It all began with a story.
L.Y. Marlow is the third generation in her family to have been a victim and survivor of domestic violence: a violence that almost took her life and the life of her unborn child. In her award-winning book, Color Me Butterfly, she tells the compelling and endearing story of four generations of mothers and daughters: the true story of her grandmother, her mother, herself, and her daughter; and the impact intergenerational domestic violence and abuse has had on her family for more than sixty years.
But it would be the story of her granddaughter named Promise that became the fifth generation that inspired L.Y. to walk away from a 20+ year progressive corporate career to found Saving Promise—a national domestic violence nonprofit organization.
With a focus on prevention, L.Y. is also one of the pioneers and principals of the Harvard Learning Lab (a partnership with the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health)—a first of its kind research and development lab to discover and implement innovative, evidence-based public education and prevention strategies to transform the public health approach to intimate partner violence.
This heartfelt and captivating story of tragedy to triumph moved L.Y. to share her journey in her third book, Don’t Look at the Monster: One Woman’s Journey to Embrace a Purposeful Life—the Gifts, the Lessons & the Blessings.
L.Y.’s authentic voice as a survivor, mother and friend—an ordinary woman with an extraordinary story—has made her a sought-after speaker for multiple public and private groups, organizations and conferences. Widely recognized as a distinguished domestic violence expert, social entrepreneur, and empowerment advocate, L.Y. is the embodiment of the transformative power to live a purposeful life.