Museums are operating in a state of what veteran museum strategist Neal Stimler calls a “permacrisis,” a continual cycle of economic, environmental, geopolitical, and social pressures that makes long-term planning increasingly difficult.

In this episode of the Cultural Animals Museum Leadership Podcast, Neal joins us to explore how museums can move beyond reactive survival mode and build organizations that are more resilient, intentional, and self-reliant.

Drawing on more than 20 years of international museum experience, Neal offers a practical perspective on how institutions can rethink the way they create and measure value. The conversation explores how museums can better leverage the assets they already have, from collections and intellectual property to brand, retail, customer data, and institutional expertise.

We also dive into the realities of AI adoption, the importance of strong digital infrastructure, technical debt, and why clean data and connected systems need to come before expecting AI to transform an organization. Neal shares his perspective on where AI can genuinely enhance museum operations and where institutions need to proceed thoughtfully around privacy, intellectual property, and data sovereignty.

The conversation also challenges the traditional approach to strategic planning. Rather than relying on static five-year plans, Neal advocates for more dynamic, data-informed planning cycles built around quarterly priorities, measurable goals, budgets, and a willingness to adjust when the data tells you to.

From intellectual property and retail to governance, technology, strategy, and sustainable revenue, this episode offers a clear message: museums have more assets and opportunities than they may realize, but they need to be intentional about turning those assets into long-term value.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why museums are operating in a state of “permacrisis”
• How museums can become more self-reliant and financially resilient
• The untapped value of collections, intellectual property, and brand
• How retail and licensing can create new revenue opportunities
• Why AI is an enhancement tool, not a silver bullet
• The importance of clean data and modern digital infrastructure
• Moving from static five-year plans to dynamic, quarterly strategy
• Breaking down departmental data silos
• Rethinking museum board composition and expertise
• How museums can move from reactive survival to intentional growth

The goal isn't simply to help museums survive the next five years. It's to help them build the capacity to adapt, experiment, measure, and create value quarter by quarter.

It’s time for museums to get in the game.

Thank you for joining us on this journey and being part of today's conversation. If this episode inspired you or made you curious to learn more, please like and subscribe to the Cultural Animals: Museum Leadership Lab podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Don't forget to follow Veevart on LinkedIn, Meta, and X for our latest stories, topics, and updates about future episodes. Thanks again for listening, and as always, stay curious. All the links are in the description below.

What does it take to build one of the world's most innovative immersive art companies from a group of struggling artists with little more than creativity and determination? In this episode of Cultural Animals: Museum Leadership Lab, Antonio Velasco sits down with Vince Kadlubek, co-founder of Meow Wolf, to discuss the remarkable journey from scavenging materials out of dumpsters in Santa Fe to building a company that has raised more than $100 million and transformed the immersive entertainment industry. Vince shares the pivotal decisions, leadership lessons, and creative philosophy that fueled Meow Wolf's extraordinary growth.

The conversation also explores the realities of scaling a mission-driven organization, navigating the pressures of leadership, and preserving a creative culture as the company expanded. Whether you're a museum leader, nonprofit executive, or entrepreneur, you'll gain valuable insights on innovation, resilience, fundraising, and designing experiences that leave a lasting impression on audiences.

Thank you for joining us on this journey and being part of today's conversation. If this episode inspired you or made you curious to learn more, please like and subscribe to the Cultural Animals: Museum Leadership Lab podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Don't forget to follow Veevart on LinkedIn, Meta, and X for our latest stories, topics, and updates about future episodes. Thanks again for listening, and as always, stay curious. All the links are in the description below.

Jonathan Foerster, CEO of the Golisano Children's Museum of Naples, never planned to run a museum. He started as a journalist chasing stories, then found his way into nonprofits where he discovered that fundraising, leadership, and community building are really just storytelling in disguise. In this episode, Jonathan shares how curiosity became his operating system, why he raised membership prices and grew membership at the same time, how he is future-proofing the museum with an on-site preschool, and what the National Museum of African American History and Culture taught him about what a great museum visit should feel like. Whether you work in nonprofits, museums, or any mission-driven organization, this conversation is packed with honest, practical insight.

Thank you for joining us on this journey and being part of today's conversation. If this episode inspired you or made you curious to learn more, please like and subscribe to the Cultural Animals: Museum Leadership Lab podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Don't forget to follow Veevart on LinkedIn, Meta, and X for our latest stories, topics, and updates about future episodes. Thanks again for listening, and as always, stay curious. All the links are in the description below.

What happens when a world-class designer trades global projects for a single desert garden and completely transforms it?

In this latest episode of Cultural Animals: Museum Leadership Lab, Jamie Maslyn Larson FASLA, CEO at Tohono Chul, shares her unexpected journey from leading landscape architecture projects across cities like New York and Copenhagen to reimagining a 49-acre botanical garden in Tucson, Arizona. With no prior nonprofit experience, Jamie took a bold, design-driven approach and rethought everything from visitor experience to community access.

