Luke Blackburn

Luke Blackburn began his professional journey as a derivatives trader in 2007, specializing in S&P futures, before transitioning to become a FINRA-licensed broker for three years.

In 2013, Luke ventured into entrepreneurship, moving to Chile to immerse himself in building startups and entrepreneurial ecosystems in Chile and Brazil for four years.

During his time in Latin America, Luke co-founded Exosphere, a renowned learning and problem-solving community. He also established Exosphere Academy, which offers cutting-edge educational courses in science, emerging technology, and entrepreneurship with an extensive alumni network spanning over 50 countries.

Noteworthy among Luke's projects is the Exosphere Academy's pioneering immersive smart contract/blockchain programming bootcamp, and the unique initiative called Crucero Celeste y Blanca, where Luke and fellow Argentinian entrepreneurs transformed a cruise ship into a mobile hotel for soccer fans during the World Cup 2014 in Rio de Janeiro.

Luke returned to the United States in April 2017 with a mission to drive innovation and global connectedness in the economy of his hometown region of St. Louis. He focuses on collaborating with US healthcare organizations for digital transformation in healthcare consumerization and spearheading the Early Adopter Grower Innovation Community (EAGIC) to address specific challenges faced by Midwest farmers.

Luke Blackburn embodies long-term optimism and has a keen interest in areas such as psychology, emerging technologies, and history. He is a proponent of learning, engaging in discussions, and expressing his thoughts through writing.

Throughout his career, Luke has been associated with various organizations, including Business Development at BioSTL, Managing Director at Exosphere HQ, Co-founder at Vertico, Executive Director at Exosphere HQ, Registered Investment Advisor at Stifel Nicolaus, Founder of The Hope Farm, and Derivatives Trader at SRC Development.

Luke pursued his education at Wissahickon High School and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, majoring in Entrepreneurship from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.