Just Get In There with Jonathan Moscone

10/24/19 • 36 min

Some people have a passion from an early age that they want to turn into a career. In this episode, we hear from someone who successfully did this.
Jon Moscone discovered as a teenager that the theater was a place where he belonged and chose to pursue this as his career. He consciously made decisions to "just get in there" and prove what he could do, decisions that ultimately allowed him to be a theater director and producer, as well as an engaged civic leader. In our conversation, Jon shares the influences that shaped his life and how he made bold moves to build his storied career.
Meet the Guest
Jonathan Moscone currently serves as Chief Producer of Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco. He currently chairs the Advisory Committee of San Francisco’s Grants for the Arts and serves on the boards of Homeless Prenatal Program and Alice Waters’ Edible Schoolyard Project, and previously of Theater Communications Group.
Prior to YBCA, Jonathan served for 15 years as Artistic Director of the California Shakespeare Theater and is the first recipient of the Zelda Fichandler Award, given by the Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation for “transforming the American theater through his unique and creative work.” Born and raised in San Francisco, Moscone received his MFA from the Yale School of Drama and BA from Williams College.
Links
Here's the book Jon mentioned that had a powerful influence on him:

White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism, by Robin DiAngelo and Michael Eric Dyson

To find out more about Jon or the organizations and projects he's involved with, check out these links:

YBCA
Medium article: Civic Engagement at YBCA
HowlRound Essays featuring Jon
Preface written by Jon for Nina Simon's book, The Art of Relevance
Wikipedia entry featuring Jon

White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism, by Robin DiAngelo and Michael Eric Dyson

To find out more about Jon or the organizations and projects he's involved with, check out these links:

YBCA
Medium article: Civic Engagement at YBCA
HowlRound Essays featuring Jon
Preface written by Jon for Nina Simon's book, The Art of Relevance
Wikipedia entry featuring Jon

Previous Episode

Becoming Fearless with Anu Shultes

Careers don't happen in a vacuum, but rather unfold in the context of our lives. Anu Shultes' career journey has included setbacks, hard landings and serious illness. In spite of it all she persisted, found her voice, and earlier this year was named CEO of LendUp, a socially responsible FinTech company redefining financial services for the emerging middle class.
Anu candidly shares how she faced adversity head-on and became fearless along the way. Her career decisions not only led her to the helm of a company, but also shaped the leader and person she is today.
Meet the Guest
Anu Shultes is CEO of LendUp, a mission-driven financial technology company focused on expanding access to credit and creating pathways to better financial health. A 25-year veteran of the financial services industry, Anu has a personal mission to lift people out of poverty and infuses her work with her passion for financial inclusion. Anu’s career spans a broad spectrum of roles across subprime credit cards, subprime loans, and prepaid cards. Her significant experience building efficient operational processes and teams to support them has led her to become one of the few female CEOs in fintech.
Links

Here's the book Anu read early in her career that influenced the choices she made: How to Become a CEO
Visit LendUp on LinkedIn
Visit LendUp

Next Episode

Finding Balance with Dr. Markus Watson

What does work-life balance mean to you? Could you achieve it if your career was threatened by something completely beyond your control? Our interview with Dr. Markus Watson explores how he has found balance throughout his life, even during especially challenging times like going to dental school while working full-time, and when receiving a life-changing diagnosis.
Markus candidly shares how he uncovered his interest in dentistry, what he discovered about himself through various jobs, and how he took on a health challenge that threatened everything he was and everything he built. His interview is loaded with wisdom and advice that’s helpful to anyone with ups and downs in their careers — so basically all of us!
Meet the Guest
Dr. Markus Watson, DDS, is a 1995 graduate of New York University’s School of Dentistry in Manhattan. He served a residency in general practice at the Interfaith Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY. In 1997, he began his practice in general dentistry on Manhattan’s upper east side. He worked part time in Brooklyn, NY for a nonprofit at the Brooklyn Plaza Family Health Center. In 2003, Dr. Watson relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area and started as an associate with Union Street Dental Care. In 2004, he founded South Beach Dental, a group practice in San Francisco’s mission bay area.

He has a great passion for giving to organizations which drive changes in our need to create a better, healthier and more livable environment. In 2014, Dr. Watson created an eco-friendly toothpaste called GoGreen, with a percentage of profits going to the San Francisco AIDS Foundation.

Links
To learn more about Markus’ dental practice or to try his toothpaste, check out these links:

Career Curves - Just Get In There with Jonathan Moscone

Transcript

Beth Davies, host: Suppose you have a passion from an early age that you want to turn into a career. How do you actually do this? How do you find the right jobs – the ones that draw on your interests and your strengths?

Welcome to Career Curves where we talk to people who have interesting careers and explore how they got where they are today. I'm your host, Beth Davies.
Today we’re joined by theater director and producer Jon Moscone, currently the Chief Producer