The Reinventions of Meow Wolf’s Vince Kadlubek
We previously announced that Dent 2020’sopening reception will be held at Santa Fe’s Meow Wolf. But we’re even more excited to announce that Meow WolfFounder Vince Kadlubek will be delivering a keynote address!
Our theme this year is“Reinvention.” Vince Kadlubek reinvented himself and his business many timesover. You won’t want to miss out, so apply forDent 2020 now.
In high school,Vince Kadlubek wrote a story about a kid who “hatesschool. He hates the government. He hates money. He hates the fake.” By age 32,he was “making$50/day delivering food, living at my parents’ house on the south side of SantaFe, and dreaming of becoming an accomplished playwright.”
Vince’sfirst reinvention was transforming from a Caulfield-esque anti-establishmentloner into a member of a collective. Vince teamed up with a group ofweird-art-making, anarchy-minded, psychedelic-using kids. They put a bunch ofrandom words in a hat and pulled out two: “meow” and “wolf.” And thus the collectivewas born.
Photo Credit: Kate Russell/meowwolf.com, via Rolling Stone
“All of asudden,” Vince said, “I found myself in an entirely new existence with unrealmomentum.”
After a few exhibitions, thecollective quickly found the non-profit arts organization modelunsustainable—creatively, inter-personally, and (unsurprisingly) financially.The solution, Vince found, was to create their own institution.
In 2017, Meow Wolf became acorporation accountable to a board of directors and under Vince’s leadership—nolonger a non-profit answerable to a collective of artists. They beganattracting VC funding. By 2019, they had hired executives from Disney andGoldman Sachs, employed more than 500 people, and had scored a nine-figurevaluation,
This sortof reinvention is the stuff of Silicon Valley fantasies—rapid growth, a “viralsensation,” and a swarm of VC funding.
It’s notwithout its challenges. How do you go from making cool shit with your rowdy crewto multiple major expansions? How do you go from an anarchistic collective tocorporation? And how do you do it without losing the friends you made along theway?We’re excited to find out. Apply forDent 2020 now.