Ross Shafer

Ross Shafer is an American comedian and television host-turned-motivational and leadership speaker/consultant, based in Denver, Colorado.

Born in McMinnville, Oregon, Shafer graduated from Federal Way High School in Federal Way, Washington. As a high school All Conference football player, he received a scholarship to play linebacker for the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington, where he earned a Business Marketing degree.

Shafer began his career as a small town pet store manager-turned-stand-up comic in Seattle, Washington, after winning the Showtime cable network's 1983 Showtime Comedy Laugh-Off. The following year, he became the host and a writer-performer of the late-night comedy series he created called Almost Live! on TV station KING Channel 5. After four and a half years and nearly 40 Emmy Awards later, Shafer left to host the Fox Network's The Late Show. Shafer's first national TV show was the USA Network's Love Me, Love Me Not, taped in Vancouver, British Columbia. The show ran for 130 episodes and aired in Italy under the name Mama No Mama