Emil J. Kang is a cultural strategist, educator, and advisor working at the intersection of arts, philanthropy, and public policy. Most recently, Kang served as Program Director for Arts and Culture at The Mellon Foundation—the nation's largest arts funder—where he led a $125 million annual portfolio and conceived Creatives Rebuild New York, the largest guaranteed income program for artists in U.S. history. Previously, he founded and led Carolina Performing Arts at UNC-Chapel Hill, leading it into one of the country’ss premier university-based performing arts programs while commissioning over 60 new works from internationally renowned artists. He also served as Professor of the Practice in the Department of Music and Special Assistant to the Chancellor for the Arts.

Kang currently serves as Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Yale Ventures Cultural Innovation Lab at Yale University and as the Agnes Gund Visiting Professor of the Practice of Arts at BrownUniversity. He continues to serve on the National Council on the Arts, having been appointed by President Barack Obama in 2012. He also has an active consulting practice working with arts leaders and organizations driving change.

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.

Kang currently serves on boards including Silkroad, Mutual Mentorship for Musicians, and National Sawdust, and on committees for Jazz at Lincoln Center and the Council of Korean Americans. A sought-after speaker on cultural leadership and institutional transformation, he writes provocatively about the future of arts institutions and philanthropic practice. He holds a degree in Economics from the University of Rochester.