Jacob Jonas consistently questions who dance is for, where it belongs, and how it can be sustained. 

From his early days as a street performer on Venice Beach to founding his own company at just 21, his work reflects a conviction that art must evolve alongside audiences. That perspective has shaped his drive to build new models for the field just as much as it has informed his creative practice.

In this episode, Jacob discusses expanding access to dance beyond traditional ticketed spaces, and bringing movement to the screen through his global platform Films.Dance. He also reflects on the gaps he sees across the dance ecosystem—from outdated funding models to legacy approaches to marketing—where emerging leaders have opportunities to rethink the future of the field.

Giorgia Lupi has built a career at the intersection of design, storytelling, and information, treating data not as cold fact but as something deeply human. 

From organizing buttons in her grandmother’s tailor shop in Italy to becoming a partner at Pentagram, her work consistently challenges the idea that analysis and artistry exist in separate worlds. 

In this episode, Giorgia reflects on her path from architecture to information design, and unpacks her philosophy of data humanism: an approach that embraces subjectivity, emotion, and storytelling as essential to how we understand data. She also talks about her work in branding, including Capacity’s recent rebrand, and what it means to design in a world increasingly shaped by AI.

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LINKS

Giorgia Lupi: https://giorgialupi.com/ 

Pentagram: https://www.pentagram.com/ 

Letterform Online Archive: https://oa.letterformarchive.org/ 

What's the root of the audience growth problem? Relevance. Few people understand that better than Ruth Hartt.

Ruth has built a career at the intersection of performance and business innovation, moving from a 17-year career as a professional opera singer to advising cultural organizations on how to rethink audience engagement. Drawing on her work at the Clayton Christensen Institute and her deep grounding in the arts, Ruth challenges long-held assumptions about how and why people connect with cultural experiences.

In this episode, Ruth unpacks the limitations of traditional, product-centered marketing and makes the case for a more human, need-based approach. Along the way, she reflects on her own journey from the stage to strategy, and what it means to build a more responsive, relevant future for the arts.

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LINKS:

Cindr: https://cindr.co/

Cindr Webinar: https://cindr.co/webinar

Culture for Hire: https://www.cultureforhire.com/

Christensen Institute: https://www.christenseninstitute.org/ 

Libraries are often thought of as quiet repositories. But at their best, they are living, evolving spaces where culture is preserved, interpreted, and reimagined.

Brent Reidy serves as the Andrew W. Mellon Director of the Research Libraries at The New York Public Library—one of the most expansive and dynamic cultural collections in the world. With a career that spans musicology, consulting with arts institutions, and nearly a decade at NYPL, Brent brings a unique perspective on how libraries function not just as archives, but as active participants in the cultural ecosystem.

In this episode, Brent reflects on what it takes to engage new audiences; how digitization efforts intersect with access and institutional mission; and how preserving the past can help shape a more inclusive and imaginative future for the arts.

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LINKS:

The New York Public Library: https://www.nypl.org/ 

The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts: https://www.nypl.org/locations/lpa 

StoryCorps Archive: https://archive.storycorps.org/ 

The best leaders build conditions for others to shine. 

Derek A. Johnson, Chief Marketing Officer of Seattle Symphony and Benaroya Hall, has built his leadership philosophy around this very idea. Derek brings a thoughtful, people-centered approach to navigating the complexities of today’s arts landscape, drawing on years of experience across major cultural institutions like the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and the Kennedy Center.

In this episode, Derek reflects on the power of servant leadership and how trust becomes the foundation for both strong teams and bold ideas. He also shares what it means to step into a senior leadership role at a pivotal moment for Seattle Symphony, and how he hopes orchestra marketing will evolve in the years ahead.

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LINKS:

Seattle Symphony: https://www.seattlesymphony.org/ 

Benaroya Hall: https://www.seattlesymphony.org/benaroyahall 

Merriam-Webster: https://www.merriam-webster.com/ 

The beauty of theater isn’t just what happens on stage. It’s the community that forms around it. And increasingly, that community is being built online. 

