Anasa Troutman is a cultural strategist, writer, producer, and developer whose work is reshaping how cities understand and invest in culture. She is the founder and CEO of The Big We, a Memphis-based social enterprise building the resources, systems, and infrastructure needed for a thriving cultural economy.

A storyteller by trade, Anasa has spent her life exploring how stories shape the way we see, experience, and interact with ourselves and each other. She began her career in the music industry as Founder and CEO of EarthSeed Music and then Creative Director and Producer for India.Arie as President of her company SoulBird. From there, she expanded her creative work across theater, film, television, books, podcasts, nonprofits and electoral politics building a multidisciplinary practice rooted in narrative, creativity, and cultural transformation.

Through her CultureShift strategy model, Anasa has taught thousands of artists and leaders how to harness the power of culture and narrative to drive meaningful change. Her work has taken her into some of the country’s most influential cultural, civic, and philanthropic spaces, where she has provided strategic and creative guidance to organizations and leaders. She has also been invited four times to the White House including twice during the Obama administration to advise on cultural policy.

At the heart of Anasa’s work is a simple but transformative idea: culture is not a byproduct of strong society—it is the foundation. Through The Big We, she leads initiatives in creative placemaking, cultural entrepreneurship, and storytelling that activate neighborhoods’ cultural assets as drivers of economic growth, civic engagement, and narrative power.

At the center of her work is the stewardship of Historic Clayborn Temple, one of the most significant sites in American history and a National Treasure, known as the headquarters of the 1968 Memphis Sanitation Workers’ Strike, where the iconic “I AM A MAN” message first reached the world.

Following the devastating arson that devestated Clayborn in 2025, Anasa is leading the effort to rebuild Clayborn as a global cultural destination, including an immersive museum experience, the iconic santruary and a center for cultural and economic innovation.

Anasa is also the architect of the Restorative Development model, an innovative approach that leverages the restoration of heritage sites and cultural landmarks as catalysts for neighborhood redevelopment.