After moving to Russia at the age of nineteen on a humanitarian aide mission, Blake spent years volunteering in impoverished cities, underfunded hospitals and orphanages and realized poverty in the developing world held great interest for him. After returning to the US to pursue a degree in Russian Linguistics from Brigham Young University, he began conducting research for FINCA International in central Asia, determining the economic impact of FINCA's programs in Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, and central Russia. Seeing real change for the better in the lives of microfinance participants, he was hooked. Blake continues to explore his interests in the developing world while adjusting to his new found home in Sausalito. In his free time, he's usually in a movie theater, or writing about film for various online publications.