Today we’d like to introduce you to Raven Trammell.
Hi Raven, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I picked up my first camera when I was 9 years old. My grandma bought it for me at a garage sale in our trailer park, and I became obsessed with it. To me, photos made people feel important — and I wanted to document my family and our life. It was my way of preserving memories and making sure the people I loved knew they mattered.
When basketball entered the picture, photography took a back seat. I became a starting point guard in college, not because I dreamed of going pro, but because it was the only way I was going to get my education paid for. After my first concussion, I should have stopped, but I was pressured to keep playing. My coaches threatened my scholarship if I didn’t, and back then there wasn’t the same kind of “concussion protocol” we thankfully see today. The second concussion left me with a traumatic brain injury and months of speech therapy.
That injury brought me back to the camera. Photography became both therapy and a lifeline. I used it to preserve memories I feared I might lose, and it quickly became my way of telling stories again. Over time, that grew into gallery shows, community work, and experimenting with new tools like AR and digital media.
Life has had its challenges — from burnout running an NFT art gallery, to a hand injury that sidelined my creative work, and most recently, the unexpected loss of my Dad. That loss has been the hardest season of my life, but it’s also clarified why I do this work. Culture Shift is not just a project — it’s the calling I feel led to build, in honor of Jesus, my Dad, and the communities who need stories that heal.
Along the way, I also embraced my identity as trans and began living as my most authentic self. That process has been difficult, but it’s also given me the freedom to show up fully in the world. And that’s what Culture Shift is about at its core — creating a movement where people can be free, be seen, and be part of building something bigger than themselves. Today, I’m blessed to be building this vision alongside my co-founder, Verlenzo Hawk, and a growing community of believers who see the power in fusing faith and creativity.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It hasn’t been smooth — but I wouldn’t trade the journey. Each challenge has given me perspective and resilience.
The traumatic brain injury left me struggling with memory, language, and energy, while being forced to keep playing through symptoms to protect my scholarship. Later, when I found success in the art and tech world, I hit burnout so severe it triggered panic attacks and eventually cost me my job. And losing my Dad has been the deepest grief I’ve ever carried.
But through all of it, Jesus has been my strength. Following Him is the only reason I have the clarity and courage to keep going — to keep building Culture Shift with Verlenzo and our community. These struggles have shaped me into someone who can walk with others through theirs, not out of pity, but out of lived testimony that healing and purpose are possible.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
At my core, I’m a storyteller. I began with photography — documenting my family and the lives of people around me. That grew into creative direction, gallery curation, and experimenting with emerging tools like augmented reality and livestream media. What I specialize in now is blending creativity, technology, and faith to build worlds where people feel seen and represented.
I’m most proud of Culture Shift. Together with my co-founder, Verlenzo Hawk, we’re building a faith-fueled cinematic movement. It’s more than just content — it’s a generational story world where modern discipleship, spiritual gifts, and cultural transformation are at the center. We’re producing comics, livestream shows, and immersive art experiences that place marginalized voices in the spotlight, where mainstream media often erases or overlooks them.
What sets us apart is that we’re not waiting for Hollywood’s approval. We’re building outside the system, with community as our co-creator, and leading with Jesus because that’s who we follow. Every part of Culture Shift is designed to prove that you don’t have to fit someone else’s mold to matter. Instead, you can build something global, generational, and rooted in truth by starting with faith and building with those who believe in it.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that surrender is strength. For years, I thought success meant pushing harder, grinding longer, or proving myself. But the real turning point came when I surrendered to Jesus and trusted Him with my story.
That surrender gave me clarity. It gave me purpose. And it gave me the courage to build Culture Shift not as a hustle, but as a divine assignment from the most high God. That’s the lesson I carry into every room — that strength doesn’t come from striving, it comes from aligning with God’s will through Jesus.
Pricing:
- Culture Shift is fiscally sponsored by Fractured Atlas, every contribution is tax-deductible, which ensures full transparency and impact. https://cultureshiftxyz.short.gy/donate
- $25 → Helps us grow our Genesis Member community (our first 1,000 supporters).
- $250 → Powers livestream episodes and digital storytelling content.
- $1,000+ → Funds comic and digital collectible production — the foundation of our cinematic universe.
- Larger gifts → Support operations, immersive art exhibits, and pilot projects.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/cultureshiftxyz
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cultureshiftxyz/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raventrammell/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@cultureshiftxyz
- Other: https://cultureshiftxyz.short.gy/donate
