Turnwall was born on an Indian reservation in Montana, and raised in Alaska. He moved to New York when he was 16 and finished high school at the Green Meadow Waldorf School.  In 1991, Turnwall joined the United States Marine Corps and served with honor during Desert Storm.  Between serving in the Corp and attending NYU, Turnwall worked in IT and Marketing.

Turnwall has an Associate's in Graphic Design and a Bachelor's in Film & Television from NYU.