Hailing originally from Columbia, Missouri, Caullen is a Chicago-living social entrepreneur, activist, fitness professional, and award-winning film director, producer with over a decade of experience in film, commercial and television/web. With over 10 festival appearances, including the LA Film Review Independent Awards, Atlanta Documentary Film Festival, and the Guam International Film Festival for short film Blue Notes and micro-documentary Calvin’s Story, he has produced projects supported by activist groups geared towards affecting policy and changing public opinion on important social issues. Caullen has also worked on various independent film and TV projects including Embers, which garnered premiered at the Chicago International Film Festival. Additionally, some of his work, like the feature documentary What’s Beef?, has been used as educational curriculum in university classrooms.
Growing up, Caullen educated himself on equitable economic systems, Black liberation, various social movements, as well as commonly implemented organizing theories for radical societal change. Simultaneously, during this time his creative passion grew in studio, digital, and performance arts. Through a brief time in his undergrad tenure, Caullen lived in Los Angeles learning the development and business side of the film industry. He later graduated in 2013 with a BS in Digital Cinema from DePaul University. Afterwards, Caullen joined his love of cinema and passion for social justice to create SoapBox Productions and Organizing, a film production and social activism non-profit that specializes in multimedia curation and development of grassroots organizing efforts and creative projects geared towards structural social change.
In June 2017, Caullen earned his MA in Sociology at DePaul University, which has helped him gain a better understanding of the root causes, histories, theoretical frameworks, and legislation behind various social issues. Most importantly, it has given him a new skill set on the ways in which to explore said issues through social research, qualitative interviewing and observation, and creative pathways, thus connecting the creative to the academic to the activist for the better. During that time, he became entrenched in Chicago’s organizing ecosystem, cutting his teeth during the #NoCopAcademy campaign and continuing that work through the years with various PIC abolition struggles, mutual aid networks, and grassroots-based media projects.
Parallel to his film, grassroots organizing, and academic pursuits, Caullen found fitness as a second career along the way while working at the DePaul University fitness and recreation center. Involved in team sports while growing up, his appreciation for the community and collaborative atmosphere in group training transferred into crafting creative programing for clients and participants. Caullen has been training since 2012 receiving an ACE Group Fitness and TRX certification along the way. Caullen specializes in high intensity interval training (HIIT), anaerobic cardio/agility, strength training, and more. As a firm believer in effective conditioning coupled with "picking heavy things up and putting them down," he blends his passion for athletic performance to produce an intense yet unique and dynamic workout experience.
Now with a decade of film, commercial, and television/web experience, years of community organizing work, and SoapBox’s ever-evolving efforts, Caullen directs, produces, educates, organizes, and acts to bring about participatory, authentic structures and alliances to transform narratives, abolish oppressive systems, and build towards a more liberatory future. When not producing films or building power, Caullen can be found recording the Bourbon ‘n BrownTown podcast, teaching fitness classes, or sippin’ on a fine whiskey...but not at the same time.
Growing up, Caullen educated himself on equitable economic systems, Black liberation, various social movements, as well as commonly implemented organizing theories for radical societal change. Simultaneously, during this time his creative passion grew in studio, digital, and performance arts. Through a brief time in his undergrad tenure, Caullen lived in Los Angeles learning the development and business side of the film industry. He later graduated in 2013 with a BS in Digital Cinema from DePaul University. Afterwards, Caullen joined his love of cinema and passion for social justice to create SoapBox Productions and Organizing, a film production and social activism non-profit that specializes in multimedia curation and development of grassroots organizing efforts and creative projects geared towards structural social change.
In June 2017, Caullen earned his MA in Sociology at DePaul University, which has helped him gain a better understanding of the root causes, histories, theoretical frameworks, and legislation behind various social issues. Most importantly, it has given him a new skill set on the ways in which to explore said issues through social research, qualitative interviewing and observation, and creative pathways, thus connecting the creative to the academic to the activist for the better. During that time, he became entrenched in Chicago’s organizing ecosystem, cutting his teeth during the #NoCopAcademy campaign and continuing that work through the years with various PIC abolition struggles, mutual aid networks, and grassroots-based media projects.
Parallel to his film, grassroots organizing, and academic pursuits, Caullen found fitness as a second career along the way while working at the DePaul University fitness and recreation center. Involved in team sports while growing up, his appreciation for the community and collaborative atmosphere in group training transferred into crafting creative programing for clients and participants. Caullen has been training since 2012 receiving an ACE Group Fitness and TRX certification along the way. Caullen specializes in high intensity interval training (HIIT), anaerobic cardio/agility, strength training, and more. As a firm believer in effective conditioning coupled with "picking heavy things up and putting them down," he blends his passion for athletic performance to produce an intense yet unique and dynamic workout experience.
Now with a decade of film, commercial, and television/web experience, years of community organizing work, and SoapBox’s ever-evolving efforts, Caullen directs, produces, educates, organizes, and acts to bring about participatory, authentic structures and alliances to transform narratives, abolish oppressive systems, and build towards a more liberatory future. When not producing films or building power, Caullen can be found recording the Bourbon ‘n BrownTown podcast, teaching fitness classes, or sippin’ on a fine whiskey...but not at the same time.
