Blake received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance, and minor in Economics, with honors, from San Jose State University, and his Master of Accounting from the University of Southern California, Leventhal School of Accounting. Prior to entering the Ph.D. program at the University of Florida, Fisher School of Accounting, he gained professional experience as a Senior Associate within the audit practice of KPMG in Los Angeles, California. He maintains active CPA licensure in the state of California. His research interests include financial accounting and capital markets.