about

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Jessilee Windhaus (she/they) is an improviser, actor, producer, instructor, and entrepreneur born and raised in Sacramento. She brings over 10 years of experience in leadership in the performing arts and over 20 years of expertise in improv performance and instruction. She is the Founder of Haus of Comedy, Co-Founder of Empire Arts Collective, and Founder of That Plus Chips live sketch and improv comedy group. Jessilee has trained with the Upright Citizen's Brigade, The Groundlings, and many other esteemed improv instructors, and holds a Bachelor's in Theatre from CSU Sacramento. Jessilee has performed both nationwide and locally at comedy hubs like Sacramento Comedy Spot, STAB! Comedy, ComedySportz Sacramento, Empire Arts Collective, Dinner Detective, and Sutter Street Theatre. They served as the Director of High School League at ComedySportz Sacramento, Tour Actor/Director with the renowed Missoula Children's Theatre, and as a Teaching Artist at B Street Theater (current). Jessilee's experience also includes Project Manager at UC Davis Health's Early Psychosis Training and Technical Assistance Center (TTA), overseeing a $27+ million dollar project serving 42 California counties through a collaboration with UC Davis, Stanford, and UC San Francisco.

DIRECTOR OF DAYTIME OPERATIONS

Andy Sarouhan (he/him) has been a professional improviser and improv instructor for 25 years. His improvisation journey began in 1992 when he joined his high school improvisation team. That event started a chain reaction that eventually resulted in a BA in Theatre from UC San Diego and an MFA in Creative Writing from UC Riverside. From 2003-2019, Andy performed, directed, and coached extensively in San Francisco through BATS Improv, ImprovWorks, and Un-Scripted Theater Company. In 2019, he relocated to Sacramento and has been active in the local improvisation scene as an instructor at B Street Theatre and a performer and producer at STAB! Comedy Theater and Windhaus Improv. For 15 years, Andy has taken the practices and philosophies of improvisation to settings outside the theatre, facilitating skill-building workshops and corporate role-playing experiences for countless professional entities, ranging from public school districts to Fortune 500, and pretty much everything in-between. The dude just likes his work!

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Nick Armstrong (he/him) is an accomplished actor, comedian, and improviser with a career spanning over two decades. Known for his boundless energy and quick wit, Nick has performed on stages and screens across the country, earning a reputation as a dynamic and versatile performer, teacher, and writer. As an improviser, Nick is one of the most recognizable names in the comedy community. He is the founder of Improv Utopia, co-owner of RISE Comedy, Haus of Comedy, and CrowdWork where he has helped shape the next generation of improvisers by fostering a supportive and inclusive comedy community. He has taught and performed improv at some of the most renowned comedy theaters in the world, including The Groundlings, iO, and Westside Comedy. Nick’s acting credits include roles in hit television shows like The Office, Grey’s Anatomy, Parks and Recreation, and Bulldozer which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2025. Whether he’s on stage making audiences laugh, teaching students to embrace their creativity, or building a thriving comedy community, Nick Armstrong’s passion for comedy, community, and storytelling is at the heart of everything he does.