Dr. Michael Seman is an assistant professor of arts management at Colorado State University
where he is also the director of the Arts Management program. He received his doctorate in
urban planning and public policy from the University of Texas at Arlington. Michael’s work
examines issues in the creative economy, most recently the economic, cultural, and social
impacts of music venues. Before joining Colorado State University, Michael was Director of
Creative Industries Research and Policy at the University of Colorado Denver College of Arts
and Media.

Michael recently co-authored music and film strategies and creative economy reports for 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. Michael created the Music Venue Economic Impact Calculator for the
National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) and is currently writing a book about music
ecosystems and cities for the University of Texas Press. 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 Michael’s 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. Michael 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.