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Richard Luker, creator of the ESPN Sports Poll and author of Simple Community

ST. PETERSBURG, FL – The Sustainable Entrepreneurship & Innovation Alliance at USF St. Petersburg’s College of Business will host a free entrepreneurial networking breakfast on Tuesday, March 8. Richard Luker, creator of the ESPN Sports Poll and author of Simple Community, will speak on making your brand part of American life.

Rich Luker has been studying American Life for more than 25 years. His earliest research examined the role of media use in adolescent social development – the topic of his doctoral dissertation at the University of Michigan.

He is best known for his creation of the ESPN Sports Poll which began in 1994. The Sports Poll was the first dedicated ongoing intelligence service to collect information from Americans on their interests and activities related to sports.

In 2009, Luker published Simple Community which documents the loss of American community and provides a way for American brands to profitably invest in restoring community.

Dr. Luker’s research has been featured in many national publications including The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, USA Today, and Advertising Age. Luker has appeared on national news programs on ABC, FOX, ESPN, and NPR. Recognizing Luker’s two decades of forward thinking research, in 2009 Sports Business Journal asked him to write a full page quarterly column on trends called Up Next. The column presents Luker’s latest trend research, tracks key statistics and polls industry leaders on the issues most affecting the sports industry.

Dr. Luker earned his M.A. in psychology and his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in a joint communication and psychology doctoral program. While at Michigan, Rich trained and worked in the Institute for Social Research for two years.

Bill Jackson, associate dean of the College of Business at USF St. Petersburg and director of the Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Innovation Alliance, helps organize the breakfast.

“Following on the success we had with previous speakers Goliath Davis and Peter Kageyama speaking to entrepreneurship’s role in the community,” Jackson said. “We are tremendously fortunate to welcome Richard Luker to continue this discussion.”

The event is open to the public and begins at 8 am. Registration is now open at http://seialliance.eventbrite.com/.