Episode 8: Michael Kaufmann

Michael Kaufmann is one of the most fascinating individuals I have ever met. He has made a successful career in music, leading record labels and launching the careers of new artists (his best-known associations are with artists including Sufjan Stevens and Son Lux). He also is a civic leader in Indianapolis, curating numerous, multi-million dollar public art installations and cross-disciplinary programs. He is pursuing his PhD at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) and he most recently served VP of Civic Investment for Health and Hospital Corporation in Indianapolis. Michael continues to challenge conventional thinking in Indianapolis, and in this conversation we talk about the post- COVID-19 economy, the changing role of art’s impact on communities, and why we need to modernize our definitions of terms like “economic development.”