Behind the bar, he built systems to move faster and cleaner while building genuine relationships with guests sitting across the counter—an approach that continues to shape how Next Stop operates today. Rollin co-founded Next Stop Comedy with his best friend, Josh Mandl, whom he met at his first stand-up comedy open mic. Looking for a place to perform, they began converting dormant restaurant basements in Boston into pop-up comedy clubs. Those rooms, originally known as Boston Comedy Club, quickly became recognized as some of the best places to perform in the city, leading nearby breweries to invite them to produce shows in their spaces. Today, Rollin helps oversee comedy shows across the United States while continuing to work as a touring stand-up comedian himself. He believes deeply in live theatre and in the irreplaceable experience of people gathering in a room to share something real, immediate, and unrepeatable. These days, Rollin can be found doodling at his piano or frolicking in the parks of Brooklyn, NY with his dog and fiancée.