Michael Seman is an assistant professor of arts management at Colorado State University. He received his doctorate in urban planning and public policy from the University of Texas at Arlington in 2014. Seman’s work examines issues in the creative economy, often focusing on how music ecosystems and regional growth intersect. Before joining CSU, he was director of Creative Industries Research and Policy at the University of Colorado Denver College of Arts and Media.

Seman recently authored creative economy reports for both the City of Denver and the State of Colorado and co-authored “Lost Art: Measuring COVID-19’s Devastating Impact on America’s Creative Economy” with Richard Florida for the Brookings Institution. His co-edited volume concerning the production and consumption of music in the digital age was published by Routledge in 2016 as part of their Contemporary Human Geography Series. Seman is currently writing a book about music venues and cities for the University of Texas Press, and his work can also be found in many academic journals including Cities, Regional Science Policy and Practice, Applied Research in Economic Development, City, Culture and Society, Industrial Geographer, Artivate: A Journal of Entrepreneurship in the Arts, and most recently in Growth and Change.

The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, National Public Radio, CNN and many regional media outlets seek his insight concerning the creative economy, and he is often invited to speak at professional and civic events across the country. Prior to completing his graduate work, Michael spent several years as an executive at Creative Artists Agency in Beverly Hills, California, where he focused on internal marketing and project development. He also managed daytime programming for the “35 Denton” and “Oaktopia” music festivals in Denton, Texas, while earning his doctorate. He is represented by the Creative Class Group for speaking engagements.