Olaf Kuhlke

Olaf Kuhlke holds a PhD in cultural geography from Kent State University, has taught both in geography and creative/cultural entrepreneurship programs, and co-founded the BA program in Cultural Entrepreneurship at the University of Minnesota Duluth, where he taught for 20 years prior to coming to MCAD in 2022. At MCAD, he led the redevelopment of the entrepreneurial studies program to a Bachelor of Science program in Creative Entrepreneurship that is launching in the fall of 2023. Olaf is also a consultant and entrepreneur, working with BIPOC organizations across the country to implement creative entrepreneurship training programs for community members, and provides workshops on startups, workplace culture, mental health, and trauma-informed entrepreneurship.

As a researcher, he is currently part of two projects focusing on the visualization of climate change and the climate entrepreneurship opportunities emerging from adaptation and mitigation. With the United Nations Environmental Programme and other international partners, he leads "Our People, Our Climate", an initiative training youth in climate science, visualization, photography and filmmaking. With four other universities, he is currently part of a funded project that examines and visually documents the impact of climate change on permafrost landscapes and infrastructure in Alaska. For the latter project, he primarily works with 3-D cameras to create immersive environments illustrating the cultural, ecological and economic impact of climate change.

Olaf has published 5 books and numerous articles, including a 2015 co-edited volume entitled Creating Cultural Capital, published by the University of Chicago Press.