Through these events in her life, she found solace in storytelling. Whether through spoken word, movement, or visual arts, she realized that narratives hold immense power—not just to document our histories for the benefit of our collective futures, but to reclaim them and shape our shifting realities. Fire Lotus became her way of turning personal resilience and discovery into a collective movement for cultural perpetuity. The phoenix and the lotus, two symbols of endurance and transformation, became the guiding ethos of this work: from destruction comes rebirth, and from adversity, beauty emerges.

At its core, Fire Lotus is more than a company. It is a vessel for healing, a conduit for untold stories, and a space for exploration that challenges dominant narratives in an interdisciplinary way. Through film, multimedia art, and cultural advocacy, Fire Lotus fosters a new kind of storytelling—one that not only preserves memory but actively rebuilds community, reclaiming space and voice for those often left unheard. Fire Lotus Media was born out of a personal journey of displacement, erasure, and survival, rooted in her Haitian-American refugee experience. Through media and artistic engagement, we provide a platform for individuals and communities to tell their stories, navigate bureaucracy, and co-create collective work. This work centers art, culture, and environmental justice. By weaving all three of these elements together, we can learn to build new tools for our homes and communities.

Ranya is currently seeking collaborations and funding opportunities to support the expansion of Fire Lotus projects—ranging from community-driven documentaries and artistic storytelling initiatives to immersive movement workshops. Additionally, she is actively pursuing access to land and communal spaces to facilitate holistic, eco-conscious community developments.

A multifaceted freelance writer, storyteller, artist, dancer, activist, and journalist dedicated to harnessing the power of storytelling to inspire social change, community building, and cultural preservation. With over two decades of experience in writing, poetry, and lyrical composition, and more than fifteen years as a dancer, workshop facilitator, and performance coordinator, Ranya merges artistic expression with activism to create transformative experiences.

As the visionary behind Fire Lotus, Ranya cultivates a movement that not only elevates untold narratives but actively nurtures communities through documentary filmmaking, movement-based workshops, and sustainable, culturally-rooted eco-communities. Ranya holds a Master's in Multimedia Journalism and a Graduate Certificate in Indigenous, Race, and Ethnic Studies from the University of Oregon, empowering her to approach storytelling with depth, authenticity, and cultural sensitivity.

Fire Lotus was born from her lifelong search for home. As a Haitian-American refugee, my early years were shaped by movement, uncertainty, respite and the pursuit of relation to place. By the time she was 19, she had lived in over 20 different homes, each place offering a temporary sense of stability yet reinforcing a deeper feeling of displacement. This experience made me acutely aware of the ways in which erasure—of people, cultures, and histories—impacts identity and belonging.