Crowder grew up near Oldsmar, Florida, attending Lowry Elementary, Farnell Middle and Hillsborough High schools.[8] He would go on to earn an associate's degree in psychology from the University of Central Florida.[9]
Musical career
In March 2009, Crowder and the other members of the band founded In Reference to a Sinking Ship in Palm Harbor, Florida.[10] The band released their first EP in 2010, Aimless, before changing their name to Dark Sermon in 2012. Dark Sermon would be signed to multiple labels (Good Fight Entertainment, eOne Music, Nuclear Blast Records)[11][12] and release two full-length albums (In Tongues, The Oracle) before the band's indefinite hiatus in 2017.[7]
Once the group's hiatus began, Prison became Crowder's main musical project.[7] Prison was initially formed in 2014 and is made up of former members of Dark Sermon (Crowder), Adaliah, and ABACABB/In Alcatraz 1962.[13] Their album, Still Alive, would track on Billboard'sHeatseekers and Independent Albums charts for one week each.[14][15]
In 2018, Crowder founded Cope Notes, a telehealth-based mental health service. According to the Tampa Bay Times, the company "sends subscribers positive thoughts and affirmations to help combat depression and anxiety".[6] The company won the People's Choice award at the national Startup of the Year summit in 2022, ranking in the top 15 of the 100 semi-finalists.[6]
Public speaking
Crowder gave a keynote speech at Elon University during the university's recognition of National Mental Illness Awareness Week in 2022.[19] He has also given two TEDx Talks, titled "How to Grow as a Person (And Why It Sucks)"[20] and "Why I Don’t Want to Die Anymore".[4]
Bibliography
Trauma-informed patient and public-engaged research: Development and evaluation of an online training programme (2022)[21]
Crowder is a Christian.[5] In 2021, he was recognized by Forbes, appearing on their "Next 1000" list. The list highlighted upcoming entrepreneurs within the United States with businesses under $10 million in funding or generated revenue.[23]