The result? Attendance nearly doubled, new audiences poured in, and the garden became a vibrant cultural hub for locals.

From experimenting with summer night programs to breaking down internal silos and redefining what a public space can be, Jamie offers a candid look at leadership, creativity, and the power of taking risks.

If you are interested in museums, botanical gardens, public spaces, or leading change inside complex organizations, this conversation is a masterclass in turning vision into reality.

Listen to the latest episode to hear how one leader turned experimentation into impact and brought an entire community back into nature.

Thank you for joining us on this journey and being part of today's conversation. If this episode inspired you or made you curious to learn more, please like and subscribe to the Cultural Animals: Museum Leadership Lab podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Don't forget to follow Veevart on LinkedIn, Meta, and X for our latest stories, topics, and updates about future episodes. Thanks again for listening, and as always, stay curious. All the links are in the description below.

What does a museum CFO actually do? Far more than manage budgets. In this episode of the Cultural Animals: Museum Leadership Lab, host Antonio Velasco sits down with Dave Togni, Chief Financial Officer of the Corning Museum of Glass, to unpack what 25 years in museum finance really looks like. From navigating maritime insurance for a traveling glassblowing barge to developing flame-free technology for artists performing on cruise ships, Dave shares how museum finance extends far beyond spreadsheets, along with lessons from leading through COVID-19 and managing major operational change.

The conversation also explores the realities museum leaders face today, including tighter philanthropic markets, reduced international tourism, and the growing importance of marketing and technology investment. Dave shares practical budget benchmarks, insights into board strategy, and why frontline staff may be one of the most overlooked drivers of financial success, offering a candid look at what it takes to sustain and grow a modern museum.

Thank you for joining us on this journey and being part of today's conversation. If this episode inspired you or made you curious to learn more, please like and subscribe to the Cultural Animals: Museum Leadership Lab podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Don't forget to follow Veevart on LinkedIn, Meta, and X for our latest stories, topics, and updates about future episodes. Thanks again for listening, and as always, stay curious. All the links are in the description below.

In this episode of Cultural Animals: Museum Leadership Lab, we sit down with Adam Smith, President and CEO of Exploration Place, who has led cultural institutions from the National Museums of Scotland to the Comic-Con Museum. Adam shares how he doubled museum attendance while better managing marketing costs and offers practical strategies that any museum leader can use. Learn how to unlock thousands per month in free advertising, master pricing psychology, build high-performing teams, and create a mission-driven culture. From digital marketing breakthroughs to leadership insights, this conversation is full of actionable ideas to help your museum grow, engage more visitors, and thrive in today’s competitive landscape.

Thank you for joining us on this journey and being part of today's conversation. If this episode inspired you or made you curious to learn more, please like and subscribe to the Cultural Animals: Museum Leadership Lab podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Don't forget to follow Veevart on LinkedIn, Meta, and X for our latest stories, topics, and updates about future episodes. Thanks again for listening, and as always, stay curious. All the links are in the description below.

Welcome to the premiere episode of Culture Animals: Museum Leadership Lab!
Are you a museum director, department head, or cultural institution leader struggling with operational efficiency, declining attendance, or board pressure to modernize? This conversation is for you.

Antonio Velasco, CEO of Veevart, sits down with Nik Honeysett, CEO of the Balboa Park Online Collaborative (BPOC), a nonprofit consultancy specializing in museum digital transformation and strategic planning. A leading voice in museum innovation, Nik has held senior roles at The J. Paul Getty Museum and UK-based CogApp, working with over 140 museums on technology implementation, organizational transformation, and sustainable operations.

What we will discuss:

• Why treating "nonprofit" as a mindset (not tax status) is holding museums back.
• The dual obligation every museum owes its community (social AND financial).
• How to unlock a full FTE of productivity through better systems.
• Why disconnected systems are killing your revenue and efficiency.
• The 3-phase innovation roadmap: Efficiency → Sustaining → Growth.
• How the Bovington Tank Museum generates £3M in digital revenue.
• Leadership principles that separate thriving museums from struggling ones.
• Why you should hire people smarter than you (and how to do it).
• How to gain board buy-in for technology investments.
• AI strategy for museums: policy first, platform second.
• The real definition of museum success (it's not what you think).

Thank you for joining us on this journey and being part of today's conversation. If this episode inspired you or made you curious to learn more, please like and subscribe to the Cultural Animals: Museum Leadership Lab podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Don't forget to follow Veevart on LinkedIn, Meta, and X for our latest stories, topics, and updates about future episodes. Thanks again for listening, and as always, stay curious. All the links are in the description below.