Ashley Hufford is part of a growing group of creators leading that shift. A constant presence across New York’s theater scene and on social media, she has built an audience of more than 100,000 followers who turn to her not for theater criticism, but for an invitation to try something new. What began as a pandemic-era hobby of posting about shows has grown into a kind of cultural bridge, connecting productions with new and younger audiences.

In this episode, Ashley reflects on her path from sports media to political storytelling to theater influencing; what she’s learned about sharing stories that resonate; the evolving role of influencers in the theater ecosystem; and how the arts industry can rethink accessibility and audience-building for the future.

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LINKS:

Ashley Huffed: https://www.ashleyhufford.com/

The New York Public Library: https://www.nypl.org/

The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts: https://www.nypl.org/locations/lpa

Music has the power to move a room. For composer Carlos Simon, that effect was first felt in church, where music was both a creative act and a shared experience. 

Raised in a family steeped in ministry and musical tradition, Carlos grew up surrounded by gospel, jazz, and the spontaneity of worship. From playing organ by ear during Sunday services to his later work with orchestras, film, and opera, he has built a compositional voice that blurs boundaries: bridging sacred and secular, improvisation and form, tradition and innovation.

In this episode, Carlos traces his path to becoming one of today’s most sought-after composers and the first-ever Composer Chair for the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Along the way, he offers insight into the deeply collaborative nature of his work and frames musical composition as an act of service.

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LINKS:

Carlos Simon: https://www.carlossimonmusic.com/

brea(d)th: https://www.carlossimonmusic.com/album/brea-d-th

Monuments: A Suite for DC: https://www.kennedy-center.org/whats-on/festivals-series/250-years-of-us/sounds-of-us/monuments/

The Blacknificent 7: https://www.instagram.com/blacknificentseven/

Sara Villagio believes some of the most important leadership lessons begin with listening.

Early in her tenure at Carnegie Hall, she made a point of meeting one-on-one with colleagues across the organization, setting the tone for a leadership style grounded in curiosity, collaboration, and learning from the people around you.

Now Chief Marketing Officer of the historic New York institution, Sara reflects on the moments and mentors that shaped her path from young musician to arts executive, and how she guides a cross-functional team of more than 60 people.

She also reflects on a challenge facing many arts organizations: the temptation to assume we know what audiences want. Instead, she argues for a different mindset—one rooted in experimentation and paying close attention to what audiences actually show us.

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LINKS

Carnegie Hall: https://www.carnegiehall.org/ 

Insight Timer: https://insighttimer.com/ 

A long history is a gift for any cultural institution, but it also invites a constant balancing act. How do you honor tradition while continuing to evolve for the future?

Pamela Tatge has spent the past decade exploring that question as Executive and Artistic Director of Jacob’s Pillow, one of the world’s most renowned dance institutions. Under her leadership, the Pillow has expanded from a seasonal festival into a year-round cultural hub, embraced a collaborative curatorial model, and explored how new technologies can broaden how dance is experienced and shared.

As Pamela marks her tenth year leading the Pillow, she reflects on guiding the celebrated institution through moments of upheaval; the growing role of technology in the arts; and the leadership lessons she’s gained in her tenure.

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LINKS: 

Jacob's Pillow: https://www.jacobspillow.org/ 

Jacob's Pillow Dance Interactive: https://danceinteractive.jacobspillow.org/ 

Wesleyan Center for the Arts: https://www.wesleyan.edu/cfa/ 

Before audiences fall in love with a story, they fall into a world—one shaped by the unseen artistry that turns empty space into something alive.

Set and production designer Paul Tate dePoo III has built a career shaping the physical environments that hold our favorite stories. From intimate stages to large-scale productions, his work lives at the intersection of architecture, storytelling, and psychology, where space itself becomes a character.

In this episode, Paul reflects on how ideas move from sketch to stage, the collaborative nature of his work, and the responsibility designers carry in shaping how audiences experience a narrative.

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LINKS:

Tate Design Group: https://www.pauldepoo.com/ 

The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts: https://www.nypl.org/locations/lpa 

The New York Public Library Photography Collection: https://www.nypl.org/locations/schwarzman/wallach-division/photography-collection