Gary L. Polk

CEO & Founder
The Polk Institute

Gary L. Polk, Sr. is a Black businessman, CEO, business consultant, university professor and author, passionate about entrepreneurs ... and why they succeed or fail. In 2016, he became the founder and first executive director of the Innovation Incubator at California State University Dominguez Hills. From the vision of its retired president Willie Hagen, with his team he created an amazing business incubator that not only helped the Dominguez Hills students, but also the entrepreneurs throughout the Los Angeles region. Unfortunately, in 2018, President Hagen retired and with his retirement, the Innovation Incubator became a low priority of the new president and the university. In July 2020, Polk created the Polk Institute Foundation (Pi), a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. The Polk Institute Foundation officially launched on January 15, 2021 with a celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday. Pi’s first academy training, “Entrepreneurship for Everyone,” started February 1, 2021 just as Black History Month started.