Are Non-Linear Careers The New Linear? (EP.94)

Written By Tim Cynova

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Updated: July 22, 2026

Emil Kang became the head of one of the largest orchestras in the U.S. at 31. He went on to direct arts grantmaking at The Mellon Foundation, where he helped imagine Creatives Rebuild New York, a $125 million workforce development initiative during the heart of the pandemic. Now he's an arts consultant, writer, and educator based in New York City, and his Substack, The Reprise, has become required reading for people working in and around arts institutions.

In this episode, host Tim Cynova and Emil trace what all those vantage points reveal about careers, hiring, and the institutions we build. They start with the question behind one of Emil's essays: who are you without the title? From there, the conversation moves through nonlinear careers, the relational job search most people skip, what search committees often get wrong before a search even launches, and why nonprofit governance often operates with so little accountability.

Whether you're navigating your own next move, serving on a search committee, or wondering why a nonprofit board works the way it does, we explore all of those things and more.

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About the Guests

Emil J. Kang is a cultural strategist, leader, and educator, working at the intersection of arts, philanthropy, and public policy. He has an active consulting practice working with arts leaders and organizations driving change.

Previously, Kang served as Program Director for Arts and Culture at The Mellon Foundation—the nation's largest arts funder—where he led a $120 million annual portfolio and conceived Creatives Rebuild New York, the largest guaranteed income program for artists in U.S. history. He founded and led Carolina Performing Arts at UNC-Chapel Hill, building it into one of the country's premier university-based performing arts programs while commissioning over 60 new works from internationally renowned artists. While at UNC, he also served as Professor of the Practice in the Department of Music and Special Assistant to the Chancellor for the Arts.

He continues to serve on the National Council on the Arts, having been appointed in 2012 by President Barack Obama. Kang currently serves as Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the Yale Ventures Cultural Innovation Lab at Yale University. Previously, he served as the Agnes Gund Visiting Professor of the Practice of Arts at Brown University.

Earlier in his career, Kang served as President and Executive Director of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, becoming the youngest and first Asian-American CEO of a major American symphony orchestra.

Kang currently serves on the boards of directors of several arts organizations including Silkroad, National Sawdust, GYOPO, and Mutual Mentorship for Musicians, and is a member of the Council of Korean Americans. He serves as Vice Chair of the New York City Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission. A sought-after speaker on cultural leadership and institutional transformation, he writes provocatively about the future of arts institutions, leadership, and philanthropic practice on his substack, The Reprise.

Tim Cynova is the host of the Work Shouldn’t Suck podcast, where he and guests explore bold ideas and practical strategies for creating workplaces where people thrive. At the consulting firm WSS, he draws on deep experience leading and advising mission-driven organizations through growth, change, and complexity to help them dust off outdated policies, challenge default approaches, and design values-centered workplaces that align people strategy, organizational culture, and operational infrastructure. A certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and trained mediator, Tim’s path has taken him from orchestral trombonist to C-level roles in multiple $25M+ nonprofits around the globe. Whether consulting, teaching, or recording, he brings curiosity, candor, and a knack for making workplace design engaging and actionable. More at timcynova.com.

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Tim Cynova https://workshouldntsuck.co
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Hiring with Intention: An Executive Search Case Study (EP.93)